There’s A Good Chance You’ve Been Dipping Your Sushi Into Soy Sauce Wrong This Whole Time (2024)

FAQs

Is it disrespectful to dip sushi in soy sauce? ›

Traditionally, soy sauce is meant as a light dipping sauce for sashimi — simply served, carefully sliced, raw fish. Dipping a nori-wrapped sushi roll, called makizushi or maki, or a piece of sliced fish over rice, called nigiri, in soy sauce is not always typical.

The sushi may be dipped in soy sauce before eating, but ensure that only the topping is dipped in the sauce, and that it does not soak into the rice, making it excessively salty. People often mix some wasabi into the soy sauce, although nigirizushi usually has wasabi in it already, and more should not be added.

Mixing wasabi with soy sauce is known as wasabi joyu, an amalgamation of the words wasabi and shoyu the Japanese word for soy sauce. According to Sushi Sasaya Korin, wasabi joyu is a violation of etiquette not only when it comes to sushi but all Japanese food in general as the two should always be enjoyed separately.

If you use any, at all, it's only for the top of the sushi on Nigiri, but well-made sushi usually doesn't need soy sauce or wasabi. Only the barest amount. It's super frowned upon to drown your sushi in soy sauce, especially the rice part.

Don't: Soy Sauce

However, you might be surprised to find out that in some scenarios, it can be deemed disrespectful to add it to your food. In Japan, there are specific etiquette rules expected to be followed by natives and visitors. Therefore, it is looked down upon to put soy sauce on Japanese fried rice.

You'll be given chopsticks with your meal, but if you're not comfortable using them, it's fine to ask for a fork. That said, don't be afraid to try: it will show your guest that you're a good sport. It's also perfectly acceptable to eat sushi with your fingers, but sashimi should be enjoyed with chopsticks or a fork.

Detailed description. At the end of a round in which soy sauce is played, all players compare how many different colored backgrounds they have among the cards they have played. If a player has the most (or tied for the most) different colors and has also played a soy sauce card, it is worth 4 points.

Many types of sushi contain high levels of sodium. The popular sushi topping, soy sauce, is also high in sodium. Most Americans already have too much sodium in their diets, and high sodium levels can lead to problems that include congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

Soy sauce is a great way to give a little umami addition to sushi. However, it shouldn't overpower the taste of the fish or rice. Lightly dunk your sushi fish-first into the soy sauce. Avoid getting the rice in the sauce, as it will soak up too much salt and detract from the flavor of the sushi.

Traditionally, wasabi was used to make the fish taste better and to fight bacteria from raw fish. Today, wasabi is still used for this reason. Its flavor is designed to bring out the taste of the raw fish, not cover it. Too much wasabi, however, may overpower the fish taste.

What to avoid in soy sauce? ›

Soy sauce also contains wheat, which some people may be allergic to. People who have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder caused by eating gluten, should avoid soy sauce that has gluten. Most soy sauces contain wheat, but some brands produce gluten-free soy sauces.

The soy sauce in sushi restaurant is a special blend called nikiri soy sauce. If you use soy sauce as it is, the flavor will be too strong and will kill the taste of the sushi. Nikiri is a soy sauce traditionally used in sushi restaurants to enhance the cuisine.

Eat the sushi. Smaller pieces like nigiri and sashimi should be eaten in one bite, but larger American-style rolls may need to be eaten in two or more bites. Chew the sushi completely, allowing the flavor to coat the inside of your mouth. If you're drinking sake along with your sushi, now is a good time to take a sip.

Dip the fish, not the rice: When dipping nigiri sushi in soy sauce, it is important to dip the fish, not the rice. This ensures that the soy sauce does not make the rice too salty. Dip the sushi upside down: When dipping sushi in soy sauce, it is best to dip it upside down so that the fish touches the soy sauce.

Thousands of years of tradition have kept sushi in Japan a pure and simple two-ingredient dish of raw fish and rice, nothing else, except perhaps a bit of soy sauce and wasabi.

If desired, serve the sushi rolls with soy sauce, ponzu, wasabi, and pickled ginger on the side for dipping. Hand rolls made in this style are more like traditional sushi rolls, similar to maki rolls. They are easier to assemble and can be a great option for casual sushi parties or gatherings. Enjoy!