The cuisine of Japan - Asia

The foods of Japan

Traditional Japanese Dishes

Sushi
Sushi is one of the best known Japanese foods around the world.
Sushi usually refers to a dish of pressed vinegared rice with a piece of raw fish or shellfish, called a neta, on top. Sushi is generally eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.
Sashimi
Sashimi is is similar to sushi but without the rice, sashimi is raw fish sliced into easy-to-eat pieces. The high-quality of the fish caught in all regions of Japan makes it a great choice no matter if you are visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, or Hokkaido.
Just like sushi, diners can enjoy dozens of varieties of sashimi. Some of the most common and popular varieties are maguro and other tuna varieties, salmon, mackerel, and sea bream. You can also try clams, uni, or sea urchin, and salmon roe. Sashimi vs. Nigiri: What Are the Differences?

Sashimi and nigiri are both Japanese preparations of raw fish and seafood, but there are a few differences.
Serving: Sashimi is simply served as slices of raw fish, whereas nigiri is sliced raw fish served on top of a mount or ball of vinegared rice.

Classification: Since nigiri is served with vinegared rice, it is considered a type of sushi. Sashimi is a stand-alone dish, though sashimi (raw fish) is incorporated into many types of sushi.
Ingredients: Sashimi is always raw, whether it’s fish, seafood or another protein. Nigiri can include raw fish as well as cooked components, such as unagi (eel), tamago-yaki (cooked egg) or vegetables.
Portion: Sashimi includes multiple slices of one type of fish, whereas nigiri is a one-bite serving.
Presentation: Sashimi is served with seasonal garnishes and colors and textures that highlight the fish and add dimension to the plate. Nigiri is typically served without any additional garnishes or accompaniments.
Tempura
Tempura is a dish involving ingredients like seafood, meat, and vegetables covered in batter and deep-fried in oil. Tempura is generally dipped in a special sauce called tentsuyu before eating. Tentsuyu is a sauce made of broth from kombu or dried bonito, mirin, and soy sauce mixed at a ratio of 4:1:1 and cooked. You can add ginger or grated radish to your liking for a more refreshing taste. Soba - Buckwheat Noodles
Soba is a noodle dish made from buckwheat flour with water and flour, thinly spread and cut into noodles with widths of 1cm-2cm. After boiling the noodles in hot water, it is eaten dipped in cold soup, or by pouring hot soup over it. The sobatsuyu - sobajiru, made from kombu or dried bonito broth with seasonings like soy sauce and mirin, is crucial for having a delicious soba experience. Udon - Hearty Wheat Noodles
Udon is a unique dish known for its thick noodles. Udon is also a well-known traditional Japanese dish. The dough is made from flour and salt water that is well-kneaded and cut into noodles. After being boiled in hot water, much like soba, it is eaten in seafood broth soup, or by pouring soup and toppings like tempura on top of it. There is no one designated way to eat udon.
Onigiri - Rice Balls
Onigiri, also called omusubi, may just look like plain rice, but they often have a savory filling inside and are wrapped with a salty sheet of nori seaweed. They are made in bento lunches by families and often seen sold in convenience stores and supermarkets. This is a classic choice for a snack or light meal. Common flavors for onigiri include kelp, pickled plum (umeboshi), salmon, and bonito flakes. There are also many other flavors.
Yakitori - Grilled Chicken Skewers
Yakitori is a popular food where chicken is cut into small pieces, then placed on bamboo skewers and grilled. It is often found on the menus of izakaya and casual restaurants, making it a good option for a night out in Japan with friends. It is especially delicious when paired with alcohol. Also, if you go to a Japanese festival, there is a good chance that food stalls will be selling this classic dish.
Sukiyaki - Japanese Hot Pot
Sukiyaki is a one-pot dish cooked in a shallow iron pan, traditionally enjoyed in the fall and winter in Japan. It became popular in Japan around the 19th century. Made both in homes and available on menus at restaurants, it is a dish you will want to try when in Japan.
Sukiyaki is made with several different ingredients, like thin slices of beef, green onion, mushroom, tofu, and noodles. Diners prepare the dish themselves by boiling the ingredients in the pot. After the ingredients are cooked thoroughly, to eat sukiyaki in its conventional way, dip the meat or vegetable into a bowl of beaten egg. Note that there are regional differences in how sukiyaki is made across Japan, namely between the Kanto and Kansai regions. In Kansai, the meat is grilled before being boiled in the potOden - Simmered Ingredients
Oden is a dish of various ingredients simmered in broth. The ingredients are meant to bring out the flavor of the dashi (consisting usually of a mixture of seafood and kelp) and have a savory, salty taste. Oden has been eaten for a long time in Japan and is thought to have been first made during the Muromachi period (1336 – 1573).
Mild-tasting vegetables, tofu, and fish are common ingredients in oden. Daikon radish, a thick root vegetable, can be found at most shops with oden. Another popular choice is ganmodoki, a hearty mixture of tofu and vegetables made into a circular shape.
Miso Soup
Miso soup is another famous Japanese food, renowned for its great taste and health benefits. This soup is conventionally drunk accompanied by other side and main dishes. A traditional Japanese diet generally includes drinking miso soup daily.
Miso soup is made simply, with the fermented miso base, which has a flavorful taste full of depth, added to Japanese dashi (conventionally mixture of bonito and kelp). There are hundreds of regional varieties on miso soup, from simple soups with just seaweed and tofu to ones with crab and a variety of vegetables.
Miso paste itself comes in different types, from white, which has a sweet flavor, to a darker, saltier red. Be sure to enjoy authentic miso soup when you are in Japan. It is served at most Japanese restaurants in all price ranges; you will find miso soup with teishoku set meals as well as high-end kaiseki cuisine, and everything in between.
Ramen
(ラーメン, Shina Soba, Chūka Soba, Ramyeon, 라면)
Ramen is a noodle soup that first appeared in Japan in 1910, when Chinese cooks combined the noodles with a salty broth. These curly noodles were of bright yellow color and more elastic than the Japanese noodles prepared at the time – the dough was kneaded with a sodium carbonate-infused mineral water called kansui.
In 1958, its name was derived from the pronunciation of the Chinese word lamian (pulled noodles), and that same year, Nissin Foods produced the first-ever instant version of noodles with a chicken-flavored broth called Chickin Ramen.
Shortly after, the dish started to be exported around the world. Ramen should be cooked al dente and eaten quickly while it is still hot. It is not recommended to leave the noodles sitting in the broth for too long, as they tend to become too soft and mushy.
The dish can be either kotteri (rich) or assari/paitan (light), depending on the opaqueness and the heaviness of the broth which is usually made using animal bones or dried seafood mixed with onions, garlic, ginger, leeks, and mushrooms.
Two most famous types of ramen are ramen of Kyushu, prepared with a boiled pork bone broth called tonkotsu, and ramen of Hokkaido, made with a traditional seasoning called red miso.

Japan - See the recipes

Appetizer recipes

Coconut tofu fingers with spicy plum sauce Edamame hummus with spiced pita chips Tamagoyaki - japanese rolled omelette Tuna tartare with grapefruit vinaigrette and sorbet

Main recipes

Black cod sushi burrito Crispy fried tofu katsu style Hokkaido brioche Oriental salmon rice muffins Panko-crusted salmon Ramen burger Sesame tofu fingers Spicy edamame burgers Teriyaki tofu burger Tofu bites Tofu patties Vegan salmon

Side dishes recipes

Avocado Sashimi Snow Pea fennel and Enoki Mushroom Salad

Dessert recipes

Fried banana wontons with custard sauce Kiwi sorbet Spicy poached peaches

Avocado Sashimi Black cod sushi burrito Citrus kosho - japanese citrus chili paste Coconut tofu fingers with spicy plum sauce Crispy fried tofu katsu style Edamame hummus with spiced pita chips Fried banana wontons with custard sauce Gomasio sesame salt Hokkaido brioche Kiwi sorbet Oriental salmon rice muffins Panko-crusted salmon Ramen burger Sesame tofu fingers Snow Pea fennel and Enoki Mushroom Salad Spicy edamame burgers Spicy poached peaches Tamagoyaki - japanese rolled omelette Teriyaki tofu burger Tofu bites Tofu patties Togarashi ichimi Tuna tartare with grapefruit vinaigrette and sorbet Vegan salmon

Cooking in Japan