Sushi for beginners: The propper way eat sushi

Meg:

One thing Frank and I share is a deep and abiding love/fascination with all things Japanese - the wacky pop culture, the fascinating history, the architecture, the philosophies, and of course, the food!

The first time we went out for sushi, I thought Frank would be impressed with the fact that a Kentucky girl even knew what sushi was, so I ordered my California roll with confidence. When his mouth fell open, it thought it was to compliment me on my choice, but I couldn't be more wrong.

Frank:

Having spent three years of my life as a sushi chef left me being somewhat of a sushi snob. And while yes, I was kind of embarrassed by Megan's choice in sushi (the California roll was created in LA by a sushi chef to ease Americans into eating sushi), I was horrified when I saw her put a piece of ginger right on top of her sushi before putting it in her mouth.

Meg:

That was the point where he actually said something (although, knowing him as well as I do now, in retrospect it's shocking he held his tongue as long as he did). "What are you doing??" he demanded. I looked innocently at him from across the table - "What? You don't put ginger on your sushi?" I asked.

Thus began my true Sushi Education. After he had flung the wayward piece of ginger off my offensively "American" California Roll, he took a deep breath and began the difficult process of re-educating me. He explained that the purpose of the ginger was to cleanse the palate in between pieces of sushi (ahhhh!). And then he made me try a bite of his tuna roll.

Frank:

Just to be clear, putting ginger on top of your sushi would be similar to going to a wine tasting and throwing the little crackers you are given right in your glass of wine. Megan has come along way since then. She looks on in horror when I eat my piece of uni sushi (sea urchin roe) but she will get a couple pieces of salmon, a tuna roll and usually try what ever I might order.

Those who might be afraid to try raw fish should know that you can still have sushi with out ever leaving your comfort zone. Sushi, first of all, refers to the short grain sticky rice that is used. Not only are there all kinds of new creations that include cooked seafood like crab and shrimp, there are also many options for vegetarians as well.

Meg:
Back before my California roll days (for the record, California rolls are a good starting point as they don't include any raw fish, just cucumber, avocado and a crab stick), I would stick with vegetable rolls. Frank has introduced me to some other Japanese dining options since that first early sushi date - two of my favorites are taco yaki (no actual tacos involved - it's a doughy, creamy octopus dumpling served warm with mayonnaise) and shumai (another dumpling, this time usually shrimp). While they're not sushi, they do offer the chance for non-sushi eaters to try something on the menu other than the teriyaki!

Frank:

For those who have had sushi before, and want to push their boundaries, there are a few raw fish that I would recommend: While white fish like snapper or fluke are mild in flavor, salmon (Meg's favorite) tastes pretty similar in both raw and cooked forms. My favorite is toro, which is the fatty underbelly meat of the tuna. It's hard to come by, but it has a creamy texture and a mild, buttery flavor that makes it worth the (usually) higher price. The next time you want to impress the sushi chef, try ordering any kind of fish "nigiri" sushi (meaning served over a ball of sushi rice) and dip the fish (not the rice) into your soy sauce. If you really want to get technical, you're not really supposed to mix the wasabi into the soy sauce, but let's just start with keeping the ginger off the sushi.