WASHINGTON 鈥� In the past 50 years, sushi has grown from an exotic delicacy to a staple in the American diet.
In the 鈥�60s, it was to in-the-know diners in Los Angeles. Now, sushi is available everywhere 鈥� from the grab-and-go section of the grocery store, to the country鈥檚 .聽And the sushi craze is not slowing down; the $2 billion industry is 聽in the next five years.
But just because Americans are eating more sushi, doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e eating it correctly.
In fact, sushi expert Aung Myint says we鈥檙e doing it all wrong 鈥� and he聽has a few聽tips for the next time you order a few rolls.
Keep the wasabi and the soy sauce separate
If your first move is to stab a chopstick in a pile of green wasabi, plop the spicy condiment into your soy sauce and stir the two together, it might be time to alter your etiquette.
Myint, of in Georgetown, says this American custom is considered poor manners 鈥� not to mention it overpowers the flavor of the sushi.
Instead, the wasabi should be added separately from the soy sauce. A dab on top is all you need.
鈥淲hen you dunk [a roll into soy sauce] with the wasabi separately, it actually tastes better,鈥� Myint says.
In Japan, the question of where to put the wasabi is never an issue, Myint says, because it鈥檚 already incorporated in the roll or spread between the rice and the fish in nigiri.
Eat with your fingers
Good news for those lacking chopstick skills: Eating sushi rolls with your fingers is totally acceptable.
Myint says the three-finger rule (thumb, pointer and middle) is the best way to eat neatly cut sushi rolls. (Save the chopsticks for the packed specialty rolls that might be harder to grab without making a mess.)
Then, dip the rolls 鈥� don鈥檛 dunk them 鈥� into the soy sauce and place them directly in your mouth. There鈥檚 no need to shake the soy-covered sushi over the dish if you go for a neat dip in the first place.
However, the three-finger rule does not apply to sashimi. The slices of raw fish should be eaten with chopsticks.
The purpose of the ginger
The thin slices of ginger are not meant to adorn the top of your sushi rolls. The role of ginger is 鈥減alate cleanser鈥� on the sushi plate.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to have a variety of fish, after a while they all taste the same because we鈥檙e dunking with soy sauce,鈥� Myint says. 鈥淪o if you鈥檙e skipping from a salmon to a tuna, get a piece of ginger to clean your palate and then taste the next fish.鈥�
Think of ginger as sushi鈥檚 sorbet equivalent: It鈥檚 there to help the diner distinguish the different flavors between each course.
Myint says ginger can also be used as a vehicle to deliver soy sauce to your sushi rolls. Using your chopsticks, dip a slice of ginger into the soy sauce, and then brush the ginger on top of your sushi roll.
This is the best approach for the messy sushi rolls that leave a lot of reside in the soy sauce dish.
Let鈥檚 talk nigiri
Whatever you do, Myint says don鈥檛 soak the rice side of your nigiri in soy sauce.
鈥淭hat is the big no-no,鈥� he warns.
Using your fingers or chopsticks, turn the nigiri to the side and dip the fish into the soy. Then, eat the nigiri fish-side first, for maximum flavor.
