The Steps


Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Understand menu items
Step 2:
Lay the appropriate groundwork
Step 3:
Learn what you can order, and from whom
Step 4:
Start simply
Step 5:
Step up to more elaborate dishes

 

Food and Drink


2torial #0606:
Learn2 Eat Sushi
(Continued)

Step 4Start simply

Is there really a "right" way to season and eat sushi? There is an accepted etiquette--but as far as which dishes you prefer and how you want to season them, it's up to you. The best bet is to start simply and work up from there as your palate becomes more educated to the shadings of sushi flavors.

  • Soup and salads: Miso soup and salad greens make wonderful appetizers. Greens usually consist of cucumber strips and a wonderful, seasoned white vinegar. Miso soup is a warm broth with chunks of tofu, and often with strips of vegetables. Sip this with both hands on the bowl, letting yourself be wild without a spoon. Be careful--these things are so tasty that you'll need to remind yourself to save room for the sushi. Miso preparation varies widely from restaurant to restaurant, and indeed from person to person (in Japan, most people seem to swear that the only person who knows how to do it exactly right is their mother).
  • Choose a basic roll. There are several basic rolls that are the standard for any sushi menu. They are usually all small and served in quantities of six, though the servings may vary from place to place. Small pieces of fish or vegetables surrounded by white rice and wrapped in thin sheets of seaweed, they include cucumber or carrot rolls, avocado rolls, salmon and tuna rolls, and the ubiquitous California roll. Dipping the ends of these in the soy sauce mixture will surely delight--just make the dip quick, no so long as to make the roll get mushy.
    By the way, you can eat rolls with chopsticks or simply pick them up and pop them into your mouth--there's no absolutely correct method. In fact, tradition maintains that sushi rolls were orginally invented as a convenience food, to be eaten by hand much like sandwiches.

Go 2Step 5



 

 

Notice of Liability.Copyright ©2004 Learn2 Corporation All Rights Reserved.