The Top 10 Japanese Foods

There is a wide variety of foods in Japan, from the typical hamburger and sushi to fresh vegetables and seafood. There are many factors that make Japanese food what it is: a combination of tastes and seasonings, cooking styles, presentation form, ingredients used, as well as other cultural influences.

In no particular order, here are the Top Ten Japanese foods that you have to try when visiting the country or if you want a taste of traditional Japanese cuisine from your own home.

1. Ramen

Closely tied with instant noodles for the most popular dish among college students in Japan, ramen has been around since 1910 according to some records. The broth usually contains pork bones or chicken bones which give it a taste. The noodles must be chewy and the slices of pork or vegetables add to its flavor. There are countless different kinds of ramen, but if you want a good bowl then check out Tsukumo Ramen in the Aichi prefecture.

2. Sukiyaki

A dish full of flavor, sukiyaki is a traditional Japanese dish of thinly sliced beef and other ingredients cooked over a flame in a pot known as a “suki.” The most important part of this dish is the broth, so it makes sense that the best place to have it would be at Niu-ru Steak House which is located near Yamanashi Prefecture.

3. Curry rice

Another popular dish among college students who need something quick and easy to eat, Japanese curry rice has nothing to do with Indian or Thai curries. Japanese curry is thicker than the ones that are commonly found in other countries and it usually consists of vegetables, white rice, and a thick brown sauce made mostly from carrots and potatoes which gives it its color. It can be differentiated by its color because there are several different kinds including karashi (spicy) and rāmen.

4. Basashi

Served raw, basashi is similar to horse sashimi in Europe where you eat the meat of the animal while it’s still alive. But this dish isn’t served like that; instead it is served sliced thin like beef sashimi (perfect for earning your sushi badge), but if you want to try it there are several places to go in Kumamoto Prefecture.

5. Gyūdon

Tasty beef over rice, the name of this dish is pretty simple. “Gyū” means cow or beef and “don” means bowl or rice bowl so you get the picture. It consists of slices of beef cooked with onions in a sweet sauce and put on top of steamed white rice. There are many restaurants to try this at, but for one located near Fukushima prefecture check out Bekkan Steak House .

6. Sushi

A traditional Japanese dish that has become popular all over the world, sushi consists of vinegar flavored rice topped with seafood chopped into small pieces which are then wrapped together using dried seaweed sheets called nori. There are many different kinds of sushi and in Japan the most popular types include: tuna, urchin roe, eel, shrimp, and octopus.