Eat Sushi
Start with rice. Good sushi is built around seasoned shari whose warmth, acidity and texture frame the fish, egg or vegetables placed above it. At a counter, the chef’s small adjustments in pressure, temperature and timing make a piece feel complete before soy sauce enters the picture. Sushi covers far more than raw fish: nigiri, maki, temaki, inari and pressed styles use cooked seafood, omelette, vegetables and pickles as readily as sashimi-grade fish. Its techniques grew from older methods of preserving fish with fermented rice, then developed into the faster Edo-period food that shaped modern nigiri. Choose a busy, reputable restaurant and tell staff about allergies, pregnancy or foods you avoid. Eat nigiri promptly, use soy sparingly and follow the venue’s lead rather than worrying about invented etiquette tests. If raw seafood is unsuitable, ask for cooked or vegetable options. Add this to your list by ordering beyond the familiar roll and noticing how the rice changes every topping.