Japanese Cuisine

Japanese Cuisine has much more to offer than Sushi. In fact, Sushi or raw fish in general is not as wide-spread as one would think. Sushi belongs to Japanese 'haute cuisine' and is sparingly prepared in every day Japanese Cuisine.

The staples in Japanese Cuisine are rice and seafood. Ingredients like tofu, eggs and vegetables compliment these two main ingredients. Meat traditionally is hardly ever eaten in Japan however a slight increase in meat-consumption can be noticed in recent years. Noodles are also popular in Japan. Common type of noodles for example are Udon (Very thick and pasty Japanese wheat noodles) which are versatile and can be prepared in many ways, Somen (Thin, white, Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, similar to vermicelli) often eaten cold and Soba (Thin brown noodles made of buckwheat).

Japanese food is mostly fat-free and very healthy, because it is based on fresh seafood and vegetables and almost no meat. Unlike the Chinese and many other Asian Cuisines, Japanese Cuisine uses spices very sparingly because the Japanese chefs want to preserve the own tastes of the ingredients. Oil is also hardly ever used in Japanese cooking.

Japanese green tea is the traditional beverage that accompanies Japanese meals. Traditional alcoholic beverages are Sake (Rice wine) or plum wine. The Japanese also brew their own beer and even started to distill their own whisky.

Japanese meals and eating habits

The Japanese value their meals and their food. Therefore special attention is payed to the looks of their dishes. A Japanese meal is a fest for all senses. Not only does it please the palate but also the eyes and the nose.

The Japanese often already eat fried fish, rice and steamed vegetables for breakfast. Lunch often consists only of a small snack. The main Japanese meal is dinner in the evening.

In Japan there is no classic order of the menu like in most Western countries. All dishes are served at once and eaten simultanously. A classic Japanese meal usually consist of a soup, entrées and starters like Sushi or Sashimi, and several main courses served in bowls. This is accompanied by various vegetables, salads, pickles and of course rice. Desserts are rather uncommon in Japan. All dishes, apart from the soup are eaten with chopsticks. Green tea and Sake are the beverages of choice with any meal.