The Food of Japan

Japanese cuisine has an outstanding reputation of combining amazing flavours and is world renowned for its food.

Some of the Japanese cuisine’s signature ingredients typically consist of steamed white rice complemented with side dishes. These can include miso soup and takuan (pickled radish) to name a few. It is custom in Japanese culture that all the different foods are presented and served in separate crockery.

Sushi has come to be synonymous with Japanese cuisine, with the Tsukiji Fish Market well-known for the full Japanese eating experience. There are two types of sushi: nigiri-zushi (which literally means ‘hand shaped sushi’ is raw fish on top of a ball of rice) is the most popular choice amongst consumers and is a standard serving in sushi restaurants across the world. The second is maki-zushi which is sticky rice along with other ingredients, such as cucumber, salmon or prawns, which is wrapped and sustained together with seaweed.

Seafood and meat based dishes are also enjoyed and showcased in Japanese food. Tempura is famous and the go-to for savoury cravings as it is food that’s been deep fried. It is typically seafood such as prawns, shrimp or squid or vegetables like mushrooms, onions or ginger. It is dipped in batter and deep fried.

The West’s version of pancakes is usually milk, butter, and eggs but in Japanese cuisine, their version of a pancake, Monjayaki,  is runnier and it holds flour and water mixed with seafood and meat along with other small bits of cabbage and bacon or leek.

When we think of Japanese cuisine, we usually picture sushi, but people are spoilt for choice as Japanese cuisine has a whole selection of different foods to choose from. It is definitely something that should be on every foodie and non-foodie’s bucket list.

By Kaz Bosali