The best food in Japan, Secrets Revealed 2021

The best food in japan, Secret Revealed

We all know Japan has been ahead of so many countries of the world in terms of technological advancements. But that’s not the only facet, Japan has also been contributing massively to the flavorsome cuisines of the world. they have different food of Japanese culture. Japanese are truly very passionate about food, the major theme of all their conversations is usually food. They even travel to other countries to savor different cuisines. And this zeal is truly reflected in their appetizing dishes. Here we are revealing the secret of the selected list of “the best food in Japan” for your food experience and acknowledgment.

And also if you switch on to any Japanese show on your TV, you will see how most of them revolve around the Japanese food culture. The dishes in their restaurants are made by trained chefs who undergo years of training before they are allowed to prepare the major dishes.

Their love and passion for food have attracted a lot of food lovers to travel to Japan to dive into their well-seasoned and exquisite flavors. Even the same dish tastes differently in their streets, cafes, and restaurants. Each outlet has its amazing variation of the dish that can make the customers drool over them. And the best part is that their cuisines are not just flavorful but also extremely healthy. For anyone who loves exploring different food cultures and culinary traditions, there can be no place better than Japan.

Here is a list of 20 best Japanese dishes that deserve your attention

1. Sushi

What is the first dish that strikes your mind when it comes to Japanese cuisine? Not many people are acquainted with a lot of Japanese dishes, but this one here is a favorite for so many people across the oceans. Yes, we are talking about mouthwatering sushi. Sushi is the name given to any dish that is made using vinegar rice. Sushi is the first choice for Japanese cuisine lovers. It is usually garnished with Daikon radish and served with soy sauce or pickled ginger. Because of its delectable taste, people have even made a proverb about it – Surround yourself with sushi, and no negativity!

Here is a golden tip that can save you from embarrassment in Japanese restaurants: While eating sushi rolls, don’t make the mistake of dipping the rice part in the soy sauce as it can soften the rice and harm its texture. Try dipping only the fish part in the sauce.

2. Udon

Udon is another delicacy of Japanese cuisine, which is a noodle variety served in a flavored broth. It is fondly eaten by people in Japan. The flavor and color of its broth vary according to the region, for example, the dark brown broth is served in the eastern areas and is made of dark soy sauce and a light brown broth, made of light soy sauce is loved in the western regions. The dish is adorned by tempura-battered vegetables, prawns, or deep-fried tofu pieces.

3. Tempura

If crispy and crunch is what your taste buds are looking for, then Tempura is certainly the right thing for you. This scrumptious dish consists of a chunk of meat, vegetables, or fish that are marinated in tempura batter and then deep-fried till they turn golden in color and crispy. The word tempura is originally derived from the Latin phrase ‘Quatuor tempora’, which symbolizes Ember days(fasting days) when meat could not be beaten, hence this dish that is primarily made of vegetables is called tempura. They can either be served with a dipping sauce, usually tentsuyu, or combined with other dishes.

4. Ramen  Noodles

It is a Japanese dish that has wonderfully reached every street and every 7-star hotel in the world. It is a soupy wheat-noodle dish made of tempting broth enhanced with meat, vegetable, and nori, Negi, umeboshi, protein, or several other toppings. The dainty broth of ramen is cooked in different flavors- soy sauce, miso, etc.

5. Kashipan

The word is a combination of Kashi and Pan- Kashi stands for sweet and pan denotes bread. This sweet Japanese bread is a treat for so many food lovers and holds a unique spot in the Japanese foods list. If you walk through Japanese streets, every second store would either be a ramen bar or a bakery, which means the bread is their second dear choice. There are several delicious varieties of this bread available in Japan such as Kare pan – Khare meaning curry, hence a bread deep-fried with curry paste, An pan – buns packed with red bean paste, and Melon pan. This sweet bread is usually the first choice when it comes to the breakfast menu in Japan. There are several other variations where the bread is filled with custard cream or flavored jams and rolled into cones and buns.

6.Donburi

Looking for some mid-day dish that can fuel you up? Donburi is the right choice for you. This popular lunchtime dish consists of different vegetables or meat served over steamed rice in wide bowls. Again, the amalgamation of different ingredients provides the dish a different name – Gyu-don containing beef and onion stewed in soy sauce; Oyakodon made with egg, chicken, and scallion; tendon where tempura is served over rice bowl; and many more. It is a commonly made dish in Japanese households where it is cooked with any leftover ingredients and still tastes yummy!

7.Miso Soup

Haven’t you already heard about the famous Japanese miso paste? Japanese drool over its flavor. It is made by fermenting the soybeans and the seasoning is used in several dishes. Miso soup is made by a combination of miso paste and dashi broth. To enhance the taste, toppings like seaweed, barely, etc can be added. The nutritive value of the dish is also considered to be very high. Another important Japanese etiquette associated with this dish that one must know is that it is meant to be sipped and not eaten with a spoon, only the leftover toppings can be eaten with chopsticks.

8.Sashimi

This might sound similar to the popular sushi, but there is a lot of difference in its ingredients and taste. Sushi as we all know is served with vinegared rice whereas sashimi contains raw meat that is never served with rice. Herein the slivers of fish/ meat are presented with daikon radish, wasabi paste, freshly grated ginger or garlic, and soy sauce. The golden tip to cook sashimi is – The fresher the meat, the better the taste.

9.Yakisoba

If you are looking for unique Japanese food, then Yakisoba is just the right dish. Though the literal meaning of the word yakisoba is buckwheat, yet these noodles do not contain buckwheat and are hence different from the rest. It is the most common dish you may find during the cultural festivals of Japan. The dish is made by stir-frying the noodles with various vegetables or pork in the typical yakisoba sauce. Another variant of the dish is- yakisoba-pan where the noodles are sandwiched into a sliced bun with mayonnaise.

10.Onigiri

In the first look, it might give you the impression of normal rice, but it’s what’s inside that makes all the difference. Onigiri or Omusubi has a luscious stuffing inside and is draped in nori seaweed. They are one of the must-pack dishes by Japanese when they go for a day-out or picnic. This light meal could be the best Japanese food for beginners. There are different varieties of stuffing in these rice balls such as umeboshi, teriyaki chicken, salmon, etc.

11.Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is a nourishing, and fit for a king dish. This dish made in a shallow iron pan consists of ingredients like mushrooms, tofu, onions, beef slices, etc. The ingredients are grilled together in sukiyaki sauce. The traditional way to eat this mouthwatering dish is to dip the grilled meat or vegetables into the beaten egg mixture. This dish can surely help you combat the frosty weather and is a perfect winter dish.

12.Unagi

Unagi or the freshwater eel is usually served as unadon where the eel is laden over a bed of rice. This Japanese food is an excellent summer dish. Unagi is also crushed and baked into sweet biscuits called unagi pie. Unagi is most frequently served with tare sauce which is made with mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar. This savory dish will certainly not leave your taste buds for quite some time.

13.Mentaiko

Don’t call yourself a salty seafood lover if you haven’t tasted Mentaiko, because there is nothing better than this one. Mentaiko or salted pollock roe is marinated in different spicy or salty flavors. It can also be served as a filler inside the famous onigiri rice balls. Mentaiko combined with butter/cream can work as a tempting sauce for your pasta.

14. Curry Rice

Japanese curry or Khare-rice is different from the normal Indian curry, in being a little sweeter and thicker. The process of making the curry is quite easy, the ingredients like meat and vegetables are simply boiled in water. Curry can be thickened with the help of curry rice, which is available in block or powder form. Roux can be made in the home kitchen by mixing oils, flour, spices, and curry powder. This is something you just can’t miss savoring.

 15.Shabu Shabu

Shabu-shabu is a popular Japanese hot-pot dish, wherein the meat pieces and vegetables are boiled in a pot of broth. The meat pieces are swished inside the pot until it is cooked properly. Do you know what’s the interesting fact about this dish? The name of this dish is derived from the sound that is heard when the meat slices are splashed into the pot. The pieces can be dipped into ponzu or sesame sauce before eating for better taste.

16.Gyoza

This delicious Chinese recipe brought home by Japanese soldiers after the Second World War is truly a must-try dish. The Japanese made the dish even tastier by enriching the garlic flavor and covering it with thinner wrappers. These moon-shaped dumplings are packed with pork chunks, mushrooms, cabbage, etc. And the gyoza wrapper outside is creased around the boundaries. Usually, the dumplings are fried only on one side to make them crisp and steamed later to make it soft and juicy.

17. Kaiseki Ryori

This is quite similar to Western haute cuisine. It is an ancestral multi-course Japanese dish that consists of small portions of different Japanese dishes. Also known as kaiseki, this dish uses different fresh and seasonal ingredients that are cooked such that their best and natural flavor is brought out. The dishes are beautifully presented on a single tray and also decorated with edible garnishings.

18.Nikujaga

Are you a potato lover? If yes, Nikujaga is a blessing for you from the Japanese food culture. Nikujaga, also known as meat potato is a dish primarily made up of potatoes alongside different vegetables like onions that are cooked together in sake, mirin, soy sauce, or sugar. Apart from the traditional recipe, every household has a different taste for this exotic dish.

19.Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is another of the best food in Japan on the Japanese food list. Tonkatsu or pork cutlets is similar as western-style food, native to Europe but wonderfully modified as a Japanese dish. Here in the pork cutlets are breaded and deep-fried till they attain the perfect bronzed color. The dish is served along with tonkatsu sauce, miso soup, rice, and salads, mainly shredded cabbage. Tonkatsu is also loved as a filling inside the sandwich or relished with Japanese curry or the Katsu curry.

20.Tamagoyaki

Tamagoyaki is easy to eat food for beginners, Tamagoyaki or the Japanese rolled omelet is a dish which you don’t have to eat after looking at the clock, you can have it any time of the day or night. The best part about this Japanese food is its recipe, which is quite simple. The beaten eggs are rolled into several layers and coated with either spicy soy sauce or sugar for sweetness. The choice of seasoning purely depends on your liking. Because of its sweet flavor, it is also served as a dessert in some restaurants or ramen bars. They are also used as stuffing inside onigiri or sushi rolls.

21. Kushi Katsu

Now let’s begin with another list of ”the best food in Japan”. Kushi katsu also basically is fried meat, vegetable with a skewer. It’s a really fun dish and a really fun thing to go eat out with friends. The way that cooking cutter restaurants work is that you go to a place you usually choose what’s on the menu to have fried and then the restaurant owners, whoever is cooking, will fry that thing for you. Bring it to you on a plate and at the center of the table in the restaurant, you’ll be to they’ll be this big dish with sauce inside.

22.Hitsuma Bushi/Unadon

Hitsuma Bushi is one of the classic Dish in japan.  This is a  kind of fish eel, Taste is tangy and served with over the rice. Hitsuma Bushi is served with soup, green onion, coved by Noori, and with sweet sauce. You really have a great taste of eel fish by eating Hitsuma-Bushi. Eel fish was different taste the fish and differently, they served it.

23. Gyudon

Gyudon is another the best food in japan, Gyudon is very popular in Japan, the Japanese have crafted this into amazing food. If you don’t know it traditionally comes in a bowl with rice. And basically what you’ve done is meat beef, to be exact, and kind of a sweet-savory sauce. There are a lot of restaurants all across Japan that serve Gyudon. This is also ones that specialize specifically in gluten bowls. Some of my favorite spots to visit because they were cheap and delicious, were seven elevens and family marks that sold plastic containers that came prepared with rice and beefsteak. Gyudon is always the best food in japan among the food review by the taste and price.

24.Okonomiyaki

a dish that I had some certain expectations with and it blew those out of the water. Okonomiyaki also is known as the savory pancake.  Okonomiyaki is a dish experience within itself. First of all, the preparation of okonomiyaki is fun to watch as is. So if you want to experience something truly Japanese, go and watch them. There are two best cities in Japan to have okonomiyaki, Hiroshima, and Osaka. There are two kinds of content with each other is Hiroshima and Osaka.

There’s kind of a nationwide competition and who makes the best okonomiyaki? In Japan, local people say Hiroshima is the best place. We had tasted it in Osaka and it was so delicious. So to break down the dish for what it is, it’s basically pancake mix made a little savory with the option to add whatever type of protein, vegetables, and maybe even noodles inside. It’s kind of created on a hot griddle and then brought to you on another hot griddle.

So it’s always hot. That’s the best part. You watch the food being prepared in front of you. You get to choose things from octopus, beef, and then a certain type of soba noodles that you can throw on top to have cooked inside of the actual pancake mix. And that will be all cooked up right in front of your eyes until it’s hot and fluffy. Okonomiyaki is a very traditional Japanese dish, and it’s something many Japanese people recommend you try when you’re in Japan.

So make sure that you don’t miss out on okonomiyaki when you’re visiting Japan. Haven’t you already started to feel hungry after reading about these gratifying dishes? thankyou for reading these articles, please stay safe and happy.