Japan, an island country in East Asia, has charming scenery and delicious food. Japanese cuisine is a combination of tradition and modernity. Dishes prepared based on fresh seasonal ingredients from various places show a unique flavor. So which dishes are definitely not to be missed? Let’s take a look below! 1. Sushi This is one of the most representative foods in Japan. "Where there is fish, there is sushi", this is the Japanese mantra. The simple ingredients of rice are also made so compact by the Japanese. Freshly cooked rice is mixed with rice vinegar and wrapped in seaweed to form pieces of sushi. It is then topped with various ingredients, such as sweet shrimp, tuna, salmon, arctic clams and other raw ingredients, and then dipped in a little spicy mustard and soy sauce. , you can finish it in one bite, full of deliciousness. 2. Japanese ramen: Egg-roasted ramen is Japan’s favorite late-night dish. The fabric management Japan learned from ancient China now has its own unique signature. Japan's ramen soup base is divided into regions: Fukuoka's famous pork bone soup base is thick and smooth; while Hokkaido's specialty soup base is miso soup base, which has a unique taste. Different ingredients are also used to create different ramen, making Japanese ramen styles different. 3. Tempura: Fluffy and crispy tempura is the number one fried food in Japan (although its origin may have been brought to Japan by Portuguese traders). Dip the crispy fried seafood and vegetables into some refined salt or grated radish, and when you bite into it, the tempura will be crispy. The grated radish has the characteristic of removing oil, making the tempura fragrant but not greasy. When eating tempura, you can’t miss the tempura shrimp! 4. Kaiseki cuisine As a high-end cuisine in the Japanese cuisine world, Kaiseki cuisine is an art. Its origins are from the Kyoto Tea Ceremony. The exquisite pottery is carefully arranged, with a variety of seasonal ingredients, and is exquisitely made. It is like a piece of exquisite art, which makes people say "it is a shame to eat it"; there is no menu, only delicious dishes that vary from season to season. Dishes are also its specialty. 5. Eel It is understood that Japanese folklore once mentioned that eel is an ideal "antidote" to deal with the high temperature and humidity in summer. Freshly caught wild eel is a delicious food for Japanese people from May to October. For this delicacy, go to some of the more traditional Japanese restaurants, where they will have traditional charcoal-grilled river eel. Tasting juicy eel with sweet barbecue sauce is a pleasure worth remembering in summer. 6. Soba noodles. The Japanese who pay attention to health have created many health-preserving dishes. Among them, long and thin soba noodles have been a staple food of the Japanese for a long time. Especially in mountainous areas, hardy buckwheat is more valuable than rice. There is a traditional way to eat soba noodles in summer in Japan: put the hot soba noodles in a bento with a bamboo mat, sprinkle with some nori, take a bite, dip it in the miso soup, and suck it into your mouth smoothly. 7. Shabu shabu. Make enough food and clothing by yourself. Japanese people like to gather together to make hot pot, put in a variety of unique seasonal vegetables, and pick up red and white meat platters, and the whole family gathers together to have fun. The thin slices of beef are blanched and melt in your mouth, full of flavor. 8. Assorted yaki. This dish that violates the typical elegant image of Japanese cuisine is indeed the favorite snack food of Japanese people. Diners make delicious pancakes on the restaurant's induction cooker, put cabbage, pork and other ingredients on top, sprinkle with bonito flakes and seaweed, then drizzle with mayonnaise, take a slow bite, and feel instantly overflowing with satisfaction. 9. Tonkatsu This dish can be traced back to the late 19th century, when Japan was a country that was influenced by the West. But this dish is completely made according to Japanese tastes and has no Western "ancestry". Berkshire pork produced in Kagoshima is a popular high-end ingredient in Japan. Fried Berkshire pork coated in egg yolk and cornstarch until golden brown, served on a cold plate, served with miso soup and shredded cabbage. When you take a bite, you will be overwhelmed by the rich oil juice and crispy texture, and enjoy the unique sweetness of Berkshire pork. Just one bite and you won't be able to put it down. 10. Yakitori: A bottle of cold beer and a few skewers of chicken at night is the most satisfying thing for a Japanese. The exquisite oven, equipped with two different grilling methods of salt grilling and sauce grilling, seals the original flavor of the chicken in the skewers. Expansion: An introduction to Japanese food, which is usually a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup; for example, traditional Japanese breakfast is usually miso soup, rice, and a dish of pickles. The most common meal is called a "three-course meal" (Japanese: 一丝三菜/いちじゅうさんさい) - soup, rice, and three dishes cooked in different cooking methods. These three dishes are usually a dish of sashimi, a dish of grilled vegetables, and a dish of boiled vegetables. Some are steamed vegetables, fried vegetables, vinegared vegetables, or vegetables topped with sauces. A "three-course meal" often comes with pickles and green tea. One popular pickle is umeboshi. Since Japan is an island country, Japanese people are very fond of seafood, including fish, shellfish, octopus, shrimps, crabs, and seaweed. The original staple food is mainly rice and noodles. Because it is close to the sea, the non-staple food is mostly fresh fish, shrimp and other seafood, often paired with Japanese sake. Japanese food is known for its lightness, and we try to maintain the original flavor of the ingredients when cooking. In the production of Japanese cuisine, fresh materials, exquisite cutting, and artistic placement are required, and attention is paid to the harmony and unity of "color, aroma, taste, and utensils". In particular, not only the taste but also the visual enjoyment is emphasized. Japanese food requires natural color, delicious taste, various shapes and excellent utensils. Moreover, the materials and preparations emphasize the sense of season.

Classification Japanese cuisine is mainly divided into three categories: Honzen cuisine, Kaiseki cuisine and Kaiseki cuisine. Honzen cuisine is a cooking system based on traditional culture and customs. It originated from the Muromachi period and is a product of Japan's legal system. Formal "honzen cuisine" is rarely seen anymore, and only appears on a few formal occasions, such as weddings and funerals, coming-of-age ceremonies and festival banquets. The dishes range from five dishes and two soups to seven dishes and three soups. Kaiseki is an exquisite meal prepared for guests before a tea ceremony. In medieval Japan (referring to Japan's Kamakura and Muromachi eras), the tea ceremony was formed, and from this came Kaiseki cuisine, which was based on very strict rules. Among Japanese cuisine, the earliest and most orthodox cooking system is "Kaiseki", which has a history of more than 450 years. According to ancient Japanese legend, the word "kaiseki" comes from the "warm stone" of Zen monks. At that time, the precepts that practicing Zen monks had to follow was to only eat breakfast and lunch, and no need to eat in the afternoon. But the young monk couldn't bear the hunger and cold, so he wrapped heated stones in rags, called "warm stones", put them in his arms and put them on his stomach to resist hunger and cold. Later, it gradually developed into eating less food, which played the role of "warm stone" to ward off hunger and cold. For details, you can check out the Japanese cuisine website. Kaiseki cuisine With the development of social activities of ordinary Japanese citizens, restaurants were created and kaiseki cuisine was formed. It may be simplified based on Honzen ryori and Kaiseki ryori. A variety of local dishes are also included. Kaiseki dishes can usually be tasted in restaurants that specialize in Japanese cuisine. The dining table is a Chinese-style dining table, that is, the Eight Immortals Table. Table fur cuisine is Chinese-style cuisine, including mushrooms, fish cakes, vegetable noodle soup, braised noodles, etc. Its characteristic is that guests sit in armchairs around a table, and all meals are placed on the same table. This cuisine originated from the Buddhist vegetarian diet in ancient China and was promoted by Zen Master Yinyuan as "Pu Cha Cuisine" (that is, cuisine that uses tea instead of wine). Because it is popular in Nagasaki, it is also called Nagasaki cuisine. The chef used local aquatic meats in Buddhist vegetarian dishes and created table fur cuisine. The table-style dishes mainly include: shark fin soup, tea, large plates, medium plates, side dishes, stews, rice cakes and adzuki bean soup, and fruits. Side dishes are divided into five, seven, and nine dishes, with seven dishes being the most common. Put all the side dishes on the table at the beginning, and put the shark fin soup and other dishes on the table while eating. Tea Party Cuisine Tea ceremony was popular in Japan's Muromachi period, so tea party tea party cuisine appeared. The original tea party dishes were just embellishments for the tea ceremony and were very simple. By the end of the Muromachi period, it became very luxurious and luxurious. Later, Sen no Rikyu, the founder of the tea ceremony, restored the original light and simple appearance of tea party cuisine. The tea party cooking is as economical as possible in terms of space and labor. Only three utensils are used for the staple food: rice bowl, soup bowl and small plate. During the banquet, there are also soup, prunes, fruits, and sometimes two or three delicacies from the mountains and seas. Finally, tea is served. University Cuisine Generally, there are two main categories of cafeteria cuisine in Japanese universities - rice and noodles. Rice is divided into four categories according to side dishes: curry, stir-fry, fried, and rice bowl. Common Japanese curries include general beef curry, croquette curry, and fried mashed potato curry; common stir-fried dishes include ginger roast, mapo tofu, and fried eggplant; common fried dishes include fried prawns, fried vegetables, etc. . As for fried dishes made with fish and oysters, they are probably too expensive and cannot be eaten in school cafeterias. Common types of rice bowls include beef rice bowl, pork rice bowl and chicken rice bowl. The name of chicken rice bowl sounds a bit cruel, it is called "Oyako" rice bowl, which is made by stewing chicken and eggs together to make rice bowl. Depending on how the noodles are processed, noodles are mainly divided into white, thick, and soft udon noodles, thin and yellow egg ramen noodles, and buckwheat noodles that are neither white nor yellow. School meals are relatively cheap. A meal usually costs about 500 yen. If you eat it at an outside restaurant, it will cost at least 700 to 1,000 yen. There are several kinds of noodles in Japan, such as udon noodles, soba noodles, wide-cut noodles, etc. These noodles have exquisite ingredients, are cheap and good in quality. Buckwheat noodles, in particular, are a popular food. Japanese meals have gradually diversified, and American fast food, hamburgers, and spaghetti have partially replaced onigiri. Quick-frozen foods are popular among housewives, and Chinese dishes such as dumplings, pot stickers, steamed buns, and noodles are also popular in Japan. Western-style snacks introduced to Japan from Europe, such as cakes, cookies, and melons, as well as spring rolls and pot stickers introduced from China or evolved from Zen temple vegetarian dishes, are also regarded as dishes and favored by the Japanese. Shuxing Cuisine Shuxing Cuisine is also called "Shojin Cuisine", which means vegetarianism or vegetarianism. In fact, the so-called Shojin ryori is vegetarian cuisine that does not use meat. In addition, there are also boxed cold meals of Osechi ryori, which are usually eaten during important New Year holidays.