When one hears of “popular Japanese food,” the first thing that comes to mind is either ramen or sushi. With Japanese food culture being so popular all over the world, surely everyone has heard of these two popular foods. But Japanese cuisine is actually so unique and varied and goes beyond the usual sushi and ramen.
1. Tempura
For the history junkies out there, here’s a bit of information: this tempura dish goes back to the mid-16th century when the concept of batter-frying (along with Catholicism) was introduced by Portuguese missionaries in Nagasaki, Japan. “Tempura” is derived from the Latin word “tempora” from quattuor anni tempora (The Ember Days). Tempura became one of the most popular Japanese food recipes in the Tokugawa/Edo era and is still loved by many today, especially in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
While tempura is more of a snack than a dish, it still deserves the top spot on this list. It is basically made from seafood and vegetables that are battered and deep-fried until perfectly light and crispy. Tempura is seasoned with a savoury sauce made with sugar, soy sauce, sweet sake, ginger, radish, and spices.
2. Katsudon
This food list won’t be complete without Japanese meat dishes like katsudon. This dish is basically a bowl of rice topped with breaded pork chop, egg, and other ingredients. “Katsu” is a shortened version of the word “tonkatsu,” which means pork chop. “Don” is derived from “donburi,” which is the word for dishes served in a bowl with rice.
Katsudon is among the most popular meals among the Japanese, other than sushi and ramen. In fact, they consider it as an auspicious dish because of its name. The word “katsu” has the same pronunciation as the Japanese word for the verb “to be victorious” or “to win.” Tokyo students eat this dish on the eve of school exams for good luck.
3. Kare raisu or rice with curry
Although kare raisu is a simple dish, it is still very delicious and popular all over Tokyo and in other parts of Japan. It is more popular among Japanese kids. This dish is basically just rice with curry but it tastes different from the original curry dish from India.
You can use a variety of meats and vegetables to make kare raisu. For the meat, you have the freedom to use chicken, beef, pork, and even duck. Don’t forget to add in vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes. It’s totally up to you if you want the dish to be very spicy or not.
4. Shabu-shabu
Another popular Japanese food is shabu-shabu. It is a hot pot dish that consists of beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp stew, vegetables, and mushrooms. For the vegetables, the usual ones include garlic, chard, chives, moyashi, watercress, and skinkiku.
You can either use shiitake or shimeji mushrooms. Shabu-shabu may also include some udon, konnyaku, and kamaboko (Japanese fish cake). These ingredients are then cooked in beef broth.
Once everything is cooked, it is then served with ponzu (which is a tangy soy-based sauce made with fresh lemon or orange juice). Shabu-shabu takes time to prepare as you have to boil the chicken or pork along with seaweed and mushroom. But after the long cooking process, you can be sure to take your tastebuds to Tokyo with this tasty Japanese food.
5. Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki literally means “grilled as you like it,” “what you like” or “how you like.” It’s basically a savoury version of a pancake. Making okonomiyaki is easy: simply mix flour, yam, and egg.
Okonomiyaki is a very versatile dish as you can add pretty much anything you like. Green onions, shrimp, beef, squid, vegetables, cheese, and even mochi (Japanese rice cake)—it’s all up to you to decide which of these ingredients to add. You can pair it with sushi and sashimi or maybe a simple soba noodle dish and it will transport you to Tokyo in a heartbeat (gastronomically at least).
6. Onigiri
Also known as nigari or omusubi, onigiri is a Japanese rice ball wrapped in a nori seaweed leaf. This snack can have several types of filling, but it is usually stuffed with fried salmon, katsuoboshi or dried bonito flakes, umebushi or Japanese salted plums, and other salty/sour ingredients.
If you check your Asian grocer, you can probably see oval-shaped or triangle-shaped onigiri among the packaged sushi. In Japan, onigiri can be found everywhere: convenience stores in Tokyo, supermarkets in Osaka, sushi houses, free fairs, and specialised establishments called onigiri-ya. If you don’t have time to cook or if you ever go hungry, onigiri is an easy-to-prepare snack. You can have it with sushi to fill you up.
7. Miso soup
Miso soup is served before the main course and with almost every dish. You can find it in any Tokyo restaurant. If you want to immerse yourself in a real Japanese gastronomic experience, then don’t miss out on tasty miso soup.
8. Soba
Soba is the Japanese word for buckwheat. It is a type of pasta made from buckwheat flour, giving it a grey-brown colour. Unlike thick udon noodles, soba noodles are thin and can also be eaten cold or hot.
If you ever travel to Tokyo or anywhere in Japan, you can see shops and restaurants that only cook soba and some simple side dish like tempura. You can find fresh soba noodles in supermarkets, too. Soba dish is actually very easy to make at home as you can just add mentsuyu sauce (a Japanese soup base made from sake, mirin, soy sauce, kombu, and dried bonito flakes).
9. Yakitori
Yakitori (which means grilled chicken) is grilled chicken skewers made from bite-sized pieces of chicken meat (breasts, thighs, neck, skin, liver and other innards) which are cooked over charcoal. Yakitori is an inexpensive dish. Japanese people usually pair it with a glass of beer. If you feel like you’re up for a drinking session with your mates, consider serving yakitori alongside sushi and sashimi.