The Wafting Aroma From Japan

Japanese cuisine represents gastronomical delights with a bountiful of regional and seasonal fresh preparations.

 

- Sharmila Chand

It is a well-known fact that the Japanese believe in preparing dishes according to the season so that they can use fresh ingredients. For instance, they use lots of bamboo shoots in the spring and chestnuts in the fall.

Nothing Overcooked

We can say fresh flavours, vibrant colours, and interesting textures are the hallmarks of Japanese cuisine. The emphasis is on raw, boiled or seared dishes with minimum seasoning. You will not find the usage of seasonings like peppers and garlic in Japanese cuisine.

The famous ‘Umami’ flavour of the cuisine comes from a few selected ingredients, including bonito flakes and broth, soy sauce, and miso.

The popular condiments used in Japanese cuisine are wasabi, miso, soy sauce, and pickles as well as light dipping sauces to enhance the flavour as per your choice.

Japanese meal means several courses with small dishes, infused with simple flavours. Japanese Chefs like to work with top quality ingredients and do not overcook the food so as to retain the authentic colour and flavour of their dishes.

Japanese Delights

Japanese cuisine has a large variety of regional specialties. Some of them are as follows:

Sushi

Sushi is the most popular Japanese dish. Traditionally, sushi is referred to pickled fish preserved in vinegar. These days, sushi can be described as a dish made with rice, prepared with sushi vinegar.

There are many different types of sushi. Some popular ones are Nigiri, which comprises small rice balls with fish, shellfish, etc. on top; Gunkan, which comprises small cups made of sushi rice and dried seaweed, filled with seafood. Then there is Oshizushi, which is pressed sushi, in which the fish is pressed onto the sushi rice, in a wooden box.

Sashimi