We can’t get enough raw fish and vinegared rice: the UK sushi market is worth £38.9 million per annum. Itsu has 50 sushi restaurants in London, whileWasabi has 35 and 65 of YO! Sushis 75 outlets are based in the UK, serving over 5 million customers a year.But are we eating it all wrong?You see, there is strict etiquette to follow when eating sushi. Here are some tips to help you maximise your sushi experience.
1.Eat cut sushi rolls with your hands. If you struggle to use chopsticks this traditional method will allow you to enjoy your meal without dropping the sushi.
2.Eat cut rolls in one bite. It is considered rude to bite theroll in half as the chef spent time making the sushi perfect. If it is too big to eat in one go, tell the chef and he can make adjustments.
3.Never combine ginger and sushi. Ginger is meant to cleansethe palette between bites. It is bad manners to eat the ginger with sushi.
4.Take care not to add too much soy sauce when dipping yourroll. You should add just enough to taste the soy sauce but not enough to overwhelm the flavour.
5.Only dip the fish in soy sauce when eating nigiri (raw fishover pressed vinegared rice). Tokyo sushi chef Naomichi Yasuda says:The most important element of sushi is rice. Rice is the mainingredient. People talk about the fish, but the fish is the second ingredient.
The rice holds the sushi together. It requires careful preparationto create the perfect texture using a precise combination of vinegarand temperature. You should use chopsticks, or your hands, to turn thesushi on its side and then dip only the fish in soy sauce, not therice. Do not shake soy sauce off the sushi after dipping.
6.The perfect amount of wasabi has already been included innigiri, but if you want more, add only a small amount. It isconsidered rude to add a great dollop of extra wasabi. If you take too much wasabi and your mouth feels like it’s on fire, breathe through your nose to get rid of the burning feeling.
7.To maximise the flavour, eat the fish in a certain order.Start light with the white fish, followed by the silver and then redfish. Then eat richer flavours such as salmon. The fattiest fish comes last, followed by the egg roll which acts like a dessert. Ordering simple rolls signifies that you are ending your order.
8.Dont tip the chef. If you wish to thank him for the sushi buy him some sake.
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