Below is a list of dishes found in Japanese cuisine. Apart from rice, staples in Japanese cuisine include noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga. Foreign food, in particular Chinese food in the form of noodles in soup called ramen and fried dumplings, gyoza, and other food such as curry and hamburger steaks are commonly found in Japan. Historically, the Japanese shunned meat, but with the modernization of Japan in the 1860s, meat-based dishes such as tonkatsu became more common.
Rice dishes ()
Gohan or meshi: plainly cooked white rice. It is such a staple that the terms gohan and meshi are also used to refer to meals in general, such as asa gohan/meshi ( breakfast), hiru gohan/meshi ( lunch), and ban gohan/meshi ( dinner). Also, raw rice is called kome ( rice), while cooked rice is gohan ( [cooked] rice). Nori (), and furikake () are popular condiments in Japanese breakfast. Some alternatives are: (karē raisu ): Introduced from the UK in the late 19th century, "curry rice" is now one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is much milder than its Indian counterpart. Chāhan () or yakimeshi (焼飯): fried rice, adapted to Japanese tastes, tends to be lighter in flavor and style than the Chinese version from which it is derived Genmai gohan (): brown rice : thick beef stew on rice Kamameshi (): rice topped with vegetables and chicken or seafood, then baked in an individual-sized pot Katemeshi: a peasant food consisting of rice, barley, millet and chopped daikon radish Mochi (): glutinous rice cake Mugi gohan/ (): white rice cooked with barley Ochazuke (): hot green tea or dashi () poured over cooked white rice, often with various savory ingredients such as umeboshi () or tsukemono (). Okowa (): cooked glutinous rice Omurice (Omu-raisu, ): omelet filled with fried rice, apparently originating from Tōkyō Onigiri (): balls of rice with a filling in the middle. Sekihan (): white rice cooked with azuki beans () to glutinous rice. (literally red rice) Takikomi gohan (): Japanese-style pilaf cooked with various ingredients and flavored with soy, dashi, etc. Tamago kake gohan (): Rice with a raw egg Tenmusu: a rice ball wrapped with nori that is filled with deep-fried tempura shrimp
Rice porridge () Nanakusa-gayu () is the long-standing Japanese custom of eating seven-herb rice porridge (nanakusa-gayu) on January 7 (Jinjitsu). Okayu () is a rice congee (porridge), sometimes egg dropped and usually served to infants and sick people. Zosui (Zōsui, ) or Ojiya () is a soup containing rice stewed in stock, often with egg, meat, seafood, vegetables or mushroom, and flavored with miso or soy. Known as in Okinawa. Some similarity to risotto and Kayu though Zosui uses cooked rice, as the difference is that kayu is made from raw rice.
Rice bowls () A one-bowl dish, consisting of a donburi ( big bowl) full of hot steamed rice with various savory toppings: Gyūdon: ( beef bowl): Donburi topped with seasoned beef and onion Katsudon (): Donburi topped with deep-fried breaded cutlet of pork (tonkatsudon), chicken (chickendon) Oyakodon (): Donburi topped with chicken and egg (or sometimes salmon and salmon roe) (literally Parent and Child bowl) Tekkadon (): Donburi topped with tuna sashimi Tendon: (): Donburi topped with tempura (battered shrimp and vegetables) Unadon: (): Donburi topped with broiled eel with vegetables Wappameshi: (): rice topped with other ingredients, cooked in wooden containers called wappa
Sushi ()
Sushi () is a vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients, usually seafood or vegetables. Nigirizushi (): Sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice. Makizushi (): Translated as "roll sushi". Seasoned rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed (nori, dried laver) and rolled into a cylindrical shape, then sliced into smaller rounds. Typical ingredients are Tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette), simmered shiitake mushroom, boiled prawn and cucumber. Temaki () orTemakizushi (): Basically the same as makizushi, except that the nori is rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Sometimes referred to as a "hand-roll". Chirashizushi () or Bara-zushi (): Translated as "scattered", chirashi involves fresh seafood, vegetables or other ingredients being placed on top of sushi rice in a bowl or dish. Inarizushi (): Fried tofu packet braised in sweet soy sauce stuffed with sushi rice (no fillings) Oshizushi (): A pressed sushi using cured or cooked fish, most commonly mackerel. (): Sumeshi wrapped in Takana leaves. Unique to Wakayama Prefecture.
Other staples
Noodles (men-rui, ) Noodles () often take the place of rice in a meal. However, the Japanese appetite for rice is so strong that many restaurants even serve noodle-rice combination sets.
Traditional Japanese noodles are usually served chilled with a dipping sauce, or in a hot soy-dashi broth. Soba (): thin brown buckwheat noodles. Also known as Nihon-soba ("Japanese soba"). In Okinawa, soba likely refers to Okinawa soba (see below). Zaru soba (): Soba noodles served cold Udon (): thick white wheat noodles served with various toppings, usually in a hot soy-dashi broth, or sometimes in a Japanese curry soup. Miso-nikomi-udon (): hard udon simmered in red miso soup Sōmen (): thin white wheat noodles served chilled with a dipping sauce. Hot sōmen is called nyumen.
Ramen is typically served in a meat or chicken broth. Ramen (): thin light yellow noodles served in hot chicken or pork broth with various toppings, it is a common item in Japan. Also known as Shina-soba () or Chūka-soba () Champon (): yellow noodles of medium thickness served with a variety of seafood and vegetable toppings in a hot chicken broth which originated in Nagasaki as a cheap food for students Hiyashi chūka (): thin, yellow noodles served cold with a variety of toppings, such as cucumber, tomato, ham or chicken, bean sprouts, and thin-sliced omelet, and a cold sauce (soy sauce-based, sesame-based, etc.) Mazesoba (: wheat noodles served with a number of savory toppings, including raw egg, ginger, and meat Okinawa soba (): thick wheat-flour noodles served in Okinawa, often served in a hot broth with sōki, steamed pork Yaki soba (): fried noodles Yaki udon (): fried udon noodles
Bread (pan, ) Bread (the word "pan" () is derived from the Portuguese pão) is not native to Japan and is not considered traditional Japanese food, but since its introduction in the 16th century it has become common. Curry bread (karē pan ): deep-fried bread filled with Japanese curry sauce Anpan (ampan ): sweet roll filled with red bean (anko) paste Yakisoba-pan (): bread roll sandwich with yakisoba (fried noodles and red pickled ginger) filling (): bread roll sandwich with croquette (deep-fried patties mashed potato) filling Melon-pan (): sweet round bun covered in a (sometimes melon-flavored) cookie-like coating, scored in criss-cross designs and baked Katsu-sando (): sandwich with tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) filling
Common Japanese main and side dishes (okazu, ) Okazu (): Common Japanese main and side dishes
Deep-fried dishes (agemono, ) Deep-fried dishes: : bite-sized pieces of chicken, fish, octopus, or other meat, floured and deep fried. Common izakaya (居酒屋) food, also often available in convenience stores. : marinated fried fish. Korokke (croquette ): breaded and deep-fried patties, containing either mashed potato or white sauce mixed with minced meat, vegetables or seafood. Popular everyday food. Kushikatsu (): skewered meat, vegetables or seafood, breaded and deep fried. Satsuma-age (): fried fishcake (surimi), often used as an ingredient for oden. Tempura (): deep-fried vegetables or seafood in a light, distinctive batter. Kakiage () Tonkatsu (): deep-fried breaded cutlet of pork (chicken versions are called chicken katsu). Furai (): deep-fried breaded seafood and vegetables Agedashi dōfu (): cubes of deep-fried silken tofu served in hot broth.
Grilled and pan-fried dishes (yakimono, )
Yakimono (): Grilled and pan-fried dishes Gyoza (): Chinese ravioli-dumplings (potstickers), usually filled with pork and vegetables (spring onion, leek, cabbage, garlic, and ginger) and pan-fried Kushiyaki (): skewers of meat and vegetables Motoyaki (): Baked seafood topped with a creamy sauce. Okonomiyaki () are savory pancakes with various meat and vegetable ingredients, flavored with the likes of Worcestershire sauce or mayonnaise. Takoyaki (): a spherical, fried dumpling of batter with a piece of octopus inside. Popular street snack. Teriyaki (): grilled, broiled, or pan-fried meat, fish, chicken or vegetables glazed with a sweetened soy sauce Unagi (), including kabayaki (): grilled and flavored eel Yakiniku ("grilled meat" ) may refer to several things. Vegetables such as bite-sized onion, carrot, cabbage, mushrooms, and bell pepper are usually grilled together. Grilled ingredients are dipped in a sauce known as tare before being eaten. Horumonyaki ("offal-grill" ): similar homegrown dish, but using offal Jingisukan (Genghis Khan ) barbecue: sliced lamb or mutton grilled with various vegetables, especially onion and cabbage and dipped in a rich tare sauce. A speciality of Hokkaidō. Yakitori (): barbecued chicken skewers, usually served with beer. In Japan, yakitori usually consists of a wide variety of parts of the chicken. It is not usual to see straight chicken meat as the only type of yakitori in a meal. () is flame-grilled fish, often served with grated daikon. Was one of the most common dishes served at home. Because of the simple cuisine, fresh fish in season are highly preferable. Some species traded as dried fish, such as hokke (Arabesque greenling) are also served this way.
Nabemono (one pot cooking, ) Nabemono () includes: Motsunabe (): beef offal, Chinese cabbage and various vegetables cooked in a light soup base. Shabu-shabu (): hot pot with thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and tofu, cooked in a thin stock at the table and dipped in a soy or sesame-based dip before eating. Sukiyaki (): thinly sliced beef and vegetables cooked in a mixture of soy sauce, dashi, sugar, and sake. Participants cook at the table then dip food into their individual bowls of raw egg before eating it. (): hot pot with fish and vegetables. (): hot pot with blowfish and vegetables, a specialty of Osaka. Chigenabe () or Kimuchinabe (): hot pot with meat, seafood and vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, and Kimchi. Imoni (): a thick taro potato stew popular in Northern Japan during the autumn season Kiritanponabe (): freshly cooked rice is pounded, formed into cylinders around Japanese cypress skewers, and toasted at an open hearth. The kiritanpo are used as dumplings in soups. Chankonabe (): commonly eaten in vast quantity by sumo wrestlers as part of a weight-gain diet.
Nimono (stewed dishes, )
Nimono () is a stewed or simmered dish. A base ingredient is simmered in shiru stock flavored with sake, soy sauce, and a small amount of sweetening. Oden ( "kantou-daki", ): surimi, boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku, and fish cakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth. Common wintertime food and often available in convenience stores. : chunks of pork belly stewed in soy, mirin and sake with large pieces of daikon and whole boiled eggs. The Okinawan variation, using awamori, soy sauce and miso, is known as . : beef and potato stew, flavored with sweet soy. : fish poached in sweet soy (often on the menu as ). : Okinawan dish of pork stewed with bone.
Itamemono (stir-fried dishes, )
Stir-frying () is not a native method of cooking in Japan, however mock-Chinese stir fries such as (, stir fried vegetables) have been a staple in homes and canteens across Japan since the 1950s. Home grown stir fries include: