One of the most popular cuisines all over the world, Japanese cuisine has been through countless evolutionary processes but still has its authentic traditions preserved throughout its long history. Rich with customs and traditions passed down through generations, it is no wonder that the food reflects the people of Japan.
Japan consists of an archipelago of 3,000 islands. Due to its range of mountains, most Japanese citizens live in cities where there are plenty of flatlands. To make way for its agricultural needs, some mountain terrains have been terraced for paddy fields and growing other crops.
Japan is also a large provider of fish and seafood, accounting for 8% of the total fish caught in the world. This is also the main reason why the Japanese consume large amounts of fish every day.
History and Food
Many nations have influenced Japanese cuisine with their own customs, but the Japanese have adopted and refined these influences to their own cooking-style and eating habits. The first traceable foreign influence on Japanese cuisine was from China (around 300 B.C.); this is when the Japanese first learnt to cultivate rice.
The Chinese also influenced the Japanese to use chopsticks for meals and the consumption of soy sauce and soybean curd (tofu) as part of their cuisine.The spread of the Buddhist religion was a major influence on Japanese cuisine in the 700s A.D., which led to a ban on eating meat. This resulted in the creation of the popular dish, sushi (raw fish with rice).
In the 1800s, a simpler cooking method was adapted by the Japanese. At the time, various types of vegetarian food were served in small portions and were divided into five groups of colours which included red, white, green, yellow and black-purple, and six kinds of taste which included sweet, sour, salty, bitter, hot and delicate.
More changes to Japanese cuisine were introduced when trading began in the 1200s. This brought about Western influences on Japanese food. Corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes were introduced by the Dutch while the Spanish and Portuguese introduced tempura (batter-frying). Beef returned to Japanese cuisine during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), after a ban lasting more than a thousand years.
Sukiyaki which is a dish consisting of beef, vegetables, tofu and other ingredients cooked at the table in soy sauce, mirin (sweet sake) and sugar broth; originated from western-style restaurants but is now considered as a Japanese dish. This also brought to the development of another native dish called tonkatsu (deep-fried breaded pork cutlets).
Another influence of Western countries was the introduction of instant cooking methods. For instance, electric rice cookers, packaged foods like instant noodles, instant miso soup powder and instant pickling mixes.
The import of Indian curry powder by way of England, lead to the creation of Japanese curry rice (kare-raisu) which is now an ever-popular dish in Japan. A typical Japanese curry rice contains vegetables and meat or seafood in a thick curry which is served over rice.
Iconic Japanese Food and Popular Street Foods
1. Ramen
With its origin during the occupation of the U.S. following World War II, large quantities of wheat flour was provided by the U.S. government to help rehabilitate the Japanese economy. This served as a substitute for rice and was mainly used to make the noodles for Chinese noodle soup, which later became known as ramen. That’s right, ramen was, in fact, a Chinese dish first.
However, the dish later diverged from its roots and has become a national dish of Japan with unique variations depending on the region. Ramen broth varies by regions as well. The types of broths are shio (salt-based), tonkatsu (pork-based), shoyu (soy-sauce based) and miso (tofu-based). There are also a variety of toppings from hard-boiled egg, seaweed to beansprouts.
2. Wagashi (Japanese sweets)
Mochi is a popular treat, consisting of a special dough made from pounding sticky rice. The modern mochi has many various fillings, but the traditional filling in mochi is a sweet red bean paste known as, azuki. The rice is believed to be a symbol of rice harvest or spirits of the deceased, and the red colour of azuki is said to dispel misfortune or calamity.
In Japanese legends, there exists a rabbit that makes mochi on the moon. This originates from the shapes of the moon’s craters which slightly resembles a rabbit pounding mochi in a pestle. The Japanese fondly refer to the rabbit as Tsuki no Usagi (translating to Moon Rabbit).
3. Fugu (Pufferfish)
A famous delicacy in Japan, the pufferfish is said to be one of the most delectable and delicious fish, but it can be dangerous to consume if incorrectly prepared. This is because its livers and ovaries contain the neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX), which causes paralysis of the muscles and is fatal to humans.
This special dish, fugu is generally eaten raw and in thin slices, referred to as sashimi. A special license is required by chefs to prepare the dish, in which the final test is to ingest fugu prepared by the chefs themselves.
4. Sushi
The most commonly found sushi is nigiri, which consists of thin slices of raw fish on top of hand-pressed rice, with toppings. Nigiri got its name from the Japanese word which means ‘to squeeze’ referring to the squeezing and moulding of the rice where the sashimi will be placed.
5. Takoyaki
Commonly found in the streets, it is made fresh on the spot for customers. It is ball-shaped pancakes that contain octopus at the center and is generally topped with mayonnaise sauce and pickled vegetables. There are many variations that have been made with the dish, such as replacing the octopus center with sausages, squid, and even prawns.
6. Taiyaki
It is a cute fish-shaped sweet cake that can be filled with chocolate, custard or cheese. Many of these can be found in street vendors all over Japan.
7. Dango
Japanese dumplings on a stick. It is commonly seen in Japanese anime and is usually multi-coloured. There are sweet and savoury dangos to choose from depending on the consumer’s preference. These dangos can either be empty or contain fillings.
These foods can also be found in various restaurants and street vendors in Malaysia. Go on foodpanda to discover more Japanese cuisine and get them delivered right to your doorstep!