15 Most Popular Foods You Have To Eat In Japan (2019)
by Ro - TripleLights travel specialist
As many of you already know, Japan has a wonderful and unique cuisine but mostly when we think about Japanese food, what automatically comes to our minds is fish and rice. This blog post will help you to have a different view about the food culture in Japan, and will help you to know what to order from the moment you sit at the restaurant.
1. Sushi & Sashimi
Let's start with the food item that most of us associates Japan with: Sushi and Sashimi. Sushi is known all over the world and is unique in its creation because every piece of rice is seasoned with a rice vinegar mix (made with sugar and salt) and then mixed with different ingredients such as a variety of seafood, vegetables, nori (seaweed), etc.. You can just grab a piece of sushi with chopsticks and dip it into soy sauce or wasabi, or both. It is truly a mix of flavors in your mouth! Depending on the shape and ingredients that are used, sushi can be called different names: Nigiri sushi, Maki sushi , Oshi sushi , Temaki sushi, etc
Sashimi is basically raw fish or seafood served with wasabi (a spicy Japanese condiment), soy sauce and generally it comes with slices of radish on the side. The name sashimi comes from the tale of the fish the it used to come with the meal to identify which kind of fish you are eating. Sashimi in kanji it is written like this: 刺身 . The first kanji means spine and the second kanji means body.
Here's a time-saver:If you are planning a trip to Japan and want to ensure that you have the best possible food experience in the country, you should first check out all the different sushi tours that Triplelights offer - some are truly unique, such as learning how to make and cook sushi in the suburbs, participating in sushi workshops at Tsukiji Fish Market, and even making a trip to the Shimizu Sushi Museum. Feel free to send a message to any of the local guides in Japan if you have questions on how to receive a customized itinerary and quotation to begin planning for an unforgettable food experience.
2. Ramen
Ramen is one of the most popular options at the moment when choosing something to eat in Japan. It is a bowl of wheat noodles served in a soy sauce or miso soup mixed with many kinds of ingredients. The most typical ingredients are slices of pork, green onions, seaweed and egg. I can´t compare the flavor of this dish with anything else I have tasted before. The most important part of this dish is the soup. It is the most tasty flavor I have ever tried, and can range from soft to strong according on where you order it. The way the pork is cooked, makes it so soft that sometimes it breaks into pieces as soon as you catch it with your chopsticks. With one order of ramen and a side dish of rice, you can be sure that you will be satisfied when you finish your meal... if you can!
There are correct ways of enjoying your ramen, and special ramen such as the Tsukemen Ramen.
3. Tempura
Tempura is a Japanese fried snack made mostly from seafood and vegetables but you can also find tempura made from fowl and fish, seasoned with a sauce made with soy sauce, ginger and sugar. Tempura can be made using almost any and every vegetable. The size of the piece has to be able to be eaten in one bite and despite being deep fried, does not have an oily texture. Tempura is usually served with Tetsuyu sauce that is a mix of consomme, sweet sake, soy sauce, ginger, radish and spices.
http://www.periodistaenjapon.com/
4. Kare-Raisu (Curry Rice)
Also a very popular, simple and delicious dish that we can find in Japan, Kare-Raisu is just rice with curry but the taste is certainly different from any other curry dishes I've had before. To make Japanese curry, you can use a variety of meats and vegetables. The basic vegetables are onions, carrots and sweet potatos, and the meats used are chicken, pork, beef and sometimes duck. There are different levels of spiciness for curry: soft, regular and hot are the most common. Which level would you choose?
Meet one of the best curry shops in Tokyo - Curry Kingdom. They have one of the greatest varieties of curry to choose from that we have ever seen, including fish curry, chicken curry, pork curry and even fruit curries such as the Strawberry-flavored one.
5. Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is similar to a pancake with the way it is pressed on a griddle but the ingredients are much more different and is usually considered a savory dish. It is typically made with flour, yam and egg, but you can add also anything you like. The most common additions are green onions, beef, shrimp, squid, vegetables, mochi and cheese. In some restaurants, the experience is more interactive because the chef goes to the table and makes it on a griddle while the customers help the chef by adding other ingredients.
6. Shabu Shabu
Shabu shabu is essentially a Japanese hot pot dish. For this dish it uses many kinds of meats and seafood, mostly the softer ones, and sides of vegetables, tofu and noodles. The way it works is you grab a piece of meat (you can also pick some of the vegetables) and immerse it in the pot with hot water or consomme. Once it is cooked, you dip it in a sesame sauce with some rice as a side dish. Very delicious!
www.theodysseyonline.com
7. Miso Soup
Miso soup is served as a side dish in mostly every meal and with almost every dish. It is a soup made from a miso paste (fermented soybeans) and dashi (the consomme). Inside this kind of base soup, you will find pieces of tofu, onion, wakane seaweed, and sometimes vegetables like sweet potatos, carrots and radish. It is never served as a main dish. It always comes with a bowl of rice and one or 2 more dishes.
www.harisonsnandi.com
8. Yakitori
Yakitori is a Japanese brochette, or otherwise known as skewers. Earlier in history, the meat used for Yakitori was just chicken (Note: the "tori" in "Yakitori" means "bird"), but nowadays it can also be made using pork, beef and fish. These brochettes/skewers are essentially a mix of vegetables and meat cooked on a grill and dipped in teriyaki sauce. It is also a typical Japanese fast food dish as well as a dish eaten best with alcohol.
This is one of the options that foreigners are usually more comfortable trying. It has a occidental flavor so if you are not sure about what to taste first or you find out that Japanse flavors are not your thing but you still want to try the cuisine, I would recommend you to start with Yakitori so you can feel something familiar.
http://www.epicurus.com/
9. Onigiri
This is the most popular snack in Japan. No matter what time is it, or where you are, if you are hungry and you don´t have time, you can buy an onigiri. Onigiris are rice balls seasoned in many kinds of ways. Some of them are filled with chicken, vegetables, fish, and pork, while others are covered with a seaweed or with a slice of egg. Some of them have just rice mixed with some sauce, vegetables, beans, furikake... etc. As you can see, you can find a huge variety of flavors for all the tastes. There are shops that only make onigiris, but aside from those, you can also just grab an onigiri and go from any convenience store or supermarket.
http://es.ipcdigital.com/
www.gnavi.co.jp
www.global.rakuten.com
10. Udon
Udon is a thick noodle made from wheat flour. It is commonly served in a consomme with soy sauce and mirin. Most of the times it comes with negi (onion). The shape and the size depends on the prefecture it comes from. Udon can be eaten cold or hot. Soba and Udon are very popular in Japan. It is a common dish for black-coated workers and students when they have lunch time and they need to eat something fast. There are Udon shops everywhere and they are typically always be crowded, so don't be surprised or worried as you usually don't have to wait for a long time to be seated.
https://cbsla.files.wordpress.com/
11. Soba
Soba noodles are made by buckwheat flour which gives it the colour, and are also known as fast food in Japan because they are cheap and popular. Soba noodles are thin (Udon noodles are thick) and they can be eaten also cold or hot. There are shops in Japan that only cook soba, maybe with some simple side dish as tempura. At the supermarket you can find the fresh noodles to cook at home. These noodles can be also be eaten with a simple mentsuyu sauce to make preparation easier.
www.japan-guide.com
www.popsugar.com
12. Gyudon
Gyudon is basically a bowl of rice with beef on the top seasoned with different ingredients and spices. The most famous place to eat gyudon is Sukiya. Besides the simplicity, it is a very delicious dish, and most importantly, inexpensive. In most places, you can order a Gyudon in a set that comes with a small salad and miso soup. Another important tip about this: the service is very fast! Typically if you order a Gyudon, it will be prepared and brought to your table in less than five minutes. The size of the dish is suitable for every meal, as you can choose from small, medium, or large sized Gyudons. For a quick lunch period, Gyudon is a favorable option.
www.blog.gaijinpot.com
I learned that tea in Japan is almost always accompanied with decadent sweets and is not served on its own at these Tea Houses. The most common sweets in Japan are made with beans or sometimes with matcha. Japanese sweets in Japan are considered art because of their relationship between taste, shape, and color.
http://alisoncanavan.com
14. Soft Serve Ice Cream
There is an extremely popular soft serve ice cream chain in Japan that runs all year round called CREMIA, and is famous for being made with 12.5% milk fat and 25% fresh whipped cream, making the ice cream soft but decadent. The CREMIA ice cream cone is renowned for being made of "langues de chat" (also known as the "cat tongue" biscuit), giving it a smoother texture than the typical waffle cone that you can find at a convenience store.
Image courtesy of Nissei
15. Gyoza
Gyoza are popular Japanese dumplings or pot stickers that may come in three different types: Yakigyoza (fried), Suigyoza (boiled), and Agegyoza (deep-fried). Fillings usually include chives, thin slices of cabbage, mushrooms, and finely minced pork or chicken, and are made with thin wrappers as opposed to Chinese dumplings ("jiaozi"), which use a more thick and doughier wrapping. As for what the gyoza is eaten with, dipping sauces usually include soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, or ponzu sauce, which is a citrus-soy dressing. When in Japan, you should definitely try the Gyoza in Utsunomiya, a city that boasts the largest consumption of gyoza per household anywhere in Japan. Within the city, 30 gyoza restaurants jostle for space. From the newest spots to the most venerable establishments, the restaurants boast their own special brand of gyoza. Feel free to send a messageand ask any of the tour guides in Japan through the TripleLights website for a customized itinerary for the best gyoza recommendations.
Want to have the best food experience during your stay in Japan?
It can be difficult to have the best food experience on top of planning your travel itinerary without knowing the Japanese language. Many restaurants in Japan have menus in only one language, so it can be difficult to find the best restaurants as well as order the right items - having a private tour guide from Triplelights or joining a private tour group can eliminate those intimidating factors and risks - not only will you not get lost with the aid of a professional local guide, the guide can lead you and/or your group to the best restaurants and help you order the most delicious foods hassle-free. Check out TripleLights today and let the guides help you plan the most convenient, fun, and amazing trip to Japan!
Blogs About Food in Japan
Did you like my article?
If you are interested to know more and save your time during your trip to Japan, You can send a messageto our local guides to get a customized itinerary and quotation for an unforgettable experience.
In the TripleLights website you can find the best professional guides all over Japan to help you plan your trip. Check our local guides for Japan
Plan your trip to Japan
Chat with a local tour guide who can help organize your trip.Recent Tour Reviews
“ The day around Tokyo ”
Excellent
1 hour agoTraveler: Steven - Tour Guide: Toshihiro
Had a fantastic day with Toshihiro-san as our private guide. He was very well planned and organised. Toshi knew exactly where to take us, very knowledgeable. We saw so much of the city that we would not have been able to see by ourselves. Highly recommend Toshi as your guide. Thanks again Toshi.., regards Steve and John
read more
read more
“ Best One Day Tokyo Tour Ever ”
Excellent
2 hours agoTraveler: Elizabeth - Tour Guide: Mitsuru
I had a 12 hour layover in Tokyo, and rather than spend it in the airport, I spent the day with Mitsuru. He and I communicated before I arrived about what kinds of things I thought I'd like to see, but I left the itinerary in Mitsuru's hands. And he did an AMAZING job. I literally saw Tokyo from the fish market to the royal palace grounds, famous Shibuya pedestrian intersection (check it out on...
read more
read more
“ Excellent guide ”
Excellent
15 hours agoTraveler: Terry - Tour Guide: Kosuke
Kosuke was very professional and communicated very well in English throughout our whole time. He knew the city so well and he brought us to lesser known shrines as well to observe the other side of touristy Kyoto. It was enjoyable with Kosuke as we spoke about almost anything and everything. Definitely recommend it to anyone who wish to visit Kyoto or Osaka.
read more
read more
“ Highly recommended! ”
Excellent
16 hours agoTraveler: Sarah - Tour Guide: Hiroki
Myself and my two boys (ages 10 & 11) spent the morning with Hiroki at the Samurai experience. He was incredibly kind and helpful. We had trouble navigating the metro system and so jumped in a taxi and Hiroki spoke to the driver on the phone and made sure we got to the right place. He translated the Samurai experience well and it has been the highlight of our trip to Tokyo so far. After the Samura...
read more
read more
“ Awesome way to see Tokyo ”
Excellent
18 hours agoTraveler: Paula - Tour Guide: AKIRA
Akira organised some great things to see and do which was a good way to spend my first day in Tokyo. He suggested places to eat at and was willing to switch up the lunch plans as I wasn’t too keen on raw fish.
read more
read more
“ Enjoyable photoshoot ”
Excellent
1 day agoTraveler: Zhi - Tour Guide: Kimono Photo Studio
We went there early and the studio team welcomed us with great warmth! Easy communication with the ladies and super friendly service. Service much much more than expected. Would want to go back again in the future. Great experience, they will make the photoshoot an enjoyable session. Thank you team! Arigato ♡
read more
read more
“ Excellent day with Yuko in Nagasaki ”
Excellent
1 day agoTraveler: Amphorn - Tour Guide: Yuko
Professional, speaks perfect English and has great knowledge of the city and country. We had a wonderful day (mingled with the local, as well as did some tourist stuff). We highly recommend her as your tour guide.
read more
read more
“ Excellent half day tour of Hiroshima ”
Excellent
1 day agoTraveler: Steve - Tour Guide: MAYUMI
Excellent communication and half day tour with Mayumi. We were able to go through Peace Park museum, Atomic Dome, Hiroshima Castle and glean tons of interesting information from Mayumi's expertise in the city. Especially neat was a trip to the elementary school museum where there were post bombing messages recovered from underneath the walls.
read more
read more
“ Old and new japan ”
Excellent
1 day agoTraveler: Miriam - Tour Guide: Mitsuru
We had a fabulous day .family of five with funds age 19-16 who though getting a guide might be a bit naff ...but mitsuru was so easy to be around. Shared some interesting info but mostly helped us find a more authentic Japanese tokyo experience than we ever could have in our own Money well spent Highly recommend mitsuru
read more
read more
Comments
Post a Comment