Anon User's answer is partly right. To my understanding, the most important reason for not dipping the rice portion of the sushi in soy sauce is because the sushi becomes fragile and the rice is more likely to break apart before reaching one's mouth. Therefore, even if one wants to dip the sushi into soy sauce, one should do it on the fish side of the sushi. On the more general issue of whether sushi should be dipped into soy sauce at all, Mona Nomura's answer is absolutely spot on. People don't seem to have trouble taking instruction from molecular gastronomists when eating at molecular gastro restaurants. I don't see why they should be belligerent about taking their lead from sushi chefs on eating sushi. Ask if ever in doubt. Of course, what one does with prepackaged sushi from supermarkets, etc., etc., is one's own business. But when you're at a sushiya, and have the privilege of enjoying the real deal, then I think its important to respect the artisan at work.If you feel the need to dunk your sushi in soy sauce, the top or the bottom parts, it's either not top quality sushi, or you don't actually like sushi. 

I find a lot of people these days eat sushi because it's trendy or they perceive it to be healthy, not because they actually like it.  sushi go round 2 online gameThey eat mostly rolls and/or 'cooked ingredient' sushi, and use soy liberally to cover the taste of the 'yucky' raw fish pieces.take out sushi richmond bcIf you eat top quality sushi, at a sushi counter, you really shouldn't be dipping any part of it in soy — neither the shari (rice) nor the neta (topping).  sushi new york midtown westA sushi master should be seasoning it for you; candy sushi kit popin cookin

sometimes with a brushing of a special soy sauce, sometimes with a sweet sauce, sometimes with a dab of special salt and/or a spritz of a Japanese citrus.  food delivery menu manilaSometimes the neta is pickled or 'brined' to some degree.  buy fish for sashimiI would only ever use the soy dipping bowl if the sushi chef recommends it, or if I'm eating a maki (roll) sushi of some type, which I don't categorise as 'top quality' sushi (although there are exceptions).  how to eat sushi jokeTop quality sushi is when the neta stands out, often with a subtle (and hopefully sublime) flavour.Sitting at a sushi counter eating a sushi course is a unique situation where the chef is with you and interacting with you, even if it's not done verbally. 

Take advantage of this and allow him or her to explain the best way to enjoy these creations prepared, on the spot, just for you.  To paraphrase Jim Gordon in his answer, if a master French chef prepared a super special dish for you, would you slather it in ketchup right in front of him or her?  I believe the soy sauce and dipping bowl is on the table (or counter) for the roll-types of sushi and for sashimi (raw fish without rice).  Sashimi is unadorned and (generally) its flavour is improved with a bit of the savouriness that soy provides.I probably come off as a sushi snob, but really, I just love it — in moderation.  Sushi should be expensive and top quality.  There is no such thing as excellent, cheap sushi.  It shouldn't be an everyday meal, especially with the unsustainable amount of over-fishing these days.  I treat myself to it three or four times a year.  And I don't dip, dunk or drench any of it in soy unless the chef tells me to.Edit: The same applies to wasabi.  Good sushi is pre-dressed with the right amount of wasabi — if it needs any at all. 

If there is wasabi available on the table, it is for the sashimi.  And please, PLEASE, don't dissolve a glob of wasabi into the soy sauce in your dipping bowl.  That's just committing two faux pas together...I shocked when I look at all the answers, and I never know about these issues even though I have been worked as a sushi cook for few years.I know that it is inappropriate to dip the rice into the soy sauce, the theory I had learned from my worked places from various sushi chefs, they all talk about the same things. First, the rice is seasoned and coat with a thin layer of sweet vinegar, that’s mean the rice has been seasoned and no further seasoning needed for the rice.The second is the “Gu” (具) means the ingredients, which with the sushi are comes with natural flavor and it is not seasoned by anything, the wasabi and soy sauce are design to enhance the natural flavor of the raw fish, and the wasabi is able to suppress and kill the bacteria.The soy sauce and wasabi served with sushi is purposely design for the raw fish and other ingredients, if you dip the rice with the soy sauce, then the taste of the rice is overwhelmed the raw ingredients, then you will just feel like chewing the rice and raw meat in the mouth, the taste won’t bind together.

My mother always kept a gallon of Kikkoman Soy Sauce in a kitchen cubby. She grabbed the large container whenever she needed soy sauce for marinades, fried rice or dipping sauces. Later, as I began cooking Korean dishes for myself, I'd buy the same soy sauce brand. I didn't think too much about different types of soy sauce until I started buying other brands. Most recipes don't specify the type of soy sauce to use, but they can vary wildly in flavor, texture, and appearance. Here's a primer on what's out there, along with the best uses for each. One of the oldest condiments in the world (it's got a three-millennia history!), soy sauce is a by-product of fermented soybeans and wheat that have been mixed with brine. First, Aspergillus molds are added to cooked soybeans and roasted wheat resulting in a mixture called koji (the term koji can also be used to refer to just the bacterial culture as well). After the molds grow over three days, the culture is combined with salt water and transferred to large vats where lactobacillus—a bacteria that breaks down sugars into lactic acid—is added.

The resulting mixture, the moromi is allowed to ferment for a time period ranging from six months for standard supermarket brands to several years for high-end bottles. The soy sauce is finally strained, pasteurized, bottled, and sold. Stand in the international foods aisle of a mainstream grocery store and you're most likely to see Japanese-style soy sauces, known as shoyu. Traditional Chinese soy sauces were made with 100% soy (some modern Chinese soy sauces contain wheat too). When the brewing method made its way to Japan, the recipe was modified to use an even ratio of soybeans and wheat, resulting in a sweeter, less harsh flavor. Japanese-style soy sauces tend to be clearer and thinner than Chinese sauces. Koikuchi (dark): Japanese soy sauces are split into dark (koikuchi) and light (usukuchi) with the former being more commonly used. Most major supermarket brands available in the U.S., like Kikkoman's All-Purpose Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce don't indicate a type on the label, but are considered a "dark" soy sauce, according to Shizuo Tsuji, author of Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art.

Kikkoman's All-Purpose is produced in the company's factory in Walworth, Wisconsin. "Less Sodium" soy sauce is made the same way as regular soy sauce, but about 40 percent of the salt is taken out post-brewing. Dark Japanese soy sauces have a deeper color, but actually taste less light. A good all-purpose choice, they are best used in marinades and basting sauces, but are perfectly acceptable for dipping or stir-fries as well. Usukuchi (light): These are lighter and thinner than their darker, richer counterparts, but have a more assertive, salty flavor and a slight sweetness from the addition of mirin, a sweet rice wine. Primarily used in the Southern Kansai region of Japan, light soy sauces are used to season ingredients without turning the ingredients into a darker color. They can be used in place of dark soy sauce, but they should be used more sparingly because of their intense flavor. Tamari: More similar to traditional Chinese soy sauce, this is made with soybeans and little to no wheat.

Tamari started in the fifteenth century as a by-product miso (fermented soybean paste) production, and was completely devoid of wheat. These days, many tamari-style soy sauces actually contain a trace of wheat, though most major brands like San-J, Wan Ja Shan, Eden Organic and Ohsawa offer gluten-free versions. With a higher soybean content, tamari has a stronger flavor and is ideally used as a dipping sauce. If you have a wheat allergy, tamari can be a good alternative to shoyu, though you should always be sure to check the ingredients list for the presence of wheat. Other Japanese Soy Sauces: While tamari is made with more soybeans, shiro, or white soy sauce, is brewed with more wheat. It has a lighter color and flavor. It's typically used as a dipping sauce for sashimi made with mild, white-fleshed fish where a darker sauce would overpower and discolor the delicate slices. Saishikomi, or "twice-brewed" soy sauce, has a stronger flavor than tamari. To produce it, the saltwater brine in the fermentation stage of standard shoyu is replaced with a previous batch of already-brewed soy sauce.

Shiro and saishikomi are not as commonly found in stores compared to other soy sauces. Check out Japanese specialty markets to find them. Light: Made from the first pressing of fermented soy beans, these are generally more expensive than dark soys. Also known as "fresh" soy sauce, you'll sometimes find it labeled "pure bean" or "thin." These soy sauces are meant to enhance flavors when cooking. It's by far the most common cooking sauce in Chinese cuisine. If a Chinese recipe calls for "soy sauce" without any further detail, you can assume it means light soy sauce. Double-fermented light sauces, which have a mellower, more complex flavor are also available and used primarily for dipping. Dark and Double Dark: Like Japanese dark soys, Chinese "dark" soys are darker in color and thicker in texture, but tend to be lighter in saltiness. They are generally fermented for a longer period of time than their thin counterparts and often have added sugar or molasses, giving them a sweet-salty flavor and viscous texture.

They are used solely for cooking, often added at the last stages to season and add color to sauces. Chemical soy sauces: These are made over the course of about two days by hydrolyzing soy protein and combining it with other flavorings. Their flavor is far removed from traditional soy sauces made with fermented soybeans. Harold McGee explains the process in On Food and Cooking by saying: Nowadays, defatted soy meal, the residue of soybean oil production, is broken down—hydrolyzed—into amino acids and sugars with concentrated hydrochloric acid. This caustic mixture is then neutralized with alkaline sodium carbonate, and flavored and colored with corn syrup, caramel, water, and salt. We strongly recommend avoiding these types of sauces. Check the list of ingredients on a bottle before you inadvertently buy an artificial sauce. While many Asian countries have their own soy sauce styles and variants, another relatively commonly found style in the U.S. is Indonesian Kecap manis.

It's a sweet soy sauce native to Indonesia made with fermented soy beans and flavored with palm sugar, star anise, galangal and other aromatics. It's widely used in many Indonesian dishes and is the primary flavoring in bami goreng, a popular stir-fried noodle dish. Kecap manis derives its name from the same Malay fish sauce (kicap) that our tomato-based ketchup is distantly related to. People tend to be slapdash in their soy sauce storage, but it's a relatively fragile sauce that can easily develop fishy, off-flavors if not stored properly. Soy sauce's two main enemies are light and heat, so be sure to store it in a dark place away from a heat source (for example, above the stove or on the countertop). Once a bottle of soy sauce is opened, keep it in the fridge if you don't expect to use all of the soy sauce within a month or so—particularly if its in a clear glass bottle. To save money, you can purchase large metal cans of soy sauce and store them in a dark cupboard, refilling a smaller glass container in your refrigerator as needed.