Japan is a tourist exotic of the highest standard. In the Land of the Rising Sun, everything is unusual - from architecture and clothing to traditions and language.
Japanese cuisine can be included in the list of state attractions, as it is so original and amazing. Its history goes back many millennia, but the formation of Japan's gastronomic traditions dates back to the Middle Ages. Japanese cuisine was shaped in part by the influence of Chinese. It was from there that chopsticks, tea traditions and some products that are today associated with the gastronomic customs of the Japanese came to the islands.
An important role in the formation of Japanese cuisine was played by the ban on contacts with foreigners, which was proclaimed in the middle of the 17th century and lasted for more than two centuries. Due to the fact that the state was literally cut off from the outside world, its culinary traditions have remained unchanged and original, and the question of what to try in Japan can be answered today in almost the same way as it was several centuries ago.
The main features of Japanese culinary traditions are the use of fresh, high quality products, a variety of seafood, the desire to preserve the taste of ingredients and minimize heat treatment, as well as small portions with a huge variety of dishes served. Food in Japan is a whole ritual, and special attention is paid to table etiquette and table setting. It is customary to eat Japanese dishes with chopsticks, while traditional European devices are not served everywhere in local cafes and restaurants.
The main product and the basis of all food in the Land of the Rising Sun is rice, which replaces the Japanese bread and participates in almost every dish. Shellfish, fish, marine animals and soy products are also popular. Japanese chefs pay great attention to sauces, seasonings and other spicy accents. You will surely see soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger on the tables of restaurants.
Top 10 Japanese Dishes
Sushi
"Sushi" or "sushi" is a traditional dish that is worth trying in the Land of the Rising Sun, even if you are fed up with it in numerous Russian restaurants of Japanese cuisine.
The real taste of "sushi" is given to the rice of a special sourdough, the preparation of which is a real art. The rice is boiled in lightly salted water with the addition of dried seaweed to give the product "umami". This is what the Japanese call the independent taste of high-protein substances. Slightly cooled, cooked rice is poured with rice vinegar, which has a sweetish tinge, and then quickly cooled. In ancient times, this process was accompanied by intense fanning, but today technical progress involves the use of electricity.
Rice cooked in this way is used to prepare various options for fish and seafood appetizers, including rolls. All of them are served in almost any catering establishment in Japan - from expensive restaurants to street stalls.
Onigiri
One of the most popular Japanese dishes for a quick bite is called onigiri. It consists of boiled rice balls with a sticky structure. Sometimes "onigiri" is prepared with a filling, often without it, but always wrap the finished ball or triangle in a sheet of dried nori seaweed.
"Onigiri" is so popular with the Japanese that there are specialized shops in the country that sell only these rice snacks. The history of the appearance of rice balls is rooted in the distant past, when the peasants who worked in the field took "onigiri" with them. Rice balls could not spoil for a long time, and rice was not too expensive. So the balls became a kind of sandwiches that were convenient to use on the road.
Later, there was a tradition of stuffing "onigiri" with fish, meat and vegetable ingredients, and today in Japanese restaurants you can find rice balls with conger eel and pickled cucumbers, tuna and salmon, caviar and shrimps.
Yakitori
A favorite Japanese dish of chicken pieces is cooked over charcoal, stringing the meat on bamboo skewers and marinating it in special sauces. The easiest way to pre-marinate is in lemon juice and salt. No less popular is the tare sauce, which contains soy, sugar and mirin, a sweet rice wine. And, finally, the third version of the yakitori preparation - before sending the chicken to the coals, pour the miso sauce over it.
There are dozens of varieties of "yakitori" in Japan. In the restaurant you can be offered the standard version of "sho niku" - chicken legs with skin or "pendants" - pieces of already breast and skinless. Chicken cartilage - "nankotsu", liver - "reba", stomachs - "sunagimo" and simply crispy chicken skin - "torikawa" are cooked in the same style. Often, along with your chosen yakitori option, waiters bring in grilled pieces of tofu, mushrooms or asparagus. A similar side dish in Japan is called "kushiyaki".
Tempura
Another popular way of preparing food doesn't look too healthy, but the results exceed even the skeptical gourmet's expectations. "Tempura" is a piece of food fried in batter. Chopped meat, squid, shrimp and fish are used as a basis, and batter is prepared from flour and eggs mixed with ice water. In the final transcription of the dish, the word tempura is always present - it means the way of cooking. Only the name of the main ingredient will be added.
Nikujaga
More understandable for Europeans, the nikujaga dish consists of beef stewed with onions and potatoes. During the cooking process, the meat is seasoned with soy sauce and other vegetables are added - carrots, parsley and bamboo sprouts.
There is a legend that for the first time "nikujagu" was prepared at the end of the nineteenth century on the orders of Togo Heihachiro. The naval marshal, who commanded the combined Japanese fleet in the war with the Russian Empire, ordered the chefs to come up with an alternative version of the beef stew that was fed to sailors on British ships.
One way or another, but "nikujaga" took root not only in the army, but also among civilians, and today in the country's restaurants, stews are served along with a bowl of boiled white rice and the traditional misosiru soup.
Misosiru
Misosiru takes its rightful place in the list of popular dishes of Japanese cuisine that are recommended to try for all tourists. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the soup always turns out to be different, because its recipe may depend on the season, region, the preferences of the chef or hostess, and even the time of day.
The basis of the dish is miso pasta, which is produced by fermenting soybeans, wheat and rice. Fermented foods are not uncommon in Japanese cuisine, and miso is a vivid example of such sauces. The list of solid ingredients that can be found on a misosiru plate typically includes batum onions, tofu, potatoes, daikon, carrots, meat, and fish. The soup is served with white rice in special lacquered bowls. Traditionally, you first drink the broth over the edge of the bowl, and then eat the rest of the ingredients using the chopsticks.
Misosiru concentrates are sold in Japan. You can make a bowl of soup from them, just pour boiling water over the contents of the package, but it is better to taste the real dish in a restaurant.
Ramen
Among the popular Japanese soups, "ramen" occupies a special place. It is considered inexpensive, easy to prepare, but also has a high energy value. It is believed that "ramen" came to the Japanese islands from the Middle Kingdom, but the methods of making noodles used in it are very different in the Land of the Rising Sun and in China.
A bowl of soup includes broth, a serving of wheat noodles, and various additives: pork, pickles, bamboo shoots, pickled mushrooms, nori seaweed, boiled eggs, green onions, bean sprouts and surimi fish sticks - various combinations and variations. Ramen broth is most often made from shark fins, dried seaweed, or pork, with roots and spices added during cooking.
Chopsticks and a spoon are served to the soup cup so that the liquid contents can be scooped out. The very same noodles are eaten by sucking it into the mouth and making squelching sounds at the same time. Ramen is the only Japanese dish that can be eaten in violation of special ceremonial etiquette.
Soba
Noodles are not only made from wheat and soba is a confirmation of this. It is cooked from buckwheat, and in this sense, "soba" is almost dear to a Russian tourist. Buckwheat noodles in Japan can be tasted almost everywhere - in an elite restaurant, in street cafes serving fast food, and in station cafeterias.
Soba is cooked both hot and cold, which is why it is popular at any time of the year. Hot noodles are necessarily seasoned with sauces, scallions and chili, while a chilled summer option can include cherry tomatoes, fresh dill, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
Tonkatsu
Pork lovers in Japan will especially love tonkatsu, a common bread-crumble chop fried in plenty of oil and served with cabbage and other vegetables.
However, this dish also has an exotic Japanese flavor: tonkatsu is seasoned with a special gravy. It is prepared with Worcestershire sauce, but uses fruit or vegetable puree thickeners during cooking. So the sauce acquires special notes, and pork becomes a real oriental delicacy. In restaurants, this Japanese dish is usually served already cut into thin strips so that tonkatsu is easy to eat with chopsticks.
Wagashi
If for a moment it seemed to you that the Japanese eat only rice and seafood, and the sweet tooth in the Land of the Rising Sun has absolutely nothing to do, we hasten to calm you down! Desserts and sweets in Japanese cuisine are no less prized, and the list of especially popular ones is headed by wagashi.
In the European sense, such desserts are not traditional, because they are prepared from products that do not correspond to our ideas about sweets. Red beans, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, tea and vegetable gelatin agar-agar take part in the production of wagashi.
Be sure to try in Japan "warabimochi" - pieces of transparent dough made from young ferns with burnt sugar syrup; Mochi - white rice balls or cakes with sweet fillings; "Nerikiri" - cakes made from white beans and mountain yam; "Yukimi daifuku" - ice cream in rice dough; "Ammitsu" - pieces of agar-agar jelly with candied fruit.
They can also offer wagashi to a tourist during a tea ceremony - desserts are often served at afternoon tea and even given as a compliment from the establishment.
