The 10 Types of Japanese Food You Need to Know

Japan is well-known for its food culture, particularly its cuisine. While many cuisines might seem exotic to Westerners, the subtlety of Japanese dishes has made it popular worldwide. Indeed, even people in Japan other than those who eat out at restaurants – mostly businesspeople and university students – often choose to make meals at home instead of buying them ready-made.

With this in mind, here are 10 types of traditional Japanese cuisine which you should know about:

1. Kamameshi

This dish originates from Kamameshi Prefecture (southwestern Honshu), but it is available all over Japan nowadays. Its name comes from the style in which it is cooked (kama means ‘pot,’ meshi means ‘rice’). It resembles a rice casserole: rice and other ingredients such as meat, vegetables and mushrooms are layered inside a donabe (Japanese pot), and then cooked with steam. When done right, the rice at the bottom becomes crispy while the rest of the rice mixture is very tender.

2. Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is one of Japan’s most popular dishes outside its borders, but it is also enjoyed nationwide. It consists of sliced beef cooked in a broth of soy sauce and sugar, along with shirataki noodles, vegetables such as enoki mushrooms and negi (a type of Japanese green onion), tofu and anything else that could fit into the cooking pot. After all ingredients have been boiled to a point where they’re very tender, it is customary to stir the mixture and drink the sukiyaki sauce straight from the pot.

3. Soba and Udon

While people outside Japan often wrongly assume that ramen is Japan’s most popular noodle dish, soba and udon reigns supreme in Japan as well as other countries where Japanese food culture has made its mark. While soba noodles are prepared with buckwheat flour (soba means ‘buckwheat’), udon consists of wheat flour (udon refers to a type of dumpling). Either way, both dishes are enjoyed across all seasons because of their adaptability; they can be served hot or cold depending on the time of year.

4. Miso Soup

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made from soybeans fermented with salt and koji. The most common types of miso soup are those containing tofu, seaweeds such as wakame or nori, and vegetables. In recent years there has been a rise in the number of restaurants offering miso soup containing seafood as well as meat, thanks to an increased interest in international cuisine. This can be attributed to Japan’s growing tourism industry and its evolving food culture.

5. Tofu

Tofu is another one of Japan’s staple foods that can easily be found all over the world now. It has a long history: it is said that Prince Shotoku first encouraged people to eat tofu during the Asuka Period (538 to 710 AD). Two types of tofu are available in Japan. The first is ‘silk-cut’ tofu, which consists of tofu squeezed between pieces of cotton gauze, then immersed in water to remove excess oil. The second type is firm or soft bean curd that can be sliced or cubed for cooking.

6. Sashimi

Sashimi refers to thinly sliced raw meat and fish served with soy sauce, wasabi and other condiments. It is usually made from seafood, but other meats such as beef can also be used. Sushi often contains sashimi as well; the main difference is that sushi uses vinegared rice instead of plain rice seasoned with soy sauce or other ingredients.

7. Yakitori

Yakitori is made with all sorts of ingredients that are skewered on bamboo sticks then grilled over charcoal. It can be enjoyed at yakitori restaurants, but it is also sold in convenience stores as a popular snack food. Yakitori places are typically bustling with energy thanks to the lively atmosphere inside and people who eat while standing outside, hoping to catch some other customers passing by.