The reason sushi chefs are traditionally male is because women were thought to have "hotter energy" and would thus cause faster spoilage when handling raw fish.

Well, anyone who knows anything about anatomy knows that this is bulls***. If anything, men have higher temperatures in their extremities than women.

Tuna: sashimi these days? Sure. But in the past, not so much - tuna has only recently taken over as one of the most popular seafoods in the world. Spicy tuna rolls, not so much. I'm interested (and, frankly, repulsed) that you've tried hacked-from-a-still-gasping-fish sashimi. I'm curious about the flavor - was it markedly different from other sashimi you've tried?

As to using your fingers - sorry, but people do both. Afficianados tend to use their fingers when eating nigiri - I've seen it done in Toyko and Kanazawa. Corson is not the only person to make that claim.

• http://www.sushifaq.com/sushiotaku/2007/03/12/is-sushi-finger-food/
• http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1737.html
• http://www.sushilinks.com/tips.html