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0Parents Are Going Broke From Their Kids' Sushi Obsession
Grace Embury says her worst financial decision was introducing her kids to sushi.
She's half joking, but Embury sighed when she listed the foods Elliott and Charlotte, 8 and 6, regularly request. "Salmon rolls, tuna rolls, tamago."
Elliott and Charlotte would have sushi every day if they could, but Embury has limited their intake to weekly outings, where bills can reach $150.
Gen Alpha has acquired a taste for shrimp tempura and salmon nigiri—and parents are paying a heavy price.
Sushi restaurants came to the U.S. in the late 1960s. The food took off with celebrities in the '70s, but it was a few more decades before it went mass with regular Americans, thanks to super freezing technology that brought raw fish to grocery chains and mass restaurants.
"It gives them a sense of maturity," said Isaac Bernstein, culinary director of kosher restaurant group Reserve Cut Hospitality, where $30 crispy rice tuna squares are frequently sold to young diners. "It's an adult food so maybe it makes them feel grown up."
Laureano Escobar is convinced the aesthetics hooked his 6-year-old daughter, Mimi. "She saw the presentation and was fascinated," said Escobar, a 40-year-old chef in Dallas.
He recalled gasping at the bill the first time they split a few rolls. "It was $120."
So why not just cut them off? Parents say they are trying to strike a balance between financial considerations and the benefits of indulging their kids' sushi obsession. It might be expensive, but then again, it's more nutritious than other kid foods.
生词好句
go broke 濒临破产（to lose all your money or become bankrupt）
obsession 英 [əbˈseʃn] 美 [əbˈseʃn] n. 痴迷，上瘾
I'm going broke from my son's LEGO obsession.我家儿子是乐高重度爱好者，我的钱包真的快扛不住了。
half joking 半开玩笑半认真
half + 动词ing 表示一种"不彻底而且很微妙的状态"
I was half joking when I suggested we quit our jobs and open a homestay in Dali.我提议辞职去大理开民宿的时候，是半开玩笑说的。
I was half listening.我一半心思在听，心不在焉。
I was half believing him. 我当时将信将疑，差点就信了他。
a sense of + 抽象名词 描述人内心的某种 “感觉”、“意识”或“体验”
a sense of maturity 成熟感
a sense of achievement 成就感
a sense of belonging 归属感
a sense of security 安全感
a sense of isolation 孤立感
a sense of powerlessness 无力感
