Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

See Also

Airline menus: what passengers ate during the golden age of aviation

Airline menus: what passengers ate during the golden age of aviation

What exactly is saffron, and why is it so expensive?

What exactly is saffron, and why is it so expensive?

Key ingredient in Coca-Cola and M&Ms is being smuggled from war-torn Sudan

Key ingredient in Coca-Cola and M&Ms is being smuggled from war-torn Sudan

The rise of 'pick me' foods

The rise of 'pick me' foods

The science behind brewing the perfect cup of coffee

The science behind brewing the perfect cup of coffee

Delicious culinary traditions recognized by UNESCO

Delicious culinary traditions recognized by UNESCO

See Again

© Getty Images

0 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - The Japanese delicacy is as much about presentation as it is taste.

© iStock

1 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - There is a lot of creativity and precision that goes into making every piece and roll.

© iStock

2 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - Making for an extremely colorful and stunning dish.

© iStock

3 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - The preparation of sushi is an art form and taken very seriously in the industry.

© iStock

4 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - Becoming a itamae (cook, chef) of sushi is not so easy.

© iStock

5 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - It takes years of hard work and practice, working alongside a master itamae.

© iStock

6 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - The study period includes an apprenticeship period.

© iStock

7 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - It can take years before a student is even allowed to cook rice or cut fish.

© iStock

8 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef -

In one of Tokyo's most famous sushi restaurants, apprentices spend two years just cleaning bathrooms, washing dishes, preparing the kitchen, and scaling and gutting fish, according to CNN.

© iStock

9 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - It is only in their third year that a student is given the opportunity to try their hand at preparing rice.

© iStock

10 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - Once that is mastered, the next phase for a student is being promoted to a wakiita, which translates to "near the cutting board."

© iStock

11 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - As a wakiita, a student gets to stand next to the master and learn how to cut fish.

© iStock

12 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - Eventually a student may be allowed to start making pieces of nigiri for clients.

© Shutterstock

13 / 59 Fotos

'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' - A film that illustrates the grueling life of a sushi master is the 2011 documentary 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi.'

© iStock

14 / 59 Fotos

'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' - It focuses on the life of Japanese sushi chef Jiro Ono.

© iStock

15 / 59 Fotos

'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' - Ono is considered the world's greatest sushi chef and master.

© iStock

16 / 59 Fotos

Special visitor - When former US president Barack Obama visited Tokyo in 2014, he stopped into Ono's three-Michelin-starred sushi restaurant.

© iStock

17 / 59 Fotos

Special visitor - Of his experience, the former president said, "I was born in Hawaii and ate a lot of sushi, but this was the best sushi I’ve ever had in my life," as per The New York Times.

© iStock

18 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - Securing a reservation at the legendary restaurant is difficult and can be a frustrating experience.

© Shutterstock

19 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - There is a long list of people waiting to dine at the popular eatery.

© Shutterstock

20 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - Customers make reservations up to a year in advance. And if you do manage to score a date, it certainly won't be cheap.

© Shutterstock

21 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - Eating at the iconic restaurant will set you back nearly US$300.

© Shutterstock

22 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - When it comes to eating sushi, there is a right way and a wrong way of doing so.

© iStock

23 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Sushi (which in theory should always be made fresh) should be consumed immediately.

© iStock

24 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Nigiri must actually be turned upside down to dip the fish into the soy sauce—not the rice.

© iStock

25 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - The reason being is that the rice can come apart if dipped directly into the sauce.

© Shutterstock

26 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - It is considered amateur to let the rice and sushi disintegrate.

© iStock

27 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - The rice could also absorb too much of the sauce's flavor and ruin the taste.

© iStock

28 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Nigiri should be eaten inversely too.

© iStock

29 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Meaning that the fish should always be the first thing to touch your tongue.

© iStock

30 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Because of this upside down technique, you might be surprised to learn that nigiri is actually best consumed using your hands, and not with chopsticks.

© iStock

31 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Use chopsticks for eating sashimi, instead.

© iStock

32 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - The ginger that is often served alongside your sushi isn't meant to be eaten with your meal.

© iStock

33 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - It is meant instead to cleanse the palate between different bites of fish.

© iStock

34 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - And the greatest insult to an itamae when eating sushi?

© Shutterstock

35 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi -

Peeling the fish off your nigiri.

© Shutterstock

36 / 59 Fotos

Balance - In the end, sushi is all about balance of flavor.

© iStock

37 / 59 Fotos

Balance - For example, too little rice and the fish becomes overpowering.

© iStock

38 / 59 Fotos

International Sushi Day - A fantastic day to go for some sushi is June 18.

© iStock

39 / 59 Fotos

International Sushi Day - International Sushi Day is celebrated annually, worldwide.

© iStock

40 / 59 Fotos

Health benefits - There are many nutritional benefits from eating sushi.

© iStock

41 / 59 Fotos

Health benefits - It might even help you live longer.

© iStock

42 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - Until her death in 2015, Misawo Okawa was the oldest living person on the planet following the passing of Jiroemon Kimura.

© iStock

43 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - The Japanese woman was 117 years old.

© iStock

44 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - Her secret to a long life?

© iStock

45 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - Eating sushi, according to the Daily Mail.

© iStock

46 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - In Japanese culture, nyotaimori is the practice of eating sushi off a naked woman.

© Shutterstock

47 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - Outside of Japan, there are many restaurants in North America that offer this type of service.

© Shutterstock

48 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - However, guests are expected to adhere to appropraite behavior at all times.

© Shutterstock

49 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - Talking with the models or making lewd comments is highly frowned upon.

© Shutterstock

50 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - Nyotaimori is considered an art form.

© iStock

51 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - But still, the practice is seen as very controversial by some.

© iStock

52 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - People who condemn the practice call it humiliating, degrading, and sexually objectifying.

© Shutterstock

53 / 59 Fotos

Eating sushi - But no matter how you choose to consume your sushi...

© Shutterstock

54 / 59 Fotos

Eating sushi - ... whether off a traditional Japanese wooden platter or off a human body...

© Shutterstock

55 / 59 Fotos

Eating sushi - ...using chopsticks or your hands...

© Shutterstock

56 / 59 Fotos

Experience - ... eating sushi should be an experience to enjoy and savor. So...

© Shutterstock

57 / 59 Fotos

Sushi -

Itadakimasu!

Sources: (CNN) (The New York Times) (Daily Mail)

See also: The best rice dishes around the world

© Shutterstock

58 / 59 Fotos

© Getty Images

0 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - The Japanese delicacy is as much about presentation as it is taste.

© iStock

1 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - There is a lot of creativity and precision that goes into making every piece and roll.

© iStock

2 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - Making for an extremely colorful and stunning dish.

© iStock

3 / 59 Fotos

Sushi - The preparation of sushi is an art form and taken very seriously in the industry.

© iStock

4 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - Becoming a itamae (cook, chef) of sushi is not so easy.

© iStock

5 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - It takes years of hard work and practice, working alongside a master itamae.

© iStock

6 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - The study period includes an apprenticeship period.

© iStock

7 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - It can take years before a student is even allowed to cook rice or cut fish.

© iStock

8 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef -

In one of Tokyo's most famous sushi restaurants, apprentices spend two years just cleaning bathrooms, washing dishes, preparing the kitchen, and scaling and gutting fish, according to CNN.

© iStock

9 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - It is only in their third year that a student is given the opportunity to try their hand at preparing rice.

© iStock

10 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - Once that is mastered, the next phase for a student is being promoted to a wakiita, which translates to "near the cutting board."

© iStock

11 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - As a wakiita, a student gets to stand next to the master and learn how to cut fish.

© iStock

12 / 59 Fotos

Becoming a sushi chef - Eventually a student may be allowed to start making pieces of nigiri for clients.

© Shutterstock

13 / 59 Fotos

'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' - A film that illustrates the grueling life of a sushi master is the 2011 documentary 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi.'

© iStock

14 / 59 Fotos

'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' - It focuses on the life of Japanese sushi chef Jiro Ono.

© iStock

15 / 59 Fotos

'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' - Ono is considered the world's greatest sushi chef and master.

© iStock

16 / 59 Fotos

Special visitor - When former US president Barack Obama visited Tokyo in 2014, he stopped into Ono's three-Michelin-starred sushi restaurant.

© iStock

17 / 59 Fotos

Special visitor - Of his experience, the former president said, "I was born in Hawaii and ate a lot of sushi, but this was the best sushi I’ve ever had in my life," as per The New York Times.

© iStock

18 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - Securing a reservation at the legendary restaurant is difficult and can be a frustrating experience.

© Shutterstock

19 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - There is a long list of people waiting to dine at the popular eatery.

© Shutterstock

20 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - Customers make reservations up to a year in advance. And if you do manage to score a date, it certainly won't be cheap.

© Shutterstock

21 / 59 Fotos

Sukiyabashi Jiro - Eating at the iconic restaurant will set you back nearly US$300.

© Shutterstock

22 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - When it comes to eating sushi, there is a right way and a wrong way of doing so.

© iStock

23 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Sushi (which in theory should always be made fresh) should be consumed immediately.

© iStock

24 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Nigiri must actually be turned upside down to dip the fish into the soy sauce—not the rice.

© iStock

25 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - The reason being is that the rice can come apart if dipped directly into the sauce.

© Shutterstock

26 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - It is considered amateur to let the rice and sushi disintegrate.

© iStock

27 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - The rice could also absorb too much of the sauce's flavor and ruin the taste.

© iStock

28 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Nigiri should be eaten inversely too.

© iStock

29 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Meaning that the fish should always be the first thing to touch your tongue.

© iStock

30 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Because of this upside down technique, you might be surprised to learn that nigiri is actually best consumed using your hands, and not with chopsticks.

© iStock

31 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - Use chopsticks for eating sashimi, instead.

© iStock

32 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - The ginger that is often served alongside your sushi isn't meant to be eaten with your meal.

© iStock

33 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - It is meant instead to cleanse the palate between different bites of fish.

© iStock

34 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi - And the greatest insult to an itamae when eating sushi?

© Shutterstock

35 / 59 Fotos

How to eat sushi -

Peeling the fish off your nigiri.

©

Shutterstock

36 / 59 Fotos

Balance - In the end, sushi is all about balance of flavor.

© iStock

37 / 59 Fotos

Balance - For example, too little rice and the fish becomes overpowering.

© iStock

38 / 59 Fotos

International Sushi Day - A fantastic day to go for some sushi is June 18.

© iStock

39 / 59 Fotos

International Sushi Day - International Sushi Day is celebrated annually, worldwide.

© iStock

40 / 59 Fotos

Health benefits - There are many nutritional benefits from eating sushi.

© iStock

41 / 59 Fotos

Health benefits - It might even help you live longer.

© iStock

42 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - Until her death in 2015, Misawo Okawa was the oldest living person on the planet following the passing of Jiroemon Kimura.

© iStock

43 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - The Japanese woman was 117 years old.

© iStock

44 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - Her secret to a long life?

© iStock

45 / 59 Fotos

Misawo Okawa - Eating sushi, according to the Daily Mail.

© iStock

46 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - In Japanese culture, nyotaimori is the practice of eating sushi off a naked woman.

© Shutterstock

47 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - Outside of Japan, there are many restaurants in North America that offer this type of service.

© Shutterstock

48 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - However, guests are expected to adhere to appropraite behavior at all times.

© Shutterstock

49 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - Talking with the models or making lewd comments is highly frowned upon.

© Shutterstock

50 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - Nyotaimori is considered an art form.

© iStock

51 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - But still, the practice is seen as very controversial by some.

© iStock

52 / 59 Fotos

Nyotaimori - People who condemn the practice call it humiliating, degrading, and sexually objectifying.

© Shutterstock

53 / 59 Fotos

Eating sushi - But no matter how you choose to consume your sushi...

© Shutterstock

54 / 59 Fotos

Eating sushi - ... whether off a traditional Japanese wooden platter or off a human body...

© Shutterstock

55 / 59 Fotos

Eating sushi - ...using chopsticks or your hands...

© Shutterstock

56 / 59 Fotos

Experience - ... eating sushi should be an experience to enjoy and savor. So...

© Shutterstock

57 / 59 Fotos

Sushi -

Itadakimasu!

Sources: (CNN) (The New York Times) (Daily Mail)

See also: The best rice dishes around the world

© Shutterstock

58 / 59 Fotos

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

Sushi like a pro

Level up your sushi game: essential tips, tricks, and fun facts

© Getty Images

30/03/25 | StarsInsider

FOOD Meals

Sushi is possibly the greatest delicacy to come out of Southeast Asia. And while most people enjoy a good California roll without thinking much of it, how much do you really know about the traditional Japanese dish?

Click through this gallery for some fascinating facts about the appetizing meal and some beautiful shots that are sure to leave you with quite a craving.

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