Ramen is probably the most widely popular Japanese cuisine which found its way across the globe. The country has a lot more on the platter to offer and that is probably why Japanese food forms one of the most loved cuisines in the world.
The food often features a lot of rice, fish and meat, along with soybean products, and cooked and pickled vegetables.
Here is a list of Japanese dishes one must try
* SushiSushi is probably one of the most famous Japanese dishes. It is made with vinegared sushi rice and topped, or mixed with, seafood or vegetables. There are various forms of this popular Japanese dish, and it is often served with pickled ginger (gari), wasabi, and soy sauce. Sheets of black seaweed wrappers (called nori) may also be used as a wrap.
* OnigiriThis portable and easy to eat meal consists of rice balls made filled with salty or sour ingredients such as pickled plums (umeboshi), dried bonito flakes, or tsukudani ;(meat or seaweed that has been simmered in soy sauce and mirin). It is then formed into a triangular or cylindrical shape and wrapped in seaweed.
* Miso SoupA soup made with miso (a thick paste of fermented soybeans), and a clear broth or stock and few solid ingredients, such as seaweed, vegetables or tofu, this is another iconic Japanese dish.
* Miso SoupA soup made with miso (a thick paste of fermented soybeans), and a clear broth or stock and few solid ingredients, such as seaweed, vegetables or tofu, this is another iconic Japanese dish.
* TempuraThis popular dish is made of battered and fried fish, seafood, or vegetables which are eaten with a dipping sauce. The light batter is made with water and wheat flour and is said to have been influenced by Portuguese cooking techniques.
* ZosuiZosui is a mild rice soup that is made with pre-cooked rice and water or stock that is seasoned with miso or soy sauce. Other ingredients, such as egg, meat, seafood, vegetables or mushrooms may also be added.
* DonburiDonburi literally means “bowl” and refer to a variety of Japanese rice bowl dishes where fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients are cooked together in a sauce and served over rice. The most popular include Gyudon (rice topped with seasoned beef and onion), Butadon (rice topped with pork in a mildly sweet sauce), Unadon (rice topped with broiled eel and vegetables), Tekkadon (rice topped with tuna sashimi), and Katsudon (rice topped with deep-fried breaded pork cutlets).
* HiyayakkoThis dish is made with chilled tofu topped with chopped green onions, dried bonito flakes, and soy sauce, though it may also have perilla leaves, daikon radishes, sliced or grated ginger and plum paste
* OkonomiyakiOkonomiyaki comes from the words okonomi, or “what you want,” and yaki, or “grilled”, and that’s exactly what these Japanese pancakes are. A batter of eggs, flour, Chinese yam, and shredded cabbage, is topped with a variety of fillings, from vegetables and sauces to octopus, squid, to pork belly. It is then cooked and drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise and plum sauce.
* Takoyaki
Invented by a street vendor named Tomekichi Endo in 1935, this delicious Japanese dumpling is made with octopus, and a mix of various other fillings such as pickled ginger, green onion, fish shavings and Japanese mayonnaise.
* YakitoriYakitori is made with bite-sized pieces of chicken that are grilled on a skewer over a charcoal fire. It is one of the most popular street foods in Japan and can be had either with sauce or dry.