Take a tour to enjoy the unique dishes in Japan

Japan is considered one of the world’s capitals of dining. Japanese foods are unique and various, from the one of a kind - sushi to ramen. So if you are a food lover, or just simply you want to try Japanese cuisine, let’s find out these dishes.

Tempura

Tempura is a Japanese cooking method that involves battering and deep frying seafood or vegetables in oil. It’s similar to karaage except it uses a light batter made of cold water and soft cake flour. The batter is lightly mixed and kept cold with lumps to create a crisp and fluffy texture when fried.

Hiroshimayaki (Okonomiyaki of Hiroshima)

As the most famous food in the prefecture, the Hiroshimayaki, or Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, is unique from those found in other parts of Japan. Instead of mixing all the ingredients together, they are layered. In addition, the amount of cabbage used in the Hiroshima version is usually three to four times the amount used in the Kansai-Osaka style.

Udon

Udon refers to a type of thick noodle made with wheat flour. It’s typically served hot in winter or chilled in summer and is often topped with thinly chopped scallions, tempura, aburaage (deep-fried tofu), and kamaboko (fish cake). Like ramen, the type of udon broth and toppings used vary from region to region. Eastern udon tends to be darker brown in color while western udon is lighter. This comes from the type of soy sauce used.

Yokosuka Kaigun Kare

Yokosuka kaigun kare is a curry dish from Kanagawa named for the Japanese Imperial Navy, or kaigun, which was once stationed in Yokosuka City. The Japanese navy served a spiced beef curry thickened with flour that was modeled after British beef stew but eaten with rice rather than bread. The meal became popular throughout the local area and is still said to be eaten today by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as part of their weekly meal rotation.

Ke No Jiru

Ke no jiru is a nourishing winter dish featuring a hodgepodge of diced vegetables, tofu, and aburaage fried bean curd in miso soup. It contains root vegetables like daikon radish, burdock root, and carrot as well as wild edible plants such as warabi (bracken fern). Ke no jiru gets its name from “kayu no jiru”, with the word “kayu” (rice porridge) gradually transforming into the word “ke” over time. The dish is eaten for good luck at the start of the new year.

Bara-yaki

Bara-yaki is a dish of grilled beef rib meat cooked on a hot plate or teppan surface over a massive bed of sliced onions. The dish was created in Aomori’s Towada City by local Korean immigrants and is flavored with a sweet and slightly spicy soy sauce, reminiscent of Korean-style barbecue. With its rich, yet down-to-earth taste, it’s no wonder that many people consider bara-yaki to be the “soul food” of Aomori.

Satsumaage

Popular across the country, Satsumaage is one of the most famous dishes of Kagoshima. It mostly consists of a paste of minced fish that is then deep fried. The type of fish used in the paste can vary but is often bonito, mackerel or sardines. Some other ingredients are also included in small quantities to add a bit of flavor, such as pickled ginger and vegetables.

Nabe

Nabe is a traditional hot pot dish containing broth, vegetables, meat or seafood. It is cooked together in an earthenware vessel. The dish is a classic Japanese comfort food and has been eaten in Japan for as long as earthenware cookware has existed. There are a number of different types of nabe made with local ingredients that vary by region. Some famous varieties include kani nabe (crab hot pot), which is often eaten in the winter, and the protein-filled chanko nabe eaten by sumo wrestlers.

See more: Get to know about Wagashi, the Japanese traditional sweets

Nikujaga

Nikujaga is a type of Japanese comfort food made with potatoes and meat braised in liquid, typically beef in the Kansai region of western Japan and pork in the Kanto area to the east. The dish is widely associated with home cooking, especially “ofukuro no aji” or “Mom’s home cooking”. It was created in the 1800s as a dish that emulated western-style stews and is often served as part of a larger meal of rice, soup, and side dishes or packed into a bento box for lunch.

Source Internet