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Japanese Cuisine
Tempura,
sukiyaki, sashimi, sushi – even the words
used to describe the most basic of Japanese
dishes are exotic and beautiful. Japanese cuisine
is easily one of the healthiest in the world,
with its concentration on fresh fish, seafood,
rice and vegetables. The pungent sauces and
delicate flavors of fresh foods complement each
other beautifully, and the methods of
presentation turn even simple meals into
beautiful events.
The Japanese have easily a dozen different names
for rice, depending on how it is prepared and
what it is served with. The most common meal is a
rice bowl, a bowl of white rice served with
various toppings or ingredients mixed in. So
popular is it that the Rice Bowl has even made
its way into the world of Western convenience
foods alongside ramen noodles. Domburi is a bowl
of rice topped with another food: domburi tendon,
for instance, is rice topped with tempura and
domburi gyudon is rice topped with beef. The
Japanese adopted fried rice from the Chinese, and
a century ago, when curry was first introduced,
developed Kare Raisu, curry rice. It is now such
a popular dish that there are many fast-food
restaurants that serve several versions of it in
take-away bowls.
Besides white rice served as a side dish,
Japanese cuisine also features onigiri –
rice balls wrapped in seaweed, often with a
‘surprise’ in the middle, and kayu, a
thin gruel made of rice that resembles oatmeal.
As an island nation, it’s not surprising
that seafood is featured in Japanese cuisine.
Sushi and sashimi both are raw fish and seafood
with various spices. Impeccably fresh fish is the
secret to wonderful sashimi and sushi, served
with wasabi and soya sauce. The Japanese love of
beauty and simplicity turns slices and chunks of
raw fish into miniature works of art. Fish sliced
so thin that it’s transparent may be
arranged on a platter in a delicate fan that
alternates pink-fleshed salmon with paler slices
of fish. Sushi is typically arranged to best
display the colors and textures to their best
advantage, turning the platter and plate into
palettes for the artistry of the chef.
Traditionally, meat plays a minor role in the
Japanese diet, though it has been taking a larger
and larger role over the past fifty years as
Japan becomes more westernized. Beef, chicken and
pork may be served with several meals a week now.
One of the more popular meat dishes is
‘yakitori’ – chicken grilled on a
skewer and served with sauce. A typical quick
lunch might include a skewer of yakitori and a
rice bowl with sushi sauce.
In an interesting twist, Japan has imported
dishes from other cuisines and
‘Japanized’ them, adopting them as part
of their own cuisines. Korokke, for instance, are
croquettes adopted from those introduced by the
English last century. In Japan, the most common
filling is a mixture of mashed potatoes and
minced meat. Other Soshoyu – western dishes
that have made their way into Japanese everyday
cuisine include ‘omuraisu’, a rice
omelet, and hambagau, the Japanized version of an
American hamburger.
Visit The Tasty Chef for more great tips,
techniques, and insights pertaining to cooking
and recipes. http://www.tastychef.net
About the Author
Visit The Tasty Chef for more great tips,
techniques, and insights pertaining to cooking
and recipes. http://www.tastychef.net
Written by: Troy Pentico
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