# Sushi - Do you eat the ginger with the roll? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891 "2007-04-27T17:59:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roboto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@Roboto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roboto)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/1 "2007-04-27T17:59:51Z")
My girlfriend takes the ginger that comes with the sushi, puts in on top of the roll, and eats it all at once. She is under the impression that she is correctly eating sushi. I was under the impression that the ginger was just to bite on between rolls to cleanse your palate. I think my girlfriend is crazy and wrong. Am I right? ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/2 "2007-04-27T18:09:01Z")
It’s supposed to be eaten however you think it tastes best. However, your impression of the intention of the ginger is correct–it is a palate cleanser, and is supposed to be nibbled upon between rolls. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/3 "2007-04-27T18:09:07Z")
I don’t know if it is ‘correct’, but I do the same thing she does. I love the flavor of ginger with my spicy tuna roll. Great, now I’m hungry. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/4 "2007-04-27T18:11:05Z")
Well, if your girlfriend likes it like that … each to his own. Some people put ketchup on their scrambled eggs. However that’s not how its intended to be eaten. The flavor of the ginger is so strong it will pretty much drown out the flavor of the fish. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/5 "2007-04-27T18:19:09Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] Well, if your girlfriend likes it like that … each to his own. Some people put ketchup on their scrambled eggs. [/QUOTE] I do. Barbeque sauce too. Oh, and I like grape jelly mixed with cottage cheese! Um, anyway - I’ve draped a few slivers o’ ginger over a few pieces of sushi - it didn’t overpower the fish. Maybe use the thinner slices. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Roboto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@Roboto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roboto)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/6 "2007-04-27T18:41:58Z")
[QUOTE=labtrash] I do. Barbeque sauce too. Oh, and I like grape jelly mixed with cottage cheese! Um, anyway - I’ve draped a few slivers o’ ginger over a few pieces of sushi - it didn’t overpower the fish. Maybe use the thinner slices. YMMV [/QUOTE] My lord. I don’t even know what to say. There must be some sort of agency we can call to report this. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/7 "2007-04-27T18:55:05Z")
…and what am I doing wrong with the green horseradish stuff? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/8 "2007-04-27T19:00:09Z")
[QUOTE=Roboto] My lord. I don’t even know what to say. There must be some sort of agency we can call to report this. [/QUOTE] When I become Emperor of the Milky Way (any day now), ketchup will be outlawed to prevent these kind of abuses. I’ll use it as an excuse to get people’s minds off of the war with Andromeda I ordered the previous week. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/9 "2007-04-27T22:40:50Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] …and what am I doing wrong with the green horseradish stuff? :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] The wasabi? (Or “faux” wasabi, most likely.) You’re supposed to stick a big dollop on the end of your pinky, raise it to your nose, and snort it. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/10 "2007-04-27T22:43:59Z")
I eat it on the sushi – top with wasabi, top with ginger slice, dip the whole thing in soy sauce. I had no idea there was another way. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/11 "2007-04-27T22:46:30Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] When I become Emperor of the Milky Way (any day now), ketchup will be outlawed to prevent these kind of abuses. [/QUOTE] But, but, but Sir, whatever shall we eat on our eggs? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/12 "2007-04-27T22:47:25Z")
Moved from IMHO to CS. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/13 "2007-04-27T22:50:22Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] You’re supposed to stick a big [/QUOTE] green [QUOTE=Cervaise] dollop on the end of your pinky, raise it to your nose, and snort it. [/QUOTE] _That’s_ what those kids were doing in grade school! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/14 "2007-04-27T22:57:00Z")
I stopped eating ginger with the roll when I found ginger-flavored soy sauce. I now use that instead. ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/15 "2007-04-27T23:03:49Z")
I like a little ginger on most rolls, but I probably wouldn’t do it if I was dining with a Kakuza boss. As a lover of all things related to horse radish, what is this “real” wasabi you speak of? Is it possible to get it in the States? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/16 "2007-04-27T23:22:46Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] The wasabi? (Or “faux” wasabi, most likely.) [/QUOTE] Sniff. We are talking the classy international eatery of Kroger here, pal. Sniff. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/17 "2007-04-27T23:37:06Z")
[QUOTE=T\_SQUARE] As a lover of all things related to horse radish, what is this “real” wasabi you speak of? Is it possible to get it in the States? [/QUOTE] Only at sushi bars where there are high concentrations of Japanese people locally, and at Japanese markets ditto. Real wasabi is an ugly, knobbly root the size of a carrot. It’s finely grated and usually only served with sashimi, as making wasabi soup out of it for sushi the way a lot of Americans do is truly a crime. It’s an indescribable flavor - it’s searingly “horseradishy”, like the faux wasabi, but it’s also slightly sweet and tastes, to me, of toasted hazelnuts. A local sushi bar keeps a little of it grated behind the counter and usually only gives it to Japanese customers. I spied it out and asked for some with my own sashimi, and the shokunin graciously complied. Then I keep back a little of it to nibble on bit by bit with the rest of the meal because it’s so addictive. BTW, one root the size of a carrot sells for around $20 at the Japanese grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/18 "2007-04-27T23:50:05Z")
[QUOTE=Roboto] My lord. I don’t even know what to say. There must be some sort of agency we can call to report this. [/QUOTE] You can have my ketchup when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Bwuhahahahaha! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/19 "2007-04-27T23:50:23Z")
Maybe next time you are in a Japanese restaurant you could try the robata, **Roboto**. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891/20 "2007-04-28T00:00:10Z")
[QUOTE=labtrash] You can have my ketchup when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Bwuhahahahaha! [/QUOTE] Or maybe wash it off… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-do-you-eat-the-ginger-with-the-roll/401891.md?page=2)