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Eat Sushi
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Step 5:
Step up to more elaborate dishes
- Move on to the nigiri. After warming up your tastebuds with the rolls, you may move on to the larger, more engaging fish. Here you get much larger rice and slabs of fish sometimes accompanied by roe (i.e., fish eggs) or sesame seeds. These can be difficult to eat because of their size and the way the rice sticks together with the seaweed makes it hard to break them apart. If you can manage it without the whole thing falling apart, take it in two bites--if not, just don't talk with your very full mouth!
You should eat nigiri with chopsticks, but if you're not too adept with these instruments, take consolation in the fact that not much action is necessary. Just pick up the whole, dip it quickly in the soy/wasabi mix, then pop the thing into your mouth. If you can't manage a whole piece of nigiri, there's no shame in asking for a knife, then cutting them in two before proceeding.
- Replenish with wasabi and pickled ginger. With so many different treats to tantalize your taste buds with, it's nice to have a refreshing break between bites. In many cultures, water clears the palate, but in the sushi bar it's pickled ginger, or oshinko (only 15 calories per tablespoon full). Small bites of this sweet root clears sinuses and tastes alike, so eat it slowly. Wasabi does the same thing, but is used as a season for your soy sauce too.
- Indulge in custom creations. Once you've gotten a rapport with the chef, try asking him or her what's especially good today. Quite often they're proud of a nice fish they bought personally, and they'll come up with a custom special. If you like it, ask for the name in Japanese. If you don't, grimace in a good-natured way and chalk it up to experience. When experimenting, it's a good idea to have a supply of a more staid stuff (such as a basic tekka maki) on hand to push away any lingering taste).
- Close your eyes. Sushi isn't just food, it's taste theater--flavors are designed to wash over your tongue in graceful sequence. If you're put off by the ingredients, try relaxing and closing your eyes after you've taken a bite. It should intensify the theater-in-the-mouth experience.
- Have fun with hand rolls. If you like a particular kind of maki roll, try asking for it in hand-roll form. A hand roll consists of the same ingredients, not cut up but put in a substantial cone (somewhat reminiscent of an ice cream cone). They're treats that don't always make it on the menu--but just about every sushi chef will cheerfully oblige.
- Trust your tongue. Even the biggest sushi afficionados don't love all kinds of sushi--it's about variety, so don't be afraid to build your own personal list of favorites and ignore peer pressure of any sort. If you don't like clam or salmon roe or whole sweet shrimp, just smile and pass on that round. A world of flavors is always just another order away.
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