There’s nowhere like Japan. A land where people sleep on the floor, drink tea sitting on the floor and eat raw fish wrapped in seaweed. Imagine visiting the colours of Kyoto, climbing Mt Fuji, coming face to face with a sumo wrestler, fold origami, learn to make soba noodles; it’s a trip that satisfies the taste and cultural buds. Here are some of the foods you can sample, local cuisines, fish markets and practices to experience when taking a tour in Japan.
SEE ALSO: Indian Cuisine and 4 Other World’s Healthiest Menus
Sushi
Sushi is the most well-known food of Japan and is available around the world, also being particularly popular in Australian cities. Coming in many different forms, sushi is a classic cold food and some typical types of sushi include:
Nigiri - rice balls with tuna, eel, squid, octopus, eel and fried egg.
Norimaki – sushi rice with seafood wrapped in seaweed, this type of sushi is hugely popular and even comes with the seaweed inside out.
Gunkan – Cups of sushi rice and seaweed filled with seafood and fish eggs.
Wasabi
A spicy green Japanese horse radish paste, served with sushi and Japanese meals. The paste has a hot strong flavour which lasts a few seconds and creates a burning feeling in the nostrils. It typically is eaten with sushi, accompanying the fish and rice with a spicy bite.
Soba Noodles
These soba noodles are unique to Japan and about the size of spaghetti mixed with meat and vegetables in hot or cold dishes. Popular with tourists in Japan is soba making classes, where you can get to learn to make the dough for the noodles and roll out into noodle shaped lengths.
Gyoza
Gyoza are small Japanese dumplings, originally from China made from dough and filled with different meats such as pork and also come with vegetables. The dumplings are also filled with cabbage, garlic and onion and are delicious served with soya sauce.
Tokyo Tsukiji Market
This is a huge fish wholesale market in central Tokyo, hosting ten wholesale markets selling fish, fruit, meat and flowers. It’s a vibrant and busy place to visit for tourists and consists of loads of tiny lanes and aisles to wander through and explore.
Kyoto cuisine
Obanzai Ryori comprises of many small dishes which are simply prepared and this style is the traditional cooking style of Kyoto. Obanzai dishes can be rich in flavour, and there are restaurants all around this region cooking in this style.
Osaka cuisine
Tayokai – Grilled octopus cooked inside a flour and egg batter, accompanied by ginger and green onion.
SEE ALSO: Go On A Food Safari - The Many Tastes Of South Africa
Okonomiyaki – A delicious fried savoury pancake made from different meats, cabbage and combined with a floury batter and fried onto a grill. Served with soya sauce and mayonnaise, you can find this dish available from street vendors.
Eating with chopsticks
These wooden sticks are used to eat most food in Japan instead of cutlery and can be tricky to master at first. To use chopsticks hold one stick between your first and second fingers like you would a pen and support with your thumb, hold towards the end of the stick, and hold the second between your second and third fingers, keeping this one stationary and steering the sticks with the top one.
Traditional Tea Ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony is an artistic, spiritual and aesthetic practice which dates back to the 9th century. The ceremony serves mancha tea, a green powdered tea with sweets to counteract the bitter tea. The ceremony is all about aesthetics, and all the host’s movements are about preparing the tea in a beautiful way for guests.
Pack up your taste buds for a whirlwind food adventure in Japan, which accompanied by natural beauty, city lights and thousands of years of tradition, it’s a holiday to remember.
Rizwan Ahmad
SEE ALSO: Indian Cuisine and 4 Other World’s Healthiest Menus
Sushi
Sushi is the most well-known food of Japan and is available around the world, also being particularly popular in Australian cities. Coming in many different forms, sushi is a classic cold food and some typical types of sushi include:
 |
| Image Credit: Pei-Lin Liew |
Nigiri - rice balls with tuna, eel, squid, octopus, eel and fried egg.
Norimaki – sushi rice with seafood wrapped in seaweed, this type of sushi is hugely popular and even comes with the seaweed inside out.
Gunkan – Cups of sushi rice and seaweed filled with seafood and fish eggs.
Wasabi
A spicy green Japanese horse radish paste, served with sushi and Japanese meals. The paste has a hot strong flavour which lasts a few seconds and creates a burning feeling in the nostrils. It typically is eaten with sushi, accompanying the fish and rice with a spicy bite.
 |
| Image Credit: Masa Angenieux |
Soba Noodles
These soba noodles are unique to Japan and about the size of spaghetti mixed with meat and vegetables in hot or cold dishes. Popular with tourists in Japan is soba making classes, where you can get to learn to make the dough for the noodles and roll out into noodle shaped lengths.
 |
| Image Credit: Culinary Institute |
Gyoza
Gyoza are small Japanese dumplings, originally from China made from dough and filled with different meats such as pork and also come with vegetables. The dumplings are also filled with cabbage, garlic and onion and are delicious served with soya sauce.
 |
| Image Credit: Lilies n' Lavender |
Tokyo Tsukiji Market
This is a huge fish wholesale market in central Tokyo, hosting ten wholesale markets selling fish, fruit, meat and flowers. It’s a vibrant and busy place to visit for tourists and consists of loads of tiny lanes and aisles to wander through and explore.
 |
| Image Credit: In My Shoes Travel |
Kyoto cuisine
Obanzai Ryori comprises of many small dishes which are simply prepared and this style is the traditional cooking style of Kyoto. Obanzai dishes can be rich in flavour, and there are restaurants all around this region cooking in this style.
 |
| Image Credit: Ncola |
Osaka cuisine
Tayokai – Grilled octopus cooked inside a flour and egg batter, accompanied by ginger and green onion.
SEE ALSO: Go On A Food Safari - The Many Tastes Of South Africa
Okonomiyaki – A delicious fried savoury pancake made from different meats, cabbage and combined with a floury batter and fried onto a grill. Served with soya sauce and mayonnaise, you can find this dish available from street vendors.
 |
| Image Credit: n2shop |
Eating with chopsticks
These wooden sticks are used to eat most food in Japan instead of cutlery and can be tricky to master at first. To use chopsticks hold one stick between your first and second fingers like you would a pen and support with your thumb, hold towards the end of the stick, and hold the second between your second and third fingers, keeping this one stationary and steering the sticks with the top one.
 |
| Image Credit: bizarreXpressions |
The Japanese tea ceremony is an artistic, spiritual and aesthetic practice which dates back to the 9th century. The ceremony serves mancha tea, a green powdered tea with sweets to counteract the bitter tea. The ceremony is all about aesthetics, and all the host’s movements are about preparing the tea in a beautiful way for guests.
 |
| Image Credit: thebrownbear |
Pack up your taste buds for a whirlwind food adventure in Japan, which accompanied by natural beauty, city lights and thousands of years of tradition, it’s a holiday to remember.
Rizwan Ahmad
About the Author:
This article is contributed by Nathan Horgan and posted by Rizwan Ahmad Author and founder of myfoodforu blog He is a blogger from India and he loves to share his thoughts by writing articles on the different topics related to humanity,
This article is contributed by Nathan Horgan and posted by Rizwan Ahmad Author and founder of myfoodforu blog He is a blogger from India and he loves to share his thoughts by writing articles on the different topics related to humanity,
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