Expert claims we’ve been eating sandwiches wrong

A Japanese etiquette master is suggesting that everything we once knew about eating sandwiches is actually completely wrong.

If the expert opinion of Emi Sunai is to be believed, we could all be enjoying our lunch “more beautifully”. All it takes is a bit of outside of the box thinking and an open mind when it comes to angles.

If aesthetics are as important to you as ingredients, this may be a major development.

A Japanese etiquette expert is claiming there’s a better way to eat sandwiches (Credit: Alamy/AH Images)

Expert claims we’re all eating sandwiches wrong

According to expert Emi Sunai of the LIVIUM Adult Manners School, the key to devouring a sandwich in a polite manner is the angle of approach.

In an interview with Vice News, Sunai explained how turning your sandwich around could actually make it more elegant. As she put it: “People think eating sandwiches horizontally is the best way, but actually what I recommend is turning your food vertically.

“This way, you don’t need to take a big bite and the ingredients are less likely to fall out, which means you can eat food more beautifully.”

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It’s unclear how Sunai’s advice could affect more complicated sandwich designs. For instance, it’s hard to see how standing a banh mi on its end might make it look more seemly.

Nonetheless, Sunai is clear that this technique is a sure-fire way to make an impression in Japan.

Sunai also has some suggestions for eating burgers (Credit: Alamy/Westend61 GmbH)

Other unusual etiquette suggestions

It isn’t just sandwiches that Sunai has under her microscope. In her interview with Vice, the etiquette expert also addresses several other potential problem foods.

One particular area of concern is hamburgers. As anyone who’s ever been to McDonald’s will agree, eating a Big Mac with poise is no mean feat. However, Sunai has a few suggestions for making things easier.

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As she explains: “If a hamburger is really big, what I also like to do is take a bite from the bottom, then the top. Like you’re breaking it up into two levels. That way each bite is even smaller and cleaner.”

Showing such surgical precision with something so delicious might be too much for some. Still, it’s good to know that there’s a way to stay classy if you do want to make an impression.