Hygiene Or Tradition, That is the question

Here's an episode on whether or not tradition supersedes hygiene or vice versa. What precisely are we talking about?

It's all about Sushi, my folks - that favorite Japanese delicacy of yours. If once been to Japan, you are familiar how Sushi masters resort to every trick of sushi-making bare-handedly - mark you, with vinegar-cleansed bare hands. That's a long tradition no Japanese has ever quizzed why.

As a matter of fact, this desk detests Sushi done with "gloved-hands" to the extent of rejecting them on grounds that the gloves might be full of germs! That's a live tradition and there are no buts about it.

But then, over there in New York, a popular Sushi house had to close down just because its Sushi masters had prepared Sushi bare-handed without gloves. It's against the law prohibiting to handle food bare-handed.

The episode ignited a loud gabbing over the web. "What Sushi done with gloves", argue many. But then, here in Japan, we have what we call "Rotary Sushi Bar" where plates of Sushi rotate around for the customers to take their picks from. They mostly prepare Sushi half automated handled by glove-handed staff.

Local Sushi masters in New York countered in protest with a column in the local paper "Daily News": "Gloves Off, Fight for Sushi". A local Japanese newspaper responded with a first-page writeup reporting the development.

Professional Sushi masters are subtly divided pro and con.

Fukumoto, a reputed Sushi house picked Star 1 in 2016 edition of the Michelin Guide, comments "it can't be helped" if safety comes in. They elaborate that not every Sushi house abroad is operated by Japanese and matters of hygiene and food safety are beyond control.

Tokyo's Sushi Academy, a training school for Sushi art, comments:

"Preparing Sushi glove-handedly is totally out of the question. Tradition survives in Sushi culture.

News Source: J-Cast News