List Of Japanese Ingredients
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The following is a list of ingredients used 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 ...
.


Plant sources


Cereal grain A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food en ...

*
Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
**Short or medium grain white
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
. Regular (non-sticky) rice is called ''uruchi-mai''. **
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally ma ...
rice (
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 ...
)-sticky rice, sweet rice **
genmai Brown rice is a whole grain rice with the inedible outer hull removed. This kind of rice sheds its outer hull or husk but the bran and germ layer remain on, constituting the brown or tan colour of rice. White rice is the same grain without the ...
(brown rice) **
rice bran Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the hard outer layers of cereal grain. It consists of the combined aleurone and pericarp. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, a ...
(''nuka'') - not usually eaten itself, but used for pickling, and also added to boiling water to
parboil Parboiling (or leaching) is the partial or semi boiling of food as the first step in cooking. The word is from the Old French 'parboillir' (to boil thoroughly) but by mistaken association with 'part' it has acquired its current meaning. The wo ...
tart vegetables **
arare Arare may refer to: * Norimaki Arare or Arale Norimaki, the main character in ''Dr. Slump'' media *Arare (food) is a type of bite-sized Japanese cuisine, Japanese Cracker (food), cracker made from glutinous rice and flavored with soy sauce. The ...
- toasted brown rice grains in genmai cha and
chazuke nori ''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,Aspergillus ' () is a genus consisting of several hundred mold species found in various climates worldwide. ''Aspergillus'' was first catalogued in 1729 by the Italian priest and biologist Pier Antonio Micheli. Viewing the fungi under a microscope, Miche ...
'' cultures **''
sake kasu or sake lee is a cooking ingredient that is white in color with a paste-like texture. The taste of sake kasu is fruity and has a similar taste to Japanese sake. Sake kasu is the lees left over from sake production. It is a by-product of Japanes ...
'' **''
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 ...
'' *
awa Awa (or variants) may refer to: People * Awa (given name), notable people named Awa or Hawa * Awá (Brazil), an indigenous people of Brazil * Awa-Kwaiker, an indigenous people of Colombia and Ecuador Languages * Awa language (China) or Wa (Va) ...
(''mochi awa'') * ''oshimugi'' (
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 ...
)


Flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

*
katakuri ''Erythronium japonicum'', known as Asian fawn lily, Oriental fawn lily, Japanese fawn lily is a pink-flowered species trout lily, belonging to the Lily family and native to Japan, Korea, the Russian Far East (Sakhalin Island, Kuril Islands) an ...
starch - an alternative ingredient for
potato starch Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain leucoplasts (starch grains). To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed, and the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells. Th ...
*
kinako ''Kinako'' ( or ) is roasted soybean flour, a product commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In English, it is usually called "roasted soy flour". More precisely it is "roasted whole soy flour". Usage of the word ''kinako'' appeared in cookbooks fr ...
- soybean flour/meal * kibi (millet) flour * konnyaku starch powder *
kudzu Kudzu (; also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot) is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands, but invasive species, invasive in many ...
starch *
Rice flour Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening a ...
(''komeko'') **' **' **' **', semi-cooked rice dried and coarsely pulverized; used as alternate breading in ''domyoji age'' deep-fried dish, also used in Kansai-style
sakuramochi is a Japanese confection (''wagashi'') consisting of sweet, pink-colored rice cake (''mochi'') with a red bean paste (''anko'') center and wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom (''sakura'') leaf. Different regions of Japan have different styl ...
confection. Medium fine ground types are called and used as breaded crust or for confection. Fine ground are **', powdery starch made from sticky rice. **
Gyūhi is a form of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet). Gyūhi is a softer variety of mochi (餅), and both are made from either glutinous rice or from . Because gyūhi is more delicate, it is usually less frequently made and served than mochi. It i ...
flour *
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 ...
flour * warabi starch - substitutes are sold under this name, though authentic starch derives from fern roots. See
warabimochi is a wagashi (Japanese confection) made from warabiko (bracken starch) and covered or dipped in ''kinako'' ( sweet toasted soybean flour). It differs from true ''mochi'' made from glutinous rice. It is popular in the summertime, especially in t ...
*
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
flour **tempura flour **''kyōriki ko'', ''chūriki ko'', ''hakuriki ko'' (descending grades of protein content; all purpose, udon flour,
cake flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ''bread ...
) **''uki ko'' - name for the starch of rice or wheat. Apparently used for
wagashi are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with green tea, especially the types made of ''mochi'', ''anko'' (azuki bean paste), and fruit. ''Wagashi'' are typically made from plant-based ingredients. History In Japan, the wor ...
to some extent. In Chinese cuisine, it is used to make the translucent skin of the shrimp
har gow Har gow (sometimes anglicized as "ha gow", "haukau", "hakao"; ) is a traditional Cantonese dumpling served as dim sum.Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. 005(2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Bay Books. . p41. Name Th ...
.


Noodles Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, Indo ...

*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
noodles


Vegetables 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, ...


Botanic fruits as vegetables

*
cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.
(''kyūri'') *
eggplant Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mos ...
(''nasu, nasubi'') * shishitō mild peppers ** ** - The leaves of the Fushimi made into
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 ...
are ''hatōgarashi''. *
kabocha Kabocha (; from Japanese カボチャ, 南瓜) is a type of winter squash, a Japanese variety of the species ''Cucurbita maxima.'' It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin in North America. In Japan, "''kabocha''" may refer to either ...
squash * ''shiro-uri'' - type of squash/melon.


Cabbage family Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leav ...

* ''
komatsuna or Japanese mustard spinach (''Brassica rapa'' var. ''perviridis'') is a leaf vegetable. It is a variety of ''Brassica rapa'', the plant species that yields the turnip, mizuna, napa cabbage, and rapini. It is grown commercially in Japan and Ta ...
'' - (''B. rapa''
var. In botanical nomenclature, variety (abbreviated var.; in la, varietas) is a taxonomic rank below that of species and subspecies, but above that of form. As such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name. It is sometimes recommended that the ...
''perviridis'') * ''
mizuna , kyona, Japanese mustard greens, or spider mustard, Mark Bittman is a cultivar of ''Brassica rapa'' var. ''niposinica''. Description and use Possessing dark green, serrated leaves, mizuna is described as having, when raw, a "piquant, mild p ...
'' - (''B. rapa'' var. ''nipposinica'') *
napa cabbage Napa cabbage (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''pekinensis'' or ''Brassica rapa'' Pekinensis Group) is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in Asian cuisine#East Asia, East Asian cuisine. Since the ...
(''hakusai'') - (''B. rapa'' var. ''glabra'') * - (
Brassica juncea ''Brassica juncea'', commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant. Cultivar ''Brassica juncea'' cultivars can be divided into four major subgroup ...
var. ''integrifolia'' or var. of mustard) * ''
Nozawana Nozawana (野沢菜, ''Brassica rapa'' L. var. ''hakabura'') is a Japanese leaf vegetable, often pickled. It is of the same species as the common turnip and one of a Japanese variety of mustard leaf. Its leaves are approximately 60–90 cm ...
'' - (cultivar of ''B. rapa'' var. ''hakabura'') *''na-no-hana'' (
rapeseed Rapeseed (''Brassica napus ''subsp.'' napus''), also known as rape, or oilseed rape, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturally contains a ...
or coleseed flowering-stalks, used like
broccoli rabe Rapini or broccoli rabe () is a green cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli, but do not form a large head. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associat ...
)


Other leafy vegetables

*
spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
(''hōrensō'')


Onion family

These vegetables are called ''negi'' in Japanese. * ''asatsuki'' - type of
chives Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and ...
* ''nira'' ( Chinese chives or garlic chive) * ''
rakkyo ''Allium chinense'' (also known as Chinese onion,Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name DatabaseUniversity of Melbourne. Updated 3 August 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2014. Chinese scallion, glittering chive, Japanese scallion, Kiangsi scallion, a ...
'' * wakegi'' - formerly thought a variety of scallion, but geneticists discover it to be a cross with the bulb onion (''A. ×wakegi''). * Green onions or scallions ** - Often used to denote the types as thick as leeks used in
Kanto Kantō (Japanese) Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region *Kantō-kai, organized crime group *Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ' ...
area, but is not a proper name of a cultivar, and merely taken from the production area of
Fukaya, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 229,517 in 142,803 households in 60804 households and a population density of 1023 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It is famous for a ...
. In the east, the white part of the onion near the base like to be used. ** ' "multipurpose scallion" - young plants. ** ' - Kyoto cultivar of green onion. ** ' - Cultivar named after
Shimonita, Gunma is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,058 in 3,292 households, and a population density of 37 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Shimonita is famous for its konjac and Welsh oni ...
. ** Other varieties with articles are ' (
Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...
), ' (
Fukui is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or sometimes "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to: Places * Fukui Domain, a part of the Japanese han system during the Edo period * Fukui Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in ...
), ' (
Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...
) * ' - ''Allium macrostemon'', collected from the wild much like
field garlic Field garlic is a common name for several plants in the garlic genus, ''Allium'': *'' Allium oleraceum'' *''Allium vineale ''Allium vineale'' (wild garlic, onion grass, crow garlic or stag's garlic) is a perennial, bulb-forming species of wild o ...
. * ' - ''Allium victorialis'' much like
ramps An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
.


Root vegetables

*''chorogi'' (Chinese artichoke, ''
Stachys affinis ''Stachys affinis'', commonly called crosne, Chinese artichoke, Japanese artichoke, knotroot, or artichoke betony, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae, originating from China. Its rhizome is a root vegetable that can be e ...
'') *''
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 ...
'' (Japanese Radish) *''gobo'' (''
Arctium lappa ''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 ...
'') *
lotus root ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often ref ...
(''renkon, hasu'') *
potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
(''jaga-imo'') *
sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
(''satsuma-imo'') *
Taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...
(''satoimo'') and stalk (''zuiki, imogara'') ** ' - Kyoto variety ** ' - stems available fresh or dried. careful! tartness must be boiled off before use. *''takenoko'' (
bamboo shoot Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including ''Bambusa vulgaris'' and ''Phyllostachys edulis''. They are used as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and b ...
s) ** ''himetakenoko'', ''sasa-takenoko'', ''nemagari-take'' - Slender bamboo shoots of ('' Sasa kurilensis''), so-called "baby bamboo shoots". **
menma is a Japanese condiment made from lacto-fermented bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoots are dried in the sun or through other means before the process of fermentation. Menma is a common topping for noodle soups, notably ramen. Menma is primarily p ...
- vital condiment to
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 ...
, made from the Taiwanese giant bamboo (''Dendrocalamus latiflorus'') and not from the typical bamboo shoot. * ''yamaimo'' - vague name that can denote either
Dioscorea ''Dioscorea'' is a genus of over 600 species of flowering plants in the family Dioscoreaceae, native throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The vast majority of the species are tropical, with only a few species extending ...
spp.(Japanese yam or Chinese yam) below. The root is often grated into a sort of starchy puree. The correct way is to grate the yam against the grains of the
suribachi ''Suribachi'' () and ''Surikogi'' () are a Japanese mortar and pestle. These mortars are used in Japanese cooking to crush different ingredients such as sesame seeds. The ''suribachi'' is a pottery bowl, glazed on the outside and with a ro ...
. Also the
tubercle In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection ...
(''mukago'') used whole. ** '' or ''
jinenjo ''Dioscorea japonica'', known as East Asian mountain yam, yamaimo, or Japanese mountain yam, is a type of yam ('' Dioscorea'') native to Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Korea, China, Taiwan, and Assam. ''Dioscorea japonica'' is us ...
'' (''
Dioscorea japonica ''Dioscorea japonica'', known as East Asian mountain yam, yamaimo, or Japanese mountain yam, is a type of yam (''Dioscorea'') native to Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Korea, China, Taiwan, and Assam. ''Dioscorea japonica'' is used ...
'') - considered the true Japanese yam. The name ''jinenjo'' refers to roots dug from the wild. ** (''D. opposita'') - In a strict sense, refers to the long truncheon-like form. ** (''D. opposita'') - A fan-shaped (ginkgo leaf shaped) variety, more viscous than the long form. ** ('' D. polystachya'' var.) - A round variety even more viscous and highly prized. ** ''mukago'' - edible
tubercle In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection ...
s * ' (
lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...
bulbs)


Sprouts

*''kaiware'' (
radish The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an Eating, edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman Empire, Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, be ...
sprouts) *''moyashi'' ( mung sprouts) *
soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu an ...
sprouts (''mame-moyashi'')


Specialty vegetables

*''
Aralia cordata ''Aralia cordata'' is an upright herbaceous perennial plant growing up to in height, native to Japan, Korea and eastern China. Its common names include spikenard, herbal aralia, ''udo'' (from ja, ウド), Japanese spikenard, and mountain aspar ...
'' ("Japanese spikenard") *'' fuki'' (a type of
butterbur ''Petasites'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, that are commonly referred to as butterburs and coltsfoots.Kanpyō (dried gourd strips) * konnyaku ( shirataki) *
sansai is a Japanese word literally meaning "mountain vegetables", originally referring to vegetables that grew naturally, were foraged in the wild, and not grown and harvested from fields. However, in modern times, the distinction is somewhat blur ...
(= term for wild-picked vegetables in general, including
fernbrake ''Pteridium aquilinum'' (bracken, brake or common bracken), also known as eagle fern, is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions in both hemispheres. Originally native to Eurasia and North America, the extreme lightness o ...
, bamboo shoots, tree shoots)


Pickled vegetables

Tsukemono are Japanese preserved vegetables (usually pickled in salt, brine, or a bed of rice bran). They are served with rice as an ''okazu'' (side dish), with drinks as an '' otsumami'' (snack), as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a ...
is the term for Japanese pickles. *
takuan ''Takuan'' (; also spelled ''takuwan''), or ''takuan-zuke'' (; 'pickled takuan'), known as ''danmuji'' () in the context of Korean cuisine, is a pickled preparation of daikon radish. As a popular part of traditional Japanese cuisine, ''takuan ...
zuke *


Nuts

*
ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and is now the only living genus within ...
nuts *
Azuki ''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 ...
- Red Bean * kuri -
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...
* onigurumi - Japanese walnut (
Juglans ailantifolia ''Juglans ailantifolia'' (synonyms ''J. cordiformis'' and ''J. sieboldiana'' and '' J. mandshurica'' var. ''sachalinensis''), the Japanese walnut ( ja, 鬼胡桃 ''oni-gurumi''), is a species of walnut native to Japan and Sakhalin. It is a deci ...
) * tochi-no-mi - type of buckeye or horse chestnut (''
Aesculus The genus ''Aesculus'' ( or ), with species called buckeye and horse chestnut, comprises 13–19 species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs native plant, native to the temperateness, temperate Northern H ...
turbinata'') * shii-no-mi - acorns of ''
Castanopsis ''Castanopsis'', commonly called chinquapin or chinkapin, is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the beech family, Fagaceae. The genus contains about 140 species, which are today restricted to tropical and subtropical eastern Asia. A total o ...
'' spp.


Seeds

*
sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
** black sesame ** white sesame *
shiso ''Perilla frutescens'' var. ''crispa'', also known by its Japanese name shiso, is a cultigen of ''Perilla frutescens'', a herb in the mint family ''Lamiaceae''. It is native to the mountainous regions of China and India, but is now found worldw ...
seeds * wild sesame ''egoma'' *
hemp seed Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...
s (''onomi'') - mixed in
shichimi , also known as or simply ''shichimi'', is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. Tōgarashi is the Japanese name for ''Capsicum annuum'', a red pepper native to Central and South America, and it is this ingredient that ...
*
karashi , also known as Oni Karashi is a type of mustard used as a condiment or as a seasoning in Japanese cuisine. ''Karashi'' is made from the crushed seeds of ''Brassica juncea'' (brown mustard) and is usually sold in either powder or paste form. ''Ka ...
(usually powdered mustard, or in paste tubes) * ''sanshō'' (
Zanthoxylum piperitum ''Zanthoxylum piperitum'', also known as Japanese pepper or Japanese prickly-ash is a deciduous aromatic spiny shrub or small tree of the citrus and rue family Rutaceae, native to Japan and Korea. It is called sanshō () in Japan and chopi () ...
)


Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...
s

*
enokitake ''Flammulina filiformis'' is a species of agaric (gilled mushroom) in the family Physalacriaceae. It is well known for its role in Japanese cuisine, where it is called ''enokitake'' (榎茸, エノキタケ, ) and is widely cultivated in East A ...
* eringi *
matsutake , ''Tricholoma matsutake'', is a species of choice edible mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in East Asia, Europe, and North America. It is prized in Japanese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor. Etymology The common name and specifi ...
*
maitake ''Grifola frondosa'' (also known as hen-of-the-woods, in Japanese, ram's head or sheep's head) is a polypore mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly old growth oaks or maples. It is typically found in late summer to early autumn ...
* nameko * hiratake *
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 fungi, medicinal mushroom in some forms of tradition ...
*
shimeji ''Shimeji'' (Japanese: , or ) is a group of edible mushrooms native to East Asia, but also found in northern Europe. ''Hon-shimeji ( Lyophyllum shimeji'') is a mycorrhizal fungus and difficult to cultivate. Other species are saprotrophs, and ...
*
Wood ear Wood-ear or tree ear (, Korean: 목이 버섯), also translated wood jellyfish or , can refer to a few similar-looking edible fungi used primarily in Chinese cuisine; these are commonly sold in Asian markets shredded and dried. * ''Auricularia he ...
(''kikurage'') *
Rhizopogon roseolus ''Rhizopogon roseolus'', shōro (Japanese: 松露/ショウロ), is an ectomycorrhizal fungus, considered a delicacy in east Asia and Japan and used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture. Morphology The fruiting bodies are appr ...
(''shōro'')


Seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

* (''Campylaephora hypnaeoides'') * (''Petalonia binghamiae'') *
hijiki (''Sargassum fusiforme'', syn. ''Hizikia fusiformis''), sometimes called hiziki, is a brown sea vegetable growing wild on rocky coastlines of East Asia. Hijiki has been a part of the Japanese culinary sphere and diet for centuries. It is rich ...
*
konbu ''Konbu'' (from ja, 昆布, konbu or kombu) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' ( ko, 다시마) or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many c ...
(kombu, kelp) ** ' or ''oboro-kombu'' - thin shavings. ** ''usuita-kombu'' - thin sheet created as byproduct ** ' - the thick, pleated portion near the attached base *
mozuku Mozuku is a collective term for various types of Japanese brown algae from the family Chordariaceae, which are used as food. These include ito-mozuku ('' Nemacystus decipiens''), Okinawa mozuku (''Cladosiphon okamuranus is a type of edible ...
*
nori Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, made from species of the red algae genus ''Pyropia'', including ''P. yezonesis'' and '' P. tenera''. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is often used to wrap rolls of sushi or '' ...
** - refers to seaweed harvested from sea-rock. *
ogonori ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...
* * (''Aphanothece sacrum'') -
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
specialty * ''tengusa'' - ''kanten'', ''tokoroten'' (
agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori (''Gracilaria'') and "tengusa" (''Gelidiaceae''). As found in nature, agar is ...
) *
wakame Wakame ''(Undaria pinnatifida)'' is a species of kelp native to cold, temperate coasts of the northwest Pacific Ocean. As an edible seaweed, it has a subtly sweet, but distinctive and strong flavour and texture. It is most often served in soups ...


Fruits In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particula ...


Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

*
amanatsu or is a yellowish orange citrus hybrid fruit, a group of cultivars of ''Citrus natsudaidai'', which were discovered in 1740 in the Yamaguchi prefecture of Japan. Names ''Amanatsu'' means "sweet summer" in Japanese. In Japan, the fruit is kn ...
*
daidai The daidai (Japanese: 橙, 臭 橙; Chinese: 酸 橙; Korean: 광귤, ''gwanggyul''), is an Asian variety of bitter orange. The daidai originated in the Himalayas. It spread to the Yangtze valley region and later to Japan. The colour of the ...
*
dekopon is a seedless and sweet variety of satsuma orange. It is a hybrid between Kiyomi and ponkan (Nakano no.3), developed in Japan in 1972. Originally a brand name, "Dekopon" has become a genericized trademark and it is used to refer to all brands ...
- a new hybrid *
iyokan The iyokan (伊予柑 - ''Citrus × iyo''), also known as ''anadomikan'' (穴門みかん) and ''Gokaku no Iyokan'', is a Japanese citrus fruit, similar in appearance to a mandarin orange, arising from a cross between the Dancy tangerine and anot ...
*
kabosu Kabosu (カボス or 臭橙; binomial name: ''Citrus sphaerocarpa'') is a citrus fruit of an evergreen broad-leaf tree in the family Rutaceae. It is popular in Japan, where its juice is used to improve the taste of many dishes, especially cooke ...
*
sudachi Sudachi (''Citrus sudachi''; Japanese: スダチ or 酢 橘) is a small, round, green citrus fruit of Japanese origin that is a specialty of Tokushima Prefecture in Japan. It is a sour citrus, not eaten as fruit, but used as food flavoring in p ...
*
yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus junos'', from Japanese or ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though recently also in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France. I ...


Other

*
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 ...
*
loquat The loquat (''Eriobotrya japonica'') is a large evergreen shrub or tree, grown commercially for its orange fruit and for its leaves, which are used to make herbal tea. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. The loquat is in the family R ...
* - a traditional type of
melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The ...
*
nashi pear ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, pa ...
*
persimmon The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus ''Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Oriental persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki'' ''Diospyros'' is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-pers ...
* ''yamamomo'' (''
Myrica rubra ''Myrica rubra'', also called yangmei (; Cantonese: yeung4 mui4; Shanghainese: ), , Chinese bayberry, red bayberry, yumberry, waxberry, or Chinese strawberry (and often mistranslated from Chinese as arbutus) is a subtropical tree grown for its f ...
'')


Soy The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...
products

*''
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 ...
'' *
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 ...
*
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 ...
(light, dark, tamari) *
nattō , spelled as natto in standard English language use, is a traditional Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been fermented with ''Bacillus subtilis'' var. ''natto''. It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. It is served wit ...
* *''mame moyashi'' - soy sprouts *
kinako ''Kinako'' ( or ) is roasted soybean flour, a product commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In English, it is usually called "roasted soy flour". More precisely it is "roasted whole soy flour". Usage of the word ''kinako'' appeared in cookbooks fr ...
- soy meal *''irimame'' - dry-roasted soy beans and black soy beans (used in kakimochi, etc.)


Vegetable proteins

* Fu (wheat gluten) ** ''nama fu'' - fresh fu usually sold in sticks (long bars) ** dry ''fu'' - variously shaped and colored. ''kuruma-bu'' is one **
chikuwabu is a wheat-based Japanese food item that is frequently eaten as an ingredient in ''oden''. Similar to the process used to make udon, dough is made by kneading flour with salt and water and then formed into a thick cylindrical shape with a hollow t ...
- somewhat more doughy (still has starches left) *
Tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...
:*soft: kinugoshi-dōfu (silken), oboro-dōfu, kumidashi-dōfu :*firm: momen-dōfu (cotton) :*freeze-dried: kōyadōfu :*fried: aburaage, agedōfu, atsuage,
ganmodoki is a fried tofu fritter made with vegetables, such as carrots, lotus roots and burdock. It may also contain egg. ''Ganmodoki'' means ''pseudo-goose'' ( + ). This is because ganmodoki is said to taste like goose; compare mock turtle soup. ''Ga ...
:*residue: okara :*
soy milk Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...
:* yuba


Animal sources


Egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...
s

*
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 ...
*
quail egg Quail eggs are eaten and considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. In Japanese cuisine, they are sometimes used raw or cooked as ''tamago'' in sushi and often found in ''bento'' lunches. In ...
* terrapin eggs, sea-turtle eggs


Meats 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 chick ...

*
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 ...
**
Kobe beef is Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle, raised in Japan's Hyōgo Prefecture according to rules set out by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association. The meat is a delicacy, valued for its flavor, te ...
**
Matsusaka beef is the meat of Japanese Black cattle reared under strict conditions in the Matsusaka region of Mie in Japan. It has a high fat-to-meat ratio. Within Japan, it is one of the three ''Sandai Wagyū'', the "three big beefs"; the others are Kobe be ...
**
Mishima beef The Mishima ( ja, 見島牛, ''Mishima ushi'') is a criticallyendangered Japanese breed of beef cattle. It is found only on Mishima Island, some north-west of Hagi, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, ...
** Beef tongue, heart, liver, tripe, rumen (''mino''), omasum (''senmai''), abomasum (''giara'') *
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 ...
- called ''kashiwa'' in Western parts (Kansai). There are various heritage breeds called ''jidori'' ( :ja:地鶏) ** Nagoya
Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
**
shamo Shamo may refer to: ;People * Shamo Abbey (born 1980), Ghanaian football forward * Shamo Quaye (1971–1997), Ghanaian football player * Ihor Shamo, (1925–1982), Ukrainian composer ;Other * Shāmò, a generic Chinese term for deserts. * Shamo ...
-
fighting cock A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
** ''Hinai jidori'' = x
Rhode Island red The Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken. It is the state bird of Rhode Island. It was developed there and in Massachusetts in the late nineteenth century, by cross-breeding birds of Oriental origin such as the Malay with ...
** unlaid egg yolk (''tamahimo'') *
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
** kurobuta (
Berkshire (pig) The Berkshire is an English breed of pig. It originated in the county of Berkshire, for which it is named. It is normally black, with some white on the snout, on the lower legs, and on the tip of the tail. It is a rare breed in the United Kin ...
) ** or ''shimabuta'', extinct but reconstructed heritage hog of
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 ...
** (a domestic pig x wild boar crossbreed) **
boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is no ...
meat. The
nabe ''Nabemono'' (鍋物, なべ物, ''nabe'' "cooking pot" + ''mono'' "thing"), or simply ''nabe'', is a variety of Japanese hot pot dishes, also known as one pot dishes and "things in a pot". Description Nabemono are stews and soups containin ...
(hotpot) dish is called ''botan nabe'' ("peony") ** ''whey buta'' - marketed by *
horse meat Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Eurasia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3 million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early existe ...
, sometimes called sakura-niku, is a delicacy. Raw sliced horsemeat is "basashi". The fatty portion from where the mane grows (tategami).


Finned fish


Marine fishes

* (red-fleshed fish or ''akami zakana'') *
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 ...
(''katsuo'') - made into
tataki Two methods of preparing fish or meat in Japanese cuisine are called or . In Japanese, means "pounded" or "hit into pieces". Cooked food In the first method, the meat or fish is seared very briefly over a hot flame or in a pan, and can be ...
, namaribushi, and processed into
katsuobushi is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (''Katsuwonus pelamis'', sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes. ''Katsuobushi'' or similarly prepared fish is also known as . Shaved ''katsuobushi'' and dried ke ...
** *
tuna A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: ...
(''maguro'') *
Japanese amberjack The Japanese amberjack or yellowtail, ''Seriola quinqueradiata'', is a species of jack fish in the family Carangidae. It is native to the northwest Pacific Ocean, ranging from China (called ), Korea (called ), and Japan to Hawaii. It is greatl ...
(''buri'' / ''hamachi'') *
Spanish mackerel Scomberomorini is a tribe of ray-finned saltwater bony fishes that is commonly known as the Spanish mackerels, seerfishes or seer fish. This fish closely resembles the King Mackerel. This tribe is a subset of the mackerel family (Scombridae) – ...
(''sawara'')


Blue-backed fish Blue-backed fish (背の青い魚 ''se no aoi sakana''); also referred to as Blue-fish (青魚 ''aozakana'') is a category of fish used in Japanese cuisine that have a rich and fatty taste, and are distinguished from another category of ''white me ...

These fish are collectively called ''ao zakana'' in Japanese. *Japanese
jack mackerel Jack mackerels or saurels are marine fish in the genus ''Trachurus'' of the family Carangidae. The name of the genus derives from the Greek words ''trachys'' ("rough") and ''oura'' ("tail"). Some species, such as ''T. murphyi'', are harvested in ...
(''aji'') *
pacific saury The Pacific saury (''Cololabis saira'') is a member of the family Scomberesocidae. Saury is a seafood in several East Asian cuisines and is also known by the name mackerel pike. Biology Saury is a fish with a small mouth, an elongated body, ...
(''sanma'') *
sardine "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the Ital ...
(''iwashi'') **
Niboshi Niboshi (煮干し), often called iriko (炒り子) in Western Japan, are Japanese dried infant sardines (sometimes incorrectly translated as anchovies). They are one of many varieties of small dried fish used throughout Asia in snacks and as s ...
or ''iriko'' is dried sardine, important for fish stock and other uses. *
mackerel Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. ...
(''saba'') * or ''kohada'' (''
Konosirus punctatus ''Konosirus punctatus'' is a species of fish in the family Dorosomatidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Konosirus''. Its common names include dotted gizzard shad and konoshiro gizzard shad.Froese, R. and D. Pauly. (Eds.Common ...
'') *
herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...
(''nishin'') * ''aji'' (
Japanese horse 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 ...
and similar fish) - typical fish for ''hiraki'', or fish that is gutted, butterflied, and half-dried in shade.


White-fleshed fish

These fish are collectively called ''shiromi zakana'' in Japanese. *
flatfish A flatfish is a member of the Ray-finned fish, ray-finned demersal fish order (biology), order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the ...
(''karei'' / ''hirame'') - ribbons of flesh around the fins called ''engawa'' are also used. Roe is often stewed. * pike conger ('' hamo'') - in Kyoto-style cuisine, also as high-end surimi. *
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 ...
(''
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 ...
'') - flesh, skin, soft roe eaten as sashimi and hot pot (''tecchiri''); organs, etc. poisonous; roe also contain
tetrodotoxin Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin. Its name derives from Tetraodontiformes, an order that includes pufferfish, porcupinefish, ocean sunfish, and triggerfish; several of these species carry the toxin. Although tetrodotoxin was discovered ...
but a regional specialty food cures it in nuka until safe to eat. *
tilefish 250px, Blue blanquillo, ''Malacanthus latovittatus'' Tilefishes are mostly small perciform marine fish comprising the family Malacanthidae. They are usually found in sandy areas, especially near coral reefs. Commercial fisheries exist for th ...
(''amadai'') - in a Kyoto-style preparation, it is roasted to be eaten scales and all; used in high-end
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 ...
. *
red sea bream Red seabream is a name given to at least two species of fish of the family Sparidae, ''Pagrus major'' and ''Pagellus bogaraveo''. ''Pagrus major'' ''Pagrus major'' is of great culinary and cultural importance in Japan, and is known as mada ...
(''madai'') - used widely. the head stewed as ''kabuto-ni''.


Freshwater fish

*
ayu Ayu or AYU may refer to: * Ayu (given name) * Ayu sweetfish (''Plecoglossus altivelis''), a species of smelt * ''Ayu'', a local name for the African manatee * Ayu (singer) or Ayumi Hamasaki, Japanese singer * Ayu Islands, a small archipelago in I ...
- the
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, ...
made from this fish is called . *
Japanese eel The Japanese eel (''Anguilla japonica''; Japanese: 日本鰻 ''nihon'unagi'') is a species of anguillid eel found in Japan, Korea, China, and Vietnam, as well as the northern Philippines. There are three main species under the Anguilla genus, and ...
(''
unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel, particularly the Japanese eel, . Unagi is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking, often as ''kabayaki''. It is not to be confused with saltwater eel, which is known as ''anago'' in Japanese. In ...
'') * - refers regionally to different fish, but often the
goby Goby is a common name for many species of small to medium sized ray-finned fish, normally with large heads and tapered bodies, which are found in marine, brackish and freshwater environments. Traditionally most of the species called gobies have b ...
type, some are high-end fish. *
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 ...
(''sake'') - ''shiojake'' or ''salted salmon'' are often very salty fillets, so lighter salted ''amajio'' types may be sought. is salt-cured whole fish. uses snout cartilage. *
suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
* (Family
Salangidae Salangidae, the icefishes or noodlefishes, are a family of small osmeriform fish, related to the smelts. They are found in Eastern Asia, ranging from the Russian Far East in the north to Vietnam in the south, with the highest species richness in ...
) * ''nigoro buna'' ('' Carassius auratus grandoculis'') - vital source of
funazushi The history of began with paddy fields, where fish was fermented with vinegar, salt and rice, after which the rice was discarded. The earliest form of the dish, today referred to as , was created in Japan around the Yayoi period (early Neolithic ...
for
Shiga-ken is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the northe ...
nians


Marine mammal Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reli ...
s

*
baleen whale Baleen whales (systematic name Mysticeti), also known as whalebone whales, are a parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their ...
(''kujira'') *
dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
(''iruka'')


Mollusks Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000  extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...


Squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...
and
cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

These fish are collectively called ''ika'' in Japanese. * (''aori ika'') * (''surume ika'') * (''kensaki ika'') * (''yari ika'') * (''hotaru ika'') * (''kō ika'')


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 ...

Octopus is called ''tako'' in Japanese. *
Common Octopus The common octopus (''Octopus vulgaris'') is a mollusc belonging to the class Cephalopod A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda (Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. The ...
(''madako'') *
Giant Pacific Octopus The giant Pacific octopus (''Enteroctopus dofleini''), also known as the North Pacific giant octopus, is a large marine cephalopod belonging to the genus '' Enteroctopus''. Its spatial distribution includes the coastal North Pacific, along Mexic ...
(''mizudako'') *
Amphioctopus fangsiao ''Amphioctopus fangsiao'', called webfoot octopus, is a species of octopus, a cephalopod belonging to the genus ''Amphioctopus''. It is found in the Pacific Ocean, including off the coasts of New Zealand as well as in the Yellow Sea and surround ...
(''iidako'')


Bivalves

*
scallop Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families ...
(''hotate-gai'') *littleneck clam (''asari'') *freshwater clam (''shijimi'') *
oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...
(''kaki'') ** ''iwagaki'' (''
Crassostrea ''Crassostrea'' is a genus of true oysters (family Ostreidae) containing some of the most important oysters used for food. Some species in the genus have been moved to the genus ''Magallana''. Species Extant species Extant species include:
nippona''), available during summer months. *
clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two she ...
(''hamaguri'') * (''akagai'') * (''aoyagi'') *
Geoduck The Pacific geoduck ("gooey-duck"; ; ''Panopea generosa'') is a species of very large saltwater clam in the family Hiatellidae. The common name is derived from the Lushootseed ( Nisqually) word . The geoduck is native to the coastal waters of t ...
(''mirugai'') * (''torigai'')


Single shelled gastropods and conches

* horned turban (''sazae'') * abalone


Crustaceans Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...

These foods are collectively called ''ebikani-rui'' or ''kokaku rui'' in Japanese.


Crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...

Crab is called ''kani'' in Japanese. *
snow crab ''Chionoecetes'' is a genus of crabs that live in the northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The genus ''Chionoecetes'' currently contains seven distinct species. Other names for crabs in this genus include "queen crab" (in Canada) and "spider ...
(''zuwaigani'') *
horsehair crab The horsehair crab, ''Erimacrus isenbeckii'' (Japanese: ケガニ, ''kegani''), is a species of crab which is found mainly in the Northwest Pacific, around the Hokkaido coast in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Western Bering Sea and is an important com ...
(''kegani'') *
king crab King crabs are a taxon of decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their meat, many species are widely caught and sold as food, the most common being the red king crab (''Paralithodes camtscha ...
(''tarabagani''; ''hanasaki gani''=''Paralithodes brevipes'') * horse crab (''gazami'') * Kona crab (''asahi-gani'')


Lobsters, shrimps, and prawns

These shellfish are collectively called ''ebi'' in Japanese. *
spiny lobster Spiny lobsters, also known as langustas, langouste, or rock lobsters, are a family (Palinuridae) of about 60 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia. Spiny lobsters are also, especially in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, So ...
(''ise-ebi'') *
Kuruma prawn ''Marsupenaeus'' is a monotypic genus of prawn. It contains a single species, ''Marsupenaeus japonicus'', known as the kuruma shrimp, kuruma prawn, or Japanese tiger prawn. It occurs naturally in bays and seas of the Indo-West Pacific, but has a ...
(''kuruma ebi'') * humpback shrimp (''botan ebi''; ''
Pandalus ''Pandalus'' (cold-water prawn) is a genus of shrimp in the family Pandalidae. Members of the genus are medium-sized and live on or near the seabed. Some species are the subject of commercial fisheries and are caught by trawling. One species, ...
hypsinotus'') *
mantis shrimp Mantis shrimp, or stomatopods, are carnivorous marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda (). Stomatopods branched off from other members of the class Malacostraca around 340 million years ago. Mantis shrimp typically grow to around in lengt ...
- (''shako'') *
barnacle A barnacle is a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in eros ...
* (''Palaemon paucidens'') - freshwater


Echinoderms An echinoderm () is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (). The adults are recognisable by their (usually five-point) radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the sea li ...

*
Sea cucumbers Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of holothuria ...
(''namako'') - body, intestines (''konowata''), ovaries (''kuchiko, konoko'') *
Sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) of ...
(''uni''), ovaries


Tunicates A tunicate is a marine invertebrate animal, a member of the subphylum Tunicata (). It is part of the Chordata, a phylum which includes all animals with dorsal nerve cords and notochords (including vertebrates). The subphylum was at one time ca ...

*
Sea pineapple The sea pineapple (''Halocynthia roretzi'') is an edible ascidian (sea squirt) consumed primarily in Korea, where it is known as ''meongge'' (멍게), and to a lesser extent in Japan, where it is known as or . Sea pineapples are known for both ...
(''hoya'')


Roe Roe ( ) or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, coo ...

*
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 (''
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 ...
'') *
herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...
roe (''kazunoko'') * mullet roe (''
karasumi Karasumi is a food product made by salting mullet roe pouch and drying it in sunlight. A theory suggests that it got its name from its resemblance to the blocks of ''sumi'' (inkstick) imported from China (''Kara'') for use in Japanese calligraph ...
'') - similar to
botargo Bottarga is a delicacy of salted, cured fish roe pouch, typically of the grey mullet or the bluefin tuna (). The best-known version is produced around the Mediterranean; similar foods are the Japanese and Taiwanese , which is softer, and Korean ...
*
pollock Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. ''Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Kingd ...
roe (''
tarako (food) Pollock roe, also pollack roe (also known as ''myeongnan'' and ''tarako'') is the roe of Alaska pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') which, despite its name, is a species of cod. Salted pollock roe is a popular culinary ingredient in Korean, Japanese ...
'') *
capelin The capelin or caplin (''Mallotus villosus'') is a small forage fish of the smelt family found in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic oceans. In summer, it grazes on dense swarms of plankton at the edge of the ice shelf. Larger capelin ...
roe (''masago'') *
flying fish The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird do ...
roe (''
tobiko is flying fish roe in Japanese cuisine, known for its use in ''sushi''. The eggs are small, ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 mm. For comparison, ''tobiko'' is larger than ''masago'' (capelin roe), but smaller than '' ikura'' (salmon roe). Natural ...
'') * crustacean eggs


Liver

*
ankimo is a Japanese dish made with monkfish liver. The liver is first rubbed with salt, then rinsed with sake. Then its veins are picked out and the liver is rolled into a cylinder and steamed. ''Ankimo'' is often served with ''momiji-oroshi'' ( ch ...
, or
monkfish Members of the genus ''Lophius'', also sometimes called monkfish, fishing-frogs, frog-fish, and sea-devils, are various species of lophiid anglerfishes found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. ''Lophius'' is known as the "monk" or "monkfish" ...
liver. * (Thread-sail filefish) and abalone livers are used as is, or as ''kimo-ae'', i.e., blended with the fish flesh or other ingredients as a type of aemono. * squid and ''katsuo'' (skipjack) livers and guts, used to make
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, ...
.


Processed seafood

*
anchovy An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...
(''katakuchi-iwashi''), dried to make
Niboshi Niboshi (煮干し), often called iriko (炒り子) in Western Japan, are Japanese dried infant sardines (sometimes incorrectly translated as anchovies). They are one of many varieties of small dried fish used throughout Asia in snacks and as s ...
. The larvae are
shirasu Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along coasts, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught using fine-m ...
and made into
Tatami iwashi ''Tatami iwashi'' () is a Japanese processed food made from baby sardines or ''shirasu'' () laid out and dried while entwined in a single layer to form a large mat-like sheet. Typically, this is done by drying them in the sun on a bamboo frame, ...
*
chikuwa is a Japanese fishcake product made from ingredients such as fish surimi, salt, sugar, starch, monosodium glutamate and egg white. After mixing them well, they are wrapped around a bamboo or metal stick and steamed or broiled. The word chiku ...
* ''himono'' (non-salted dried fish) - some products are bone dry and stiff, incl. ''ei-hire'' (skate fins), ''surume'' (dried squid), but often refer to fish still supple and succulent. *
kamaboko is a type of cured , a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. is made by forming various pureed deboned white fish with either natural or man-made additives and flavorings into distinctive loaves, which are then steamed u ...
,
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 ...
, etc., comprise a class of food called ''nerimono'', and are listed under
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 ...
products. *
niboshi Niboshi (煮干し), often called iriko (炒り子) in Western Japan, are Japanese dried infant sardines (sometimes incorrectly translated as anchovies). They are one of many varieties of small dried fish used throughout Asia in snacks and as s ...
*
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, ...
of various kinds, made from the guts and other portions.


Insects

Some insects have been considered regional delicacies, though often categorized as or bizarre food. *, larvae and pupae of ''kurosuzumebachi'' or
yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...
spp. *,
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 ...
made from
locusts Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumst ...
that infest rice fields. It used to be pretty common wherever rice was grown. *,
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 ...
made from
stonefly Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mo ...
and
caddisfly The caddisflies, or order Trichoptera, are a group of insects with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults. There are approximately 14,500 described species, most of which can be divided into the suborders Integripalpia and Annulipalpia on the b ...
larvae in streams (specialty of
Ina, Nagano is a Cities of Japan, city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 68,177 in 27587 households, and a population density of 100 persons per km². The total area of the city is . In 2016, the former town of ...
area).


See also

*
List of Japanese cooking utensils The following items are common Japanese cooking tools used in preparing Japanese cuisine. For a list of general cooking tools see the list of food preparation utensils. Knives *''Deba bōchō'': kitchen carver for meat and fish *'' Fugu hiki'', ...
*
List of Japanese dishes Below is a list of dishes found in Japanese cuisine. Apart from rice, staples in Japanese cuisine include noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujag ...
*
List of Japanese condiments This is a list of Japanese condiments by type. Basic Mirin Mirin is an essential condiment used in Japanese cuisine. It is a kind of rice wine similar to sake, but with a lower alcohol content—14% instead of 20%. There are three general types. ...
*
List of sushi and sashimi ingredients There are many sushi and sashimi ingredients, some traditional and some contemporary. Sushi styles * Chirashi-zushi (ちらし寿司, ''scattered sushi'') is a bowl of sushi rice topped with a variety of raw fish and vegetables/garnishes (also ...
*
Sansai is a Japanese word literally meaning "mountain vegetables", originally referring to vegetables that grew naturally, were foraged in the wild, and not grown and harvested from fields. However, in modern times, the distinction is somewhat blur ...
{{Asia topic, Cuisine of
Ingredients An ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial products contain secret ingredients that are purport ...
*
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...