The Art and Etiquette
of Japanese Food

Japanese food has fast become a favorite of many foreigners, but are we sure that what is being served is their traditional food? Is there anything that Japanese do before they eat?

Traditional food in Japan uses ingredients that are seasonal. One can have soup such as miso, gohan or rice, tsukemono, or pickles, nori or dried seaweed and green tea for breakfast.

Then for lunch, it is usually simple fare consisting of noodles or ramen – udon or soba.

Then dinner usually consists of rice, a main dish of meat or fish, a vegetable side dish, pickled vegetables eaten with the rice, and miso soup.

Japanese Meal Etiquette

Japanese people use chopsticks except of course when eating soup. Before eating, they usually say “itadakimasu,” meaning “I received this food,” which expresses thanks to the one who prepared the food.

After the meals, they would usually say “gochiso-sama” to express their thanks for the delicious meal. They usually eat on a tatami around a low table and sit on the floor with their legs crossed. However, many families now have a western-style kitchen table and sit in chairs when dining at home and especially at restaurants.

Choices for Foreigners Craving Western Dishes

Japanese Cuisine for Newbies

In recent years, Japanese cuisine has gained popularity in many different countries.The harmony and lightness of the flavor of Japanese food appeals to the palate of westerners as well as neighboring countries.

However, many people are still hesitant to explore the Japanese cuisine for fear that they might find something that they do not like. Here are a few Japanese dishes that are easy on the palette, especially for newbies exploring Japanese cuisine.

Recommended for new visitors to try is Domburi, which is simply a bowl of rice topped with a dish. Different types of toppings are famous in Japan and many of these dishes have made it successfully in American restaurants.

Some examples of these are the oyakodon, which is chicken and egg topping and the gyudon, which has a beefy flavor that is more popular in Japan as a fast food. Diners with experimental palettes may be interested in trying unadon, a Japanese dish that is a type of domburi utilizing grilled eel in thick soya sauce coating as topping.

Next is Ramen, a hot noodle and soup dish originally from China but adapted into Japanese cuisine, that has become a staple college student meal in America. Ramen is very popular all over the world.  Ramen is to the Japanese what a burger and fries is to Americans. This Japanese food comes with different flavors and is recognized for its long slender noodles. Dumplings, miso, soy sauce, and meat can be added to a ramen dish.

Sashimi is usually mistaken for sushi by people still new to Japanese cuisine. This Japanese dish is usually presented artistically; however, Sashimi is still in fact – raw fish. This thought usually turns the toughest uninitiated stomach squeamish. Tuna is the most popular of the many types of sashimi.

People having this uniquely Japanese dish outside of Japan should lend careful attention to the scent as the fish used in Sashimi should be really fresh and should not have any fishy scent. However, in Japan, you will not have any problem being served un-fresh fish, as it would permanently and irrevocably damage the restaurant’s reputation and livelihood.

Next is Sushi, which probably is the most world-famous of all Japanese food. Sushi can be served in a lot of variations but to be considered Sushi, a dish should have rice that is traditionally prepared with sushi vinegar. The most unique form of sushi is the norimaki, more popularly called sushi rolls. These are made up of sushi rice and different kinds of seafood rolled in dried seaweed sheets.

Tempura is also very popular around the world and is usually considered as a finger food. It is made up of different seafood and or vegetables fried in a special batter. Ingredients of tempura wildly vary from on restaurant to the next so it is too numerous to list. This is also one of the top favorite Japanese food appetizers in bars and clubs as well.

Many successful establishments in Japan were started by foreigners in Japan that decided to start their own food service or bar. Other successful entrepreneurs in Japan founded companies in food import, export or distribution services.

To find out how to start your own bar or food-service business in Japan, contact us.




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