Cookbook:Cuisine of Japan

Cookbook | Ingredients | Cuisines | East Asian cuisines

Recipes

Rice (ご飯はん gohan) Short-grain white rice.

• Onigiri (お握にぎり onigiri) also called omusubi (お結むすび)
• Sushi (寿司すし sushi)
• Sashimi (刺身さしみ sashimi)
• Donburi (丼物どんぶりもの Donburimono) Rice bowl dishes.
  • Oyako Don
  • Katsu Don
  • Ten Don
  • Gyu Don

Noodles (麺めん men)

• Soba (蕎麦そば・そば soba) Japanese (buckwheat) noodles.
• Udon (饂飩うどん・うどん udon) Japanese (thick) noodles in soup.
  • Kitsune Udon - This is named after a Japanese fox deity. It contains fried tofu.
  • Tanuki Udon - This is named after the Japanese raccoon dog. It might be the same as Kitsune Udon, or alternately be topped with tenkasu (scraps of fried tempura batter).
  • Tsukimi Udon - Tsukimi means "moon-viewing". This is udon with soup, served hot with any number of toppings or no toppings, and either a raw or poached egg in the center of the bowl.
• Ramen (拉ひしげ麺めん・ラーメン ramen) Chinese-style (thin) noodles in soup.
• Somen Thin white wheat noodles, served in a chilled broth, or with a chilled dipping sauce.
• Yakisoba - Japanese style Stir-fried noodles.

Soup (汁物しるもの shirumono)

• Miso Soup
• Tonjiru(豚汁とんじる) Pork and miso soup with root vegetables.

Bento (お弁当べんとう obentô) Box lunches.

Sweets & Dessert (お菓子かし okashi)

• Anko - Sweet red bean paste
• Daifuku (大福だいふく)
• Daigakuimo (大学だいがく芋いも daigakuimo) Candied Sweet Potato.
• Kushi-dango Skewered Sweet Dumplings.

Simmered dishes (煮物にもの nimono)

• Niku Jaga (肉にくじゃが nikujaga, meaning 'meat and potatoes').
• Furofuki Daikon (ふろふき大根だいこん furofukidaikon) Simmered radish with miso sauce.

Grilled dishes (焼やき物もの yakimono)

• Yakinasu (焼やきなす yaknasu) Grilled eggplant.
• Buri no Teriyaki (ぶりの照てり焼やき burinoteriyaki) Grilled amberjack (sometimes called yellowtail) with teriyaki sauce.
• Okonomiyaki (お好このみ焼やき okonomiyaki) A savory pancake made of eggy batter, shredded cabbage, and toppings of the diner's choice.
• Dashimakitamago (だし巻まき卵たまご dashimakitamago) Rolled Omelet.
• Negima beef and scallion rolls
• Buta-niku no Shouga-yaki Pork with a ginger sauce. May be cooked in a skillet or grilled.

Deep-fried dishes (揚あげ物もの agemono)

• Tempura
• Tonkatsu (とんかつ tonkatsu) Deep-fried pork cutlet.
• Potato croquette (ポテトコロッケ potetokorokke) Deep-fried potato croquette.

Steamed dishes (蒸むし物もの mushimono)

One-pot dishes (鍋物なべもの nabemono)

• Sukiyaki (すき焼やき sukiyaki)
• Shabushabu (しゃぶしゃぶ shabushabu)
• Oden (おでん oden)
• Yosenabe (寄よせ鍋なべ yosenabe)

Vegetable dishes (野菜やさい yasai)

• Kinpira Gobo (金平きんぴらゴボウ)

New Year Special Dishes (おせち料理りょうり osechiryori)

Japanized versions of other cuisines

• Japanese Curry (カレー karee)
• Tsukemono - Pickles. Usually these are not as highly preserved as western pickles.
• Teriyaki Sauce (照てり焼やき):
• Tofu (豆腐とうふ: Soybean curd)
• Gyôza (餃子ぎょうざ: Pan-fried dumplings. "Potstickers")

About Japanese food

The word Gohan (御飯ごはん) means rice but because rice is the staple diet of the Japanese, it also means meal and applies to all food.

Meal

A typical Japanese meal consists of:

• Rice
• Main dish (fish or meat)
• Side dish (cooked vegetables)
• Soup (usually Miso soup)
• Pickled vegetables

Custom

Before eating, Japanese put their hands together as if in prayer and say Itadakimasu (頂いただきます). This is a polite phrase meaning "I receive (this food with thanks)".

After eating, both hands are put together as before and Gochisousama deshita (御馳走様ごちそうさまでした) is said. This is another polite phrase meaning "That was a feast".

Eating

When eating a traditional Japanese meal, the usual order is as follows:

• Take a bite from the main dish or side dish.
• Eat a bit of rice.
• Drink some soup straight from your soup bowl (no spoons are used).

This order is then repeated.

• Leave some rice remaining in your bowl.
• Eat the pickled vegetables.
• Don't leave any rice in your bowl; this is considered wasteful and impolite.

Vegetarians and Japanese Food

On the surface, Japanese food might seem very friendly for vegetarians. Indeed, its extensive use of vegetables clearly makes it quite healthy. However, fish is an important ingredient in almost all Japanese dishes, even when it's not immediately apparent. Japanese cooking employs dried fish products shaved on the top of many foods, but most problematic for vegetarians is dashi, a broth made of dried bonito fish that is used extensively through the cuisine. This stock appears in many foods that would otherwise appear vegetarian, such as miso soup. Although miso is made of a fermented soybean paste, it is traditionally added to a dashi base, and it's almost impossible to find miso soup at a restaurant in Japan that does not contain dashi. Similarly, other foods such as tamago-zushi (egg custard sushi), which many ovo-vegetarians would enjoy, also generally contains dashi broth.

History of Japanese Cuisine and Cookbooks

Ancient times

• Asuka period
• Shotoku Taishi

Heian cooking

• Kojiki (God of Iwakamutsukari no Mikoto in Takabe Shrine)[1]

References

• Ishige, Naomichi, "The History and Culture of Japanese Food," Columbia University Press, 2001

External Links

• TheTasteOfAsia.com: Regional Cuisines
• Kids Web Japan: Cookbook for Kids
• Tokyo Food Page
• Japanese Recipes @ japan-guide.com
• Japanese Food @ about.com
• Bob & Angie's Kitchen
• Low Fat Vegetarian Japanese Recipes
• Rolling Your Own Sushi
• Sticky rice
• Glossary of Sushi-related terms