06/05/2022
Japanese cuisine is well-known around the world, but there is so much more to taste in Japan than sushi! Many of us are also familiar with sushi, tempura, and ramen. However, Japanese cuisine is far more diverse.
So, what Japanese foods should you eat if you ever visit the country? To help you decide, we've put together a list of some delectable Japanese dishes that everyone should taste.
Buta-No-Shogayaki (Ginger Pork)
One of the most popular (and delicious) Japanese foods. It's available in a variety of restaurants, izakaya (traditional Japanese restaurant/bar), fast food chains, and even as a bento box (a pre-prepared Japanese style lunch) at many supermarkets and convenience stores.
This meal is made by grilling tiny slices of pork with a delicate sauce of mirin, soy sauce, sake (Japanese rice wine), vegetable oil combined with sliced onions, and ginger.
The recipe is ideal for any season and makes for a quick and pleasant meal.
Fugu
Fugu is the meal to eat if you're searching for not just delicious cuisine but also a thrilling experience in Japan.
The fugu is a delectable pufferfish that can potentially be dangerous due to a poison found in particular regions of its body. Fugu is commonly served as sashimi or in special Japanese nabe hot pots.
The Japanese government strictly regulates the cooking of this fish due to its features. To obtain a license to prepare this fish, chefs must complete at least three years of intensive instruction. The hazardous components of the fish are removed before serving, making it safe to eat.
Surprisingly, the fugu liver is considered the most delicious component of the fish, but it is also the most dangerous. As a result, serving fugu liver in Japan was made illegal in 1984. If you sample this meal, you will undoubtedly be blown away by its flavor, but do your homework before eating it in a restaurant (and never try to prepare it by yourself).
Gyoza
Gyoza are dumplings that are moon-shaped. Another dish that can be found in nearly every Japanese restaurant, regardless of style, yet that many people overlook. Despite their Chinese origins, the variants you'll find in Japan are often significantly different from the original.
Gyoza comes in a variety of flavors in Japan. "Yaki-gyoza" is one of the most popular: the dumplings are filled with minced pork meat, cabbage, garlic, onion, and ginger. Then they're softly fried until they're crispy and a wonderful dark gold hue.
Serve them with a soy sauce, rice vinegar, and spicy oil dip.
Gyukatsu (beef cutlet)
A meal of deep-fried breaded beef, generally served with cabbage, barley rice, miso soup, potato salad, and pickles, is a superb beef variant of the famed pork-based tonkatsu (which we highly recommend you try).
The result is a delicate and crisp texture with a strong but not overpowering flavor. You won't be able to locate this dish as easily as the pork version, but if you do, you'll be delighted!
Karaage
As soon as you step foot in Japan, you'll see karaage, or Japanese fried chicken. Now, karaage usually refers to chicken, but other meats (such as pork) may be substituted depending on where you eat.
Meat is lightly dusted with wheat flour or potato starch before being deep-fried in oil. The ingredients are sometimes marinated ahead of time. It's traditionally served with a slice of lemon on the side, but you can eat it anyway.
Chicken is very popular in restaurants, street food carts, izakaya, and convenience stores (and pretty much anywhere else). Karaage is a low-cost, tasty, and quick meal. The only drawback? It's so good that it's addicting!
Kushikatsu
This crunchy deep-fried skewered meat, fish, or veggies dish is also known as kushiage. The etymology pertains to the method of preparation, with Kushi alluding to the skewers and katsu referring to the deep frying of a beef cutlet.
Bamboo shoots, lotus root, cartilage (nankotsu), and gizzard are used in some of the most unusual varieties (sunagimo). They're all deserving of your attention.
There are several geographical variations, such as Osaka; Tokyo (also serving pork rib kushikatsu), where the meat is prepared slightly differently and dressed with brown sauce; and Nagoya, which is famous for its doteni (a rich miso-based dish with beef tendons, offal, and daikon radish), where you can order Kushikatsu with this staple dish.
