Local Food in Japan is based on fresh, local ingredients, with minimal processing, highlighting instead the natural flavors of the food. Fish, rice, noodles, and vegetables are some staples that make up the basis of most Japanese diets. Some popular traditional dishes include sushi, ramen, tempura, soba, tonkatsu and okonomiyaki.
Japanese cuisine emphasizes variety and balance. This is achieved through the use of five colors (black, white, red, yellow, and green), five cooking techniques (raw food, grilling, steaming, boiling, and frying), and five flavors (sweet, spicy, salty, sour, and bitter). These principles can be found even in a single meal of one soup and three sides paired with rice.
Sushi is one of the most famous foods to come from Japan. It originated from the process of preserving fish in fermented rice. Today it’s made with vinegared rice and fresh fish. Tempura is a dish of battered and fried fish or vegetables. Special care is given to the way the ingredients are cut as well as to the temperature of the batter (ice cold) and oil (very hot) for deep-frying.
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Japan
Shoyu ramen (醤油ラーメン)
Japanese ramen has a lot of depth and is difficult to explain simply. The most important thing in ramen is the noodles. Ramen tends to focus on the soup and its classification of taste such as Shoyu ramen or soy sauce ramen that we will ... -
Fukuoka
Tonkotsu ramen (豚骨ラーメン)
Ramen, popular with children and adults alike, comes in various flavors, with tonkotsu being one of the most popular flavors. However, some people have eaten tonkotsu ramen but do not know what is different compared to other seasonings. ... -
Japan
Nori Bento (海苔弁当)
A variety of bento boxes, such as hamburgers, makunouchi, and Chinese food, are lined up in shops. Among them, the nori bento, a classic bento box, has been proud of its “unchanging popularity” for a long time. Nori-ben has become a stap... -
Nara
Asuka nabe (飛鳥鍋)
“Asuka Nabe” is a local dish of Nara Prefecture, made by simmering chicken and vegetables in milk and soup stock. Locals eat this at home on a daily basis and passed down from parent to child. They also served this in school lunches. Wha... -
Japan
Takuwan (沢庵漬け)
Japanese long eat Takuwan as a side dish during meals and eat this as a snack at teatime. It is one of the most traditional Japanese pickles and is named after the Buddhist priest who is said to have introduced the food. Beneficial to he... -
Japan
Kinpira gobo (金平ごぼう)
Kinpira gobo is a very popular side dish (okazu) of Japanese food. Despite its name, nowadays, people not only use burdock roots for Kinpira gobo, but also carrots, mushrooms, radish skins, eggplants, and other vegetables. However, it mi... -
Japan
Nanakusa gayu (七草がゆ)
In Japan, people celebrate Jinjitsu no sekku (or Nanakusa no sekku) annually on January 7. On this day, Japanese have the custom of eating Nanakusa gayu (seven-herb rice porridge) hoping for good health for the coming year. So, when did ... -
Japan
Japanese Short Cake (ショートケーキ)
Speaking of Japanese sweets, wagashi (Japanese traditional sweets) may be the first one to cross your mind. Daifuku, Dango, Dorayaki, Taiyaki, etc are the popular wagashi with ingredients such as red bean paste and mochi. However, apart ... -
Japan
Konpeito (金平糖)
If you visit some random candy stores in Japan, you can easily find the star-like candies called "Konpeito". This candy is so popular in Japan that it is also used in many special occasions. It is said that there is no exact recipe for m... -
Kagoshima
Kagoshima ramen (鹿児島ラーメン)
Ramen is a popular dish not only in Japan but also all over the world. However, do you know that ramen's taste can be differ depending on its place. Therefore, there are various types of ramen with different flavors such as Asahikawa Ram...