Do you recall the first time you tried sushi? I associate that experience with the combustion of new, surprising flavours in my mouth. And to say the least, I hated it. But that’s the matter with just about everyone. Most of us share an extreme relationship with sushi—you either love it or hate it, there’s rarely a middle ground.
Sushi is certainly an acquired taste, but to be fair, it’s really not all that hard to love. What’s not to love about a sushi? It is one of the most guilt-free, healthy, and yet extremely delicious meals one could opt for. Crunchy, fresh, with not one sign of the oils, sushi is the best option for when one wants to eat out without guilt tripping themselves. And with the variety it comes with, every meal is a new one, provided it features this Japanese gem.
A decade ago, sushi spots were only coming up, even in India’s more cosmopolitan cities. Cut to today when every café and restaurant is trying to perfect this rice-based dish. And we are not definitely not complaining (as long as authenticity is what you are aiming for).
Japanese take their sushi and the art of eating it just as seriously as Koreans take their skin care. It feels simple enough to get right. Rice, fish (or chicken), maybe a little wasabi on the side. How hard can it even be? And yet, somewhere between dunking it in soy sauce like it’s soup and treating ginger like a side dish, we have a sushi chef sushi master giving us a side eye and judging us very hard.
And if you are eating sushi the wrong way, you are certainly not to blame because most of us might not even know what we’re doing wrong. And that’s where we step in.
This isn’t about making sushi feel intimidating or off-limits. If anything, it’s about knowing just enough to enjoy it better. So before you head out for your next sushi night, here’s a quick guide to the dos and don’ts—so you can eat your sushi like you actually mean it.
Let’s Start With The Fundamentals
If there’s one thing to understand about sushi, nothing on your plate is placed there at random. Every single ingredient has a purpose, and every detail plays a role in making the sushi taste the way it does. From the temperature of the rice to the exact dash of wasabi tucked between fish and rice, sushi is built to be eaten a certain way, in a single, balanced bite. Messing with that isn’t just a personal preference but defeats the whole point.
Let’s start with something obvious: do not poke your sushi! Using chopsticks to stab or spear a piece is considered rude—not just culturally, but practically too. Sushi is delicate. It’s meant to be lifted gently and enjoyed whole. Spearing it breaks the structure, and more importantly, shows a lack of respect for the craftsmanship that went into shaping it.
What chefs also want you to do is respect the rice. It’s not only the carb that supports the bite-sized delicacy, sushi rice is everything. It’s seasoned, temperature-controlled, and carefully packed to hold together just enough. Dipping the rice into more condiments than intended or handling it roughly causes it to fall apart, completely throwing off the flavour balance. In fact, most chefs consider it a sign that you don’t trust their seasoning if you start overloading it. The rice is already doing its job—so let it!
This brings us to balance. Sushi is built on the harmony of flavours: sweetness from the rice, saltiness from the fish (or chicken/veggies/tofu), acidity from vinegar, and the heat from wasabi. That’s why separating the fish from the rice, adding extra elements, or eating components individually is a big no.
Chefs carefully calculate how much wasabi to add based on the type of fish. While fattier cuts might get more, leaner ones less, so when you start rearranging things, you’re essentially undoing all that went into these calculations.
And finally, the most important part: eat it in one bite! Sushi isn’t meant to be nibbled at. Each piece is proportioned so you experience everything at once, and hence taste exactly what it’s meant to taste like, be it the texture of the rice, the freshness of the fish, the seasoning, all of it. Taking multiple bites not only makes it fall apart, but also disrupts that carefully constructed flavour profile.
To Chopstick or Not To Chopstick?
You may not know this, but you do NOT have to use chopsticks to eat sushi. In fact, for nigiri (those neat little mounds of rice topped with fish), eating with your hands is not only acceptable, but also often preferred. Sushi was originally street food in Japan, meant to be eaten quickly and casually, especially for daily workers, and using your fingers actually helps you handle it more gently. So if your chopstick skills are questionable, put them down. It’s far better to use your hands than to fumble your way through and dismantle the sushi in that process.
For those wanting to learn, grip the sushi lightly from the side. Never stab, squeeze, or clamp down too hard on the stick. The goal is to control the bite-sized sushi without force. Think of it as lifting, not grabbing. Much as you don’t crush a slice of cake in your hands when holding on to it, imagine sushi exactly like that.
Chopstick tip: Use your middle finger as a fulcrum or pivot, if you may. While your index finger and thumb should remain firmly on the topmost chopstick, use your middle finger to guide your eating.
Your focus must be on keeping the piece intact. If it’s falling apart before it reaches your mouth, something’s gone wrong.
This is exactly why the Japanese also prefer using their hands far more than resorting to cutlery. Using fingers allows for a gentler grip, whereas forks, spoons, and knives are considered inappropriate. If you’re using the latter, it might just be a culinary crime, so beware!
Soy Sauce is NOT Soup And Ginger NOT Salad!
If there’s one place most people go completely off track, it’s here, especially for us Indians. Desperately in love with an overload of masala and spice, the moment sushi hits the table, and the soy sauce becomes a free-for-all. Poured like broth, wasabi piled on like chutney, ginger treated as salad. Remember, this is where less really is more.
For soy sauce, you’re not meant to dunk your sushi in it at all. The correct way is to dip lightly. Just a quick touch, and ideally on the top-most side. This is why, in the case of nigiri, the fish side must be the only one in contact with the sauce. Rice acts like a sponge, soaking up way too much soy sauce, which not only overwhelms the flavour but can also make the whole piece fall apart. More importantly, most sushi is already seasoned by the chef. Adding too much soy sauce essentially overrides that balance entirely.
For wasabi, it’s not meant to be mixed into your soy sauce to create that murky green dip. Traditionally, the chef has already added the right amount of wasabi between the fish and rice, tailored to the type of fish you’re eating. If you absolutely need more, add a tiny amount directly onto the sushi—not into your bowl.
As for ginger, it’s not a topping, and it’s definitely not meant to sit on your sushi. Pickled ginger is a palate cleanser in Japanese culture, meant to be eaten between bites, not with them. Its job is primarily to reset your taste buds so you can fully appreciate the next piece.
How to Order Sushi the Right Way
Ordering sushi isn’t just about picking what sounds good; it’s about sequencing your meal so you actually taste everything the way it’s intended to. Because our palates get overwhelmed quickly, if not ordered correctly, everything ends up tasting the same, which defeats the entire experience. And yes, I’ve been a victim of this.
The general rule is to start light and build up. Begin with milder, leaner fish (or just less-flavoured sushi, without ingredients like truffle). For fish, think white fish like flounder or snapper. Thereafter, moving on to richer, fattier cuts like tuna and salmon, or just the most intensely flavoured ones.
If you’re unsure, this is where you trust the chef. Ordering an omakase (which literally means “I leave it up to you”) is often the best way to go. The chef curates your meal based on seasonality, freshness, and the ideal order of flavours, which are things you wouldn’t necessarily know just by looking at a menu.
As for what not to order, avoid jumping straight into rolls loaded with sauces, tempura, or cream cheese. These tend to be heavier and run the risk of overwhelming the palate quite early on in the meal. They’re not “wrong” per se, but they’re best left for later. The same goes for over-ordering everything at once—sushi is best eaten fresh, piece by piece, not sitting on the table while you decide what to do next.
More Than A Dish
Sushi might feel like a casual night-out meal today, but in Japan, it carries history and respect that goes far beyond what’s on the plate. What we’re eating has evolved over centuries, and the way we eat it is, in many ways, part of tradition.
To understand why etiquette matters, it helps to know where sushi comes from. The earliest form of sushi dates back to around the 8th century, known as narezushi—a method of preserving fish by fermenting it with rice. Over time, this evolved, and by the Edo period (early 1800s) in Tokyo (then Edo), nigiri sushi as we know it today began to take shape as a kind of fast food. But even then, it was about precision and skill. Sushi chefs spent years mastering rice preparation, knife techniques, and the balance of flavours. This sense of craftsmanship is still very much alive today.
Which is why, culturally, sushi isn’t treated lightly. In traditional settings, especially at a counter, you’re participating in a larger exchange between chef and diner. Loud behaviour, food waste, or heavy alteration of what’s been served can be seen as disrespectful, not because of rigid rules, but because they dismiss the effort and intention behind each piece.
The Biggest Sushi Faux Pas (And What To Do Instead)
Dont’s:
- Don’t rub your chopsticks together—it implies they’re cheap
- Avoid pointing the chopsticks or leaving them sticking upright in rice. This has funerary connotations
- Try not to pass food directly from chopstick to chopstick
- Don’t order everything at once and let it sit
- NEVER dunk your sushi in soy sauce
- Don’t use a ton of wasabi (even if you can handle the spice)
- Never eat at a place that smells like fish: the restaurant should instead smell bright, like the ocean
- Don’t order heavy food early in the meal
Do’s:
- If you’re seated at a sushi counter, it’s considered polite to acknowledge the chef—just a thank you, or a nod goes a long way.
- Eat your food right away, as it arrives
- Trust the sushi chef—they’re called that for a reason!
- Go ahead and eat with your hands
- Keep wiping your hands between courses
- Start light, build flavour and depth as you go
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