It’s common for people in the United States to see soy sauce as just another condiment, like ketchup or salsa. However, if you go to an authentic sushi restaurant in Japan, you’re going to find that there’s a bit more respect attached to this sauce. Indeed, the country attaches a number of etiquette rules to how you should be employing your soy sauce with your sushi.
One of the biggest faux pas you can commit with your soy sauce is wasting it. If you pour out a pool of sauce to dip your sushi into, be sure that you’re going to use it all. As important as soy sauce is to the Japanese, leaving any behind after you are done eating is looked down upon.
Further, you shouldn’t be using too much soy sauce on your sushi in the first place. Many Japanese itamae will see it as a personal insult if you feel the need to season your sushi too much after they have served it to you. After all, he or she has probably already given it all the seasoning it needs.
Until such a time as you are able to find your way over to Japan, though, feel free to come to Sushi Hana for a quality sushi experience. Any way you want to use your soy sauce at our Bothell Japanese restaurant is welcome!