Cuisine

While Japan is famous for its sushi and very expensive Kobe beef, there are many different and distinct types of regional cuisines in Japan. Some classic dishes include Tempura, fish and vegetables coated in a batter and then deep-fried, and kushiage, breaded and deep-fried food on skewers, served with a specialty sauce. Okonomiyaki, often referred to as Japanese pizza, is a pancake filled with meat or fish, shredded cabbage and vegetables, topped with Worcestershire sauce. At Robatayaki restaurants, seafood and vegetables are cooked over an open charcoal grill. Sukiyaki is thinly sliced beef cooked in a flavorful stock with other vegetables. It’s similar to shabu-shabu, which is beef and vegetables cooked in a clear broth, fondue-style. Yakitori is skewered chunks of chicken basted in a sweet soy sauce and grilled over charcoal. Kamameshi is a rice casserole served in individual-size cast-iron pots with different toppings. Donburi is similar, though it is an all-in-one rice bowl dish. Yodofu consists of tofu (bean curd) cubes simmered in a broth with kelp.

Even sushi comes in various forms. Sashimi is raw seafood eaten alone; maguro, or lean tuna, is a popular choice. Nigiri-zushi is raw fish, seafood or vegetables served atop vinegared rice. Maki-zushi is sushi rolled with rice inside a sheet of toasted seaweed (nori), while inari-zushi is vinegared rice and chopped vegetables inside a pouch of fried tofu bean curd. Popular sushi offerings include maguro, flounder (hirame), sea bream (tai), squid (ika), octopus (tako), shrimp (ebi), scallop (hotategai) and sea eel (anago). Ramen (noodles simmered in a pork or chicken broth) shops are found everywhere in Japan, where you will also find yakisoba (fried noodles) or gyoza (fried pork dumplings).