I adore the Japanese foodIt is something that I enjoy very much every time I travel and, for a while now, in my own city. And it is that with the passage of time other Japanese dishes became popular in addition to sushi.
That is, in terms of typical dishes of Japan not everything has to do with sushi. There are so many tasty dishes! Therefore, if you can travel or find a good Japanese restaurant in your city, do not hesitate. To try it has been said!
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine is very old and it is a cuisine that basically it is based on rice, fish, chicken and pork. Of course, noodles are added to the equation, in some varieties, and the aromas and flavors are very different from what we are used to.
Sushi became very popular many years ago, but it is far from being the best exponent of Japanese cuisine. I remember regretting that only this type of dish could be eaten in my city 20 years ago, when I was back from my first trip to Japan and wanted to continue eating ramen and soba and yakitori and everything else… What a frustration!
But luckily now, everyday Japanese cuisine is closer. Let's see then the typical dishes.
Onigiri
I love this snack and it's something that I never stop buying in conbini, the convenience stores that populate every square meter of any Japanese city or destination.
It is a kind of rice sandwich with different fillings: it can be chicken, pork, vegetables, tuna ... The rice is usually seasoned and sometimes there is a sheet of seaweed that covers it. The rice balls are either round or triangular in shape.
They are always sold fresh and cheap.
Yakiniku
Today the barbecue Korean, hand in hand with k-dramas, but the Japanese have their own version: yakiniku. The cuts of meat are of very good quality and it is possible to get it to include wagyu, that fatty meat that is so appreciated and expensive in these lands.
The cuts of meat are small and a sauce different from the classic barbecues is used.
Soba
This is a very popular and very traditional variety of noodles. The zaru-soba They are made from wheat and are served separately with their sauce. So, you wet them before putting them in your mouth.
It is a simple dish that is usually served with chives and seaweed and is generally sold in stores specializing in soba or udon as well. In traditional restaurants it is not usually missing.
Yakitori
This is a quick plate and varied that you can order quietly sitting at the bar of one of those traditional small Japanese restaurants. In general the yakitori is made with chicken pieces, different cuts, and beer is the best company.
In the yakitori, the chicken is used almost everything because in addition to the meat they eat the organs and you can order them with different sauces, sweet, sweet and sour, salty ... There are types of yakitori more popular than others, for example the Negima, the momo or the tsukune.
Shabu - shabu
If you go in winter and it is very cold a good stew it's the best and that's what shabu shabu is all about, a dish with many cuts of meat and vegetables boiled in broth and sauce. It is not a heavy dish, on the contrary, and it is quite healthy for the amount of vegetables it contains.
Shabu shabu is also a very social dish since it is common to gather around the pot, which continues to simmer over low heat, while talking and hanging out.
Okonomiyaki
I think this is my favorite dish. It's about a pancake made with flour, water and beaten eggs that is cooked on a very hot griddle and has pure shredded or chopped cabbage. One of the most popular versions of this dish is the okonomiyaki from Hiroshima, so if you go for a walk in this city try not to forget to try it. But of course there are other varieties and it is not necessary to travel to Hirosihima to enjoy it.
Each region uses different ingredients and that makes the okonomiyaki taste different in each place. And it is not expensive at all, it is abundant and is super enjoyed.
Japanese curry
If there is something that you cannot avoid while walking through Japan, it is to feel the aroma of Japanese curry. Especially at lunchtime. Personally, I think it saturates a bit and if you don't like it you get annoyed, but it is a midday menu item that is always available and since it is so popular you can find a variety of prices.
Curry itself is intense, after all it is a mixture of spices and there are curries in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand ... Here in Japan curry goes through a plate of meat and vegetables combined in a thick, dark sauce. And rice, of course. Among all the versions the most popular is katsu curry which includes breaded and fried meat, which can be pork or chicken, rice on the side and lots of curry sauce.
It is a heavy dish so if you accompany it with a beer chop, you don't want to go any further later.
Tempura
Tempura is basically fried food In my opinion, it must be freshly made and with good quality oil. There are masters of tempura so if you have the pocketbook, you should pay for the best versions. The tempura includes vegetables and fish so you can eat shrimp, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin… actually, the list is endless.
The tempura goes hand in hand with an intense sauce, salt and sometimes rice. You can even order with noodles but the most common version is tempura alone. If you want to try good tempura then try to go to a tempura ya, but it will cost you about 50 euros or more ... In the izakaya it is cheaper, between 6 and 20 euros and for individual evasions you can go to the supermarkets where the prices are even cheaper.
Ramen
My second favorite dish? The roots of this dish are supposed to be Chinese, but nowadays there is no Japanese who does not love this dish that has become super Japanese. There are many varieties of ramen, of styles, of flavors, with different ingredients to choose from.
For example, the tonkotsu ramen It is made with pork bone and is very popular. The truth is that you can try all the varieties without knowing what you are asking for. Don't hesitate, they are all delicious. I have never tasted broths so delicious, so delicious, and with flavors so different from the classic chicken or vegetable broth that one eats at home.
Sushi
Well, in a list of typical dishes of Japan you can not altar sushi, the classic combination of rice and fish. There are many places where you can eat sushi, but when it comes to living a particular experience, the best thing is to go to one of those restaurants with a revolving sushi band. The «Rotating sushi»It is a lot of fun and makes the experience of eating something memorable.
And if you don't want to go to eat sushi, then in the supermarket or in the konbini you can find them too.