12 Japanese Recipes Other Than Sushi

Healthy and diverse, Japanese cuisine is probably one of the most exported cuisines internationally to date. In 2013, washoku (i.e. traditional Japanese cuisine) was listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site. That year, France became the largest consumer of sushi in Europe, and has held this title ever since. However, the archipelago’s gastronomy does not stop there, and Japanese cuisine actually encompasses an infinite number of dishes and recipes, traditionally consumed with chopsticks. On this subject, many ancestral rules and preparation techniques are not actually respected in Japanese restaurants around the world. Thus, many dishes and emblems of Japanese cuisine internationally are often not considered “Japanese” in the country, such as the famous “sweet soy sauce”.

Meticulous ancestral practices

Japan is proud of its great regional cuisine, strongly influenced by the foods available according to the regions and seasons. A cuisine that the country’s great chefs do not hesitate to highlight. Due to the very influential Buddhist vegetarian practices in Japan for several centuries, the consumption of red meat was forbidden for a long time. Hence the popularity of fish and seafood in local gastronomy. The latter are often eaten raw, like sushi but also sashimi.

Cutting food is considered an art that is as important as preparation or seasoning. There are many special knives and utensils depending on the products and cutting styles, all for aesthetic purposes, but also practical, in order to facilitate the use of chopsticks.

A healthy and complete cuisine

Japanese cuisine has many rules of preparation or careful combinations. Family meals, for example, are traditionally served according to the rule of ichiju-sansai, literally “one soup and three dishes”. Thus, the menu consists of a bowl of rice, a soup of your choice and three preparations based on seasonal foods. A simple rule, which allows you to meet all of the body’s nutritional needs. The soup serves to hydrate, while the rice provides energy to the body, and the accompaniments replenish it with nutrients.

Local foods and recipes

Fish, rice, vegetables and seaweed are the omnipresent foods in the country’s cuisines. Added to this are a good number of sauces and condiments, such as the famous edamame, or teriyaki sauce. As you will have understood, soups and broths are present at every meal, such as the legendary miso soup. Vegetables, for their part, are often fermented, which contributes to the proper functioning of the digestive system. Among the most emblematic national dishes, we can cite the crispy tempura, the iconic karaage chicken, the comforting ramen or the adorable mochis. Tasty recipes that make your mouth water. The proof is in 12.