Kids and sushi – Maki Clack

It’s a good thing I know how to make the world’s easiest sushi, because my kid loves it. Ever since he turned a year old, when “they” tell us it’s OK for our kids to try raw fish, he’s been eating sushi and telling people it’s his favorite food. We even whipped some up for his lunch yesterday.

We know we’re in the minority, and that we’re lucky we can still enjoy a sushi dinner with our son — although it was very hard to share at first! I guess it’s a good thing he’s old enough to get his own order now.

In case you love a good sushi dinner, but your kids think it’s gross, you could try a few things to get them excited about the prospect of trying sushi:

I loved the tips from Phillip Yi, an experienced sushi chef.  From making sure the kids get chopsticks to some menu suggestions sure to please, this article is a must-read if you’re craving some sushi and you’ve got no place to dump the kids.

To me, one of the easiest ways to get kids to eat something is to show them what’s in it. This can start at the farm, when they get to see how vegetables grow, or it can be making sushi at home with your kids so they get hands-on into the process. They’ll see the seaweed, the rice and you can even let them choose what fillings they want in their sushi rolls. Ah, the power of autonomy….

Oh, and a word to the Minx who doesn’t believe that kids belong in a sushi restaurant? You haven’t met mine. There’s a big difference in dragging children out to a place they don’t want to be, and bringing a refined, yet small, dinner companion out for an evening of commonly enjoyed food. I agree that kids should never be running around any restaurant (even McDonald’s, though my kid’s never been in one of those), but if they have been exposed to and have an appreciation for the food and have been taught proper table manners then kids have a right to eat wherever they like.

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Mar 26, 2009 @ 18:27 EST5EDT