verily thou must resist the temptations of the devil. it is written: for whom it is that betrays their Master shall receive the 9th circle of hell as their eternal punishment. but verily, for ye who should put ketchup on sushi commits a sin not fathomed by mutiny. by the laws of our savior, the man who imbibes shall receive a punishment greater than all the nine circles of hell.
Are there really grit purists that frown on putting hot sauce on grits? That sounds more absurd than the Chicago folks who say you can't put ketchup on a hot dog.
If so, I will never repent and remain a heretic forever.
slowly sets banjo down Yes, son, an' I'm one of 'em. On'y thing that goes in grits is salt an' pepper an' butter. Maybe your eggs and meat when you're fixing a big ol' bowl of 'em in the mornin'.
Lol I’ve never met a grits purist but I’ll keep putting hot sauce on them. I didn’t know that about hot dogs in Chicago but I hear there are amazing ones there.
How dare you disrespect the thousandfolded sushi! made by Mexicans in a Chinese/Korean owned Japanese restaurant, served to you by the Filipina waitress who wore the kimono wrong
Sushi is eaten with your hands in Japan. Sometimes chopsticks if you don't want to get your hands dirty or whatever, but usually it's a finger food. The exception is sashimi, which is just raw fish slices with nothing else. That's always eaten with chopsticks.
It is also considered strange to eat sushi in multiple bites unless you have a reason to do so, like a medical condition.
My wife is from Japan. Up until COVID, we spent around 3+ weeks over there, every year, for the past ~18 years. I have never seen her, nor her parents, nor any any of her relatives, nor any friends eat sushi (nigiri and makizushi - the kinds most westerners would be familiar with) with their hands. They (and I, who just follows their lead) always use chopsticks.
The only time I have ever witnessed the whole "with their hands" thing is when we've eaten temaki - it's when there's just a pile of stuff at the table, and you make your own loosely wrapped "cones" yourself - for dinner in her parents' house.
I'm always curious if this whole, "the only true way to eat sushi is with your hands!", thing is regional, just age based, or what.
In any event, they have warmed up a lot to American style sushi, and you will even see stuff inspired by it in some of the "kaiten/conveyor belt" chain places over there, but I've never seen anyone eat it with ketchup.
Edit: Just for the record, I'm no weeb, and not a self proclaimed Japanese cultural expert. I'm just reporting what I've seen.
After some more research, it appears that the most important factors that determine whether you use your hands or not are:
Age. Older Japanese are more likely to use their hands. Tradition and all that.
Region. Because of course.
Price of sushi. High end sushi restaurants often frown on the use of chopsticks because it's not traditional.
The overall consensus in Japan seems to be "eat it however you want". Like many food-related ceremonies, the ones surrounding sushi seem to have largely faded away over time.
Hmm, now that you mention it I remember hearing a top sushi chef say exactly that on TV a few years ago. Ok so maybe that's the traditional "proper" method... but I don't think I've ever seen a real adult in Japan eat that way. To be fair I've never been to a high class sushi restaurant either and don't usually look at how other people are eating, but I'd guess 99% of people eating at Sushiro or Kura are eating with chopsticks.
It honestly seems like a foodie / weeb trend, but I must grudgingly admit the people I saw weren't doing it the "wrong" way then. They were the true connoisseurs all along.
I do all of that at home since it's the obvious way to eat sushi. I also do that in any restaurant where it seems like it would be appreciated rather than causing a scene.
I don't know if they have this problem in Japan, but some American sushi type items (rolls I guess but not exclusively) have too-huge pieces.
Perhaps instead of politely eating the "weird little Asian food with the raw fish", Americans should have taken a tack of "we don't eat that stuff here" and started deporting the people who tried to make it.
But contrary to mainstream popular opinion Americans aren't nearly rude or "racist" enough to have the heart have done that. So now in addition to trading our heritage and homeland for the ability to eat various foods from around the world (like sushi), we can get criticized for eating it wrong too! How great is that?
Most of what we have in America isn't particularly Japanese either in origin or in character. Though a lot of it is run by other kinds of immigrants. My point is it would still be here if there were no immigrants, and it would still be its own thing. A lot of it is cooked and not particularly weird in any way as a food. It's not like rice is unheard of to us. Japanese don't put mayonnaise on their sushi.
Some people (and since the GP clarified I don't think he meant to do this) just take the opportunity to shit on Americans for Americanizing food with foreign origins. "Oh stupid Americans eat sushi with their hands/a fork instead of learning how to use this completely foreign utensil to eat this foreign food they might eat once every few months!" "Stupid Americans eat sushi with this condiment they're used to instead of this other one they aren't!"
Meanwhile when I took an Indian coworker to a BBQ joint and he ordered the lamest veggie burger I'd ever seen I blamed myself for taking a vegan to a BBQ joint instead of him for being a "stupid Indian" for not being able to try/appreciate good American BBQ.
I'm probably over-sensitive to it, but 30 years of seeing this sort of thing on the Internet takes its toll.
My mom had "never eat raw meat; always cook your meat" drilled into her head so much the first time we went to a "sushi" restaurant she was terrified I might eat raw fish despite them only serving California Rolls and the like.
Meanwhile I only eat salmon raw I like it so much more than when it's cooked.
Will Americans get credit for getting over the "never eat raw meat" taboo in a single generation?
I think people are over it. There are particular things we eat raw: oysters, fish eggs. There are still things like beef that are taboo to eat raw. But fish is old news.
I'm a weird American, because I've gotten where I hate eating with my hands when utensils are available. Sandwiches and chips are about the only exception. I don't eat many chips though.
I went to this Ethiopian restaurant once where there were no utensils of any kind and you were expected to eat everything by sopping it up with this crepe-like bread they had. It was analogous to eating stew just by dunking your bread into the bowl with no spoon, or eating a curry using nothing but naan.
The food itself was good, but it was messy to the point of being a bit disgusting, and I don't think I'd go there again on that basis.
Oh no, here in Hamburgerland everything is best eaten by sticky fingers and dipped in ketchup or ranch dressing. Preferably deep-fried. Make sure to double-dip when sharing. :)
Even in Japan you can get them sort of deep fried.
They don't really do the whole deep fry the whole roll thing, but rolls with deep fried shrimp, fish, or even chicken are quite common. Getting deep fried (tempura) style shrimp on top of chunk of rice (the nigiri style) is common, too.
Here are examples of each: nigiri, maki. I am happy to report that, even with sushi, deep fried is in fact awesome.
If you are ever there, stop by a Seven Eleven (I know it sounds weird, but convenience stores are a big deal there, and their Seven Eleven isn't really related to ours anymore...) This one - Beef, Egg, and Mayo is pretty badass, too.
Yea. The doctor told me to lose 100 pounds in early fall. I’m back to doing what I used to do years ago of eating super healthy, walking a minimum of 10k steps, and Sunday cheat day. Sucks because if it was up to me I’d be eating bbq, Mexican, pizza, etc every day.
I am somewhat reminded that Chen Kenichi used ketchup for one of his signature chili prawn sauces. But really, I don't go for ketchup too much anymore, unless there's not much else condiment-wise.
I put ketchup on my eggs, which has offended many people's very existences. I used to use it on a lot of things but the sweetness of it has become too much for my advancing age.
But I'm also a sauce based eater, with most of my choices being with the sauce first and then figuring out what will best go with it.
I mean a lot of them have mayo...and you frequently dip in soy sauce. So ketchup's just another sauce, right? I'm kind of tempted to try this..
I love ketchup. An older guy I know who helped teach me to cook was a an anti-ketchup extremist--used to ban ketchup from burgers and hotdogs. If ever anyone deserved being called a nazi..(he was a great guy)
I hate the places that insist they don't have "ketchup," but then they have a bunch of different ketchup-like sauces. I'm not talking about a legit different cuisine like the work of a saucier or something but just glorified, overpriced American places that think they're too good for ketchup but not too good to serve an onion ring.
Interesting: the "Chinese" buffets near me all serve these mussels with mayo and topped with cheddar cheese. I'd always thought that was an Americanized dish due to the mayo, but from your list it sounds like if anything the cheese is what Americanizes it.
Either way mayo and seafood is a tasty combo, with or without cheese.
Never thought of that. Will try it next time m at a sushi buffet
and they say I'm a heretic
Well I said I would try it out of curiosity
verily thou must resist the temptations of the devil. it is written: for whom it is that betrays their Master shall receive the 9th circle of hell as their eternal punishment. but verily, for ye who should put ketchup on sushi commits a sin not fathomed by mutiny. by the laws of our savior, the man who imbibes shall receive a punishment greater than all the nine circles of hell.
Ha!! I shall resist.
Can I still put hot sauce on grits?
Are there really grit purists that frown on putting hot sauce on grits? That sounds more absurd than the Chicago folks who say you can't put ketchup on a hot dog.
If so, I will never repent and remain a heretic forever.
slowly sets banjo down Yes, son, an' I'm one of 'em. On'y thing that goes in grits is salt an' pepper an' butter. Maybe your eggs and meat when you're fixing a big ol' bowl of 'em in the mornin'.
No cheese, no hot sauce, no Gawt-damn shreemp.
Lol I’ve never met a grits purist but I’ll keep putting hot sauce on them. I didn’t know that about hot dogs in Chicago but I hear there are amazing ones there.
Both, but I prefer real grits like my mother made
I love this, unless OP is actually Japanese I love to see a weeb seethe. And I say that as a weeb.
How dare you disrespect the thousandfolded sushi! made by Mexicans in a Chinese/Korean owned Japanese restaurant, served to you by the Filipina waitress who wore the kimono wrong
Sushi is eaten with your hands in Japan. Sometimes chopsticks if you don't want to get your hands dirty or whatever, but usually it's a finger food. The exception is sashimi, which is just raw fish slices with nothing else. That's always eaten with chopsticks.
It is also considered strange to eat sushi in multiple bites unless you have a reason to do so, like a medical condition.
My wife is from Japan. Up until COVID, we spent around 3+ weeks over there, every year, for the past ~18 years. I have never seen her, nor her parents, nor any any of her relatives, nor any friends eat sushi (nigiri and makizushi - the kinds most westerners would be familiar with) with their hands. They (and I, who just follows their lead) always use chopsticks.
The only time I have ever witnessed the whole "with their hands" thing is when we've eaten temaki - it's when there's just a pile of stuff at the table, and you make your own loosely wrapped "cones" yourself - for dinner in her parents' house.
I'm always curious if this whole, "the only true way to eat sushi is with your hands!", thing is regional, just age based, or what.
In any event, they have warmed up a lot to American style sushi, and you will even see stuff inspired by it in some of the "kaiten/conveyor belt" chain places over there, but I've never seen anyone eat it with ketchup.
Edit: Just for the record, I'm no weeb, and not a self proclaimed Japanese cultural expert. I'm just reporting what I've seen.
After some more research, it appears that the most important factors that determine whether you use your hands or not are:
Age. Older Japanese are more likely to use their hands. Tradition and all that.
Region. Because of course.
Price of sushi. High end sushi restaurants often frown on the use of chopsticks because it's not traditional.
The overall consensus in Japan seems to be "eat it however you want". Like many food-related ceremonies, the ones surrounding sushi seem to have largely faded away over time.
Hmm, now that you mention it I remember hearing a top sushi chef say exactly that on TV a few years ago. Ok so maybe that's the traditional "proper" method... but I don't think I've ever seen a real adult in Japan eat that way. To be fair I've never been to a high class sushi restaurant either and don't usually look at how other people are eating, but I'd guess 99% of people eating at Sushiro or Kura are eating with chopsticks.
It honestly seems like a foodie / weeb trend, but I must grudgingly admit the people I saw weren't doing it the "wrong" way then. They were the true connoisseurs all along.
I do all of that at home since it's the obvious way to eat sushi. I also do that in any restaurant where it seems like it would be appreciated rather than causing a scene.
I don't know if they have this problem in Japan, but some American sushi type items (rolls I guess but not exclusively) have too-huge pieces.
Perhaps instead of politely eating the "weird little Asian food with the raw fish", Americans should have taken a tack of "we don't eat that stuff here" and started deporting the people who tried to make it.
But contrary to mainstream popular opinion Americans aren't nearly rude or "racist" enough to have the heart have done that. So now in addition to trading our heritage and homeland for the ability to eat various foods from around the world (like sushi), we can get criticized for eating it wrong too! How great is that?
Most of what we have in America isn't particularly Japanese either in origin or in character. Though a lot of it is run by other kinds of immigrants. My point is it would still be here if there were no immigrants, and it would still be its own thing. A lot of it is cooked and not particularly weird in any way as a food. It's not like rice is unheard of to us. Japanese don't put mayonnaise on their sushi.
Some people (and since the GP clarified I don't think he meant to do this) just take the opportunity to shit on Americans for Americanizing food with foreign origins. "Oh stupid Americans eat sushi with their hands/a fork instead of learning how to use this completely foreign utensil to eat this foreign food they might eat once every few months!" "Stupid Americans eat sushi with this condiment they're used to instead of this other one they aren't!"
Meanwhile when I took an Indian coworker to a BBQ joint and he ordered the lamest veggie burger I'd ever seen I blamed myself for taking a vegan to a BBQ joint instead of him for being a "stupid Indian" for not being able to try/appreciate good American BBQ.
I'm probably over-sensitive to it, but 30 years of seeing this sort of thing on the Internet takes its toll.
Eating out with vegetarians is impossible at most normal kind of restaurants. They deal with it, I guess.
I have dietary restrictions, now, and I have to deal with mine. Theirs is just worse.
My mom had "never eat raw meat; always cook your meat" drilled into her head so much the first time we went to a "sushi" restaurant she was terrified I might eat raw fish despite them only serving California Rolls and the like.
Meanwhile I only eat salmon raw I like it so much more than when it's cooked.
Will Americans get credit for getting over the "never eat raw meat" taboo in a single generation?
I think people are over it. There are particular things we eat raw: oysters, fish eggs. There are still things like beef that are taboo to eat raw. But fish is old news.
That wasn't my intention at all. It was just an amusing observation from an uncultured occasional sushi enjoyer. Cheers.
I am perhaps over-sensitive to comments I perceive as "stupid uncultured Americans!" having read such things on the internet for going on 30 years.
I'm a weird American, because I've gotten where I hate eating with my hands when utensils are available. Sandwiches and chips are about the only exception. I don't eat many chips though.
I went to this Ethiopian restaurant once where there were no utensils of any kind and you were expected to eat everything by sopping it up with this crepe-like bread they had. It was analogous to eating stew just by dunking your bread into the bowl with no spoon, or eating a curry using nothing but naan.
The food itself was good, but it was messy to the point of being a bit disgusting, and I don't think I'd go there again on that basis.
It’s normally eaten with chopsticks? I’m guilty of eating them by hand or with a fork
A fork for sushi rolls just seems wrong. And I'm no good with chopsticks.
Oh no, here in Hamburgerland everything is best eaten by sticky fingers and dipped in ketchup or ranch dressing. Preferably deep-fried. Make sure to double-dip when sharing. :)
Well I’m in Texas so deep fried is awesome, but I gotta eat it sparingly now
Even in Japan you can get them sort of deep fried.
They don't really do the whole deep fry the whole roll thing, but rolls with deep fried shrimp, fish, or even chicken are quite common. Getting deep fried (tempura) style shrimp on top of chunk of rice (the nigiri style) is common, too.
Here are examples of each: nigiri, maki. I am happy to report that, even with sushi, deep fried is in fact awesome.
They got you covered, Tex.
My mouth is watering
If you are ever there, stop by a Seven Eleven (I know it sounds weird, but convenience stores are a big deal there, and their Seven Eleven isn't really related to ours anymore...) This one - Beef, Egg, and Mayo is pretty badass, too.
Yea. The doctor told me to lose 100 pounds in early fall. I’m back to doing what I used to do years ago of eating super healthy, walking a minimum of 10k steps, and Sunday cheat day. Sucks because if it was up to me I’d be eating bbq, Mexican, pizza, etc every day.
Must be nice to have your delicate little girly hands that can handle the utensils made for women's even tinier hands.
Us gorillas have to make do with our giant pads throwing food into our gullets whole.
No, it turns out eating with your hands is the true samurai way.
Not even ketchup can make sushi worth eating.
Deep frying certain kinds of it would work, though. And then I would dip it in ketchup.
Have you tried unagi?
.....I've never wanted to perform a [REDACTED] act before more in my life hearing this..
I am somewhat reminded that Chen Kenichi used ketchup for one of his signature chili prawn sauces. But really, I don't go for ketchup too much anymore, unless there's not much else condiment-wise.
i like sushi with cheese, so i cant judge someone for putting ketchup .
Specify. Cream cheese has become a regular thing in most sushi restaurants.
cream cheese shouldnt be part of sushi. but its still good
no
I put ketchup on my eggs, which has offended many people's very existences. I used to use it on a lot of things but the sweetness of it has become too much for my advancing age.
But I'm also a sauce based eater, with most of my choices being with the sauce first and then figuring out what will best go with it.
"Free to ketchup our eggs without being hassled by The Man."
That's a very Korean thing.
I have found the words you lost, don't do it!
if it tastes good it tastes good.
I'm not about to let blowfish and whale eaters tell me how to eat some rice, seaweed n fish that's been thoroughly americanised already anyway.
Might try some mustard or cheeze in a can on it too.
I want mochi now.
I mean a lot of them have mayo...and you frequently dip in soy sauce. So ketchup's just another sauce, right? I'm kind of tempted to try this..
I love ketchup. An older guy I know who helped teach me to cook was a an anti-ketchup extremist--used to ban ketchup from burgers and hotdogs. If ever anyone deserved being called a nazi..(he was a great guy)
I hate the places that insist they don't have "ketchup," but then they have a bunch of different ketchup-like sauces. I'm not talking about a legit different cuisine like the work of a saucier or something but just glorified, overpriced American places that think they're too good for ketchup but not too good to serve an onion ring.
The Japanese are hardcore about mayo, d00d. My wife is insane with it. Sticks it on everything.
As for sushi (eaten over there, just for reference), I can think of more than a couple off the top of my head that feature mayo:
The Japanese love mayo. Theirs is a bit different, though. It has a little bit of a sourness to it.
Interesting: the "Chinese" buffets near me all serve these mussels with mayo and topped with cheddar cheese. I'd always thought that was an Americanized dish due to the mayo, but from your list it sounds like if anything the cheese is what Americanizes it.
Either way mayo and seafood is a tasty combo, with or without cheese.