SEATTLE — June 18th is International Sushi Day, and world famous Iron Chef and restauranteur Masaharu Morimoto shared some tips for your sushi celebration. He said he doesn't really like to tell people what to do or not do regarding sushi, but...
"I say one thing you'd better not do, don't mix wasabi with the soy sauce."
He explained that sushi chefs add wasabi - the spicy green paste - to nigiri sushi according to the fat content of the fish, so that the burn balances the flavor.
Here are Morimoto's sushi 'do's: it's okay to eat nigiri with fingers or chopsticks. Also:
"Dip it in the soy sauce -- the fishy side, not the rice side. And dip it a little bit - not so much. Then, eat the whole thing."
Other fun sushi facts - it was originally a street food in Japan until the Tokyo Earthquake in 1920 brought down the cost of real estate and led to sushi makers opening brick and mortar restaurants.
Traditionally, a sushi apprentice may study for nearly a decade, the first two years of which he or she is not even allowed to touch the fish.
Some things to consider this International Sushi Day as you dip your nigiri - fish first - in wasabi-free soy sauce.
Another reason to celebrate, Chef Morimoto's restaurant Momosan Seattle (yes, they have sushi) just re-opened this week.
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