10 Most Popular Foods in Japan

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Situated in the Easternmost part of the Asian continent, Japan is known for its unique food culture and traditions. Rice is served with almost every dish of Japanese cuisine. However, some dominant Japanese ingredients are fish, pickled vegetables, seafood, and so on.

Thus, Japanese cuisine is staple-based to some extent. The first time travelers should definitely try out the following Japanese delicacies.

1. Sashimi

Sashimi is one of the popular lip-smacking dishes in Japan. The recipe is prepared with raw fish slices. The Sashimi is cooked with freshly caught fish. Sashimi made with tuna, mackerel, salmon, sea bream, etc., is quite popular in Japan. The dish is generally served with some rice. For boosting the flavors, you can eat the Japanese Sashimi with soy sauce.

Recipe for Sashimi

2. Ramen

Your Japan tour would be incomplete if you don’t eat a bowl full of Ramen in Japan. Ramen is nothing but wheat noodles added to some sliced meat and chopped vegetables. Ramen is generally served with dark sauces. Other typical ingredients of Ramen are green onions, egg, seaweed, pork slices, and so on. The pork is separately cooked for Ramen.

Recipe for Ramen

3. Tempura

The Japanese Tempura is worldwide famous. This fried dish is mainly made with seafood. For seasoning, Japanese chefs use ginger, sugar, soy sauce, etc., to the recipe of Tempura. Tempura is a very light dish. You can order a plate full of Tempura with Ramen if you want.

Recipe for Tempura

4. Shabu Shabu

The dish of Shabu Shabu features various types of meats, vegetables, and tofu. You can look for seafood in Shabu Shabu as well. This hot pot dish should be immersed in sesame sauce for better taste. The delicious Shabu Shabu is relatively healthy, and it is full of leafy green vegetables.

Recipe for Shabu Shabu

5. Miso soup

The famous Japanese miso soup is actually a side dish. The star ingredient of the recipe is the miso paste which is nothing but fermented soybeans. Some fish stock is also added to the Miso Soup to make it extra delicious. Order a bowl of rice with the miso soup. The soup features various vegetables such as onion, wakame seaweed, carrots, sweet potatoes, radish, and so on. You have to cut these vegetables nicely with a chef’s knife.

Recipe for Miso soup

6. Yakitori

Traditionally, the Japanese dish of Yakitori is prepared with bird meat. For several hundred years, people used to use the chicken pieces on skewers to make Yakitori. But, these days, modern Japanese chefs are using beef, pork, and different fishes in the dish of Yakitori. The meat pieces are placed between vegetable pieces on the skewers. You will love this Japanese fast food with some teriyaki sauce.

Recipe for Yakitori

7. Udon

For preparing the authentic delicacy of Udon, the chefs use wheat flour noodles. The dish of Udon is cooked with dashi which is the Japanese version of fish stock. You can serve the Udon either cold or hot. In Japan, you will get to see Udon shops every step of the way.

Recipe for Udon

8. Gyoza

Gyoza is nothing but a Japanese dumpling recipe. Thinly cut cabbages, mushrooms, and other vegetables are used in preparing traditional Japanese Gyoza. The Japanese chefs apply minced pork or chicken to the Gyoza as well. This delicious recipe is served in every eatery in Japan.

Recipe for Gyoza

9. Unagi

Unagi is a mouth-watering grilled Eel recipe prepared with lots of spices. Unagi is served in sophisticated Japanese restaurants. The grilled dish of Unagi is eaten with a special sauce. This sauce is made from soy sauce, sake, and mirin. You can order Unagi with white rice at restaurants.

Recipe for Unagi

10. Sukiyaki

The savory Sukiyaki is generally prepared in Japan during the winter months. This traditional Sukiyaki is cooked initially in an iron pan. The common ingredients of Sukiyaki are beef, green onions, tofu, tomatoes, and so on. For tofu, you can use a tofu press machine. The dish of Sukiyaki generally features a beaten egg. If you are traveling with children, they will love this Japanese delicacy of Sukiyaki.

Recipe for Sukiyaki

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