The first time I went to a sushi bar, I was overwhelmed by the number of etiquettes you are supposed to follow over there; I was just about getting familiar with a few of them when I was introduced to this dollop of green paste called wasabi. I was just not sure how I was supposed to eat the wasabi; should I just dunk the sushi in this paste, or eat it separately, or just ignore it; man, I was confused. If you have been faced by such volley of questions before, then read on; here is a complete guide on eating wasabi as told to me by my very good Asian neighbor. 

Wasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a paste made from the roots of a plant by the same name. This paste, as you might already know, has a sharp, pungent, and fiery flavor. Though used as an accompaniment with all types of sushi, wasabi is typical served with Nigiri Sushi or Sashimi. Now many people might say there is no right or wrong way to eat the wasabi paste – no one is going to throw you out of the sushi bar for not following the guidelines. However, as my friend says eating wasabi is a part of sushi etiquettes and it is always considered polite if you follow them. 

• Wasabi is usually added directly into the rice while making the sushi, so rarely will you ever need to add any extra wasabi paste to your sushi.

• However, in case you feel the need for more spice in your sushi, you can mix a small amount of the wasabi into the soya sauce, dip the sushi (fish side down) into the soya sauce-wasabi mixture, and eat the sushi. But then this method is frowned upon by the Methodists and considered as an insult to the itame or the sushi chef. So follow this method only when in an informal setting, where such glitches will be easily overlooked.

• In case you are in a highly traditional setting then never put wasabi directly on to the shoyu dish (soya sauce dish), rather request the chef to prepare the sushi with some extra wasabi right in the beginning. If you still need to adjust the flavor of wasabi, then place in a little wasabi paste onto your sushi, but do not dunk the sushi into the wasabi paste. This is not only impolite, but you might potentially turn the sushi into a fiery mixture beyond tolerance.

So the next time you visit a sushi bar and encounter the green wasabi paste, do not fret, just follow these simple steps to ensure you have an amazing sushi eating experience.     

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