Japan is one of the most famous gastronomic destinations in the world and it has also been increasingly fashionable in the West for a few years now. With the invaluable collaboration of my cousin Pablo, we have made an express guide to Japanese food sushi. The idea is that you can print it if you go on a trip to Japan or simply as a quick reference. I have put quite a few of the dishes that I remember having tried so far and I hope to expand it little by little. It also does not hurt to help dismantle the widespread myth that the Japanese only eat raw fish and rice.
The dishes are pronounced in Spanish in the same way as they are written in Japanese except in those cases in which it is expressly clarified. As basic vocabulary it comes with 4 words: oishii (it’s tasty!), itadakimasu (take advantage of it), campai (what is said when toasting) and as Cris points out in the comments, which I had forgotten, gochisousama deshita (what is said at the end to say thank you for the meal, especially if you are invited, instead of arigato) . To accompany the food I recommend this post in which I tell everything about Japanese beer .
– Sushi (鮨): let’s start with the quintessential Japanese culinary icon. In case you need an introduction, sushi is a ball of rice with some accompaniment on top. The rice must have been previously mixed with rice vinegar ( komezu ), sugar and salt as basic elements, sometimes carrying other seasonings. The accompaniment that is put on top is usually raw fish or shellfish, but cooked marinated fish, octopus, squid, egg or vegetables are also used. Before eating it is dipped in soy sauce into which a little wasabi has been mixed .
The typical sushi described above is called nigiri , but there are other types of sushi such as maki (cylindrical in shape, with the filling in the center and surrounded by a sheet of dried seaweed), temaki (with rice and filling placed in a sheet of algae forming a cone), etc. Special mention for the inari because it is something different: it looks like a dumpling since the sushi rice goes inside a bag of tofu. It does not contain fish, shellfish or any other type of typical sushi ingredient.
As that famous BMW ad said, driving is not the same as driving , and the same thing happens with sushi. The one served in specialized shops or taverns in fishing villages doesn’t taste the same as the one you buy on trays in the supermarket, although I like (a lot) both. My favorite is the marinated mackerel, and my wife’s is the salmon roe followed closely by the sea urchin in case it helps anyone to try a different one.
After gorging myself on sushi on my various trips to Japan, the best I’ve ever had was at a tiny joint called Sushi-no-Suzumaru on the Izu Peninsula. You couldn’t choose, since they only offered it to you from the fresh catch of the day. The rice was the size of my little finger, the slice of fish was almost all around it and melted in your mouth. In second position I would say the one I had at the Uomasa restaurant in Otaru, Hokkaido .
– Miso soup (味噌汁, pronounced miso-shiru ): ubiquitous in Japan as it is eaten with any of the meals of the day and often with all 3. The broth is made from dashi and miso (flavoured soybean paste) and is served in a small bowl accompanying practically all kinds of dishes. The basic version has seaweed, tofu and chives inside, although leeks, carrots, potatoes, cabbage are also added…
– Sashimi (刺身): they are small raw fish fillets that can occasionally have a touch of grilling. The most common is bluefin tuna or salmon, but there are many types of fish. In restaurants they tend to play a lot with the presentation when they serve it ( kaiseki ). It is eaten by dipping it in soy sauce with wasabi, just like sushi. Assorted takeaway trays from supermarkets or stalls are very popular among the Japanese.
– Ramen (ラーメン, pronounced raamen ): it is a noodle soup in which the broth can be meat or fish seasoned with soy sauce. The noodles are not short and thin like in Spain, but more like spaghetti. As stumbles it usually has grilled pork, seaweed, chives, tofu… although there are endless possibilities since each region of the country has its own variety. It is one of the typical examples of Japanese fast food. In supermarkets they sell it already prepared and you just have to add boiling water.
– Yakisoba (焼きそば): it is a dish that is prepared by grilling the same type of noodles that they use for ramen , to which pork or chicken, onion, carrot and cabbage are added. Once ready, it is sprinkled (or not, to taste) with grated seaweed , fish shavings , seasonings or mayonnaise.
– Udon (うどん, pronounced udon): it is a thick and long noodle made of flour that is very typical of Japanese cuisine. The usual way to serve them is in a ramen-type soup, but it is another dish in which the combinations are endless since each region has its own.
– Yakiniku (焼き肉): literally means “grilled meat”. In the yakiniku style , the meat is served raw and in small pieces, usually accompanied by raw vegetables, and you make them yourself on the grill. The restaurants that serve it have a small barbecue in the center of the table. Once ready, it is dipped in different types of sauce.
– Shabu-Shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ): it is a soup that is served on a lit stove located in the center of the table to keep it boiling. Together with her they bring you various types of meat, vegetables and fish raw and cut very thin. These are thrown into the boiling soup to cook and you take them out when they are done to your liking. They are put in a bowl with rice and they give you different sauces for dipping. In addition, the broth can be normal, spicy or very spicy. The shabu-shabu restaurants I have been to are buffet style and you pay for the time you are eating. The stoves are sold in case you want to prepare it at home. The Chinese call it a hotpot .
– Gyoza (ギョーザ): Gyozas ( dumplings in Chinese cuisine) are halfway between a Spanish dumpling and Italian ravioli. The shape resembles a dumpling but the texture of the dough is more like ravioli. They are usually filled with vegetables or minced meat or both. They are given a pan blow with a little oil and when they are golden, water is added and they are finished steamed. They are served with a special sauce that has soy sauce and rice vinegar.
– Tonkatsu (とんかつ): a breaded, deep-fried, and sliced pork chop. It is usually served with shredded cabbage and a thick, dark sauce also called tonkatsu . Katsudon is a very typical dish that consists of a large bowl of rice with tonkatsu and egg on top.
– Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き): it is a kind of pancake made on the grill that can contain all kinds of ingredients: meat, squid, shrimp, bean sprouts, chives, vegetables, oysters or cheese, among others. Once prepared, it is seasoned to taste with the same things as yakisoba (seaweed, fish shavings, mayonnaise…). The final appearance is that of a kind of small pizza with a base on both sides, although perhaps the flavor reminds me more of an omelet. Restaurants that serve okonomiyaki have large plates in the center of the tables and it is common for them to prepare it in front of you, making it a very popular experience among tourists.
– Donburi (丼): literally means “bowl” and is simply a bowl of rice with something on top. Depending on what you put in it, it is called differently: oyakodon (stewed chicken, egg and onion), gyudon (beef and onion), unadon (eel, which in Japanese is called unagi, grilled) or the aforementioned katsudon.
– Japanese curry (カレー, pronounced kari ): Indians are not the only ones who know how to make curry, in fact it is very popular as fast food in Japan. Along with the sauce that gives the stew its name, it is prepared with all kinds of meat and vegetables and is usually served with rice, but also with udon. The sauce has different degrees of spiciness. There are outlets specializing in curry.
– Takoyaki (たこ焼き): it is a kind of dumpling stuffed with octopus ( tako is octopus in Japanese), chives and ginger. The dough has flour, water and egg. They are fried in a special pan that looks like an egg carton, which is what gives them their round shape. It is seasoned with the same things as okonomiyaki and, like okonomiyaki, it is originally from the Kansai area. Apart from in bars, they sell them in stalls along the street and they make them to take away.
– Kobe beef (神戸ビーフ, pronounced Kobe-biifu ): probably one of the most famous meats in the world. It has to be of a specific type of beef ( Wagyū ) that has also been bred according to a strict tradition. The texture is very smooth thanks to the multiple fat marblings and it literally melts in your mouth like butter. It can be prepared in many ways but the usual thing is to take it teppanyaki style . In Kobe there are thousands of restaurants that prepare it and they are usually full all day during the weekend. A must if you are from the Lakers.
– Tempura (天ぷら): it is a fried seafood or vegetable previously coated in a batter of flour, water and egg. The most common tempura is a shrimp ( ebi ) and lotus root, which you dip in a special sauce with which they are served.
– Edamame (枝豆): the quintessential Japanese appetizer. They are unripe soybeans, served inside the pods after boiling them in salted water. It is usually ordered as a starter at meals or, more commonly, while having a beer.
– Teriyaki (照り焼き): it is a sweet-tasting sauce that contains mirin , soy sauce, sugar and sake. The sauce gives its name to the dish it accompanies, usually salmon, chicken or beef.
– Karaage (から揚げ): Japanese fried chicken. Boneless chicken pieces that are first marinated in soy sauce, garlic and ginger and then deep-fried. Specialty of my mother-in-law and one of my favorites.
– Yakitori (焼き鳥): they are skewers, usually chicken but also other types of meat (I’ve seen them made of quail), which are grilled and served with teriyaki sauce. Many restaurants have the grill outside the premises and you can have it inside or order it to go. Another usual aperitif with beer.
– Sukiyaki (すき焼き): similar to shabu-shabu . The chunks (beef, mushrooms, vegetables, tofu, noodles…) are thrown into a boiling soup made of soy sauce, sugar and mirin . Everything is cooked over low heat and before eating, the chunks are soaked in raw egg yolk served in a bowl.
– Omurice (オムライス, pronounced omuraisu ): a kind of Japanese-style “arroz a la cubana” and a regular dish for children. It has fried rice with a French omelette on top and ketchup. At my house we do it by putting frankfurters on fried rice.
And to finish, two typical desserts. Comment that the Japanese are not very fond of desserts and even less if they are very sweet. The first time you try them you will be surprised because what looked like a succulent chocolate paste is most likely filled with bean paste. Even so, once you get used to it they are very tasty, and they are healthier and less filling than western desserts.
– Dorayaki (どら焼き): two thin layers of cake in a circular shape with a sweet red bean paste in the middle called anko . It tastes slightly sweet and has a strange texture at first, but you’ll grow fond of it. They have become famous for being Doraemon’s favorite food, who shed tears of joy as he devoured them.
– Mochi (餅): they are sweet rice cakes with a dense texture, almost like gum or jelly beans. They are very popular around New Years and despite government warnings, it seems that every year elderly people choke to death because they cannot chew them properly.
What is your favorite Japanese food? Have you tried something that is not in this post and that caught your attention? Leave a comment telling about your Japanese culinary experience and a Japanese restaurant that you recommend, wherever you are.