I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time
in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.


I asked her:

Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?


She answered:

It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
it can turn ugly.


--Lia

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
...
>I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in Japanese
>table manners and North American table manners when eating Japanese food.
>I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time in Japan, gets work
>some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned English in school and
>speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>
>
> I asked her:
>
> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the Western
> idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in restaurants
> and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>
>
> She answered:
>
> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
> it can turn ugly.
>
>
> --Lia

So-Des-Ne


--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)

Dimitri wrote:
>
> "Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
>> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
>> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time
>> in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
>> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>>
>>
>> I asked her:
>>
>> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
>> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
>> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
>> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>>
>>
>> She answered:
>>
>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
>> it can turn ugly.
>>
>>
>> --Lia
>
> So-Des-Ne
>
>
Why the hyphens? And it's spelled "desu" IIRC.

--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:
> Dimitri wrote:

>> So-Des-Ne
>>
>>
> Why the hyphens? And it's spelled "desu" IIRC.
>

Gesundheit!

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
> Dimitri wrote:
>>
>> "Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
>>> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
>>> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time in
>>> Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
>>> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>>>
>>>
>>> I asked her:
>>>
>>> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
>>> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
>>> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
>>> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>>>
>>>
>>> She answered:
>>>
>>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
>>> it can turn ugly.
>>>
>>>
>>> --Lia
>>
>> So-Des-Ne
>>
>>
> Why the hyphens? And it's spelled "desu" IIRC.
>
> --
> Jean B.

IIRC the U is for the most part silent or swallowed depending on how you are
using the verb.

Hyphens just to separate the 3 different words not really necessary.

BTW the phrase translated roughly is - That's true isn't it!


--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)

Dimitri wrote:
>
> "Jean B." > wrote in message
> ...
>> Dimitri wrote:
>>>
>>> "Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
>>>> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
>>>> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the
>>>> time in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe,
>>>> learned English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat
>>>> accented.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I asked her:
>>>>
>>>> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
>>>> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
>>>> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
>>>> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> She answered:
>>>>
>>>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>>>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with
>>>> fingers,
>>>> it can turn ugly.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --Lia
>>>
>>> So-Des-Ne
>>>
>>>
>> Why the hyphens? And it's spelled "desu" IIRC.
>>
>> --
>> Jean B.
>
> IIRC the U is for the most part silent or swallowed depending on how you
> are using the verb.
>
> Hyphens just to separate the 3 different words not really necessary.
>
> BTW the phrase translated roughly is - That's true isn't it!
>
>
Yes, that u is not pronounced. Nonetheless, it is spelled that way.

I agree with the rough translation....

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
> Dimitri wrote:
>>
>> "Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
>>> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
>>> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time in
>>> Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
>>> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>>>
>>>
>>> I asked her:
>>>
>>> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
>>> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
>>> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
>>> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>>>
>>>
>>> She answered:
>>>
>>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
>>> it can turn ugly.
>>>
>>>
>>> --Lia
>>
>> So-Des-Ne
>>
>>
> Why the hyphens? And it's spelled "desu" IIRC.
>
> --
> Jean B.

Sorry one more point;

Look here at the pronunciation.

http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/...rase_basic.htm

:-)

I either worked with or for Japanese companies since 1982 or so.

I tried not to let on how much I did understand. (advantageous)


--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)

Dimitri wrote:
>
> "Jean B." > wrote in message
> ...
>> Dimitri wrote:
>>>
>>> "Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
>>>> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
>>>> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the
>>>> time in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe,
>>>> learned English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat
>>>> accented.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I asked her:
>>>>
>>>> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
>>>> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
>>>> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
>>>> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> She answered:
>>>>
>>>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>>>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with
>>>> fingers,
>>>> it can turn ugly.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --Lia
>>>
>>> So-Des-Ne
>>>
>>>
>> Why the hyphens? And it's spelled "desu" IIRC.
>>
>> --
>> Jean B.
>
> Sorry one more point;
>
> Look here at the pronunciation.
>
> http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/...rase_basic.htm
>
>
> :-)
>
> I either worked with or for Japanese companies since 1982 or so.
>
> I tried not to let on how much I did understand. (advantageous)
>
>
Hehe. I have forgotten almost all the Japanese I ever learned.

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
> Dimitri wrote:

<snip>


>>>>> --Lia
>>>>
>>>> So-Des-Ne
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Why the hyphens? And it's spelled "desu" IIRC.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jean B.
>>
>> Sorry one more point;
>>
>> Look here at the pronunciation.
>>
>> http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/...rase_basic.htm
>> :-)
>>
>> I either worked with or for Japanese companies since 1982 or so.
>>
>> I tried not to let on how much I did understand. (advantageous)
>>
>>
> Hehe. I have forgotten almost all the Japanese I ever learned.
>
> --
> Jean B.

#1 business rule - learn to count in increments of 10,000

as example

Ni Ju Man 2 x 10 = 20 x 10,000 or 200,000

takes a while and a bit of practice along with Hi does not mean yes it can
mean much much more.

:-)


--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time
> in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>
>
> I asked her:
>
> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>
>
> She answered:
>
> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
> it can turn ugly.

Huh? You pick it up. You put it in your mouth. The threat level seems
pretty low to me.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Need a new news feed? http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

Blinky responded to Lia's quoting her friend:

>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
>> it can turn ugly.
>
> Huh? You pick it up. You put it in your mouth. The threat level seems
> pretty low to me.

Note that Lia's friend said "If you *can't* properly eat sushi with
fingers". To me, that implies that the diner is somehow too uncoordinated to
pick up the sushi and eat it. It seems to me that if someone is so spastic,
then eating with chopsticks might be perilous indeed. Especially
stainless-steel chopsticks.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Blinky responded to Lia's quoting her friend:
>
>>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
>>> it can turn ugly.
>>
>> Huh? You pick it up. You put it in your mouth. The threat level seems
>> pretty low to me.
>
> Note that Lia's friend said "If you *can't* properly eat sushi with
> fingers". To me, that implies that the diner is somehow too uncoordinated to
> pick up the sushi and eat it. It seems to me that if someone is so spastic,
> then eating with chopsticks might be perilous indeed. Especially
> stainless-steel chopsticks.

Indeed. Sounds dangerous, and I don't want to be sitting nearby!


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Need a new news feed? http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

Julia Altshuler wrote:
> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time
> in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>
>
> I asked her:
>
> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>
>
> She answered:
>
> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
> it can turn ugly.
>
>
> --Lia
>
Thanks for that useful input!

--
Jean B.

Julia Altshuler wrote:
> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time
> in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>
>
> I asked her:
>
> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>
>
> She answered:
>
> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
> it can turn ugly.
>
>
> --Lia
>
Maybe something got lost in the translation? I have been to Japan
numerous times and it not uncommon and not considered bad form to eat
sushi with your fingers. I think her comment might be more in the
direction of if you are not skilled with hashi then you can make a real
mess trying to eat sushi with them.

On Aug 2, 9:52*am, George > wrote:
>
> Maybe something got lost in the translation? I have been to Japan
> numerous times and it not uncommon and not considered bad form to eat
> sushi with your fingers. I think her comment might be more in the
> direction of if you are not skilled with hashi then you can make a real
> mess trying to eat sushi with them

I can see it getting ugly when using your fingers, too. Suppose you
bite a piece in half, do an incomplete job of it, and end up having to
go through additional adjustments to separate the piece that's in your
mouth from what's in your fingers. Could get messy and more
unattractive than the equivalent situation when using chopsticks. -
aem

"aem" > wrote in message
...
On Aug 2, 9:52 am, George > wrote:
>
> Maybe something got lost in the translation? I have been to Japan
> numerous times and it not uncommon and not considered bad form to eat
> sushi with your fingers. I think her comment might be more in the
> direction of if you are not skilled with hashi then you can make a real
> mess trying to eat sushi with them

>I can see it getting ugly when using your fingers, too. Suppose you
>bite a piece in half, do an incomplete job of it, and end up having to
>go through additional adjustments to separate the piece that's in your
>mouth from what's in your fingers. Could get messy and more
>unattractive than the equivalent situation when using chopsticks. -
>aem

Also, how do you get the pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce on it if you
don't use chopsticks?

dejablues wrote:

>
> "aem" > wrote in message
> ...
> On Aug 2, 9:52 am, George > wrote:
>>
>> Maybe something got lost in the translation? I have been to Japan
>> numerous times and it not uncommon and not considered bad form to eat
>> sushi with your fingers. I think her comment might be more in the
>> direction of if you are not skilled with hashi then you can make a real
>> mess trying to eat sushi with them
>
>>I can see it getting ugly when using your fingers, too. Suppose you
>>bite a piece in half, do an incomplete job of it, and end up having to
>>go through additional adjustments to separate the piece that's in your
>>mouth from what's in your fingers. Could get messy and more
>>unattractive than the equivalent situation when using chopsticks. -
>>aem
>
> Also, how do you get the pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce on it if you
> don't use chopsticks?

The same way you get dip on your potato chip without chopsticks.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Need a new news feed? http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

dejablues wrote:

> Also, how do you get the pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce on it if you
> don't use chopsticks?

My experience with sushi is that ginger is just for cleansing the palate
between pieces. You don't mix it with the piece of sushi or sashimi you
are eating, so I suppose chopsticks are fine for the ginger. I don't do
wasabi, but it probably is used the same as the soy in that you never
soak the sushi with either. A simple, light dipping, which is easily
achieved with fingers.

Sashimi is never supposed to be eaten with the fingers.

--Lin (love, love, love sushi!)

dejablues wrote:

> Also, how do you get the pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce on it if you
> don't use chopsticks?

You put some of the soy sauce and wasabi on your plate. You pick up the
sushi with the chopsticks and gently dip it in the soy sauce puddle. You
take up a bit of wasabi with the chop sticks and dab it on the sushi.
Then you pick up the whole thing with the chop sticks and eat it.

The ginger is not supposed to be eaten with the sushi. It is eaten
between servings of sushi as a palate cleanser.

I believe it is acceptable to eat "hand rolls" with one's fingers.
Sashimi is never eaten with fingers.


--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

On Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:46:12 -0500, Janet Wilder
> wrote:

>Then you pick up the whole thing with the chop sticks and eat it.

You must have a really big mouth! I've yet to come across a one bite
roll.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
...
> dejablues wrote:
>
>> Also, how do you get the pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce on it if
>> you don't use chopsticks?
>
> You put some of the soy sauce and wasabi on your plate. You pick up the
> sushi with the chopsticks and gently dip it in the soy sauce puddle. You
> take up a bit of wasabi with the chop sticks and dab it on the sushi. Then
> you pick up the whole thing with the chop sticks and eat it.
>
> The ginger is not supposed to be eaten with the sushi. It is eaten between
> servings of sushi as a palate cleanser.

Did that really answer the question? :-)
I like to put ginger and wasabi on top of the sushi and then dip it into the
sauce.

dejablues wrote:
> "aem" > wrote in message
> ...
> On Aug 2, 9:52 am, George > wrote:
>> Maybe something got lost in the translation? I have been to Japan
>> numerous times and it not uncommon and not considered bad form to eat
>> sushi with your fingers. I think her comment might be more in the
>> direction of if you are not skilled with hashi then you can make a real
>> mess trying to eat sushi with them
>
>> I can see it getting ugly when using your fingers, too. Suppose you
>> bite a piece in half, do an incomplete job of it, and end up having to
>> go through additional adjustments to separate the piece that's in your
>> mouth from what's in your fingers. Could get messy and more
>> unattractive than the equivalent situation when using chopsticks. -
>> aem
>
> Also, how do you get the pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce on it if you
> don't use chopsticks?
>
>
Typically hashi are always available and even if you would eat the sushi
with your fingers you would use them to pick up the gari and transfer
the wasabi to the little dish to mix it with soy sauce. The gari is used
to clear your palate and not typically placed on the sushi. There is
nothing wrong or unusual with holding the sushi in your fingers and
dipping it in the wasabi/soy and then eating it.

On Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:08:54 -0400, George >
wrote:

>Typically hashi are always available and even if you would eat the sushi
>with your fingers you would use them to pick up the gari and transfer
>the wasabi to the little dish to mix it with soy sauce. The gari is used
>to clear your palate and not typically placed on the sushi. There is
>nothing wrong or unusual with holding the sushi in your fingers and
>dipping it in the wasabi/soy and then eating it.

Please speak English. Hashi isn't something you smoke and gari isn't
a way to strangle.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

George wrote:
> Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
>> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
>> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
>> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time
>> in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
>> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>>
>>
>> I asked her:
>>
>> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
>> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
>> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
>> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>>
>>
>> She answered:
>>
>> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
>> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
>> it can turn ugly.
>>
>>
>> --Lia
>>
> Maybe something got lost in the translation? I have been to Japan
> numerous times and it not uncommon and not considered bad form to eat
> sushi with your fingers. I think her comment might be more in the
> direction of if you are not skilled with hashi then you can make a real
> mess trying to eat sushi with them.


It turns out that you are correct. I thought I was clear in the way I
asked the question, but here's her latest:


"Well, I thought Julia was going to have a sushi dinner with Japanese
people. So what I told her was the advise for non-Japanese person who
may not know how to dip the side of sushi into soy sauce in a proper
way. These folks who have gone to Japan are actually right. Japanese
would eat sushi with fingers. I would."


--Lia

"Julia Altshuler" wrote

> "Well, I thought Julia was going to have a sushi dinner with Japanese
> people. So what I told her was the advise for non-Japanese person who
> may not know how to dip the side of sushi into soy sauce in a proper
> way. These folks who have gone to Japan are actually right. Japanese
> would eat sushi with fingers. I would."

Interesting! Perhaps it was the area I was in, (Sasebobo in south western
Kyushu and Okinawa mostly) but it was always hashi. I saw only small
children eat with the fingers (at least in public).

No one seemed to mind though if a 'gaijin' used the fingers on the nori
wrapped type. Heck, even seen a few use a fork to spear it which makes the
locals giggle. Me, I learned to handle chopsticks by the time I was 6 and
Don is pretty close to the same as well as Charlotte (our 14yo).

cshenk wrote:
> "Julia Altshuler" wrote
>
>> "Well, I thought Julia was going to have a sushi dinner with Japanese
>> people. So what I told her was the advise for non-Japanese person who
>> may not know how to dip the side of sushi into soy sauce in a proper
>> way. These folks who have gone to Japan are actually right. Japanese
>> would eat sushi with fingers. I would."
>
> Interesting! Perhaps it was the area I was in, (Sasebobo in south western
> Kyushu and Okinawa mostly) but it was always hashi. I saw only small
> children eat with the fingers (at least in public).
>
> No one seemed to mind though if a 'gaijin' used the fingers on the nori
> wrapped type. Heck, even seen a few use a fork to spear it which makes the
> locals giggle. Me, I learned to handle chopsticks by the time I was 6 and
> Don is pretty close to the same as well as Charlotte (our 14yo).
>
>
I was in Tokyo and didn't see folks using their fingers. That was
in the early 80s. I guess the transition from fingers to hashi
was pretty much complete by then. And actually, even though my
daughter and I eat at Japanese restaurants, frequented by Japanese
people, very frequently, I have only once seen a person use their
fingers, and that was a gaijin.

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." wrote
>> "Julia Altshuler" wrote

>> Interesting! Perhaps it was the area I was in, (Sasebo in south western
>> Kyushu and Okinawa mostly) but it was always hashi. I saw only small
>> children eat with the fingers (at least in public).

> I was in Tokyo and didn't see folks using their fingers. That was in the
> early 80s. I guess the transition from fingers to hashi was pretty much
> complete by then. And actually, even though my daughter and I eat at
> Japanese restaurants, frequented by Japanese people, very frequently, I
> have only once seen a person use their fingers, and that was a gaijin.

It does 'seem' like a finger food! I did see many with it in a bento box
out at a lunch break use fingers when sitting on the ground outside the
ship. Sipping green tea (ice cold from the drink machines) or a soda and
just relaxing with lunch brought from home. I just never noted any doing
this in a restraunt.

Could well be an area difference or the difference in manners at home vs in
a restraunt?

Jean B. wrote:

> I was in Tokyo and didn't see folks using their fingers. That was in
> the early 80s. I guess the transition from fingers to hashi was pretty
> much complete by then. And actually, even though my daughter and I eat
> at Japanese restaurants, frequented by Japanese people, very frequently,
> I have only once seen a person use their fingers, and that was a gaijin.
>

As a practical matter, eating sushi with chopsticks is a more sanitary
practice and feels right to me.

Julia Altshuler wrote:
> I forget which thread this morphed from, but I got interested in
> Japanese table manners and North American table manners when eating
> Japanese food. I asked a Japanese friend. She lives most of the time
> in Japan, gets work some of the time in the U.S. and Europe, learned
> English in school and speaks English fluently, if somewhat accented.
>
>
> I asked her:
>
> Is sushi or sashimi ever eaten with one's fingers in Japan? I'm not
> talking about times when one's willing to make allowances for the
> Western idiots. In Japan, amongst people who should know better, in
> restaurants and private homes, does one always use chopsticks?
>
>
> She answered:
>
> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
> it can turn ugly.
>
>
> --Lia
>

I think it proper to use chopsticks but would have no problem using the
fingers depending on the configuration of the piece. There's no doubt
that sometime during a meal I'll use my fingers at least a couple of
times. The problem is that most folks aren't that great at using hashi.
If you're seated before a plate of sushi, use your fingers if you have
to, please don't ever use a fork... that thought gives me the shivers!

Japanese folk will shove the whole piece into their mouth. Here I must
break protocol as I don't feel right about doing this and I'll always
bite the piece right in middle which, I'll admit sometimes causes other
problems. The Japanese would probably think I'm a wimp. :-)

It's said the Japanese will invert the piece to place the fish topping
onto the tongue - maybe they do. I don't know about that. However, on my
little place on earth, this is impractical because we have pesky
gravity. :-)

Julia Altshuler > wrote:

> It's OK to eat Sushi (not Sashimi) with your fingers. But I would
> advise to use chopsticks. If you can't properly eat sushi with fingers,
> it can turn ugly.

Nonsense. It is the other way around. If you cannot properly eat sushi
with fingers, it would most certainly turn really ugly with chopsticks.

Here is what I posted more than a year ago: "...traditionally, sushi
have always been picked up with fingers. Using chopsticks is usual,
too, but is a relatively new-fangled custom."
<http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/5e56fe21486bf22c>.

Victor