After Learning How to Make Sushi and How to Make Sushi Rolls, Learn How to Eat Sushi!

You’ve made it! You learned how to make sushi and have created delicious sushi rice; you learned how to make sushi rolls and have prepared some nigirizushi, makizushi, and uramaki; you even arranged them all artfully on a plate...but now what?

The final, and most fun, part of the how to make sushi experience is eating your creation. Now we will look at a few rules to follow in order to get the true sushi experience, the full how to make sushi rolls experience. (Most of these rules will hold true for you at a sushi restaurant as well, with a couple of notable, and noted, exceptions.)

When you begin your meal, you should have your sushi arranged before you, as well as a small plate of ginger, and perhaps another holding your pickled vegetables. Another small, empty plate should be provided as well. This plate is for your soy sauce. Soy sauce should not be poured onto the plate holding your sushi. Pour a small amount of soy sauce onto your plate. (Pouring too much soy sauce will make you look like a glutton, which is not a concern at home, but is very bad manners at a restaurant.) Some people like to add a small dollop of wasabi to their soy sauce as well. (Again, this is fine at home, but in a restaurant it could be insulting. The itamae (chef) adds wasabi to your sushi, either while making it or as a side garnish; adding more is effectively telling the itamae he has done a bad job.)