Eating in Japan

In 2013 ‘washoku’, or Japanese cuisine, was ascribed to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, a true demonstration of the love and pride that the Japanese have for their food. The unique style of preparation and cooking is respected the world over for its taste and craftsmanship, all of which are a quintessential piece of the culture of this fascinating nation.

At the heart of all Japanese food culture, and even culture more generally, is the humble grain of rice. The staple food for 2,000 years, the cultivation of rice is credited for the evolution of Japanese culture; it was even used as a currency at one point. Today, it is still the base of many meals and for the national beverage of choice, saké – so really there’s no escape, rice is well and truly ingrained (pun intended) into Japanese food, culture and society.

It may be slightly mind-boggling to consider but until the 1880s, when Japan modernised, the consumption of meat was illegal. Even now the use of red meat, oils and fats and dairy products is sparse in Japanese cooking. Instead the emphasis is placed on seasonal produce and fish. The four seasons are each represented by their distinctive offerings – the best way to experience this is to go for a Kaiseki ryori, the Japanese haute cuisine, which features 12 dishes of varying skills and techniques which showcase the foods and flavours of the current season to perfection. Seafood is also very much celebrated; just head to Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market to see what the rich seas around Japan can offer. As a nation spread across thousands of islands, it doesn’t come as a surprise that a great pride is taken in seafood – it is eaten all ways after all!

We have the Japanese to thank for a great many delicious treats – sushi, tempura, yakitori and to a certain extent, noodles to name just a few but there are still a great, great many dishes that haven’t made it into the big wide world yet. Of course there is no better place to try the above delights than their homeland, but there are many more foods that must be tried while in Japan.
Okonomiyaki (okonomi ‘what you like’ – yaki ‘grilled’), is a savoury pancake stuffed with meat and vegetables. There is some pretty lively debate as to whether it originated in Osaka or Hiroshima, but the dish is so popular in Hiroshima there are over 2000 restaurants dedicated to it, plus a food theme park, Okonomimura. A typical Hiroshima version of the dish includes layers of batter, cabbage and pork plus any optional extras – cheese, squid, octopus, plus noodles, fried egg and lashings of okonomiyaki sauce.

As mentioned above Kaiseki is the haute cuisine of Japan. It is particularly well done in Kyoto, where the locals are said to have a more refined and delicate palate, where it originated along with the tea ceremony. Each small course is made of the freshest ingredients and exquisitely arranged on beautiful crockery, a little piece of edible art.
If you wanted to go all out traditional ‘unagi’ is one to try. A river eel grilled over charcoal and covered in a sticky and sweet barbeque sauce, this delicacy is linked to folklore and is usually served fresh, wild-caught from the river and plonked onto your plate. This is the very best of eating old Japan style.

Eating out in Japan isn’t just about drilling down into the culture, it is also about experiencing a different way of eat. Many restaurants in Japan specialise in one particular dish and do it to perfection, with more style and panache than you would ever imagine. Tokyo now boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants than Paris, proving how seriously the Japanese take their food, and how well you can eat whilst you’re there.

If there was ever an excuse to get stuck in, this is it…

We have plenty more information about Japan here. If you feel that you’d prefer to visit Japan on a group tour, visit Wendy Wu Tours for a wealth of options.

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