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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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Okinawa
Goya Chanpuru (ゴーヤ チャンプルー)
Chanpuru, a staple dish in Okinawan izakayas and restaurants. It can found as a side dish in a lot of supermarkets and convenience stores. There is a wide variety of dishes, including the nationally famous Goya Chanpuru, Okinawan tofu, k... -
Japan
Onigiri (おにぎり)
Speaking of popular Japanese cuisine, which dish would cross your mind? Sushi, Takoyaki, Shabushabu, yakiniku, etc there are so many well-known and delicious dishes. However, today we are going to introduce “Onigiri”, which you can easil... -
Kyoto
Dango (団子)
Dango is a Japanese sweet that has been loved by Japanese people for a long time, and many people miss it during the cherry blossom and moon viewing seasons. You can easily get dango at supermarkets, but what is the different between the... -
Fukuoka
Kuri Manju (栗饅頭)
Apart from popular dishes such as onigiri, sushi, yakiniku, etc, Japanese food culture is also featured with Wagashi - the traditional sweets with beautiful appearance and gentle sweetness. Which types of wagashi have you ever heard or t... -
Nagano
Shinshu Soba (信州そば)
Shinshu (now Nagano Prefecture) is said to be the birthplace of soba-kiri. Nagano Prefecture has a large temperature difference between day and night, and the well-drained mountainous fields are suitable for cultivating buckwheat. There ... -
Chiba
White Gyoza (ホワイト餃子)
Speaking of gyoza, many people will immediately think of Hamamatsu or Utsunomiya gyoza. However, Chiba Prefecture's local food "White Gyoza" looks completely different from the gyoza you've ever tried. These gyoza dumplings have a volumi... -
Ishikawa
Goshiki namagashi (五色生菓子)
Ishikawa Prefecture is a place where the culture of eating rice cakes has been rooted since ancient times. For example, various mochi dishes such as "Aburi mochi", "Hippari mochi", "Tobitsuki mochi", and "Tochi mochi'' are eaten througho... -
Fukuoka
Tori kawa (とりかわ)
Hakata's specialty "Torikawa" is popular because its special texture: the outside is crispy while the inside is chewy and juicy. If you are living in Japan, you can easily find Tori kawa everywhere you go, from convenience stores to the ... -
Kyoto
Shojin ryori (精進料理)
Have you ever heard of Shojin cuisine? This is a branch of Japanese cuisine and is now attracting worldwide attention due to healthy food trend. Daikon radish, tofu, yuba, sesame tofu, namafu, konnyaku, and pumpkin are often used in Shoj... -
Oosaka
Menchi Katsu (メンチカツ)
If you come to Japan, you can find that Menchi Katsu is sold at almost every supermarket and butcher shop. This dish may be the favourite of a lot of people since they were children. Sometimes it is called "minced katsu". Which one is co...