Japanese food

Common Japanese Dishes

Rice Dishes

Gohan – Plain cooked white rice.
Genmai Gohan – White rice with brown rice
Ochazuke – Green Tea or Dashi poured over white rice, at times with umeboshi or tsukemono
Onigiri – Balls of rice with stuffing.
Kamemeshi – Rice with vegetable, chicken, or seafood topping backed in a pot
Sekihan – White rice cooked with azuki beans
Mochi – Rice Cakes
Omurice – Omelet with fried rice
Chahan – Japanese version of fried rice (lighter).
Kayu/Okayu – Rice congee with egg placed in it.
Sozui – Stewed rice soup with egg, meat, vegetables, mushrooms, or seafood and miso or soy.

Ochazuke

Omurice

Donburi Dishes

Donburi is a single bowl dish of white rice with a single topping:

Katsudon – Donburi bowl with deep fried pork or chicken topping
Tekkadon – Donburi bowl with tuna
Oyakodon – Donburi bowl with chicken and egg topping.
Gyudon – Donburi bowl with beef
Tendon – Donburi bowl with tempura topping (fried vegetables or shrimp)
Unadon – Donburi bowl with eel and vegetables

Oyakodon

Katsudon

VDO : How to cook Oyakodon

Sushi

Sushi is a Japanese originated dish of rice marinated in vinegar and topped with numerous ingredients, often fish.

Nigiri – A block of rice with ingredients on top – often raw fish
Maki-zushi – “Roll sushi”; rice and ingredients are rolled into a sheet of nori (seaweed) and cut into smaller pieces
Temaki – The same as Maki but in a cone shape.
Chirashi – This involves a bowl of sushi rice with various seafood and vegetable toppings.

Maki-zushi

Japanese Food Outside of Japan

Outside of Japan, Japanese Food is a commonly available commodity, served in fast food style settings as well as expensive restaurants in almost every country. Sushi and Teriyaki are the best known exports with Sushi becoming a highly regarded healthy food alternative in North American, Asia, and Europe. Teriyaki restaurants in many countries serve quick service, low cost food with various forms of meat, vegetables and tofu with rice and sauce.

Kamaboko is a popular export to South Korea where it is known as eomuk and is sold boiled on a skewer. Taiwan has also adopted many Japanese dishes including Tempura and oden.

Ramen, which originated in China has been reimported to China in recent years and throughout the world in the form of popular restaurant chains, quick heat packages for home and work, and noodle only dishes.

Teriyaki

Kamaboko

Japanese Alcoholic Beverages

Sake is a type of rice wine specific to Japan that is created by fermenting rice. It is not served with rice as it is seen as being the same in regards to the meal’s balance. Shochu is another Japanese alcohol, a distilled beverage created from barley, rice, or sweet potatoes.

VDO : How to make Sake

Sake

Shochu

Special Occasions

There are certain Japanese dishes that are only served during festivals and special events including:

Botamochi/Hagi – Sticky rice dumplings with azuki past served in Spring and Fall.
Chimaki – Sweet rice cakes served during Gion and Tango no Sekku Festivals.
Sekihan – Red Rice served for any holiday or celebration. Involves cooking rice with red bean.
Chirashizushi – Clam Soup served for specific holidays.

Types of Seafood in Japanese Food

Finned Fish Shellfish Roe Crab Sea Mammals

Common Base Ingredients

Rice Eggs Fruit Meat Mushrooms Noodles Beans Flour Fu Seaweed Soy Vegetables

Seaweed

Eggs

Rice

Regional Dishes

Popular regional dishes specific to certain parts of Japan abound and are often called Kyodo Ryori. Most local dishes are now available around the country due to the easy access to the ingredients and includes things like Okonomiyaki and Tokyo-style Sushi. Zoni soup, Soba broth, and Dashi-flavored dishes are all further examples.