Traditional Japaense Foods

Interest in traditional Japanese foods has grown increasingly over the past decades. Americanized versions of this country’s food, found at the common teriyaki places, as the most people’s experience with Japanese cuisine have been supplanted by chefs who have begun to serve a more authentic experience. Starting with sushi in the 1980s with restaurants like Nobu and more recently with famous chefs such as Morimoto traditional Japanese is gaining inroads into the American culinary scene.

Sushi is perhaps the most popular of traditional Japanese foods. Sushi is usually raw and thinly sliced seafood is served either by itself with soy sauce, on top of a small mound of sticky rice, or rolled between rice and a sheet of toasted dried seaweed. The advances of quick freezing and efficient shipping of seafood has made this traditional dish popular almost everywhere.

A more quotidian traditional Japanese food, Ramen and also udon noodles, made from wheat or rice flour, can also be found almost everywhere. While initially very cheap and tasteless versions where to be found, as interest has grown fresh and high quality noodles are now available. These noodles are usually served in a hot broth made of dashi, a traditional broth made with dried fish and kelp, and mixed with a bit of miso paste, a fermented soybean paste used to make the traditional miso soup.

Of course, it would be impossible to describe what traditional Japanese food is without mention of rice and tea. A staple of the Japanese for countless centuries, these basic foods have been a core part of almost every meal in Japan.

Related Information

Japanese Cooking
Growing popularity makes it easier to find ingredients for Japanese cooking.

Japanese Foods
Japanese foods are known for their wide variety of health benefits.