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Katsudon

Featured book Traditional Japanese food Any visitor to Japan would know that Japanese take eating very seriously. Restaurants abound and are usually good. There seems to be such a diversity of food in big cities that one wonders if Japanese food is not one of the richest cuisine in the world. Nevertheless, traditional Japanese food actually very limited and represents just a fraction of what is available on the market in present days. It is mainly composed of fish, seafood, rice and soybeans. Soybean is a key ingredient without which Japanese food wouldn't exist. Tofu, miso, natto and soy sauce are all made from soybeans. hijiki > ひじき

natto > 納豆

nimono > 煮物

oden > おでん

soba > そば

several tofu based-dishes (This also includes a few o-bento (お弁当), and what is usually associated with them, like miso shiru (味噌汁), umeboshi (梅干) or takuan (たくあん).)

makunochi bento > 幕の内弁当

unajuu > 鰻重

saba miso > 鯖味噌





The "Sushi" & "Don" sushi > 寿司 or 鮨

sahimi > 刺身

norimaki > 海苔巻き

kaisendon > 海鮮丼

magurodon > 鮪丼

negitorodon > ネギトロ丼

The "Matsuri" food "Matsuri food" is a term I use to designate all the dishes eaten in the street during festival or market around temples and shrines. It is usually fried. takoyaki > たこ焼き

taiyaki > 鯛焼き

okonomiyaki > お好み焼き

monjayaki > もんじゃ焼き

yakisoba > 焼き蕎麦 I have included yakisoba in traditional Japanese food, eventhough it is ultimately from China, because it has been part of the Japanese diet for centuries.





Hybrid - Modern Japanese food In accordance with Buddhist customs, Japanese didn't eat meat (except for fish and seafood) until the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century. Interestingly, the situation has undergone and complete reversal since then, and especially after 1945, so that it has become almost impossible to find vegetarian food in Japan nowadays. That means that Japanese didn't eat most of the modern dishes that now constitutes Japanese cuisine. For example : yakitori > 焼き鳥

hambaagu ハンバーグ (hamburger) Most of the "don"(丼) use meat and where not eaten before modern times : katsudon > カツ丼

gyuu-don > 牛丼

oyako-don > 親子丼

soborodon > そぼろ丼 (also called nishoku gohan > 二色ご飯) But most of what now seems to be Japanese food are actually imported dishes that were adapted to Japanese tastes : kimuchi-don (hybrid Korean)

tempura (hybrid Portuguese)

tendon (hybrid Portuguese)

stamina-don (hybrid Chinese)

kare カレー (hybrid Indian)

biifu shichiyuu ビーフシチュー (beef stew, hybrid English)

omuraisu (short for "omelette rice")

tonkatsu (hybrid Italian/French)

kuroke (hybrid French > croquette)

And by extenstion of the 2 previous ones, all deep-fried food, such as : ebi-fry, kaki-fry, etc. Common foreign foods in Japan Then come all the cuisine eaten not only in restaurants but also in Japanese homes and which were imported directly from other countries with no or little change. Korea bibimba

kimuchi

yakiniku

shijimi China chaahan チャー飯

maabou doufu マーボウ豆腐

gomokuhou 五目宝

ebi-chili エビチリ

subuta 酢豚

chuuka-don 中華丼

chuuka-soba 中華そば

udon 饂飩

ramen ラーメン

gyoza 餃子 (jiaozi)

nikuman(juu) 肉饅頭

shuumai 焼売 (shaomai) Okinawa goya champuru ゴヤチャンプル

buta no kakuni 豚の角に France foagura フォアグラ > foie gras

guratan グラタン > gratin

potofu ポトフ > pot-au-feu

konsome > consome

potaaju ポタージュ > potage

kureepu クレープ > crepe Italy pasta

pizza

risotto Popular Content on Wa-pedia.com



