Traditional Japanese Food

This Buzzle.com article shares some information about one of the greatest cuisines in the world – traditional Japanese cuisines.

In a world of frozen meats, 'steely' tasting tinned food and dreary sandwiches, traditional Japanese food comes as a godsend to most of us. Elegant and refined, the Japanese cuisine is said to be one of the greatest cuisines in the world, and I won't disagree with that! 

Traditional Japanese food is undoubtedly one of the healthiest and most delicious in the world and fortunately for most of us, foods like tofu, sushi, tempura, miso, soba, and even green tea are now familiar and freely available to people outside Japan. As a national cuisine, Japanese food has greatly evolved over the past few centuries due to many social as well as political changes. Right from the ancient eras, wherein much of the traditional cuisine was largely influenced by the Korean and Chinese cultures, the Japanese cuisine gradually transformed with the onset of the Medieval period, which brought along with it new tastes and flavors.

With the advent of the Modern ages, massive changes took place and the Japanese cuisine would then be influenced greatly by the Western culture. However, the food of today is still very similar to what existed towards the end of the 19th century. This would mean that a large portion of the Japanese cuisine includes those foods whose cooking methods and ingredients have been introduced by other cultures, but which have since then been experimented with and developed by the Japanese themselves.

The thing is that you either will love it or you will downright despise it. With traditional food, there is no such thing as an in-between. However, chances are that if you hate the food, then you probably haven't even tasted authentic food or you simply haven't given yourself the chance to like it. Unlike other cuisines, the food is not something that you will appreciate after having only a bite. Like wines and cigars, the food is an acquired taste. And then there will be times when you will be predisposed to think that you are consuming raw food! But despite the apparent distastefulness of the situation, there is a reason why their food is considered to be the greatest. 

Eating Habits 

Even though rice consumptions in most Japanese households is said to be on the decline, rice is still considered to be the staple diet of the Japanese people. A steaming hot bowl of rice is included in most Japanese bowls and even the side dishes are served with rice! From rice cakes or 'mochi' to regular bowls of rice, the Japanese simply love their rice!

Apart from rice, most meals end with a round of green tea - exotic to the core! A traditional Japanese breakfast would include steamed rice, miso soup, and a variety of side dishes. And that's only their breakfast! Some of the more common side dishes are rolled omelet, grilled fish, pickles, salad, dried seaweed, and natto.

For lunch, the norm would be bowls of rice or noodles. From beef bowls to udon noodles and soba noodles, the Japanese also love their noodles! Sushi, tempura, and rice balls are traditional food items. Like in any other country, dinner is the main meal in Japan too. The variety of food available for a traditional dinner in Japan in simply astounding! From sushi to tempura and even other types of seafood, a typical Japanese dinner has it all. Apart from rice, seafood is also very popular in Japan. From clams and seaweed to fish and fish cakes, the Japanese seafood is unbeatable. Traditional Japanese ingredients used are soy sauce, miso, wasabi, ginger, mushrooms, beans, noodles, rice vinegar, and mirin.

Traditional Dishes

The Japanese are known for emphasizing on certain seasonal food while putting together a great combination of ingredients and presenting it with finesse. But along with the rich and fanciful fare, you also have the modest bowl of rice and the simplicity of the heritage Japanese country-style cooking. Okonomiyaki, Sashimi, Sushi, Tempura, Sukiyaki are all a few names of some of the staple food served in Japan. So, if you are looking forward to being experimentative and don't mind sampling grilled octopus or raw fish and eel, the food will not come as a disappointment to you.

Personally, I prefer Japanese cuisine to any other cuisine, though it can be a bit expensive. In terms of unique presentation and taste, there is no other cuisine that can match the traditional Japanese cuisine. Who would ever think that raw food could taste so amazing? For all of you who have not yet explored and discovered the pleasures of the traditional Japanese food, this article should help change your mind.

Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/traditional-food-of-japanese-people.html