Japanese cuisine Unique to the food culture and most popular dishes

Every country’s cuisine is a symbiote of tradition, culture, history, philosophy of everyday life and regional accents. As an island nation, Japan has been somewhat isolated from the rest of the world for a long time and has been able to create amazing food systems that are different. The food here has been elevated to a special cult whose rituals are very naturally and harmoniously integrated into everyday Japanese life.

What is Washoku In 2013, Washoku, a traditional Japanese cuisine, was added to the list of intangible cultural heritage at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for UNESCO. But it won worldwide recognition long before that. Its uniqueness is the reason for its popularity. It is based on simple but effective rules:

The most diverse ingredients and their freshness. Strive to compete with nature, create incredible new flavors, and find a balance of ingredients in each food’s natural hue. In keeping with the seasonality of the dishes. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. This means the main meal should include a soup, three proteins and vegetables for snacks and rice. Connect with traditional festivals and strengthen family ties through Washoku. Japanese cuisine is simple but at the same time surprisingly harmonious, sophisticated, delicious and varied. Its basic principles were formed in the Middle Ages during the Heian Period and are still observed.

Japanese food must conform to the five tastes of the five flavors — sweet, salty, spicy, sour and bitter.

For a meal to bring true happiness, it must make all feelings happy. Therefore, the beauty and aesthetics of the design and presentation of dishes are highly valued. The principle of seasonality is reflected not only in the choice of culinary products, but also in the service. The form, decoration and colour scheme of the dishes are well thought out. It should be appropriate for the current season and in harmony with the composition of the food being served. It also uses the principle of five primary colours – white, black, yellow, red and green, which must appear on the table in different combinations. And special table manners turn any meal into a theatrical performance.

Around the world, Japanese cuisine is rightly regarded as the standard for healthy eating. They use only the freshest and most diverse ingredients, and are very careful about what goes on the shelves (excluding fermented products). Dishes should be prepared quickly and simply and, if possible, with minimal heat treatment to retain their natural flavor and nutritional value to the utmost. Food is served in small portions and satiety is achieved through a wide selection of dishes. Any meal, even a regular snack, is important and should be rewarding and enjoyable. This deceptively simple idea takes Japan’s culinary heritage to a whole new level.

sushi In the 21st century, their popularity has reached global proportions. But at the same time, the number of varieties familiar to the international community is very limited. In fact, the only constant in making sushi is the special rice. The wide variety of service forms and fillings (fish, seafood, caviar, meat, vegetables) makes the variety of flavors almost endless:

The type of sushi most familiar to foreigners, the dish is served in a cylindrical form, with a piece of seaweed (dried seaweed) that covers the rice and filling cut into six or eight pieces. Sometimes a thin omelet serves as wrapping paper.

sashimi Many foreigners who order this dish at Japanese restaurants expect the beautifully designed fillet. In fact, the term sashimi refers to any raw food that is sliced thinly. In addition to fish and seafood, it can be beef, venison, chicken and horse meat. The classic introduction to this Japanese dish includes pairing it with wasabi, ginger, daikon and shiso leaves. The deer thorn set includes citrus fruits to show off the venison more fully. Scallions are added when ordering horsemeat sashimi.

Rice ball This is a favorite Japanese breakfast or snack. It consists of rice balls with a variety of fillings — from vegetables to meat and seafood. In Tokyo, for example, rice balls with a special sour and salty flavor are popular. They can also be triangular in shape and wrapped in seaweed. Usually made by girls, this dish is so cheap and popular that you can buy it almost anywhere — from supermarkets to vending machines.

tempura Another iconic Japanese dish is fresh shrimp, fish and vegetables, fried and coated in the finest egg, ice water and roux, whipped until bubbles bubble. Once in boiling oil, it blooms like a flower (Japanese -hana). Therefore, this cooking method is called hanaage. Tempura is served with a special sauce, the sky-foot fish. It’s a broth made with kelp seaweed or dried mackerel, very sweet mirin rice wine and soy sauce. For a refreshing taste, serve ginger and grated radish.

Grilled chicken skewers Charcoal grilled chicken kebabs are one of the Japanese’s favorite wine snacks, perfect for gatherings with friends or colleagues. Therefore, yakitori is sold in any izakaya. The chef uses all parts of the chicken – the breast, thighs, skin, liver, heart and cartilage. Each type of meat is served on a separate skewer. Before cooking, it is soaked in a mixture of rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and salt and served with a sauce. In addition to chicken, other meats and vegetables can be used. A delicious option is shiitake mushrooms and enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon and green onion or chili.

ramen The world knows the fame of Japanese ramen. It was brought to Japan from China in the early 1900s and quickly gained incredible popularity. In fact, it is made from fresh wheat noodles in a seasoned broth with various additives. What customers will find in his ramen depends on the region, the city and the particular restaurant. There are a variety of cooking options for this dish. You must try the pork Char Siu noodles, Plum bamboo shoots, kimchi, pickled shiitake mushrooms, mung bean sprouts, fresh spinach and green Onions, as well as boiled or fried eggs. When it comes to ramen soup, there are four main types:

Shio is transparent and light, with a distinct saltiness. Shoyu – Made with soy sauce, has a light aroma and light brown color. A thick, opaque, flavorful soy paste soup. Tonkotsu – Brewed from pork bones for 12 to 20 hours, it has a rich flavour and a slightly sticky texture.

Udon noodles These are wheat noodles that are 2 to 4 millimeters in diameter and, unlike ramen, do not contain eggs. When boiled, it becomes soft and elastic. There are hot and cold noodles. Sometimes it is served as a side dish with meat and vegetables. But the most common is Udon topped with oishi soup, seasoned with rice wine, scallions and soy sauce. To serve, add chicken, fried shrimp tempura and tofu. But these components can vary according to season, region and personal preference. The main thing is to create a balanced flavour.

Buckwheat noodles

The so-called taupe thin noodles are made from buckwheat flour and a little wheat. The Japanese have been eating it for five centuries and sell it at the cheapest noodle shops and fancy restaurants. As it cooks, the soba retains a delightfully thick consistency. In summer, it is usually served cold and dipped in sauces. It is made from Oishi bouillon (a kelp seaweed soup with shavings of bonito tuna), soy sauce, mirin and sake. During the colder months, soba noodles are more often served as noodle soups with hot soups. A variety of toppings can be added – seafood, chicken, beef, eel, fried tofu. There are also vegetarian options – shredded seaweed and seasonal vegetables.

Miso soup It is never served as a main course – traditionally it is used as a side dish for any other dish except dessert. The soup is made with Oishi soup and miso paste obtained from fermented soybeans. Add chives, wakame, tofu, sweet potato, radish, shrimp, fish, mushrooms or meat. Miso soup is a light and nutritious dish. There are dozens of regional variations, from the simplest to the most luxurious, including, for example, crab meat. The Japanese also eat this soup to deal with hangovers.

Fried pork chop This is fried pork chop. This is an easy to prepare and hearty dish, often used as a filling for sandwiches or as part of a set lunch consisting of soups, rice, cole slaw and other side dishes. Fried pork chops with the sauce of the same name, deep color, moderate consistency, sweet and sour taste. This dish is sold at many inexpensive restaurants and eateries, grocery stores, and shopping malls.

okayaki A hearty and inexpensive snack enjoyed by both the Japanese themselves and the country’s guests is a flat cake fried on teppan (hot metal plate). Its dough consists of grated cabbage, flour, eggs and a dash of stock. In the classic version of cooking, the cake is soaked in a special sauce and sprinkled with dried tuna shavings or chopped green algae. As an addition, you can choose any toppings – pork, seafood, beef or vegetables. Cooking techniques and filling types vary from city to city. The most popular choices are from the Kansai region of western Japan and Hiroshima. Kansai ohaoyaki is made of flour, Long Island yam, stock, eggs, cabbage, pork belly, octopus, squid, shrimp, mochi (glutinous rice pressed into a paste dough) or cheese. Mix all ingredients. In Hiroshima, for example, you can find more than 2,000 restaurants serving ohayaki. The main ingredients are much the same, but they’re cooked separately, in layers. Add eggs and plenty of sauce.

eel This is the name of the river eel, which is considered a true delicacy due to its delicate and sweet taste. One of the most popular culinary options is grilled eel flakes. The fish is covered in a sweet skin sauce and caramelized over charcoal. If the finished eel is placed on top of steamed white rice, the dish is called eel rice. When fried or smoked, eel can be a component of sushi and miso soup. Unlike other fish, it is never eaten raw. The best time to taste fresh eel in Japan is from May to October.

Wagyu and Kobe beef One of the most expensive must-try items in Japanese cuisine is a steak made from marble wagyu or its essence, Kobe beef. The best way to taste delicious meat that melts in your mouth is to head to a specialty restaurant where you grill or teppanyaki. In order not to overpower the flavor of the beef, the chef uses a minimum of spices and salt. It is best to choose a low or medium roast – this way the marble fat will reach the desired melting point. Seasonal vegetables as side dishes.

takoyaki One of the most popular Japanese snacks comes in the form of tender dough balls filled with boiled octopus, sliced tempura, scallions and pickled ginger. They are fried in cafes and street tents using special frying pans with hemispherical indents. The finished dish is covered with aromatic takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, and topped with Qinghai algae and tuna shavings. The appetizer must be eaten hot, as its texture becomes coarser as it cools.

Gudong It can safely be called one of the favorite lunch options for Tokyo office workers. Koto translates from Japanese as “a bowl of beef.” Thin slices of the meat are braised in an aromatic oishi broth seasoned with onion, mirin and soy sauce. Serve on a steamed or boiled rice mat with pickled ginger and several spicy seasonings. Miso soup is used as a classic addition. It’s a simple and satisfying food that can be quickly rejuvenated.

Natto One of Japan’s most controversial dishes, as even the country’s residents themselves fall into two camps – connoisseurs and haters. Natto is a fermented soybean that is served with rice, green Onions and raw eggs and seasoned with soy sauce and crucian mustard. They have a distinctive smell with a distinct ammoniacal, sweet and salty flavor and a sticky consistency that can be off-putting to many people. Natto is most commonly used for breakfast – the beans must be thoroughly mixed before use. The value of this dish is not primarily for its taste, but for its healing properties, which have been proven by multiple studies.