The 15 Japanese foods that you NEED to taste !
Discover the 15 foods you should try in Japan to have a taste of this unique and delicate cuisine! Check for the sweet and salty yummy Japanese food.
Salted Japanese foods:
Japanese curry- Kare Raisu
Japanese Curry is a roux thickened stew that typically includes a protein, onions, carrots, and potatoes. It comes with Japanese short-grain rice, referred to as Curry Rice. The thick gravy is sweet which make it a perfect sweet and salted dish! This dish can be served with spices too.
Soba noodles
Taste it in its cold version with its dipping sauce and sesame graines. Soba are brown noodles, made from wheat and buckwheat, and the sauce is based on dashi, the omnipresent Japanese stock.
Yaki Udon noodles
Udon noodles are a thick, chewy wheat noodles made with wheat flour, water, and salt. When you will walk on the cities, you can find some typical street restaurant that made them directly in front of you. Try it there, so you can taste them fresh!
Japanese Breakfeast: miso soup and onigiri
Try the typical Japanese breakfeast with a miso to hydrate you and the rice dish on the side. I go for the onigiri which can be filled with plum for a sour taste or tuna and mayonnaise for a salty one.
Okonomiyaki
The traditional Okonomiyaki of the Osaka region is a Japanese patty made of a tempura batter with dashi broth, topped with shredded cabbage, slices of pork belly and different small fillings.
In Japanese, Okonomiyaki literally means “what you like.” Feel free to vary the filling according to your desires.
Yakitori
Yakitoris are the traditional Japanese Skewer. Gourmet, sweet and savory and melt-in-the-mouth, yakitori skewers have it all. Traditionally prepared with chicken, simply cut into bite-sized pieces and pricked on mini skewers. Coat with a sauce made from sake, sugar, soy sauce and mirin, which will caramelize when cooked. It is so savoury!
Tempura
Tempura are fritters made of vegetables, fish, and shrimp… very light and very popular in Japan. It can be served with udon noodles and are a mouthwatering dish that you should definitely give a try! My favorite one are the aubergine fritters and the shrimps one 😉
Nabemono
The nabe or nabemono is a broth with a base of water or soy sauce presented in a kind of pot that we place on a stove in the middle of the table and we serve ourselves with Japanese chopsticks or a small ladle.
This broth is mostly made from fish, tofu, Chinese cabbage, thin slices of pork or beef, noodles, Japanese mushrooms including shiitake… Often the sauce is served on the side (miso or dashi and/or also shoyu…)
Imomochi
Imomochi are potato pancakes that are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, originating from the island of Hokkaido, in the far north of Japan. It is the best comfort food or a good snack for a little craving.
Sushi / Sashimis
Culinary art attested , composed of slices of fresh fish eaten raw. Sashimi should not be confused with sushi, a variant preparation which is composed of rice and nori seaweed. Unique meals they are know from all over the world, but in Japan, for sure you will find the typical one (not the ones with cheese or westernise), and choose them on seaside to have the fish purely fresh.
Sweet Japanese foods
Mochis
The mochi is defined by its composition: it is a preparation made from sticky rice . They can be filled by a red bean paste, strawberry or other wonderful things.
It is one of my favorite dessert and go along really well with a matcha or sencha tea.
Fluffy japanese cheescake
Their looks are fun and so kawaii . They are so fluffy it’s litteraly pure joy! Made with whiped eggs and cream they are soft in the mouth.
Dorayaki
Dorayaki are Japanese cakes that are very popular in Japan. They are composed of two thick, fluffy pancakes topped with anko (sweet red beans)
Hokkaido Tart
The soft and creamy centre is made with a blend of different cheeses piped into a crunchy shortcrust pastry base baked to golden brown. It can have various flavours like chocolate…
Matcha Ice cream
Matcha is a tea use for the tea ceremony in Japan. Coming in a radiant green, it has a unique taste. You can find it on many dessert in Japan, but from all the ones I tried, the best one is the matcha ice cream wich is sweet enough to balance the bitterness of the matcha. You can find them everywhere on the streets.
If you are travelling to Japan, check my itinerary for a 2 weeks in Japan !
