When sauce is about to drip, do you catch it by cupping your hand like a plate with the hand opposite your chopsticks? This is commonly called “Tezara (手皿: Te means hand and zara means plate).” It often appears on Japanese TV during meal scenes.
While it might seem elegant, it’s actually considered bad manners in Japanese dining etiquette, so it’s best to remember this. You should be especially careful during important occasions. The basic etiquette for Japanese cuisine is to hold the bowl or dish in your hand while eating, so the correct way is to use the sauce in a small side dish, not your hand.
However, there are times when small side dishes aren’t provided, like when eating out or at home. In those cases, the basic Japanese approach is to hold the bowl itself close to your mouth for dishes with sauce. Alternatively, you can use techniques like lightly cutting the sauce with the tips of your chopsticks before bringing it to your mouth to eat neatly without using your hands.
Why is using your hand as a plate considered bad manners? If sauce drips onto your hand and stains it, you’ll need to wipe your hands with an oshibori (wet towel), creating extra laundry. Oshibori are meant for wiping hands before eating. If they get stained with food sauce, they may require stain removal, causing trouble for the restaurant.
Furthermore, while it’s common, seeing someone use their palm as a plate and then bring the food to their mouth can feel somewhat unhygienic and vulgar, even if the person themselves doesn’t mind. Depending on the situation, it’s considered bad manners during a proper meal.
In Japanese dining culture, holding bowls and small dishes is considered polite. Proper etiquette dictates lifting bowls and soup bowls to your mouth, while flat or large dishes should not be lifted—specific manners exist for each type of vessel. Using a serving dish instead of tezara is rooted in these uniquely Japanese dining customs.
Of course, during casual meals at home or with friends, you might unconsciously use your hand as a plate. While it often isn’t a major issue in daily life, it’s especially important to refrain from doing so at formal occasions, kaiseki dinners, or when dining with seniors. Being mindful of etiquette according to the situation will make your dining manners appear more refined.
It’s a gesture that anyone can easily do, but it’s best to avoid it at formal occasions. It may even look as if you’re drawing attention to a spill, so using a side plate or small dish is always the better choice.