We had a great time on our downtown Boulder Sushi Crawl, tasting unique rolls at four establishments paired with sake. And, we picked up some proper etiquette along the way.
- Do not rub your chopsticks together. When not in use they should be placed parallel to yourself on the holder (if there is one) or on the shoyu dish. They should also be placed there when you finish with your meal.
- Don’t put wasabi directly in the shoyu dish. Nigiri comes with wasabi placed under the fish by the Chef and reflects what he feels is the proper balance of wasabi to fish.
- It is OK to eat nigiri-zushi (sushi) with your hands. Sashimi is only to be eaten with chopsticks. Pick up the nigiri-zushi and dip the fish into your shoyu, not the rice (which will soak up too much shoyu). The rice is like a sponge, and too much shoyu will overpower the taste of the food and could also lead to the rice falling into your shoyu dish and making soup.
- Eat nigiri style sushi in one bite. This is not always easy or possible in North America where some sushi Chefs make huge pieces, but traditional itamae in Japanese sushi will make the pieces the proper size for this.
- Gari (ginger) is considered a palate cleanser and eaten between bites of different types of sushi.
- Never pass food to another person using chopsticks as this is too close symbolically to the passing of a deceased relative’s bones at a traditional Japanese funeral.
- Never stick your chopsticks in your rice and leave them sticking up. This resembles incense sticks and again brings to mind the symbolism of the Japanese funeral and prayers to one’s ancestors.