If you ask us what the typical Japanese food is, we would quickly answer sushi , and it is indeed the best known, but the Japanese do not eat only and exclusively sushi. In reality, sushi is usually a rather expensive dish that some part of the population cannot afford on a regular basis. Japanese cuisine is also known for the wide range of delicacies such as soups, battered vegetables, noodles and colorful sweets. In addition, it is popular for its exotic dishes with mixtures of flavors, colors and textures, and for its originality in presentation.
The peculiarity of Japanese cuisine lies in the sum of its culture, geographical location, climate and history of the country.
White rice is one of the basic foods in the Japanese diet, it is the base of many dishes and the complement to almost all meals. It is cooked in a special Suihanki machine found in most homes. This small machine keeps the rice at its ideal point ready to eat at any time.
It is customary to serve all the dishes almost at the same time, since unlike Westerners there is no established order for eating, but instead you snack on all the dishes at the same time, to the diner’s taste. To drink, with food, and not after, Japanese tea is typical, it is called o-cha and there are three kinds: green tea (very aromatic), brown tea (less aromatic and softer) and black tea. powder (used for tea ceremony).
As we all know, chopsticks called o-hashi are used as eating utensils. In a Japanese house these chopsticks are one-person, meaning that each person has their own chopsticks and they are not changed at each meal like we Westerners do with cutlery. These chopsticks are usually different colors, shapes and sizes for each member of the family.
Japanese cuisine demonstrates its artistic taste in the presentation of dishes
In Japanese restaurants it is common to have a showcase at the entrance, with samples made of plastic, or other similar material, of the dishes served. A custom that is very useful for foreigners who do not know how to read the menu, since they choose the dish more or less based on how it looks.
There are many more curiosities about Japanese culture and cuisine so for today we leave it here, and we indicate some interesting links where you will find many recipes to encourage you to cook Japanese food.