List of Japanese ingredients facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Japanese food is super popular around the world! But what makes it so special? It's all about the amazing ingredients. This article will tell you about some of the main things used to make delicious Japanese dishes, from everyday rice to unique vegetables and seafood.

Plants in Japanese Cooking
Animals in Japanese Cooking
See also

Plants in Japanese Cooking

Many ingredients in Japanese cooking come from plants. These include grains, flours, noodles, and lots of different vegetables.

Grains: The Heart of Japanese Meals

Grains are a huge part of Japanese food, especially rice!

Rice
- Regular white rice: This is the most common type, called uruchi-mai. It's not sticky.
- Mochi rice: This is a special sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice or sweet rice. It's used to make chewy mochi cakes.
- Genmai (brown rice): This is rice that still has its outer layers, making it healthier.
- Rice bran (nuka): This isn't usually eaten on its own. It's used for pickling vegetables and can help soften tart veggies when boiling them.
- Sake: This famous Japanese drink is made from fermented rice.

Flours for Delicious Dishes

Different flours are used to make many Japanese foods, from noodles to sweets.

Katakuri starch: This is a type of starch often used instead of potato starch.
Kinako: This is a flour made from roasted soybeans. It has a nutty flavor.
Konnyaku starch: This powder comes from a special plant and is used to make chewy, jelly-like foods.
Rice flour (komeko): There are many types of rice flour, each used for different things like sweets or coatings.
Soba flour: This flour is made from buckwheat and is used to make soba noodles.
Wheat flour:
- Tempura flour: This special flour helps make crispy tempura.
- Different types of wheat flour are used for various dishes, like udon noodles or cake flour for baking.

Noodles: A Japanese Favorite

Noodles are a staple in Japanese cuisine, served hot or cold.

Soba: Thin, brownish noodles made from buckwheat.
Sōmen: Very thin white noodles, often eaten cold in summer.
Ramen: Popular wheat noodles served in a hot broth with toppings.
Udon: Thick, chewy wheat noodles.
Yakisoba noodles: These are stir-fried noodles often found at festivals.

Vegetables: Fresh and Flavorful

Japanese cooking uses a wide variety of fresh vegetables.

Fruity Veggies

Some vegetables are actually fruits botanically, but we eat them as veggies!

Cucumber (kyūri)
Eggplant (nasu)
Shishitō: These are mild green peppers.
kabocha: A type of Japanese pumpkin or squash.

Cabbage Family Veggies

These leafy greens are related to cabbage and are very common.

Komatsuna: A leafy green vegetable, similar to spinach.
Mizuna: Another leafy green with a slightly peppery taste.
Napa cabbage (hakusai): A large, mild cabbage often used in hot pots.
Nozawana: A type of leafy green often pickled.
Nanohana: The flowering stalks of rapeseed, eaten like broccoli rabe.

Other Leafy Greens

Spinach (hōrensō)

Onion Family Veggies

Many vegetables in the onion family are called negi in Japanese.

Asatsuki: A type of chives.
Nira: Chinese chives or garlic chives.
Green onions or scallions: Different regions have their own special types, like Fukaya negi or Kujō negi.

Root Vegetables: Growing Underground

Root vegetables are important for their earthy flavors and textures.

Chorogi: Also known as Chinese artichoke.
Daikon: A large, white Japanese radish.
Gobo: A long, slender root vegetable called burdock.
Lotus root (renkon): The crunchy root of the lotus plant, often sliced.
Potato (jaga-imo)
Sweet potato (satsuma-imo)
Taro (satoimo): A starchy root vegetable, similar to a potato.
Takenoko: bamboo shoots, often used fresh or canned.
Yamaimo: A type of Japanese yam, often grated into a sticky puree.

Sprouts: Tiny and Crunchy

Sprouts are young plants, often used fresh in salads or stir-fries.

Kaiware: radish sprouts.
Moyashi: Mung sprouts.
Soybean sprouts (mame-moyashi).

Specialty Vegetables: Unique Flavors

Some vegetables are unique to Japan or have special uses.

Fuki: A type of butterbur, both its stalks and young flower shoots are eaten.
Kanpyō: Dried gourd strips, often used in sushi rolls.
Konnyaku: A jelly-like food often shaped into blocks or shirataki noodles.
Sansai: A general term for wild-picked mountain vegetables.

Pickled Vegetables: Tsukemono

Pickled vegetables, called Tsukemono, are a common side dish.

Takuan zuke: Pickled daikon radish.

Nuts and Seeds: Small but Mighty

Nuts and seeds add flavor and texture to many dishes.

Ginkgo nuts
Azuki bean: Small red beans used in many Japanese sweets.
Kuri: chestnuts.
Sesame seeds: Both black and white sesame seeds are used.
Shiso seeds: From the perilla plant, with a unique flavor.
Hemp seeds: Sometimes mixed into spice blends.
Karashi: Japanese mustard, usually powdered or in a paste.
Sanshō: A Japanese pepper with a citrusy, tingling flavor.

Mushrooms: Forest Delights

Japan has many delicious edible mushrooms.

Enokitake: Long, thin white mushrooms.
Eringi: King oyster mushrooms.
Matsutake: Highly prized, fragrant mushrooms.
Maitake: Hen-of-the-woods mushrooms.
Nameko: Small, slippery mushrooms.
Shiitake: Popular brown mushrooms with a rich flavor.
Shimeji: Clustered mushrooms.
Wood ear (kikurage): A dark, wavy mushroom often used in ramen.

Seaweed: From the Ocean

Seaweed is a very important part of Japanese cooking, full of nutrients.

Hijiki: Dark, stringy seaweed.
Konbu: Also known as kombu or kelp, used to make broth (dashi).
- Tororo-kombu: Thin shavings of kelp.
Mozuku: A slimy, stringy seaweed.
Nori: The dried seaweed sheets used for sushi and rice balls.
Tengusa: Used to make kanten (agar), a jelly-like substance.
Wakame: A common green seaweed used in miso soup.

Fruits: Sweet and Tangy

Japan has many unique and delicious fruits.

Citrus Fruits

Japanese citrus fruits are often used for their juice and zest.

Amanatsu: A sweet and slightly tart orange.
Daidai: A bitter orange.
Dekopon: A sweet, easy-to-peel hybrid citrus.
Iyokan: A sweet and juicy orange.
Kabosu: A sour green citrus, similar to lime.
Sudachi: Another sour green citrus, often used as a garnish.
Yuzu: A fragrant citrus fruit, used for its zest and juice.

Other Fruits

Ume: Japanese plum, often pickled to make umeboshi.
Loquat: A sweet, orange fruit.
Nashi pear: A crisp, juicy pear.
Persimmon: A sweet, orange fruit, eaten fresh or dried.

Soy Products: Versatile and Healthy

Soybeans are used to make many essential Japanese ingredients.

Edamame: Young, green soybeans, often boiled and salted.
Miso: A fermented soybean paste, used in soups and marinades.
Soy sauce: A fundamental seasoning, available in light and dark varieties.
Nattō: Fermented soybeans with a strong smell and sticky texture.
Kinako: Roasted soybean flour.

Vegetable Proteins: Tofu and More

These plant-based proteins are common in Japanese dishes.

Fu: Made from wheat gluten, it comes in fresh or dried forms.
Tofu: Made from condensed soy milk, pressed into solid white blocks.
- Soft tofu (kinugoshi-dōfu): Very smooth and delicate.
- Firm tofu (momen-dōfu): Denser and holds its shape well.
- Freeze-dried tofu (kōyadōfu): A spongy, dried form.
- Fried tofu (aburaage, atsuage): Tofu that has been deep-fried.
- Soy milk: The liquid made from soybeans.
- Yuba: Tofu skin, formed on the surface of heated soy milk.

Animals in Japanese Cooking

Many types of meat, fish, and seafood are enjoyed in Japan.

Eggs: A Breakfast Staple

Chicken eggs: The most common type.
Quail eggs: Smaller eggs, often used in bento boxes or hot pots.

Meats: From Land Animals

Beef: Famous types include Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef, known for their tenderness.
Chicken: Used in many dishes, including special heritage breeds called jidori.
Pork: Popular in dishes like tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet).
Horse meat: Sometimes called sakura-niku, it's a delicacy in some regions.

Finned Fish: From the Sea and Rivers

Fish is a huge part of the Japanese diet, eaten fresh or processed.

Marine Fishes: From the Ocean

skipjack tuna (katsuo): Used fresh or dried to make katsuobushi (shaved fish flakes for broth).
Tuna (maguro): Very popular for sashimi and sushi.
Japanese amberjack (buri / hamachi): A popular fish for sushi and grilling.
Spanish mackerel (sawara)
red sea bream (madai): A highly valued fish, often served whole for celebrations.
pufferfish (fugu): A famous fish that must be prepared by licensed chefs because parts of it are poisonous.

Blue-backed Fish: Healthy Choices

These fish are known for their healthy oils.

Japanese horse mackerel (aji)
pacific saury (sanma)
Sardine (iwashi): Small fish, often dried to make niboshi for broth.
Mackerel (saba)

White-fleshed Fish: Mild Flavors

These fish have a milder taste and delicate texture.

flatfish (karei / hirame)
pike conger (hamo): A type of eel, especially popular in Kyoto.
tilefish (amadai)

Freshwater Fish: From Rivers and Lakes

Ayu: A popular river fish, often grilled whole.
Japanese eel (unagi): Often grilled with a sweet sauce.
Salmon (sake): Eaten fresh or salted.

Mollusks: Shellfish and Cephalopods

Mollusks include squid, octopus, and various shellfish.

Squid and Cuttlefish

These are called ika in Japanese. Many different types are eaten.

Octopus

Octopus is called tako in Japanese.

Common octopus (madako)
Giant Pacific octopus (mizudako)

Bivalves: Two Shells

scallop (hotate-gai)
Littleneck clam (asari)
Freshwater clam (shijimi)
oyster (kaki)
clam (hamaguri)

Single-shelled Gastropods and Conches

Horned turban (sazae): A type of sea snail.
Abalone: A large, prized shellfish.

Crustaceans: Crabs and Shrimp

These are called ebikani-rui or kokaku rui in Japanese.

Crab

Crab is called kani in Japanese.

snow crab (zuwaigani)
horsehair crab (kegani)
king crab (tarabagani)

Lobsters, Shrimps, and Prawns

These shellfish are collectively called ebi in Japanese.

spiny lobster (ise-ebi)
Kuruma prawn (kuruma ebi)
mantis shrimp (shako)

Echinoderms: Sea Creatures

Sea cucumbers (namako): Eaten for their unique texture.
Sea urchin (uni): The creamy, rich roe is a delicacy.

Roe: Fish Eggs

Roe refers to fish eggs, which are often eaten as a delicacy.

salmon roe (ikura)
herring roe (kazunoko)
mullet roe (karasumi)
pollock roe (tarako (food))
flying fish roe (tobiko)

Processed Seafood: Ready to Eat

Many seafood items are processed for longer storage or different uses.

chikuwa: A tube-shaped fish cake.
himono: Dried fish, often still soft and flavorful.
kamaboko, satsuma age: Different types of fish cakes made from ground fish paste (surimi).
niboshi: Dried sardines, used for broth.
shiokara: Fermented seafood, often made from fish guts.

Insects: A Regional Delicacy

In some parts of Japan, certain insects are eaten as special regional foods.

hachinoko: Larvae and pupae of yellowjackets.
inago no tsukudani: Locusts cooked in a sweet and savory sauce.