Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

Since I hate my job, and don't have much to do, I've been reading about many different sushi restaurants and their preparation styles.

I'd heard/read a couple of years ago about the finger-food nature of nigiri sushi in particular, and the traditional usage of the gari (pickled ginger). I've seen people do lots of different things in preparation for their meal.

Recently, my fiancee and I have been to a couple of fairly nice restaurants where we were either asked or told [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] not to dip certain pieces of sushi in anything else, as they were served with their own sauce.

So I'm wondering - how do you eat your sushi?

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

I use plain soy sauce because I don't like the horseradish taste of wasabi. I dip the fish side of nigiri with my hands because that's what I read you're supposed to do.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

Eating sushi with the fingers is acceptable. This is why all proper sushi establishments will provide you with oshibori (moist towelette) before the meal, usually when you first sit down.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

I use chopsticks, dip the fish side. Little bit of wasabi, save gari for in between sushi.

If I'm by myself, I'll use fingers. I've heard you're supposed to use fingers for sushi, but when I'm out with friends, everyone uses chopsticks.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

AHHHH! Dipping rice side into soy sauce will cause it to soak up too much soy sauce, and overpower the flavor of the fish!!!!

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

Correctly.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

The poll asks me to explain "other," so my explanation is that I don't dip either side because I don't like soy sauce.

-McGee

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

there seems to be a break in the data. everyone who uses their finger, dips the fish side. most people who use chopsticks, dip incorrectly.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
there seems to be a break in the data. everyone who uses their finger, dips the fish side. most people who use chopsticks, dip incorrectly.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure you can interpret the data after 19 votes.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
AHHHH! Dipping rice side into soy sauce will cause it to soak up too much soy sauce, and overpower the flavor of the fish!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

everytime I try to dip the fish side first the whole thing falls apart. I try to dip the side that way I get soy sauce on the fish and rice. All you can eat sushi is a very good thing

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

Sometimes I like a little piece of ginger on top as well. Of course, I am an uncultured barbarian when it comes to sushi [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

I take a bit of wasabi and place it directly onto the sushi before I eat it. I like my keep my soy sauce clean. I'm weird like that.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The poll asks me to explain "other," so my explanation is that I don't dip either side because I don't like soy sauce.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh. I'm a polltard for including "no soy sauce" in the first question, and not accounting for it in the second. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Personally, I'm plain and fingers-fish-side. I used to put a little bit of wasabi in the shoyu...I think that's because I ate a fair amount of sashimi growing up, though my parents usually had powdered hot mustard in the house and not wasabi.

Later, after hearing/reading about leaving it plain and understanding that the chef already added what he felt was the proper amount, I switched, and have not regretted it.

Concur on not dipping rice-side first...you folks should give dipping the fish side a try. I think you'll like the results better.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

plain/fingers-fish side/eat in one mouthful

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

This thread makes it clear that I am a relative sushi noob. I had no idea it was acceptable to eat nigiri with your fingers, and I don't think I know anyone who dips the fish side as opposed to the rice side. FWIW I use a medium amount of wasabi in my soy sauce - more than most people i know, but not an excessive amount. A lot of people hate the taste but I think it really brings out the flavor of the sushi.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

fingers, rice side, no wasabi. why would you put the soy sauce on the fish? the rice absorbs it like a champ.

rj

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
AHHHH! Dipping rice side into soy sauce will cause it to soak up too much soy sauce, and overpower the flavor of the fish!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the point. The fish tastes fishy, and I pick which ones I like based on texture.

~D

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

soy only and with fingers. Don't really like nigiri.

According to alton brown, who is the authority on all food matters, sushi is finger food. So I eat it that way.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

fingers, fish side, straight up soy sauce b/c any respectable japanese chef will already have the wasabi inside the nigiri, make sure you place the fish on your tongue when putting it in.

its not how i do it, its how your supposed to do it =P

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
AHHHH! Dipping rice side into soy sauce will cause it to soak up too much soy sauce, and overpower the flavor of the fish!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the point. The fish tastes fishy, and I pick which ones I like based on texture.

~D

[/ QUOTE ]

If your sushi tastes fishy, then you're getting bad fish.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

speaking of fish. i have some delicious sushi grade salmon i'll be having today. $15/lb and well worth it. some premium rice. some custom sushi dressing made from high-end rice vinegar.

yum, at a fraction of the cost. but i don't bother making the rice balls for nigiri. just eat it as a don bowl.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

PITTM:

YMMV, but generally the shoyu should accent the flavor of the fish. If the rice "absorbs it", it's tough to taste the fish.


Duke:

What punkass said - the only one I can think of offhand that gets served all over the place that might taste fishy would be saba (mackerel).

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

And by all means, avoid the mackeral.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

Take off the fish, submerge in soy sauce (w/ wasabi), place back on rice, eat.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

I had a wonderful sushi lunch earlier today. I eat the rolls, especially the messier and fancier rolls with chopsticks. Nigiri I dip fish side into the soy sauce where I add a goodly amount of wasabi. I love wasabi. I'll sometimes also add wasabi plain to the sushi. Sashimi I also use chopsticks to eat.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
And by all means, avoid the mackeral.

[/ QUOTE ]


Mackeral is one of my favorites, but my girlfriend wouldn't eat it, so I usually got double. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Take off the fish, submerge in soy sauce (w/ wasabi), place back on rice, eat.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

So are my friends and I the only people in the world who eat it with chopsticks? I swear I have never seen anyone eat sushi with their hands.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

mia,

Lots of self selection going on here...

J

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

[ QUOTE ]
So are my friends and I the only people in the world who eat it with chopsticks? I swear I have never seen anyone eat sushi with their hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah...I see way more people eating with chopsticks than not.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

DO NOT put wasabi directly into the soy sauce. It should be applied directly to the sushi. Putting wasabi into soy sauce is more of a Western thing.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

hands vs. chopsticks is meh - both are ok. fingers are easier.

Standard japanese practice for nigiri is that there is already wasabi under the fish so then you don't need to put wasabi in the soy. That is what you do with chirashi/sashimi.

However in the west, there usually isn't wasabi so you have to put it in the soy, a la sashimi.

IIRC, the eel is cooked in soy and so doesn't need to be dipped.

Re: Another sushi thread - how do YOU eat it?
 

I'm glad to see this thread - because I'd read that it's preferable to eat nigri sushi with your fingers, and it's a lot easier that way, but when I've done it out in public I feel weird because I'm usually the only one. I've also more recently discovered that it tastes a lot better to just put a dab of wasabi directly on the sushi than to mix it with the soy sauce.