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Below is a list of dishes found in Japanese cuisine. Apart from rice, staples in
Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...
include noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or
beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
in
sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the ''nabemono'' (Japanese hot pot) style. It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in ...
and
nikujaga is a Japanese dish of meat, potatoes and onion stewed in sweetened soy sauce and mirin, sometimes with ''ito konnyaku'' and vegetables. Nikujaga is an example of ''yōshoku'' ( Western-influenced Japanese cuisine). Generally, potatoes make up ...
. Foreign food, in particular
Chinese food Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many ...
in the form of noodles in soup called
ramen is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese ...
and fried dumplings, gyoza, and western food such as
curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...
and
hamburger steak Hamburg steak is a patty of ground beef. Made popular worldwide by migrating Germans, it became a mainstream dish around the start of the 19th century. It is similar to Salisbury steak. It is considered the origin of the ubiquitous hamburger, whe ...
s are commonly found in Japan. Historically, the Japanese shunned meat, but with the modernization of Japan in the 1860s, meat-based dishes such as
tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...
became more common.


Rice dishes ()

* ''Gohan'' or ''meshi'': plainly cooked white rice. It is such a staple that the terms ''gohan'' and ''meshi'' are also used to refer to meals in general, such as ''Asa gohan/meshi'' ( breakfast), ''Hiru gohan/meshi'' ( lunch), and ''Ban gohan/meshi'' ( dinner). Also, raw rice is called ''kome'' ( rice), while cooked rice is ''gohan'' ( ookedrice). Nori (), and
furikake is a dry Japanese condimentJapanese Furikake (Rice Seasoning)
. Japanese Kitchen. Accessed 28 ...
() are popular condiments in Japanese breakfast. Some alternatives are: * (karē raisu ): Introduced from the UK in the late 19th century, "curry rice" is now one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is much milder than its Indian counterpart. *
Chāhan , also known as ''Yakimeshi'' (Japanese: 焼飯), is a Japanese fried rice dish prepared with rice as a primary ingredient and myriad additional ingredients and seasonings. The dish is typically fried, and can be cooked in a wok. ''Chahan'' may ...
() or yakimeshi (焼飯):
fried rice Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fr ...
, adapted to Japanese tastes, tends to be lighter in flavor and style than the Chinese version from which it is derived * ''Genmai gohan'' (): brown rice * : thick beef stew on rice * Kamameshi (): rice topped with vegetables and chicken or seafood, then baked in an individual-sized pot * Katemeshi: a peasant food consisting of rice, barley, millet and chopped daikon radish * Mochi (): glutinous rice cake * Mugi gohan/ (): white rice cooked with
barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...
* Ochazuke (): hot
green tea Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...
or dashi () poured over cooked white rice, often with various savory ingredients such as umeboshi () or tsukemono (). *
Okowa Okowa おこわ (強飯) is a Japanese steamed rice dish made with glutinous rice mixed with meat or vegetables. It is sometimes combined with wild herbs (sansai okowa) and vessel chestnuts (kuri okowa). It is generally boiled glutinous rice ble ...
(): cooked
glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
*
Omurice Omurice or is a Japanese dishOmuraisu (also known ...
(Omu-raisu, ): omelet filled with fried rice, apparently originating from Tōkyō * Onigiri (): balls of rice with a filling in the middle. Japanese equivalent of sandwiches. *
Sekihan Red bean rice, called ''patbap'' () in Korean, ''sekihan'' () in Japanese, and ''hóngdòu fàn'' () in Chinese, is an East Asian rice dish consisting of rice cooked with red beans. East Asian varieties China Hóngdòu fàn (红豆饭) is a ...
(): white rice cooked with
azuki bean ''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...
s () to
glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
. (literally ''red rice'') * Takikomi gohan (): Japanese-style
pilaf Pilaf ( US spelling) or pilau ( UK spelling) is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some techniq ...
cooked with various ingredients and flavored with soy, dashi, etc. *
Tamago kake gohan is a popular Japanese breakfast food consisting of cooked Japanese rice topped or mixed with raw egg and soy sauce. Background Tamago kake gohan is a dish in which a raw egg is put on top of or mixed with rice, or a recipe for such a dish. B ...
(): Rice with a raw egg *
Tenmusu Tenmusu, also spelled as ten-musu, is a dish in Japanese cuisine that consists of a rice ball wrapped with nori that is filled with deep-fried tempura shrimp. Tenmusu is sometimes included as a food in bento boxes. History Tenmusu originated in ...
: a rice ball wrapped with nori that is filled with deep-fried tempura shrimp File:Chahan ball.jpg,
Chāhan , also known as ''Yakimeshi'' (Japanese: 焼飯), is a Japanese fried rice dish prepared with rice as a primary ingredient and myriad additional ingredients and seasonings. The dish is typically fried, and can be cooked in a wok. ''Chahan'' may ...
File:Sake chazuke by matsukawa1971.jpg,
Chazuke ''Chazuke'' (茶漬け, ちゃづけ) or ''ochazuke'' ( お 茶 漬 け, from ( o)''cha'' ' tea' + ''tsuke'' 'submerge') is a simple Japanese dish made by pouring green tea,Sekihan Red bean rice, called ''patbap'' () in Korean, ''sekihan'' () in Japanese, and ''hóngdòu fàn'' () in Chinese, is an East Asian rice dish consisting of rice cooked with red beans. East Asian varieties China Hóngdòu fàn (红豆饭) is a ...
File:Omurice_by_Taimeiken.jpg,
Omurice Omurice or is a Japanese dishOmuraisu (also known ...
File:Okowa Bento by Yonehachi, Takashimaya Singapore.jpg,
Okowa Okowa おこわ (強飯) is a Japanese steamed rice dish made with glutinous rice mixed with meat or vegetables. It is sometimes combined with wild herbs (sansai okowa) and vessel chestnuts (kuri okowa). It is generally boiled glutinous rice ble ...
File:Tenmusu by m-louis in Aichi.jpg,
Tenmusu Tenmusu, also spelled as ten-musu, is a dish in Japanese cuisine that consists of a rice ball wrapped with nori that is filled with deep-fried tempura shrimp. Tenmusu is sometimes included as a food in bento boxes. History Tenmusu originated in ...


Rice porridge ()

* Nanakusa-gayu () is the long-standing Japanese custom of eating seven-herb rice porridge (nanakusa-gayu) on January 7 (Jinjitsu). *
Okayu Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...
() is a rice
congee Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...
(
porridge Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...
), sometimes egg dropped and usually served to infants and sick people. *
Zosui , or , is a mild and thin Japanese rice soup akin to a rice-based vegetable soup. It is made from pre-cooked rice and dashi or water seasoned with either soy sauce or miso and cooked with other ingredients such as meat, seafood, mushrooms, and ve ...
(Zōsui, ) or Ojiya () is a soup containing rice stewed in stock, often with egg, meat, seafood, vegetables or mushroom, and flavored with miso or soy. Known as in Okinawa. Some similarity to risotto and Kayu though Zosui uses cooked rice, as the difference is that kayu is made from raw rice. File:Nanakusa gayu on Nanakusa no sekku.jpg, Nanakusa-gayu File:Kinoko Zosui, at Restaurant Gusto (2012.02.26).jpg,
Zosui , or , is a mild and thin Japanese rice soup akin to a rice-based vegetable soup. It is made from pre-cooked rice and dashi or water seasoned with either soy sauce or miso and cooked with other ingredients such as meat, seafood, mushrooms, and ve ...


Rice bowls ()

A one-bowl dish, consisting of a ''
donburi is a Japanese "rice-bowl dish" consisting of fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice. ''Donburi'' meals are usually served in oversized rice bowls which are also called ''donburi''. If one needs to d ...
'' ( big bowl) full of hot steamed rice with various savory toppings: * Gyūdon: ( beef bowl): Donburi topped with seasoned beef and onion * Katsudon (): Donburi topped with deep-fried breaded cutlet of pork (
tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...
don),
chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
(chickendon) * Oyakodon (): Donburi topped with chicken and egg (or sometimes salmon and salmon roe) (literally ''Parent and Child'' bowl) *
Tekkadon , a type of donburi, is a Japanese rice dish topped with thin-sliced raw tuna sashimi. Spicy tekkadon is made with what can be a mix of spicy ingredients, a spicy orange sauce, or both, usually incorporating spring onions. The term ''tekka'' i ...
(): Donburi topped with tuna
sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. "刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺 し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stuck) ...
*
Tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...
: (): Donburi topped with
tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ''tem ...
(battered shrimp and vegetables) *
Unadon is a dish originating in Japan. It consists of a '' donburi'' type large bowl filled with steamed white rice, and topped with fillets of eel (''unagi'') grilled in a style known as ''kabayaki'', similar to teriyaki. The fillets are glazed with a ...
: (): Donburi topped with broiled eel with vegetables * Wappameshi: (): rice topped with other ingredients, cooked in wooden containers called ''wappa'' File:Katsudon_001.jpg, Katsudon File:Oyakodon 003.jpg, Oyakodon File:Tendon.jpg,
Tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...
File:Tokyo_Chikuyotei_Unadon01s2100.jpg,
Unadon is a dish originating in Japan. It consists of a '' donburi'' type large bowl filled with steamed white rice, and topped with fillets of eel (''unagi'') grilled in a style known as ''kabayaki'', similar to teriyaki. The fillets are glazed with a ...


Sushi ()

Sushi () is a vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients, usually seafood or vegetables. * ''
Nigirizushi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," als ...
'' (): Sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice. * '' Makizushi'' (): Translated as "roll sushi". Seasoned rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed ( nori, dried laver) and rolled into a cylindrical shape, then sliced into smaller rounds. Typical ingredients are
Tamagoyaki is a type of Japanese omelette which is made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs. It is often prepared in a rectangular omelette pan called a ''makiyakinabe'' or ''tamagoyakiki''. Preparation There are several types of t ...
(Japanese-style omelette), simmered
shiitake The shiitake (alternate form shitake) (; ''Lentinula edodes'') is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is now cultivated and consumed around the globe. It is considered a medicinal mushroom in some forms of traditional medicine. Ta ...
mushroom, boiled prawn and cucumber. ** ''
Temaki is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," als ...
'' () or''Temakizushi'' (): Basically the same as makizushi, except that the nori is rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Sometimes referred to as a "hand-roll". * ''
Chirashizushi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," als ...
'' () or ''Bara-zushi'' (): Translated as "scattered", chirashi involves fresh seafood, vegetables or other ingredients being placed on top of sushi rice in a bowl or dish. * ''
Inarizushi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is " ...
'' (): Fried tofu packet braised in sweet soy sauce stuffed with sushi rice (no fillings) * ''
Oshizushi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," als ...
'' (): A pressed sushi using cured or cooked fish, most commonly mackerel. * ' ():
Sumeshi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...
wrapped in
Takana Takana is a forum of prominent personalities with the objective of fighting sexual abuse in the National Religious sector in Israel. The forum came to the spotlight in February 2010 when it published a statement claiming that Rabbi Mordechai Elo ...
leaves. Unique to Wakayama Prefecture.


Other staples


Noodles (''men-rui'', )

Noodles () often take the place of rice in a meal. However, the Japanese appetite for rice is so strong that many restaurants even serve noodles-rice combination sets. * Traditional Japanese noodles are usually served chilled with a dipping sauce, or in a hot soy- dashi broth. **
Soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a noodle soup. The variety ''Nagano soba'' includes wheat flour. In Japan, soba noodles can be found i ...
(): thin brown
buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...
noodles. Also known as ''Nihon-soba'' ("Japanese soba"). In
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, ''soba'' likely refers to ''Okinawa soba'' (see below). *** Zaru soba (): Soba noodles served cold **
Udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. It is a comfort food for many Japanese people. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a hot soup as with a mild broth called ...
(): thick white wheat noodles served with various toppings, usually in a hot soy-'' dashi'' broth, or sometimes in a
Japanese curry is commonly served in three main forms: , curry udon (curry over thick noodles), and (a curry-filled pastry). It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The very common "curry rice" is most often referred to simply as . Along with the sau ...
soup. *** Miso-nikomi-Udon (): hard udon simmered in red miso soup. **
Sōmen , ''somyeon'' ( ko, 소면; 素麵), or ''sùmiàn'' () is a very thin noodle made of wheat flour, less than 1.3 mm in diameter. The noodles are used extensively in East Asian cuisines. Japanese ''sōmen'' is made by stretching the dough ...
(): thin white wheat noodles served chilled with a dipping sauce. Hot sōmen is called Nyumen. * Chinese-influenced noodles are served in a meat or chicken broth and have only appeared in the last 100 years or so. **
Ramen is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese ...
(): thin light yellow noodles served in hot chicken or pork broth with various toppings; of Chinese origin, it is a popular and common item in Japan. Also known as ''Shina-soba'' () or ''Chūka-soba'' () (both mean "Chinese-style soba"). ** Champon (): yellow noodles of medium thickness served with a great variety of seafood and vegetable toppings in a hot chicken broth which originated in
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
as a cheap food for students. **
Hiyashi chūka is a Chinese noodle style Japanese dish consisting of chilled ramen noodles with various toppings served in the summer. It is also called in Kansai region and in Hokkaido. Toppings are usually colorful cold ingredients and a ''tare'' sauce ...
(): thin, yellow noodles served cold with a variety of toppings, such as cucumber, tomato, ham or chicken, bean sprouts, thin-sliced omelet, etc., and a cold sauce (soy sauce based, sesame based, etc.). The name means "cold Chinese noodles." * Mazesoba (: wheat noodles served with a number of savory toppings, including raw egg, ginger, and meat * Okinawa soba (): thick wheat-flour noodles served in
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, often served in a hot broth with
sōki Soki ( ryu, ソーキ ''sooki'') is a specialty of the cuisine of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Soki are (usually boneless) stewed pork spare ribs, with the cartilage still attached. They are often served with Okinawa soba (called ''suba''). Dis ...
, steamed pork. Akin to a cross between udon and ramen. *
Yaki soba ''Yakisoba'' ( ja, 焼きそば ), "fried noodle", is a Japanese noodle stir-fried dish. Usually, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, but soba in yakisoba are Chinese noodles (Chuuka soba) made from wheat flour, typically flavored with ...
(): Fried Chinese noodles. *
Yaki udon is a Japanese stir-fried dish consisting of thick, smooth, white udon noodles mixed with a soy-based sauce, meat (usually pork), and vegetables. It is similar to yakisoba, which involves a similar stir-frying technique using ramen-style wheat ...
(): Fried ''udon'' noodles.


Bread (''pan'', )

Bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
(the word "pan" () is derived from the Portuguese '' pão'') is not native to Japan and is not considered traditional Japanese food, but since its introduction in the 16th century it has become common. *
Curry bread is a popular Japanese food. It consists of Japanese curry wrapped in a piece of dough, which is then coated in bread crumbs and deep fried. On occasion it is baked instead of deep fried, but deep frying is the most common method of cooking. Cu ...
(''karē pan'' ): deep fried bread filled with
Japanese curry is commonly served in three main forms: , curry udon (curry over thick noodles), and (a curry-filled pastry). It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The very common "curry rice" is most often referred to simply as . Along with the sau ...
sauce * Anpan (''ampan'' ):
sweet roll A sweet roll or sweet bun refers to any of a number of sweet, baked, yeast-leavened breakfast or dessert foods. They may contain spices, nuts, candied fruits, etc., and are often glazed or topped with icing. Compared to regular bread dough, ...
filled with red bean (anko) paste * ''
Yakisoba-pan Yakisoba-pan (焼きそばパン) is a popular Japanese food in which yakisoba is sandwiched between an oblong white bread roll resembling an American hotdog bun known as ''koppe-pan''. This high-carbohydrate food item is essentially a sandwich w ...
'' (): bread roll sandwich with
yakisoba ''Yakisoba'' ( ja, 焼きそば ), "fried noodle", is a Japanese noodle stir-fried dish. Usually, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, but soba in yakisoba are Chinese noodles (Chuuka soba) made from wheat flour, typically flavored with ...
(fried noodles and red pickled ginger) filling * ' (): bread roll sandwich with
croquette A croquette is a deep-fried roll consisting of a thick binder combined with a filling, which is breaded and deep-fried; it is served as a side dish, a snack, or fast food worldwide. The binder is typically a thick béchamel or brown sauce, m ...
(deep-fried patties mashed potato) filling * '' Melon-pan'' (): sweet round bun covered in a (sometimes melon flavored) cookie-like coating, scored in criss cross shape and baked * ' (): sandwich with
tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...
(breaded pork cutlet) filling File:KatsuSando6515.jpg, ' () File:Curry-bun,curry-pan,katori-city,japan.JPG,
Curry bread is a popular Japanese food. It consists of Japanese curry wrapped in a piece of dough, which is then coated in bread crumbs and deep fried. On occasion it is baked instead of deep fried, but deep frying is the most common method of cooking. Cu ...
File:Melonpan.jpg,
Melonpan A (also known as melon pan, melon bun or melon bread) is a type of sweet bun originating from and popular in Japan, as well as in Taiwan and China. They are made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appea ...


Common Japanese main and side dishes (okazu, )

*
Okazu ''Okazu'' ( or ; ; ) is a Japanese word meaning a side dish to accompany rice; subsidiary articles of diet.''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', They are cooked and seasoned in such a way as to match well when eaten with rice, and ar ...
(): Common Japanese main and
side dishes A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.Agemono (): Deep-fried dishes ** : bite-sized pieces of chicken, fish, octopus, or other meat, floured and deep fried. Common
izakaya An () is a type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern. Etymology The word entered the English la ...
(居酒屋) food, also often available in convenience stores. *** : marinated fried fish. **
Korokke Korokke ( ja, コロッケ; ) is the Japanese name for a deep-fried ''yōshoku'' dish originally related to a French dish, the croquette. Korokke is made by mixing cooked chopped meat, seafood, or vegetables with mashed potato or white sauce, ...
(
croquette A croquette is a deep-fried roll consisting of a thick binder combined with a filling, which is breaded and deep-fried; it is served as a side dish, a snack, or fast food worldwide. The binder is typically a thick béchamel or brown sauce, m ...
): breaded and deep-fried patties, containing either mashed potato or white sauce mixed with minced meat, vegetables or seafood. Popular everyday food. **
Kushikatsu , also known as , is a Japanese dish of deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables. In Japanese, refers to the skewers used while ''katsu'' means a deep-fried cutlet of meat. Ingredients Kushikatsu can be made with chicken, pork, seafood, and se ...
(): skewered meat, vegetables or seafood, breaded and deep fried. **
Satsuma-age is a fried fishcake originating from Kagoshima, Japan. Surimi and flour is mixed to make a compact paste that is solidified through frying. It is a specialty of the Satsuma region. It is known by a variety of regional names throughout Jap ...
(): fried fishcake (surimi), often used as an ingredient for oden. **
Tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ''tem ...
(): deep-fried vegetables or seafood in a light, distinctive batter. *** Kakiage **
Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...
(): deep-fried breaded cutlet of pork (chicken versions are called chicken katsu). *
Agedashi dōfu is a Japanese hot tofu dish. Soft or Medium-firm silken tofu () is cut into cubes, before being lightly dusted with potato starch or cornstarch and then deep fried until golden brown. It is then served in a hot broth () made of dashi, mirin, ...
(): cubes of deep-fried silken tofu served in hot broth. File:Ebitemp.jpg, ''Ebi''
tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ''tem ...
File:Tonkatsu by ayustety in Tokyo.jpg,
Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...


Grilled and pan-fried dishes (''yakimono'', )

* Yakimono ():
Grilled Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...
and
pan-fried Pan frying or pan-frying is a form of frying food characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat (compared to shallow frying or deep frying), typically using just enough to lubricate the pan. In the case of a greasy food such as bacon, n ...
dishes ** Gyoza (): Chinese ravioli- dumplings (potstickers), usually filled with pork and vegetables (spring onion, leek, cabbage, garlic, and ginger) and pan-fried ** Kushiyaki ():
skewers A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym, to refer to the entire food item served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers". Skewers are used while grilling or roasting ...
of meat and vegetables ** Motoyaki (): Baked seafood topped with a creamy sauce. ** Okonomiyaki () are savory pancakes with various meat and vegetable ingredients, flavored with the likes of Worcestershire sauce or
mayonnaise Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar ...
. **
Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bod ...
(): a spherical, fried dumpling of batter with a piece of
octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
inside. Popular street snack. ** Teriyaki (): grilled, broiled, or pan-fried meat, fish, chicken or vegetables glazed with a sweetened soy sauce ** Unagi (), including Kabayaki (): grilled and flavored
eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
** Yakiniku ("grilled meat" ) may refer to several things. Vegetables such as bite-sized onion, carrot, cabbage, mushrooms, and bell pepper are usually grilled together. Grilled ingredients are dipped in a sauce known as
tare Tare or Tares may refer to: * Tare (armour), a leg and groin protector used in a number of Japanese martial arts * Tare (surname), a surname * Tare (tufted grass), a genus of nine species of tufted grasses * Tare, Rwanda * Tare River, in Roman ...
before being eaten. ***
Horumonyaki Horumonyaki () is a kind of Japanese cuisine made from beef or pork offal. Kitazato Shigeo, the chef of a ''yōshoku'' restaurant (one that specializes in Western-derived cuisine) in Osaka devised this dish and registered a trademark in 1940. It ...
("offal-grill" ): similar homegrown dish, but using offal *** Jingisukan (Genghis Khan ) barbecue: sliced lamb or mutton grilled with various vegetables, especially onion and cabbage and dipped in a rich
tare Tare or Tares may refer to: * Tare (armour), a leg and groin protector used in a number of Japanese martial arts * Tare (surname), a surname * Tare (tufted grass), a genus of nine species of tufted grasses * Tare, Rwanda * Tare River, in Roman ...
sauce. A speciality of
Hokkaidō is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...
. **
Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with , a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, th ...
(): barbecued chicken skewers, usually served with beer. In Japan, yakitori usually consists of a wide variety of parts of the chicken. It is not usual to see straight chicken meat as the only type of yakitori in a meal. ** () is flame-grilled
fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
, often served with grated
daikon Daikon or mooli, ''Radish, Raphanus sativus'' Variety (botany), var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia, daikon ...
. Was one of the most common dishes served at home. Because of the simple cuisine, fresh fish in season are highly preferable. Some species traded as dried fish, such as ''hokke'' (
Arabesque greenling The Okhotsk atka mackerel (''Pleurogrammus azonus''), also known as the Arabesque greenling, is a mackerel-like species in the family Hexagrammidae. It is commonly known as hokke in Japan and imyeonsu in Korean. The primary population of the fi ...
) are also served this way. File:Yakitori by MShades in Kujo, Kyoto.jpg,
Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with , a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, th ...
() File:Takoyaki by yomi955.jpg,
Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bod ...
()


Nabemono (one pot cooking, )

Nabemono () includes: *
Motsunabe is a type of nabemono in Japanese cuisine, which is made from beef or pork tripe or other offal. It is a popular stew made with guts portions of various types of meat, prepared in a conventional kitchen cooking pot or a special Japanese nabe po ...
(): beef offal, Chinese cabbage and various vegetables cooked in a light soup base. *
Shabu-shabu ''Shabu-shabu'' ( ja, しゃぶしゃぶ, shabushabu) is a Japanese '' nabemono'' hotpot dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water and served with dipping sauces. The term is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound – "swish sw ...
(): hot pot with thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and tofu, cooked in a thin stock at the table and dipped in a soy or sesame-based dip before eating. *
Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the ''nabemono'' (Japanese hot pot) style. It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in ...
(): thinly sliced beef and vegetables cooked in a mixture of soy sauce, dashi, sugar, and sake. Participants cook at the table then dip food into their individual bowls of raw egg before eating it. * (): hot pot with fish and vegetables. ** (): hot pot with blowfish and vegetables, a specialty of
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
. * Chigenabe () or Kimuchinabe (): hot pot with
meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...
,
seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
and
vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...
s in a broth seasoned with ''
gochujang ''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...
'', and '' Kimchi''. * Imoni (): a thick taro potato stew popular in Northern Japan during the autumn season *
Kiritanpo is a Japanese dish particularly in Akita Prefecture. Freshly cooked rice is pounded until somewhat mashed, then formed into cylinders around Japanese cedar skewers, and toasted over an open hearth. It can then be served with sweet miso or cooked ...
nabe (): freshly cooked rice is pounded, formed into cylinders around
Japanese cypress ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; ja, 檜 or , ) is a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, and widely cultivated in the temperate northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber and orname ...
skewers, and toasted at an open hearth. The kiritanpo are used as dumplings in soups. *
Chankonabe is a Japanese stew (a type of nabemono or one-pot dish) commonly eaten in vast quantity by sumo wrestlers as part of a weight-gain diet. Ingredients and consumption The dish contains a ''dashi'' or chicken broth soup base with sake or ''mir ...
(): commonly eaten in vast quantity by sumo wrestlers as part of a weight-gain diet. File:Cookingsukiyaki.jpg,
Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the ''nabemono'' (Japanese hot pot) style. It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in ...
() File:Kiritanpo.jpg,
Kiritanpo is a Japanese dish particularly in Akita Prefecture. Freshly cooked rice is pounded until somewhat mashed, then formed into cylinders around Japanese cedar skewers, and toasted over an open hearth. It can then be served with sweet miso or cooked ...


Nimono (stewed dishes, )

Nimono () is a stewed or simmered dish. A base ingredient is simmered in shiru stock flavored with sake, soy sauce, and a small amount of sweetening. * Oden ( "kantou-daki", ):
surimi is a paste made from Fish as food, fish or other meat. The term can also refer to a number of East Asian cuisine, East Asian foods that use that paste as their primary ingredient. It is available in many shapes, forms, and textures, and is ofte ...
, boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku, and fish cakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth. Common wintertime food and often available in convenience stores. * : chunks of pork belly stewed in soy, mirin and sake with large pieces of daikon and whole boiled eggs. The Okinawan variation, using awamori, soy sauce and miso, is known as (). * : beef and potato stew, flavored with sweet soy. * : fish poached in sweet soy (often on the menu as ). * : Okinawan dish of pork stewed with bone.


Itamemono (stir-fried dishes, )

Stir-frying () is not a native method of cooking in Japan, however mock-Chinese stir fries such as (, stir fried vegetables) have been a staple in homes and canteens across Japan since the 1950s. Home grown stir fries include: *
Chanpurū is an Okinawan stir fry dish. It is considered the representative dish of Okinawan cuisine. Chanpurū generally consists of tofu combined with some kind of vegetable, meat, or fish. Luncheon meat (such as American Spam or Danish Tulip), egg ...
(): A stir-fry from
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, of vegetables, tofu, meat or seafood and sometimes egg. Many varieties, the most famous being gōyā chanpurū. * Kinpira gobo (): Thin sticks of
greater burdock ''Arctium lappa'', commonly called greater burdock, , edible burdock, lappa, beggar's buttons, thorny burr, or happy major is a Eurasian species of plants in the family Asteraceae, cultivated in gardens for its root used as a vegetable. It has b ...
(''gobo'', ) and other root vegetables stir-fried and braised in sweetened soy.


Sashimi ()

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. "刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺 し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stuck) ...
() is raw, thinly sliced foods served with a dipping sauce and simple garnishes; usually fish or shellfish served with soy sauce and wasabi. Less common variations include: *
Fugu The fugu (; ; ) in Japanese, ''bogeo'' (; 鰒魚) or ''bok'' () in Korean, and ''hétún'' (河豚; 河魨) in Standard Modern Chinese is a pufferfish, normally of the genus ''Takifugu'', ''Lagocephalus'', or ''Sphoeroides'', or a porcupinefish ...
(): sliced poisonous
pufferfish Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfis ...
(sometimes lethal), a uniquely Japanese specialty. The chef responsible for preparing it must be licensed. * : live sashimi * : raw/very rare
skipjack tuna The skipjack tuna (''Katsuwonus pelamis'') is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the balaya (Sri Lanka), bakulan/kayu (North Borneo), tongkol/aya (Malay Peninsula/Indonesia), aku (Hawaii), cakal ...
or
beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
steak seared on the outside and sliced, or a finely chopped raw fish (
Japanese jack mackerel The Japanese jack mackerel (''Trachurus japonicus''), also known as the Japanese horse mackerel or Japanese scad, is a species named after its resemblance to mackerel but which is in the family Carangidae, the jacks, pompanos, trevallies and scad ...
or Sardine), spiced with the likes of chopped spring onions, ginger or garlic paste. * : horse meat sashimi, sometimes called ''
sakura A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of Prunus, genus ''Prunus'' or Prunus subg. Cerasus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especia ...
'' (), is a regional speciality in certain areas such as
Shinshu or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, ...
(Nagano, Gifu and Toyama prefectures) and Kumamoto. Basashi features on the menu of many izakayas, even on the menus of big national chains. * : chicken breast sashimi, regional specialty of
Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
, Miyazaki prefectures * is typically liver of
calf Calf most often refers to: * Calf (animal), the young of domestic cattle. * Calf (leg), in humans (and other primates), the back portion of the lower leg Calf or calves may also refer to: Biology and animal byproducts * Veal, meat from calves * ...
served completely raw (the rare version is called "aburi": あぶり). It is usually dipped in salted sesame oil rather than soy sauce.


Soups (''suimono'' () and ''shirumono'' ())

The soups (''
suimono Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups ...
'' () and ' ()) include: *
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a dashi stock into which softened miso paste is mixed. In addition, there are many optional ingredients (various vegetables, tofu, ''abura-age'', etc.) that may be added depending on regional and sea ...
(): soup made with
miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spread ...
suspended in dashi, usually containing two or three types of solid ingredients, such as seaweed, vegetables or tofu. *
Tonjiru   is a Japanese soup made with pork and vegetables, flavoured with miso. It is a more substantial version of miso soup, with a larger quantity and variety of ingredients. Common ingredients ''Butajiru'' is usually made by stewing thinly sli ...
(): similar to Miso soup, except that pork is added to the ingredients * (): soup made with dumplings along with seaweed, tofu, lotus root, or any number of other vegetables and roots * () or "osumashi" (): a clear soup made with dashi and seafood or chicken. * Zōni (): soup containing mochi rice cakes along with various vegetables and often chicken. It is usually eaten at
New Years Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whi ...
. File:Miso Soup 001.jpg,
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a dashi stock into which softened miso paste is mixed. In addition, there are many optional ingredients (various vegetables, tofu, ''abura-age'', etc.) that may be added depending on regional and sea ...
() File:Zoni by yoppy.jpg, Zōni


Pickled or salted foods (''tsukemono'', )

These foods are usually served in tiny portions, as a side dish to be eaten with white rice, to accompany
sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...
or as a topping for rice porridges. *
Ikura Red caviar is a caviar made from the roe of salmonid fishes (various species of salmon and trout), which has intense reddish hue. It is distinct from black caviar, which is made from the roe of sturgeon.Nichola Fletcher, ''Caviar: A Global His ...
(): salt cured and pickled soy sauce
salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
roe. * : Salt-cured
cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
roe or pollock roe ** : salt-cured and red pepper pickled pollock roe *
Shiokara , is a food in Japanese cuisine made from various marine animals that consists of small pieces of meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal's heavily salted, fermented viscera. The raw viscera are mixed with about 10% salt, 30% malted rice, ...
(): salty fermented viscera * Tsukemono (): pickled vegetables, hundreds of varieties and served with most rice-based meals ** Umeboshi (): small, pickled
ume ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...
fruit. Usually red and very sour, often served with bento () lunch boxes or as a filling for onigiri. *
Tsukudani is small seafood, meat or seaweed that has been simmered in soy sauce and mirin. As a flavorful accompaniment to plain rice, tsukudani is made salty enough to not go bad, allowing high osmotic pressure to preserve the ingredients from microbial ...
(): Very small fish, shellfish or seaweed stewed in sweetened soy for preservation * : vegetables such as cucumber or wakame, or sometimes crab, marinated in rice vinegar File:Tsukemono.jpg, Tsukemono File:Umeboshi 20101209 c.jpg, Umeboshi ()


Side dishes ()

* Bento or Obento () is a combination meal served in a wooden box, usually as a cold lunchbox. * Chawan mushi () is meat (seafood and/or chicken) and vegetables steamed in egg custard. *
Edamame is a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod, found in cuisines with origins in East Asia. The pods are boiled or steamed and may be served with salt or other condiments. In Japan, they are usually blanched in 4% salt water for 5 minut ...
() is boiled and salted pods of soybeans, eaten as a snack, often to accompany beer. * (): dried fish, often ''aji'' (
Japanese jack mackerel The Japanese jack mackerel (''Trachurus japonicus''), also known as the Japanese horse mackerel or Japanese scad, is a species named after its resemblance to mackerel but which is in the family Carangidae, the jacks, pompanos, trevallies and scad ...
, ). Traditionally served for breakfast with rice, miso soup and pickles. *
Hiyayakko is a Japanese dish made with chilled tofu and toppings. Variety of toppings The choice of toppings on the tofu vary among households and restaurants, but a standard combination is chopped green onion with katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna ...
(): chilled tofu with garnish * Nattō (): fermented soybeans, stringy like melted cheese, infamous for its strong smell and slippery texture. Often eaten for breakfast. Typically popular in Kantō and Tōhoku but slowly gaining popularity in other regions in which nattō was not as popular * ():
boiled greens Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...
such as spinach, chilled and flavored with soy sauce, often with garnish * Osechi (): traditional foods eaten at New Year * Japanese
salad dressings A salad dressing is a sauce for salads. Used on virtually all '' leafy salads'', dressings may also be used in making salads of beans (such as three bean salad), noodle or pasta salads and antipasti, and forms of potato salad. Salad dressings c ...
**
Wafu dressing , literally “Japanese-style dressing”, is a vinaigrette-type salad dressing based on tosazu (a kind of Japanese vinegar), popular in Japan. The standard wafu dressing consists of a mixture of Japanese soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, and vege ...
(): literally " Japanese-style dressing" is a vinaigrette-type
salad dressing A salad dressing is a sauce for salads. Used on virtually all '' leafy salads'', dressings may also be used in making salads of beans (such as three bean salad), noodle or pasta salads and antipasti, and forms of potato salad. Salad dressings ...
based on
soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
, popular in Japan. ** (): The so-called vinegar that is blended with the ingredient here is often ''sanbaizu'' ("three cupful/spoonful vinegar"),, p.147 "wakame and cucumber in sanbaizu dressing (sunomono)"; p.74 "sanbaizu" recipe which is a blend of vinegar, mirin, and
soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
. * Shimotsukare (): made of vegetables, soybeans, abura-age ( or deep fried tofu skins) and sake kasu (, rice pulp from fermented sake).


Chinmi ()

are regional Delicacy, delicacies, and include: * Ankimo () * Karasumi () * Konowata () * Mozuku () * Sea urchin, Uni (): specifically, salt-pickled sea urchin Although most Japanese eschew eating insects, in some regions, locust (, ) and bee larvae (, ) are not uncommon dishes. The larvae of species of Trichoptera, caddisflies and Plecoptera, stoneflies (, ), harvested from the Tenryū river as it flows through Ina, Nagano, is also boiled and canned, or boiled and then sautéed in soy sauce and sugar. ) is eaten as well in Hinoemata, Fukushima in early summer.


Sweets and snacks (''okashi'' (), ''oyatsu'' ())

* ''Okashi'' (), ' (): Sweets and snacks


Japanese-style sweets (''wagashi'', )

Wagashi include: * Amanattō: traditional confectionery made of adzuki or other beans, covered with refined sugar after simmering with sugar syrup and drying. * Dango: a Japanese dumpling and sweet made from mochiko (rice flour),[1] related to mochi. * Hanabiramochi: a Japanese sweet (wagashi), usually eaten at the beginning of the year. * Higashi (food), Higashi: a type of wagashi, which is dry and contains very little moisture, and thus keeps relatively longer than other kinds of wagashi. * Hoshigaki: dried persimmon fruit. * Imagawayaki: also known as ''Taikoyaki'', is a round Taiyaki and fillings are same. * Kakigōri: shaved ice with syrup topping. * Kompeito: crystal sugar candy. * Manjū: sticky rice surrounding a sweet bean center. * Matsunoyuki: a wagashi that resembles a pine tree dusted with snow. * Mochi: steamed sweet rice pounded into a solid, sticky, and somewhat translucent mass. * Oshiruko: a warm, sweet red bean (''bean jam, an'') soup with '' mochi'': rice cake. * Uirō: a steamed cake made of rice flour. * Taiyaki: a fried, fish-shaped cake, usually with a sweet filling such as a red bean paste. * Namagashi: a type of wagashi, which is a general term for snacks used in the Japanese tea ceremony.


Old-fashioned Japanese-style sweets (''dagashi'', )

Dagashi include: * Honeycomb toffee, Karume-yaki: Brown sugar cake that is also called "baked caramel". * ''Sōsu senbei'': Thin Senbei (rice crackers) eaten with brown sauce. * Mizuame: Sticky liquid sugar candy.


Western-style sweets (''yōgashi'', )

are Western-style sweets, but in Japan are typically very light or spongy. * Kasutera: "Castella" Iberian-style sponge cake * Mirukurepu: "mille feuilles": a layered crepe that literally means, "one thousand leaves" in French.


Sweets bread (''kashi pan'', )

include: * Anpan: bread with sweet bean paste in the center *
Melonpan A (also known as melon pan, melon bun or melon bread) is a type of sweet bun originating from and popular in Japan, as well as in Taiwan and China. They are made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appea ...
: a large, round bun which is a combination of regular dough beneath cookie dough. It occasionally contains a melon-flavored cream, though traditionally it is called melon bread because of its general shape resembling that of a melon (not due to any melon flavor). File:Peanut Amanatto.jpg, Peanut amanattō File:Anpan 001.jpg, Anpan File:Castella,made in nagasaki-city,japan.JPG, Castella File:Mizuame 001.jpg, Mizuame


Other snacks

Snacks include: * Azuki Ice - vanilla flavored ice cream with sweet azuki beans * Koara no māchi * Umai Bō - puffed corn food with various flavors * Pocky * Hello Panda * Hi-chew * Ice cream - usual flavors such as vanilla and chocolate are the most common. Distinctly Japanese ones include Matcha Ice (green tea ice cream), less common ones include Goma (black sesame seed) and sweet potato flavors.


Tea and other drinks


Tea and non-alcoholic beverages

* Amazake * Genmaicha is green tea combined with roasted brown rice. * Gyokuro: Gyokuro leaves are shaded from direct sunlight for approximately 3 weeks before the spring harvest. Removing direct sunlight in this way enhances the proportions of flavenols, amino acids, sugars, and other substances that provide tea aroma and taste. After harvesting the leaves are rolled and dried naturally. Gyokuro is slightly sweeter than sencha and is famous for its crisp, clean taste. Major growing areas include Uji, Kyōto and Shizuoka prefecture. * Hōjicha: green tea roasted over charcoal * Kelp tea, Konbu-cha: specifically the tea poured with Kombu giving rich flavor in monosodium glutamate. * Kukicha is a blend of green tea made of stems, stalks, and twigs. * Kuzuyu is a thick herbal tea made with kudzu starch. * Matcha is powdered green tea. (Green tea ice cream is flavored with matcha, not ocha.) * Mugicha is barley tea, served chilled during summer. * Sakurayu is an herbal tea made with pickled cherry blossoms. * Sencha is steam treated
green tea Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...
leaves that are then dried. * Umecha is a tea drink with umeboshi, which provides a refreshing sourness. * Kuwacha is a noncaffeinated tea made with white mulberry leaves.


Soft drinks

* Calpis * C.C. Lemon * Mitsuya Cider * Oronamin C Drink * Pocari Sweat * Qoo * Ramune * Yakult


Alcoholic beverages

Sake () is a rice wine that typically contains 12%–20% alcohol (drug), alcohol and is made by a double fermentation (food), fermentation of rice. Aspergillus oryzae, Kōjji fungus is first used to ferment the rice starch into sugar. Regular brewing yeast is used in the second fermentation to make alcohol. At traditional meals, it is considered an equivalent to rice and is not simultaneously taken with other rice-based dishes. Side dishes for sake is particularly called ''sakana'' (), or ''otsumami'' or ''ate'' . Shōchū is a distilled beverage, most commonly made from barley, sweet potatoes, or rice. Typically, it contains 25% alcohol by volume. * Awamori () * Sake () * Shōchū () * Umeshu () * Beer in Japan, Japanese beer () - leading brands are Sapporo Brewery, Sapporo, Asahi Breweries, Asahi and Kirin Brewery Company, Kirin * Japanese whisky - Suntory and Nikka Whisky Distilling are the leading distilleries File:Kikunotsuyu Awamori.jpg, Awamori is an alcoholic beverage indigenous to and unique to
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, Japan File:Unfiltered Sake at Gyu-Kaku.jpg, Nigori is an unfiltered
sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...
, presented here in an overflowing glass within a traditional wooden box cup, symbolizing abundance File:Selection of Japanese beer.jpg, Beer in Japan, Japanese beer File:Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine.jpg, Barrels of
sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...
, a traditional Japanese alcoholic drink, on display as an offering at an Itsukushima Shrine


Imported and adapted foods

Japan has incorporated imported food from across the world (mostly from Asia, Europe and to a lesser extent the Americas), and have historically adapted many to make them their own.


Foods imported from Portugal in the 16th century

* Castella, Kasutera — sponge cake, originating in Nagasaki. * Konpeitō — star shaped sugar candy, the name comes from the Portuguese word (''comfit''). * Bread, Pan — bread, introduced by Portugal. (''bread'' is ''pão'' in Portuguese.) Japanese bread crumbs, panko, have been popularized by cooking shows. *
Tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ''tem ...
— so thoroughly adopted that its foreign roots are unknown to most people, including many Japanese. As such, it is considered ''washoku'' (, native food).


Yōshoku

Yōshoku () is a style of Western-influenced food. * Breaded seafood or vegetables (, , derived from "fry"), and breaded cutlet, breaded meat (katsuretsu, , derived from "cutlet" and often contracted to ''katsu''), are usually served with shredded cabbage and/or lettuce, Tonkatsu sauce, Japanese Worcestershire or tonkatsu sauce and lemon. Tempura, a related dish, has been heavily modified since its introduction to Japan by use of batter and dashi-flavored dip, and is usually considered to be washoku. :* () - breaded oyster :* Fried prawn, Ebi furai () - breaded shrimp :*
Korokke Korokke ( ja, コロッケ; ) is the Japanese name for a deep-fried ''yōshoku'' dish originally related to a French dish, the croquette. Korokke is made by mixing cooked chopped meat, seafood, or vegetables with mashed potato or white sauce, ...
("croquette" ) - breaded mashed potato and minced meat patties. When white sauce is added, it is called cream korokke. Other ingredients such as crab meat, shrimp, or mushrooms are also used instead of minced meat which are called kani-, ebi-, or kinoko-cream korokke, respectively. :*
Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...
, Menchi katsu, chicken katsu, beef katsu, kujira katsu - breaded and deep-fried pork, minced meat patties, chicken, beef, and whale, respectively. *
Japanese curry is commonly served in three main forms: , curry udon (curry over thick noodles), and (a curry-filled pastry). It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The very common "curry rice" is most often referred to simply as . Along with the sau ...
- rice - imported in the 19th century by way of the United Kingdom and adapted by Japanese Navy chefs. One of the most popular food items in Japan today. Eaten with a spoon. Curry is often eaten with pickled vegetables called fukujinzuke or rakkyo ** Curry bread, Curry Pan - deep fried bread with Japanese curry sauce inside. The pirozhki of Russia was remodeled, and Curry bread was made. ** - is a hot noodle dish where the soup is made of Japanese curry and dashi. May also include meat or vegetables. * - beef and onions stewed in a red-wine sauce and served on rice * Nikujaga - soy sauce-flavored meat and potato stew that has been made in Japan to the extent that it is now considered washoku, but again originates from 19th century Japanese Navy chefs adapting beef stews of the Royal Navy. * Omurice, Omu raisu - ketchup-flavored rice wrapped in omelet. Other items were popularized after the war: * Hamburg steak - a ground beef patty, usually mixed with breadcrumbs and fried chopped onions, served with a side of white rice and vegetables. Often accompanied with demiglace sauce. Popular post-war food item served at homes. Sometimes eaten with a fork. * Spaghetti - Japanese versions include: ** with tomato ketchup, wieners, sliced onion and green pepper (called "naporitan" or "napolitan") ** with mentaiko sauce topped with nori seaweed (, ) (mentaiko spaghetti, ) ** with
Japanese curry is commonly served in three main forms: , curry udon (curry over thick noodles), and (a curry-filled pastry). It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The very common "curry rice" is most often referred to simply as . Along with the sau ...
* Pizza - The popular American pizza companies Domino's, Pizza Hut and Shakey's all operate in Japan, but Japanese brands such as Aoki's and Pizza-La are higher-grossing and famous for catering to Japanese taste. Many pizza chains offer seasonal toppings. Japanese versions include: ** with corn ** with shrimp, squid, or other
seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
** with mayonnaise, white sauce or Pesto basil sauce ** with potato or eggplant ** with Galbi beef or teriyaki chicken ** with hard-boiled eggs ** with macaroni, Hot dog, wieners or other prepared foods


Other homegrown cuisine of foreign origin

* Japanese American cuisine ** hamburger, Burgers have various variations in Japan. Domestic chains like MOS Burger and Freshness Burger cater to Japanese tastes with seasonal specials like '' Teriyaki Burgers'' and the ''kinpira rice burger''. * Korean cuisine ** Kimchi from Korea is often served with Japanese Chinese cuisine, though the local variant may use thinner cabbage. * Japanese Chinese cuisine ** Gyoza are a very popular dish in Japan. Gyoza are the Japanese take on the Jiaozi, Chinese dumplings with rich garlic flavor. Most often, they are seen in the crispy pan-fried form (potstickers), but they can be served boiled or even deep fried, as well. ** Japanese-only "Chinese dishes" like ebi chili (shrimp in a tangy and slightly spicy sauce) ** Mapo doufu, Mābō dōfu tends to be thinner than Chinese mapo doufu. ** Nikuman, anman, butaman and the obscure negi-man are all varieties of mantou with fillings. **
Ramen is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese ...
and related dishes such as champon and yaki soba **
Yakisoba-pan Yakisoba-pan (焼きそばパン) is a popular Japanese food in which yakisoba is sandwiched between an oblong white bread roll resembling an American hotdog bun known as ''koppe-pan''. This high-carbohydrate food item is essentially a sandwich w ...
is a sandwich with a filling that resembles chow mein noodles. * Japanese English cuisine ** Pudding, Purin is a version of caramel custard.


Adaptations

* California roll - invented in Canada, then first introduced in California. * Spam musubi - a snack from Hawaii resembling onigiri, made with Spam (food), Spam


Seasonings

Lots of Japanese foods are prepared using one or more of the following: * ''Kombu'' (kelp), ''katsuobushi'' (flakes of cured
skipjack tuna The skipjack tuna (''Katsuwonus pelamis'') is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the balaya (Sri Lanka), bakulan/kayu (North Borneo), tongkol/aya (Malay Peninsula/Indonesia), aku (Hawaii), cakal ...
, sometimes referred to as bonito) and ''niboshi'' (dried baby sardines) are often used to make '' dashi'' stock. * ''Negi'' (Welsh onion), onions, garlic, ''nira'' (Chinese chives), ''rakkyō'' (Allium chinense) (a type of scallion). * Sesame seeds, sesame oil, sesame salt (''gomashio''), ''
furikake is a dry Japanese condimentJapanese Furikake (Rice Seasoning)
. Japanese Kitchen. Accessed 28 ...
'', walnuts or peanuts to dress. * ''Shōyu'' (
soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
), '' dashi'', ''mirin'', sugar, Vinegar, rice vinegar, ''
miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spread ...
'', ''
sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...
''. * ''Wasabi'' (and imitation wasabi from horseradish), ''karashi'' (hot mustard), capsicum, red pepper, ginger, ''Perilla frutescens var. crispa, shiso'' (perilla or beefsteak plant) leaves, ''Sichuan pepper, sansho'', citrus peel, and Cryptotaenia, honeywort (called ''Cryptotaenia, mitsuba''). * A citrus fruit called yuzu is also a frequent condiment, mashed up into a relish, sold as yuzukoshō and is blended with pepper/chili and salt. Yuzukoshō is eaten with many dishes, adding a flavorful kick to broth/soup items such as oden,
nikujaga is a Japanese dish of meat, potatoes and onion stewed in sweetened soy sauce and mirin, sometimes with ''ito konnyaku'' and vegetables. Nikujaga is an example of ''yōshoku'' ( Western-influenced Japanese cuisine). Generally, potatoes make up ...
, tonjiru, udon as well as other dishes. Yuzu is also seen to flavor teas, jams or zeri (jelly), and any number of sweets from yuzu-an (a type of Sweet bean paste, bean paste) to yuzu-hachimitsu (yuzu-honey). Less traditional, but widely used ingredients include: * Monosodium glutamate, which is often used by chefs and food companies as a cheap flavor enhancer. It may be used as a substitute for kombu, which is a traditional source of free glutamate * Tonkatsu sauce, Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce, often known as simply "sauce", thicker and fruitier than the original, is commonly used as a table condiment for ''okonomiyaki'' (), ''tonkatsu'' (), ''croquette'' ("korokke", ) and the like. * Mayonnaise#Japan, Japanese mayonnaise is used with salads, ''okonomiyaki'' (), ''yaki soba'' () and sometimes mixed with wasabi or soy sauce.


See also

* List of Japanese cooking utensils * List of Japanese ingredients * List of Japanese condiments * List of Japanese desserts and sweets * List of Japanese soups and stews


References

{{Japanese food and drink Japanese cuisine, * Japanese cuisine-related lists, Dishes Lists of foods by nationality, Japanese Dishes