Hello! Surely you have ever thought that Japanese cuisine is based on sushi and raw fish. However, today we want to show you that its gastronomy is very diverse through 5 dishes that will surprise you.
Through our gastronomy section we want to let you know what each region or country can offer us, since the tradition and culture of each of them are reflected especially in the cuisine . In the case of Japan, it is very curious to see how the national cuisine has evolved over the centuries, due to the social and political changes they have suffered Japanese.
It began being highly influenced by Chinese culture but with the Modern Age, Western culture was introduced. It was then that many of the ingredients that came from abroad or the ways of cooking them ended up being developed by the Japanese and they made them their own. An example would be teppanyaki , whose invention is said to be American but in Japan they adopted it and it is currently their most popular form of grilled cooking .
Japanese cuisine is especially recognized for the seasonality of its products, the quality and presentation of the ingredients. And to prove it to you, below we are going to see 5 typical dishes that have nothing to do with sushi. If you’ve ever been to Japan, we’re sure you’ve tried them. If not, sign them up because although in Spain there are also restaurants where you can taste them, the experience in the country of origin is unique.
Ramen
It consists of a bowl of broth with noodles , served with various ingredients on top. Said like this, it seems like a very simple dish, however, the Japanese take the preparation of the base broth very seriously, since it will define whether it is a good dish and its quality. Each chef adds his or her personal touch to make it truly tasty and comforting , which requires spending time.
Ramen is one of the most popular dishes in Japanese cuisine, although its origin is Chinese. It is a common daily meal for Japanese people and a very economical dish . There are up to 8 different types of ramen, in which broths created from chicken , pork or miso are combined , with vegetables and to which different toppings are added , such as meat, mushrooms, egg, nori seaweed… in addition, the noodles that used can be long, stretched and elastic, or more or less thick and wavy.
Japanese curry
Unlike Indian curry, this one is deep dark brown , thick and less spicy . In addition, they serve it three ways: with rice, with udon noodles or with bread.
It was introduced to Japan by the English at the end of the 20th century, when the British Empire settled in India. It is currently very popular in Japanese cuisine, since they usually eat it at least once a week, at home or in a restaurant.
To make it, they use a wide variety of vegetables , especially onion, carrots and potatoes. And the most common meats to make Japanese curry are beef, chicken, pork and sometimes also duck . The sauce is made with curry powder, flour, oil and other ingredients that are added to previously braised vegetables and meats. Everything is cooked over low heat until thick and delicious.
Tempura
It is the name given to fried foods that have previously been coated in flour. They make tempura with a large number of ingredients, whether vegetables, fish and seafood, or meat . And any of them are usually accompanied with tentsuyu sauce , made with dashi broth , soy sauce and mirin.
With this type of food the Japanese demonstrate the great importance they give to the presentation of food . There always has to be a chromatic balance in the dishes, in this case combining vegetables, fish and meats of different colors.
In Japan, tempura restaurants are called Tempura-ya and it seems that that name comes from the word tempero , which in Portuguese means to cook. It was precisely the Portuguese who introduced this dish in the city of Nagasaki, in the 16th century.
Yakitori
They are chicken meat skewers , although we currently use this word to designate any ingredient that we put on a skewer (the correct word would be kushiyaki) . Kushi is the bamboo or steel skewer into which the ingredients are inserted. And normally k ushiyakis are chicken (yakitori), pork (yakiton) or a combination of both meats (motsuyaki).
Chicken ones are usually eaten with salt, grated wasabi or with tare sauce, made with soy, mirin, sake and sugar. The sauce is mixed with the ingredients on the skewer and grilled over charcoal .
Until you have the opportunity to try them in Japan, you can taste these skewers and enjoy an atmosphere inspired by traditional Japanese taverns , at the Yakitoro by Chicote restaurant , in Madrid.
Gyozas
If you have ever gone to a Japanese restaurant in Spain, you have surely seen them. They are crescent-shaped dumplings made with wheat flour dough and filled with pork, onion, cabbage, ginger and garlic, vegetables or many other types of fillings .
They are eaten with soy sauce, vinegar or rayu (sesame oil, spicy chili pepper and garlic) and are usually ordered as an accompaniment to other more substantial dishes, such as noodles.
Vegan gyozas , filled with momen (soft tofu) and vegetables, are also very popular .
These are just some of the most typical dishes of Japanese cuisine, but there are many more such as karaage chicken , tonkatsu (battered pork), domburimonos ( poke -like bowls ) or nabemonos (Japanese stews or stews that They usually eat in winter).
Have you tried any of these Japanese dishes ? Tell us which one through the comments and if you know of any others, don’t hesitate to tell us about them. We will upload some of these recipes soon, so you can also enjoy Japanese cuisine at home.