Hello Rabbi,
I have read your very informative pieces on eating out. I would like to take a deeper dive on the question of sushi out.
Suppose you order a simple raw salmon roll. Ingredients: seaweed, raw salmon, rice.
The salmon is cold and raw so no issues there.
I would like to ask about the rice and the seaweed, though.
I heard that seaweed has bugs and needs to be checked. Can one reasonably assume at a non kosher restaurant that they’ve checked for bugs and you can eat it?
Regarding the rice, I’ve seen on your website that sometimes you seem to suggest that one ought to avoid it due to bishul akum. But in other posts and in your guides, you suggest that given several factors, the rice is fine to eat. What is the final ruling on this matter?
Thank you!
A plate of rice may be an issue. That’s the case where I’m not sure of. I will need to spend some time looking into that aspect.
But rice in a sushi restaurant is fine as described in the guide for Sushi restaurants. There are various possible Heterim, that when combined make it permitted for sure. This includes Sushi and Rolls and Poke Bowls etc.
The bugs are not an issue. See our bugs in vegetables piece under Jewish Law section. In order for bugs to be an issue it must be properly determined that bugs are very common. Such a determination was never made. I have a keen eye when it comes to bugs. I never found a bug in the seaweed. Could be certain places have such a thing. Until proven that it is common, you can’t just prohibit all seaweed. The hashgachas today just assume that if it may have bugs, you can’t eat it. They don’t understand the Halachahs regarding bugs.
Ironically, for over a decade they laughed at us when we showed them that bugs were common in certain vegetables. Then they finally came on board and started caring about bugs, but then they took it to the extreme. The less one knows, the more machmir he will be.