Japanese Food Guide

In Asian cuisine, Japanese food is unsurpassed in elegance and exquisitely precise preparation. Meals in Japan are an art form, from the perfect sushi to the colorful candy and sipping of tea.

There is much to be sampled and appreciated from the vast array of Japanese food, and while traveling to Japan may give you the widest variety, there are many ways you can have this healthful fare at home.

This Japanese food guide will take you through the basics of Japanese cuisine including sushi and sashimi, breakfast in Japan, common dishes to enjoy, Japanese sweets and an overview of beverages to enjoy. Towards the end you will find a quick lesson in table manners, a buyers guide and an outline of the nutritious benefits of Japanese food and what you can incorporate into your daily diet for better health.

The preparation of fish in the Japanese kitchen is ruled by the proverb "eat it raw first of all, then grill it, and boil it as the last resort."This basically means that the flavor and texture of fish is best enjoyed raw, but only if it is extremely fresh. it it isn't fresh enough to eat raw, it can be seasoned and grilled. The least fresh fish can be boiled, if you must, with seasonings such as miso and soy.

There is a definite distinction between sushi and sashimi.

Sashimi is traditionally the first course in a formal Japanese meal. it consists of the freshest raw fish and seafood, thinly sliced and served only with a dipping sauce.

Sashimi is an excellent source of omega 3 fats, but it is essential to buy from a reputable source to be sure you are getting the best quality.

Sushi refers to a broader range of foods. It can be served over rice, rolled in nori or placed in a hand-formed clump of rice. Sushi is made up of vinegar rice combined with a topping or filling of fish or vegetables. The filling can be raw, cooked or marinated.

Tempura represents all of the best elements of Japanese cuisine. The freshest vegetables and seafood are dipped in a light batter and dropped carefully, briefly into vegetable or sesame oil. It is removed when crispy and golden brown and can be dipped in a variety of sauces or eaten plain.

Tempura can be made at home using your favorite veggies and seafood. Watch the video on the right to see it done by a professional at the Culinary Institute of America.

A basic recipe:

Batter:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup very cold / icy water
• 2 Tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 cup flour

Beat egg and mix with icy water (the cold water keeps the batter from becoming sticky and sticky batter will result in oily tempura), add wine and flour and whisk briefly. Do not over mix!

Heat Oil (use your preference - vegetable oil, sesame, grape-seed or peanut) in wok or fryer

Coat chosen vegetables and seafood in batter and briefly fry with care until golden brown. Let dry on paper towel.

Vegetables that will work well with Tempura:

• carrots, onion, zucchini or eggplant, thinly sliced
• mushrooms, halved or whole
• asparagus
• snow pea pods, whole
• broccoli, cauliflower, prepared as in salad

Some Seafood / Fish choices:

• cod, bite sized
• shrimp, whole, peeled
• scallops, whole if small

Traditional Dipping Sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon dashi (a stock made from kelp)
• 1 Cup water
• 2 Tablespoons mirin or 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons sake or dry white wine
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Boil dashi, remove from heat and add remaining ingredients

Mango Dipping Sauce:

Take 1/2 mango (diced) and 1 cup heavy cream and reduce over medium heat for 10-12 minutes.

Japanese Food Guide : An Overview of Common Dishes and Ingredients

Shitake Mushrooms: Once grown only in Japan and not readily available in North America, they are now cultivated in the U.S. on artificial logs. You will find these mushrooms in a multitude of dishes.

Unagi: Eel is a favorite in various preparations. Unagi is prepared primarily as sushi in North American, but in Japan it is often a main course. Eel is believed to provide strength and vitality to those who consume it. Upscale unagi restaurants keep the live eels in a viewing tank and do not remove them until they are ordered. The eel is grilled, steamed to remove any excess fat, and then seasoned and grilled again.

Oden: A bland tasting stew of fish, dumplings, tofu, eggs and vegetables in a kelp based broth.

Kobi Beef: Red meat is not a staple of the Japanese diet because it was long considered unfit for human consumption. The term Kobi refers to the particular method of raising the animals. They are fed a special diet (including beer) to keep them relaxed. The animals are often massaged to keep them in a tranquil state. This pampering is the reason kobi beef is so expensive world wide.

Ramen: Thin noodles made from wheat and soda water.

Somen: Very thin noodles made from wheat flour.

Udon: are thick Japanese noodles served both hot and cold in a variety of dishes including soup.

Soba: Made from buckwheat flour, Soba is a popular fast food in japan. Served hot and cold, soba is sometimes flavored with seaweed, mugwort or green tea powder.

A traditional Japanese breakfast may consist of rice and miso soup, probably combined with some side dishes like pickled radish, cabbage or cucumber, dried seaweed and natto which is made from fermented soy beans and is highly nutritious.

Breakfast in Japan can also include a variety of fish and possibly a rolled omelet which is similar to an egg roll and can be prepared sweet or salty.

An extensive collection of Japanese breakfast recipes can be found at Japanesefood.about.com

Japanese desserts are radically different than western treats. They are rarely made with dairy or egg products and are not as intensely sweet as western desserts. They often contain sweet red bean paste known as bean jam, that is made from a mixture of azuki beans and sugar.

• Wagashi: A Japanese candy that is beautifully colorful and has become a standard part of the Japanese tea ceremony.
• Daifuku: Meaning "big fortune," daifuku slightly resembles a donut and is made from rice flour, sugar and water and filled with bean jelly or strawberry.
• Sata Andagi: A fried donut seasoned with black cane sugar that originated in the Okinawan region.

Other favorites include green tea ice cream, tempura fried ice cream, walnut manju cake and sweet rice balls called ohagi.

Tea

There is of course, a huge variety of teas enjoyed in Japan. Green Tea is perhaps the most widely used and is intricately tied with the customs and culture in Japan.

Green Tea was first used ceremonially in Japan in the 12th century. It was brought from China, where green tea has long been used by Buddhist monks in monasteries for their religious rituals.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a ritual based on Taoism and influenced by Zen Buddhism in which green tea is prepared and presented by a highly skilled practitioner. It is served in a tranquil setting. Some ceremonies include a meal and can last up to 4 hours.

In order to acquire the skill, grace and charm to host a tea ceremony, the practitioner often studies the traditional arts for many years. To be a guest at such a ceremony even requires a little training in the proper etiquette, phrases to be used and appropriate gestures.

Green Tea is known for having multiple health benefits. It is chock full of antioxidants, providing the following health benefits:

• Fights viruses
• Slows aging
• Reduces high blood pressure
• Fights cancer
• Lowers cholesterol

When buying green tea it is important to look for a high grade to be sure that you are getting the desired nutrients. Green Tea does contain caffeine and the amount will vary depending on the amount of leaves used and the length of time the leaves are infused.

Sake

Sake, also called rice wine, is made from rice and water and created through a multiple fermentation process similar to the process for making beer. It is generally not aged, as most people prefer the flavor of fresh sake. Similar to wine, sake will have different flavors depending on the region in which it was made. There are also a variety of brewing methods creating distinctively different types of sake (clear, cloudy etc.).

Sake can be served hot, warm or chilled, depending on preference. Heating will hide some of the undesirable flavors of a lesser quality sake.

Beer

The most popular alcoholic drink in Japan, there is a diverse selection of a beer to choose from. The art of brewing first came to Japan from Germany and has been evolving ever since.

There are three main types of Japanese drinks classified as beer:

• Beer:the major brands are Asahi, Kirin and Suntory.
• Happoshi is a light tasting sparkling alcohol also known as low malt beer.
• "Third Beer" is the most recent addition to the beer market in Japan. It contains no malt and uses pea, soy or wheat spirits instead.

A Japanese meal is prepared with the utmost of care, and should be eaten the same way. The following examples serve as a starting point in learning Japanese etiquette,

• It is okay to slurp your miso soup. Slurpping cools it off and shows that you are enjoying your meal. It is also acceptable and expected that you will noisily slurp noodles.
• Learn how to properly use chopsticks (see video to the right). Do not, during the course of the meal, suck on or lick your chopsticks.
• Do not stick your chopsticks straight up in your rice bowl or rest them on a shared dish. Lay them across the top of the bowl.

A traditional Japanese diet consists of eating foods jam packed with nutrients. Sugar, red meat and carbohydrates made from refined white flour are not present. The thought "what is good for me" outweighs the idea of "what would be fun to eat." Portion sizes are generally about half the size of western meals.

There are many principles that can be applied to improve health without having to adopt an entirely Japanese diet.

Replace red meat with fish as often as possible. Fish is high in omega-3 fats, which are essential to visual, mental metabolic and hormonal function. Tuna steak or sushi is an excellent source.

Tofu and Soyare a main part of the Japanese diet and are a good source of protein. They are believed to be responsible for reducing risks for heart disease and high blood pressure. Additionally, a diet high in soy protein and low in fat could, according to research, decrease body fat mass without decreasing muscle mass.

Nutrient Rich Foods:

• Shitake and Enoki mushrooms are nutritional powerhouses containing protein, calcium, fiber and vitamins C and B. These nutrients can protect the health of your heart, lower the risk of cancer, boost the immune system and reduce inflammation.
• Misois a rich source of protein and contains trace minerals(zinc, manganese, copper) that strengthens the immune system and boosts energy. Studies have shown that the substances in miso can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Note: it is high in sodium.
• Seaweedssuch as kelp, arame and dulse contain the broadest range of minerals of any food. Seaweeds have the mineral equivalence of human blood and is a source for potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and iodine, as well as Vitamins C and B, fiber, and beta-carotene.
• Nattois made from soybeans and is often a part of Japanese breakfasts. It is an excellent source of protein, vitamins B2 and K. It also contains phytoestrogen and selenium, which are believed to prevent cancer.