Many people will tell you that Japanese food is some of the most delicious in the world, and a number of professional chefs like Anthony Bourdain have professed that if they could only eat in one country for the rest of their life, they would choose Japan.
The food in this country is known for having an emphasis on seafood, as Japan is an island, as well as a commitment to fresh and seasonal ingredients. With an array of fruits and vegetables to choose from, as well as super foods like seaweed and green tea, Japanese cuisine is known for being some of the healthiest in the world.
Here are the top 10 Japanese foods you have to try...
The most famous food from Japan has to be sushi, which is raw sliced fish that is placed on top of rice that has been cooked with vinegar. As well as fish, toppings can include other items like roe or seafood like prawns. Sushi is traditionally served with wasabi or horseradish paste and soy sauce for dipping.
Shabu-Shabu can be described as a kind of hot pot, although this dish is more of a cooking technique than anything. Slices of beef or pork are served raw to diners who then cook the meat themselves by dipping it in a hot broth according to their tastes. The words ‘shabu-shabu’ are said to invoke the sound of the meat being cooked.
Unagi is a Japanese specialty and consists of eel which is basted with a sweet and sticky sauce. The eel is then grilled so that the sauce becomes like a glaze, and this can then be eaten either on its own or with something else like rice. Unagi season is said to be from May to October in Japan as this is when eel is most abundant and freshly caught.
Ramen consists of egg noodles that are cooked in a broth and is often eaten in Japan as a snack, particularly in the evenings. Many people don’t realize that ramen actually originates not from Japan but from China, although it has been adapted over the years. The base of the ramen broth can change depending on your preferences and where you sample the soup, but common choices are tonkotsu which is made from boiling pork bone, or miso ramen.
Fried food is loved all over the world, and in Japan it comes in the form of tempura which is a batter into which ingredients like vegetables and prawns are dipped before being fried in pungent sesame oil. The crisp fried food is then served with a dipping sauce which is made of soy sauce mixed with grated radish.
Soba are some of the most famous noodles in Japan and are made of buckwheat. This crop is usually grown in the mountains in Japan where the weather is cooler which is why some of the most famous buckwheat noodles come from places that sit at a higher elevation. The noodles are usually served in a hot broth that is seasoned with soy sauce.
Okonomiyaki means ‘grilled as you like’ and is a known for being Japan’s answer to a pancake. Unlike pancakes in other countries, okonomiyaki are savory and are usually made with cabbage and pork, although you can often choose from a range of ingredients. The pancakes are then topped with salted fish flakes, seaweed, and sauces like mayonnaise and hot sauce. You can either get okonomiyaki made for you, or in some restaurants you make it yourself tableside with the help of a hot plate.
Meat lovers shouldn’t miss the chance to try tonkatsu in Japan, which is best described simply as a deep-fried pork cutlet. The meat is breaded before it is fried meaning that it is reminiscent of Western dishes like pork schnitzel, and actually tonkatsu is said to have come to Japan in the 19th century from Europe.
If you want to try one of the best snacks in Japan then look no further than yakitori which is made up of skewers of meat that are grilled over a barbecue. Usually yakitori is chicken based, although this can include items like chicken offal, and is often enjoyed with a few drinks like Japanese beer.
Sukiyaki is basically Japanese hot pot, and is a fantastic communal activity all over Japan. A gas burner is placed in the middle of the table with a vat of broth that bubbles away, and a plate of raw ingredients is presented to diners. This usually includes meats as well as vegetables and things like tofu, which you can then add to the broth according to your tastes. The end result is like a big bowl of delicious and nourishing soup and is perfect in the colder months.
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