Japanese cuisine facts for kids
Japanese cuisine is all about the traditional foods and cooking styles from Japan. It has changed a lot over hundreds of years because of politics, money, and how people live. The traditional Japanese way of eating, called washoku, focuses on rice served with miso soup and other dishes. It's very important to use fresh ingredients that are in season.
Side dishes often include fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is very popular. It's often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi. You might also find seafood and vegetables deep-fried in a light batter, which is called tempura. Besides rice, noodles like soba and udon are also a big part of Japanese meals. Japan also has many yummy simmered dishes, like fish cakes in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga.
Japanese food has been influenced by Chinese cuisine for a long time. More recently, it has also taken ideas from Western foods. Dishes like ramen and gyōza (dumplings), which came from China, have been changed to fit Japanese tastes. Even foods like spaghetti, curry, and hamburgers have been made Japanese style! Some local dishes, like taco rice from Okinawan cuisine, have become popular all over Japan. Taco rice itself was influenced by American and Mexican food.
Long ago, Japanese people often avoided eating meat because of their Buddhist beliefs. But after Japan modernized in the 1880s, meat dishes like tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and yakiniku (grilled meat) became common. Today, Japanese food, especially sushi and ramen, is loved all around the world. In 2013, Japanese cuisine was even added to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List, which recognizes important cultural traditions.
Traditional Japanese Meals
Traditional Japanese meals are usually built around a main food, which is steamed white rice (called gohan (御飯)). This is served with one or more "main" or "side" dishes, known as okazu. A clear soup or miso soup, and tsukemono (pickles), often come with the meal too.
A common way to describe a typical Japanese meal is "one soup, three sides" (ichijū-sansai (一汁三菜, "one soup, three sides")). This idea comes from fancy traditional meals like kaiseki cuisine.
The idea of "one soup, one dish" (Ichiju-Issai) started in the 12th century at Zen temples. It was a simple and thrifty way to eat.
Rice is served in its own small bowl (chawan). Each main dish gets its own small plate (sara) or bowl (hachi). This is how meals are served even in Japanese homes. It's different from Western meals where everyone takes food from big dishes in the middle of the table.
Japanese tradition usually avoids different foods touching on one plate. So, separate dishes are used, or food is divided with leaves. Also, putting main dishes directly on top of rice is usually not done.
This tradition of not mixing foods on rice came from old Chinese dining rules, especially after Buddhist tea ceremonies became popular. It was most common during and after the Kamakura period. Even though Chinese food doesn't follow this rule much anymore, Japanese food still does. One exception is the popular donburi, where toppings are served right on top of the rice.
The small rice bowl (茶碗, chawan) is also the word for the larger tea bowls used in tea ceremonies. So, for a drinking cup, people might say yunomi-jawan or yunomi to be clear.
History of Japanese Food
Rice is a very important food in Japan. Wheat and soybeans came to Japan a bit after rice. Today, all three are main foods in Japanese cooking.
At the end of the Kofun period and beginning of the Asuka period, Buddhism became the official religion. Because of this, eating meat and fish was not allowed. In 675 AD, Emperor Tenmu banned eating horses, dogs, monkeys, and chickens. Later, more animals were added to the list, until all mammals were banned, except for whales (which were seen as fish).
During the Asuka period, chopsticks came to Japan. At first, only rich people used them. Most people ate with their hands because chopsticks were expensive.
Because meat was not eaten, Japanese people used very few spices. Spices like pepper and garlic were rare. Since Japan is an island, fish became the main source of protein. Fish has shaped many famous Japanese dishes we know today. In the 9th century, grilled fish and sliced raw fish were very popular. People who could afford it ate fish at every meal.
Traditional Japanese cooking usually avoids a lot of oil and fat. This was to help people stay healthy.
People also found ways to keep fish fresh. Sushi started as a way to preserve fish by fermenting it in boiled rice. Fish was salted and placed in rice, and a process called lactic acid fermentation kept it from spoiling. By the 15th century, new methods shortened the fermentation time for sushi to just one or two weeks. Sushi then became a popular snack and meal, combining fish with rice. In the early 1800s, sushi without fermentation was created. The hand-rolled and nigiri-style sushi we know today were invented in the 19th century.
In 1854, Japan started trading with Western countries. In 1872, the new ruler, Emperor Meiji, held a New Year's feast to welcome Western ideas. This feast included many European-style foods. For the first time in a thousand years, people were allowed to eat meat in public. After this feast, regular people in Japan started eating meat again.
Food and Seasons
Japanese cooking really focuses on using foods that are in season, which is called shun (旬). Dishes are made to celebrate the arrival of each of the four seasons or different months.
This means using the "bounty of the mountains" ("fruit of the mountains" (山の幸, yama no sachi)) like bamboo shoots in spring or chestnuts in autumn. It also means using the "bounty of the sea" ("fruit of the sea" (海の幸, umi no sachi)) as different seafood becomes available. For example, the first catch of skipjack tuna (hatsu-gatsuo (初鰹)) that arrives with the warm ocean current has always been highly valued.
If a food becomes available earlier than usual, that first crop or early catch is called hashiri.
Japanese cuisine also uses tree leaves and branches as decorations. Maple leaves are often floated on water to make things feel cool (ryō (涼)). Sprigs of nandina are also popular. Leaves like haran (Aspidistra) and sasa bamboo were often cut into shapes and placed under food or used to separate dishes.
Traditional Ingredients
Traditional Japanese food often uses very little red meat, oils, fats, or dairy products. Ingredients like soy sauce, miso, and umeboshi (pickled plums) are common. These can make dishes high in salt, though low-salt versions are now available.
Meat in Japanese Food
Since Japan is an island nation surrounded by the ocean, its people have always had lots of seafood. Some food experts believe that even before Buddhism, Japanese people mainly ate grains with vegetables or seaweed, with some poultry and very little red meat. Eating "four-legged creatures" (yotsuashi (四足)) was often seen as forbidden or unclean until the Edo period. However, eating whale and terrapin meat was not forbidden.
Even so, eating red meat didn't completely stop in Japan. Eating wild animals, like hare, was allowed.
In 1872, during the Meiji Restoration, Emperor Meiji lifted the ban on eating red meat as Japan opened up to Western influence. Some people did not like this change. Ten monks even tried to break into the Imperial Palace, saying that eating meat was "destroying the soul of the Japanese people." Some monks were killed, and others were arrested. However, most people started to accept eating meat. Gyūnabe (beef hot pot), which is like Sukiyaki, became very popular. Western restaurants opened, and some changed to serve Yōshoku (Western-style Japanese food).
Today, people eat fewer vegetables and more processed foods in Japan because fresh food can be expensive. But special Kyoto vegetables, called Kyoyasai, are becoming popular again.
Cooking Oil
Traditional Japanese food is usually made with very little cooking oil. A big exception is deep-frying. This cooking method came to Japan during the Edo period from Western and Chinese cooking. It became common when cooking oil became easier to get. Dishes like tempura, aburaage (fried tofu), and satsuma age (fried fish cakes) are now part of traditional Japanese food. Some words, like tempura, are even thought to come from Portuguese.
Some traditional Japanese dishes, like kinpira (sautéed burdock root) and hijiki (seaweed), are often stir-fried in oil before being stewed in soy sauce.
Seasonings
Traditional Japanese food is usually seasoned with a mix of dashi (broth), soy sauce, sake (rice wine), mirin (sweet rice wine), vinegar, sugar, and salt. A small amount of herbs and spices might be used to add a hint of flavor or to get rid of strong smells from fish or game. Examples include ginger, perilla, and red pepper.
Strong spices like wasabi or Japanese mustard are served with raw fish. They help to clear your sense of smell, especially from fish odors. A small sprig of mitsuba or a piece of yuzu (citrus fruit) rind floated on soups are called ukimi. Minced shiso leaves and myoga (ginger-like plant) are often used as yakumi, which are condiments for dishes like tataki (seared fish) or soba noodles. Shichimi is also a very popular spice mix. It has seven spices: chili, sansho, orange peel, black sesame, white sesame, hemp, ginger, and nori. It's often added to soups, noodles, and rice cakes.
Garnishes
After a main dish is cooked, spices like minced ginger and strong herbs can be added as a garnish, called tsuma. Finally, a dish might be decorated with minced seaweed, like crumbled nori or flakes of aonori.
Sometimes, inedible decorations are used to show a holiday or the season. These can include leaves or flowers native to Japan, or fake ones.
Salads
The o-hitashi or hitashi-mono (おひたし) is made from boiled green leafy vegetables. They are cut and soaked in dashi broth, then eaten with a little soy sauce. Another dish is sunomono (酢の物, "vinegar item"), which can be made with wakame seaweed. Or it could be something like a kōhaku namasu (紅白なます, "red white namasu") made from thin slices of daikon radish and carrot. The vinegar used here is often sanbaizu (三杯酢, "three cupful/spoonful vinegar"), which is a mix of vinegar, mirin, and soy sauce. A tosazu (土佐酢, "Tosa vinegar") adds katsuo dashi to this mix.
An aemono (和え物) is another type of dish, like a "tossed salad" or "dressed" food. One kind is goma-ae (胡麻和え), where vegetables like green beans are tossed with white or black sesame seeds that have been ground in a special bowl. It's flavored with sugar and soy sauce. Shira-ae (白和え) adds tofu (bean curd) to the mix.
Cooking Techniques
Different cooking methods are used for the main dishes (okazu). They can be raw (sashimi), grilled, simmered (sometimes called boiled), steamed, deep-fried, vinegared, or dressed.
Examples of Japanese Dishes
Soybeans
Soybeans are a very important ingredient in Japanese cooking. They are used to make soy sauce, miso, and tofu. Soy milk is also a popular drink. Tofu, for example, is made by pressing soybeans into cubes and then boiling them. Tofu is often found in soups and stews. Deep-fried tofu is also used in many popular Japanese dishes, like kitsune udon and inari sushi.
Soybeans also have healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids, which can also be found in salmon.
Noodles
Noodles are used often in Japanese food, just like in many other Asian cuisines. Many noodle dishes originally came from China, but they have developed their own unique Japanese style.
- Ramen: Egg noodles served in a soup with vegetables and meat or fish.
- Udon: Thick noodles served with soup. They can have tofu, meat, or vegetables. For hot dishes, noodles and soup are usually in the same bowl. For cold dishes, they are served separately.
- Soba: Thin noodles served with a soy-sauce-based soup. In hot dishes, noodles and soup are usually in the same bowl. For cold dishes, they are served in different bowls.
- Yakisoba: Stir-fried vegetables and/or meat with egg noodles and a soy-based sauce.
- Sōmen: Very thin white noodles made from wheat flour.
- Sōmin champurū: Okinawan very thin noodles that are stir-fried with green onions and pork meat.
Seafood
Japan is surrounded by the ocean, so there is a wide variety of seafood. Seafood is a very important part of Japanese cooking.
- Sushi: Cooked rice with raw fish, vegetables, or other seafood.
- Sashimi: Thinly sliced raw fish.
- Yakizakana: Cooked whole fish.
- Asari no miso shiru: Miso soup with small mussels called "asari."
Meat Dishes
Japanese people did not eat much meat until Europeans arrived. Fish was the most common food.
- Yakiniku: Fried slices of beef with a sweet and spicy sauce (originally from Korea).
- Nikujaga: Beef, potatoes, and usually carrots cooked in mentsuyu (a soy sauce-based sauce).
- Yakitori: Small pieces of chicken on skewers with a soy-based sauce.
- Shabu shabu: Meat (or other protein) and vegetables boiled in a simple broth. Each piece of meat is dipped into the broth for a short time.
Wasabi
Wasabi is Japanese horseradish. It is often a green paste used with sashimi and sushi. Wasabi is also used with many other Japanese foods. Wasabi is sold as a paste or in powder form. Wasabi powder needs to be mixed with water to become a paste. Wasabi has a strong, very spicy taste.
Sashimi
Sashimi is very thinly sliced raw seafood. Many different kinds of fresh fish and other seafood are served raw in Japanese dishes. Sashimi is one of them. It is almost the same as sushi, but it does not have vinegar rice. When slices of fish are placed on small pieces of rice, they are called "Nigiri Sushi."
Sashimi is often arranged beautifully on a plate, sometimes on shredded daikon radish and shiso leaves. The fish pieces are dipped into soy sauce before being eaten.
Seaweed
Seaweed has been a very important part of Japanese dishes for a long time. Today, many different types of seaweed are used in soups, as seasonings, and in other forms of Japanese cooking. These are the three most used seaweeds:
- Kombu: A large type of seaweed.
- Wakame: Sold dried, then soaked in water before being used in food.
- Nori: Thin, dried seaweed sheets, often used in sushi.
Sweets
Traditional Japanese sweets are called wagashi. They often use ingredients like red bean paste and mochi (a chewy rice cake). More modern sweets include green tea ice cream, which is very popular. Almost all ice cream makers in Japan have a green tea flavor. Kakigōri is a shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup or condensed milk. It is usually sold and eaten at summer festivals. A dessert very popular with children in Japan are dorayaki. These are sweet pancakes filled with a sweet red bean paste. They are mostly eaten at room temperature but are also delicious when warm.
Dishes for Special Occasions
In Japan, some dishes are strongly connected to a festival or special event. These dishes include:
- Botamochi: A sticky rice dumpling with sweet azuki paste, served in spring. A similar sweet called Ohagi is served in autumn.
- Chimaki: Steamed sweet rice cakes, eaten during Tango no sekku (Children's Day) and the Gion Festival.
- Hamo (a type of fish, often eel) and sōmen noodles: Eaten during the Gion Festival.
- Osechi: Special dishes eaten at New Year.
- Sekihan: Red rice, served for any celebration. It's usually sticky rice cooked with azuki (red beans), which gives the rice its special red color.
- Soba noodles: Eaten on New Year's Eve. This is called toshi koshi soba (meaning "year crossing soba").
- Chirashizushi (scattered sushi), Ushiojiru (clear clam soup), and amazake (sweet rice drink): Eaten during Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day).
In some parts of Japan, on the first and fifteenth day of each month, people eat a mix of rice and azuki beans (azuki meshi; see Sekihan).
Images for kids
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Yakitori grilled chicken
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Nattō, fermented soybeans
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Gyūdon beef rice bowl (right) and niku shoyu ramen beef noodle (left).
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Soba noodles
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Curry is a very popular dish in Japan.
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Japanese pancake, Okonomiyaki
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Tonkatsu pork cutlet
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California roll, a type of sushi made outside of Japan.
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A branch of Kokoro in Sutton High Street, Sutton, Greater London
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Okonomiyaki and takoyaki served at a festival during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta
See also
In Spanish: Gastronomía de Japón para niños
