Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2023 March 22

= March 22 =

Etiquette of eating sushi
I once saw a tv show (iirc it was an Australian Masterchef episode) where a Japanese sushi chef said it was completely acceptable to eat sushi with the fingers instead of chopsticks. However, when I mentioned this to various friends who I know are regular sushi consumers, many of them rejected the idea. Who is correct? Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 10:30, 22 March 2023 (UTC)


 * It may depend on the type of sushi. According to this source, "Most Japanese people eat sushi with their hands. Especially with nigiri sushi (single pieces of sushi with meat or fish on top of rice), it’s totally acceptable." Another source gives a more complicated rule: "Some Americans are surprised to learn that sushi is traditionally a finger food, eaten with one’s hands. Chopsticks aren’t necessary when eating maki rolls or nigiri (raw fish atop rice). However, sashimi—sliced raw fish—is eaten with chopsticks. How can you remember when to use chopsticks versus when to use your hands? Just think of it this way—touch the rice, not the fish. If there’s no rice to grab, use your chopsticks instead." (Touching nori with one's fingers is also not problematic.) --Lambiam 13:38, 22 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Lambiam, that was a wonderful way to summarise it. Kudoz! --Ouro (blah blah) 16:08, 22 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks @Lambiam, I agree with @Ouro, it's an excellent answer. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 16:20, 22 March 2023 (UTC)
 * I'd also add that in my experience it's a bit of a gender/class thing. If you're the kind of woman who has fancy salon nails and expensive handbags and your hobbies include "spa" and "shopping", you probably use chopsticks all the time. If you're extremely kawaii, same thing. If you're the kind of woman who says "thanks, it was 1000 yen at the resale shop" when someone compliments you on your jacket, or you're the kind who has fancy salon nails and expensive handbags but are projecting "I could kill you with mindbullets" energies, you're more likely to use your hands. I never really noticed a similar pattern for men. -- asilvering (talk) 18:34, 22 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Guys just want to get the food, friend, fastest possible method. --Ouro (blah blah) 03:56, 23 March 2023 (UTC)
 * White folks have this hang-up where they assume that, because chopsticks are associated with Asian cuisines, that all Asian cuisine "should" get eaten with chopsticks or it's not "authentic". Similarly, Thai restaurants in NA almost always include chopsticks, despite not really being a Thai thing at all. Matt Deres (talk) 17:10, 23 March 2023 (UTC)
 * . I've never met anyone of any colour that thought all Asian food should be eaten with chopsticks.  And if such ideas do exist, what makes you think they are exclusively held by "white folks"? Iapetus (talk) 10:10, 24 March 2023 (UTC)
 * I wouldn't go as far as Matt Deres, but there's definitely a known faux pas where people assume the use of chopsticks when they're not normally used e.g. this infamous example from an Australian ad [//says.com/my/news/pappa-rich-australia-ad-eating-nasi-lemak-with-chopsticks] [//soyacincau.com/2017/10/10/we-try-to-eat-nasi-lemak-with-chopsticks/] [//worldofbuzz.com/papparich-australia-fire-ignorant-photos-nasi-lemak-eaten-chopsticks-go-viral/] Nil Einne (talk) 12:01, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Interesting enough, this article [//www.theguardian.com/film/1999/dec/29/world.news] claims one of the reasons The King and I (1956 film) was banned in Thailand was because of depictions of the king using chopsticks. I have no idea if this is accurate, I didn't find other sources which mention it and realistically there is no chance that film would not have been banned IMO. Nil Einne (talk) 12:36, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Born25121642 (talk) 23:28, 26 March 2023 (UTC)