This is how you should eat sushi, according to an expert

Saturday, 10 November 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Guardian.com: Sushi is a beloved Japanese dish, with its expansive array of flavours, textures and varieties playing a huge role in its ever-growing popularity. While the dish has been around for several centuries, all who enjoy eating sushi have their own way of preparing it.

Some prefer to mix the wasabi with soy sauce before combining with the sushi, whereas others opt to forego any additional sauces or supplements altogether.

Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa is a Japanese celebrity chef best known as the owner of his eponymous Nobu restaurants. Matsuhisa opened his first restaurant in Los Angeles in 1987, before opening the first Nobu restaurant in New York City in the early 1990s with the partnership of actor Robert De Niro. As an expert in his field, Matsuhisa has gone into great detail explaining how he believes sushi should be consumed.

This is how you should eat sushi, according to the chef renowned for his culinary prowess.

Wasabi: Many people who eat sushi like to add far more wasabi than necessary to test their limits when consuming the fiery plant. However, according to Matsuhisa, there’s no need to add extra wasabi when eating a sushi combination of rice and fish. This is because it’s always added in between the rice and the fish anyway.

Sashimi: Sashimi, a Japanese dish that consists of slices of raw fish or meat, is served with soy sauce and wasabi. A great deal of people may assume that they should add the wasabi in the soy sauce before then dipping the sashimi into the mixture. However, Matsuhisa prefers what he describes as the more “traditional way” of first placing the sashimi in the soy sauce before adding a touch of wasabi to the middle of the fish, he explained. He then picks up the sashimi with his chopsticks and lets the excess soy sauce drip off before eating.

Nigiri: When it comes to nigiri, slices of raw fish placed on top of beds of rice, Matsuhisa is very specific about his method of consumption. First, he uses his chopsticks to make a “half turn” with the nigiri on the plate, placing it on its side. He then picks it up and places the side with fish on it on the soy sauce, leaving the side of rice dry. After consuming the nigiri in one bite, he then eats a small piece of ginger to cleanse his palate.

Sushi roll: Matsuhisa states that there is “no choice” when eating a sushi roll. According to the sushi aficionado, you should dip just a little bit of the rice on the sushi roll in the soy sauce, then eat it all in one bite. He believes the key to enjoying a sushi meal is to start with the lighter bites first, before moving onto the heavier pieces, such as sushi rolls, at the end.

However, as Matsuhisa points out: “This is my way”. While he is no doubt extremely knowledgeable about the ins and outs of sushi, everyone has their unique preferences.