Japanese Foods

Japanese cuisine is as world-famous, diverse, colourful, and beautiful as its culture. The world knows about Sushi and Ramen. However, authentic Japanese food has so much more depth to it and there are many other dishes that are popular and are worth trying.  So, if you are planning to visit Japan anytime soon, here are some of the best Japanese food you must try to get a taste of the rich Japanese food culture.

 The best Japanese foods and dishes are sublime in their intricacy of flavour, variety of seasonal dishes and surprising health benefits. A typical Japanese meal is based on combining staples; rice or noodles are almost always served with soup, pickles and at least one okazu side dish of fish, meat vegetable or tofu.

Being an island nation, the Japanese food is heavily influenced by seafood and offers great variety through the use of seasonal ingredients. Always artfully presented, a product of centuries of history, Japanese cuisine is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Take a look at these typical Japanese dining options to get the belly rumbling. Itadakimasu!

Food culture in Japan

Food plays a crucial role in shaping Japanese culture. Japanese cuisine is closely related to nature, taking inspiration from the four seasons as well as from the rich selection of edible ingredients the land and the sea have to offer. Through food, students will be able to learn about many facets of Japan including its climate and landscape, technologies, and even the life values and religious beliefs of Japanese people.

Hence, we have an authentic Japanese food list to explore.

List of the Popular Japanese Food to Try

Japan offers a wide array of traditional food, each with its own unique appeal. Exploring authentic Japanese food (cuisine)reveals a wealth of ingredients and combinations that might be entirely new and exciting for you.

Here are the best Japanese dishes for you.

Tempura

Tempura strikes a perfect balance between being crispy, tasty, relatively healthy and cheap. It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan and allows you to choose from an array of ingredients like prawns, fish, squid, vegetables or tofu. These selections are lightly coated in batter and quickly deep-fried to retain their nutritional value, including essential vitamins and minerals.

While tempura can stand alone as a satisfying dish, it’s frequently served on top of noodles or rice, with a variety of dipping sauces.

Noodles: soba, udon and ramen

Noodles are a delicious and cheap alternate to rice-based meals. Made from buckwheat flour, soba noodles are served hot with broth or cold with dipping sauce. Udon are thick wheat noodles that are served hot or cold with soy or fish soup. Ramen is perhaps the most popular type of noodle in Japan, available in thin or thick varieties, often served with a hot broth and topped with items like tempura or meat.

Many noodle shops operate a vending machine system. Simply buy a ticket at the vending machine, choose your noodle type, serving size and topping, and then hand the receipt to the chef who prepares your food on the spot.

Sushi

Japan’s most internationally famous dish, sushi, is also internationally misunderstood. Most people are mistaken in believing that sushi is simply raw fish. Rather, good sushi is a vigilant combination of vinegared rice, raw fish and vegetables and comes in many different forms.

Sushi nigiri is the most well-known variety with a slice of raw fish, egg or vegetable perched atop a small bundle of rice. Maki sushi is the variety that is rolled in ‘nori’ seaweed. Temaki sushi is cone-shaped and full of assorted ingredients. Inari sushi features deep-fried tofu wrapped around the rice. Among the thousands of sushi shops in Tokyo alone you are sure to find a variety that suits you.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a fun, interactive way of dining, perfect for groups. Basically, okonomiyaki is a batter that is mixed with all your favourite ingredients, then fried like a pancake on the grill right in front of you. Okonomiyaki translates as ‘grill your favorite’ and as such there is great variety in terms of ingredients available, from seafood, beef, chicken and bacon, to tofu, cheese, corn, onion and other vegetables.

Once the batter has cooked, the okonomiyaki is topped with a rich brown sauce, mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes. Typically each person in the group orders their own okonomiyaki preference and many restaurants allow you to cook your own, which is a fun addition to the meal.

Teishoku

Teishoku set meals are very popular, particularly at lunch time, and most restaurants offer set meals of some kind. Typically, a set meal includes rice, pickles, soup and a main dish of fish, seafood, vegetables or meat. With lots of food and cheap prices, the teishoku dining option is a great introduction to everyday Japanese food.

Some of the better restaurants offer kaiseki, a traditional Japanese tasting menu. The preparation of kaiseki is considered an art form requiring a careful balance of taste, texture, appearance and colour, using only fresh seasonal ingredients. Expect exquisite presentation, and higher than average prices.

Yakitori

The Japanese believe yakitori is the perfect accompaniment to beer, and in the late hours of the night yakitori stands are always full of life. Yakitori translates as grilled chicken and some restaurants serve up to 20 varieties of the skewers, each a different part of the chicken, including breast meat, wings, heart, parson’s nose and skin.

Your yakitori can be flavoured with shio (salt) or tare (a sweet-salty sauce). Yakitori is a very popular and cheap snack food, usually only 100-200 yen per skewer.

Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki

Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki are fun dining options for groups. In Shabu Shabu, diners order thinly sliced meat and vegetables and a pot filled with boiling soup is placed on the table. Each diner picks up a slice of meat using chopsticks and swishes it around in the soup until it cooks. The meat is then dipped into a salty shabu shabu sauce and enjoyed before swishing the next piece. Predominately beef based, shabu shabu can also include seafood and pork.

Similarly, sukiyaki presents meat, seafood and vegetables in a sweet-salty soy-based soup. The difference is that ingredients bubble away in the pot continuously and diners fish out the slices they want and perhaps dip it in raw egg.

Fugu (blowfish)

The seas surrounding Japan are home to several hundred types of Fugu (blowfish) and it’s believed the Japanese have been eating the poisonous fish for as long as 15,000 years.

While in Japan, don’t miss the opportunity to try Fugu, a delicacy known for its delicate taste and the unique experience it offers. But remember, it should only be prepared by a licensed expert due to its potential danger. Chefs must train for many years to learn how to prepare these potentially dangerous sea creatures. Once prepared, fugu can be eaten in a number of ways, including fresh slices of sashimi, boiled in a hot pot or grilled with vegetables.

Unagi (eel)

Unagi (eel) is a staple in Japanese cuisine, cherished not only for its robust flavour but also for its nutritional benefits. This hearty dish, rich in vitamins and protein, is traditionally served with a sweet soy teriyaki sauce over rice. The Japanese believe that eating eel during the hottest months helps fight fatigue.

This delectable dish can be savoured throughout Japan, with numerous unagi restaurants dotting the country. The Hamanako area, in particular, boasts a unique culture centred around this slippery fish.

https://youtu.be/yCp3aDDhNis?si=Ap3L9K9DB5cZ3-Ul

Taste the seasons

Traditional Japanese cuisine, or “washoku”, revolves around the concept of seasonality. Japan has four distinct seasons—spring, summer, autumn and winter—each with its own unique offerings of fruits, vegetables, seafoods and more. Washoku is about appreciating those seasonal foods and connecting with mother nature in the process. Traditional Japanese cuisine uses locally sourced fresh ingredients and utilizes special cooking techniques and utensils to bring out the natural flavors. Presentation is also key. Different dishes are served on or in complimentary types of tableware, varying in shape, size, color and pattern. Washoku is more than just a type of cuisine, it’s an art form. In 2013, UNESCO added washoku to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Washoku

Washoku

Food and family traditions

Food is an integral part of Japanese culture. Most Japanese households have their own set of traditions and rituals when it comes to dining, both for special occasions and for everyday meals. One such example is “miso shiru”, or miso soup, an iconic Japanese food dish. Although miso soup is basically made from only three simple ingredients—kombu (a type of seaweed), bonito (a kind of fish) flakes, and miso paste—the flavour of the finished product will vary depending on the cooking method, cooking time, and the ingredients used (e.g. red, white, or yellow miso), and every household has their own family recipe.

Bara sushi

Seafood clear soup

Celebration of food

To celebrate food and nature, many regions hold festivals and other events centered around local delicacies for which they are famous. At the beginning of each new planting season, many shrines hold “Otauematsuri” festivals to honor the rice fields and to pray for a bountiful harvest. Otauematsuri usually includes a religious ceremony where food is served to the gods and a rice-planting ritual. Aside from observing the rituals, students can also enjoy traditional Japanese performances while eating local delicacies. These events not only allow educational travel students to have the opportunity to enjoy delicious food, but they also remind students to appreciate nature and the foods it provides humans, and to admire the beauty of different seasons.

Takayama matsuri festival

Niigata rice field

Best Japanese Restaurants in Chennai

• Little Soi – Anna nagar
• Pa Pa Ya – Nungambakkam
• Soy soi – Kotturpuram
• Nasi and Mee – Adyar
• Asian Station – Anna nagar
• Kuuraku – Vadapalani
• Black Orchid – R.A.Puram
• Sushi in a Box – Teynampet
• Hokkaido – Mylapore
• Teppan – Mylapore
• Cafe G Holiday Inn – Thiruvanmiyur

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check out the previous blogs in this series:

https://abkaots-th.com/unique-importance-of-japanese-language-part-1 https://abkaots-th.com/top-5-famous-japanese-words
https://abkaots-th.com/how-safety-is-japan-part-1/
https://abkaots-th.com/top-5-important-universities-for-ug-and-pg-courses/
https://abkaots-th.com/advantages-of-other-country-low-birth-rate-in-japan/