Top 5 Delicacies in Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun spreads from the north to the south. With different atmospheres and climates in its different areas, there are different types of food available all over Japan. But most of them are their own traditional recipes which people from all over the world love to try. They have a wide range of dishes which are usually made from rice or seafood. Whatever the ingredients are, their food is considered the healthiest diet in the world.
Given below are the top five delicacies in Japan. Whenever you get a chance to visit Japan you should definitely try them out, as they are available in all cities.

Rice Dishes
Some of the most exquisite and most demanded dishes in Japan are made using rice, in some quantity at least. Rice, the staple food of Japan, is eaten by millions of people all over the world everyday. In Japan rice is referred to as ‘Gohan', which means ‘meal'. Gohan is also referred to cooked rice. Rice is used to make up many Japanese dishes, a few of them are given below.

A rice dish with a few other things, is popular content of the traditional Japanese breakfast

• Onigiri are Japanese sandwiches, a ball of rice with a filling in between
• Kamameshi is a dish in which after rice is covered with vegetables and chicken or seafood; it is baked in an individual pot
• Genmai gohan is plain brown rice
• Sekihan is white rice cooked with azuki beans to form red rice
• Curry rice is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is similar to Indian curry rice except that it is not as spicy
• Hayashi rice is rice topped with a thick beef stew
• Omurice is another breakfast item; it is an omelet filled with fried rice

Sushi
Sushi is made up with a combination of rice and seafood or vegetables. Sushi is one of the most popular foods in Japan and it is the most famous Japanese delicacy in the world. There are several types of sushi available, some of which are given below.

• Nigirizushi is the most popular type of sushi. The ingredients are placed on top of a block of rice.
• Makizushi is a sushi roll. In this type of sushi, the ingredients are wrapped in a sheet of seaweed in a shape of a cylinder, the sheet is then cut and small sushi pieces are formed.
• Chirashi is a unique type of sushi. In this case, instead of a block of rice a bowl or a dish is used, topped with the ingredients.

Noodles
Another traditional Japanese dish known for its unique appearance. Noodles are the most popular replacement for a rice dish. It is another popular Japanese delicacy eaten all over the world. Noodles are available in many different forms in Japan, some of the most popular ones are:

• Ramen: It is the most popular type of noodle. It is served with chicken or pork topping.
• Champon: Noodles with a variety of seafood and vegetable toppings served in a hot chicken broth.
• Udon: Served in a Japanese curry or a broth, these are thick white noodles served with several types of toppings.

Soup
Known to be a great healer and strength provider, soup comes in at number four in our list. Soup is usually taken as an appetizer but in Japan it is a meal. It contains chicken, vegetables, fish and so many more items. There are several types of soups in Japan, a few are listed below.

• The miso soup is the most popular soup in Japan, included as a part of the traditional Japanese breakfast.
• Dangojiru is a soup made using dumplings along with some other items used as toppings.
• Tonjiru is similar to the miso soup, except that it has a pork topping whereas the miso soup has tofu and vegetables.
• Zoni is usually made on New Year's day. It is made using a rice cake with chicken used as a topping.

Sweets
Another fine line of Japanese delicacy is their sweets and sweet dishes. Some of the popular ones are listed below:

• Dango is rice dumpling
• Hoshigaki is a dried persimmon fruit
• Kompeito are crystal sugar candies
• Mizuame is a sticky liquid sugar candy
• Anpan is a type of bread which has sweet bean paste in the center

About the author

Andrew is a foodie with a strong passion for Japanese food. When he is not looking for the latest restaurant, Andrew trains people on how to make sushi withsushi robots and nigiri machines.

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