Courtney Puckett
ND 310
Food Report
Section 5

Japanese Food Culture

When we think of Japanese food the first thing that comes to our minds is the raw fish and rice that make up the sushi that most of us have tried at one point or another in our lives, but there is much more to Japanese food than just sushi. Japanese food culture has evolved from a background that none of us would have expected. There are all different kinds of food available in this culture varying from the well-known sushi to deep fried pork. Japanese food culture is not just one of the most popular; it is also one of the most interesting.
Obviously, since Japan is surrounded by water it is known for its dishes that are mostly made with fish for the main part, such as the sushi and shashimi that we are all familiar with, but the history of their culture speaks of how other foods came to Japan and made their way to be regulars on the dinner plate (AsiaRecipe, 2009). Some major influences on Japanese food came from China, who contributed soy sauce, tea, and chopsticks to their culture. Another strong influence on Japanese food was the influence of Buddhism from Korea that made meat a forbidden food to the Japanese for over a thousand years. Buddhism also influenced Japanese culture in another way. It is why their foods now feature five flavors and colors (AsiaRecipe, 2009). All these influences have helped to make the Japanese food that we know what it is today.

Even though the majority of people have heard of sushi, they may not know exactly what it consists of. Many people think of sushi and sashimi to be the same thing unless they have tried both. “Sashimi consists of thin slices of raw fish or other seafood with spicy Japanese horseradish (wasabi) and shoyu while sushi consists of the same, served on vinegared rice, but also includes cooked seafood, vegetables and egg. Another form of sushi is norimaki, or sushi roll, in which the filling is rolled in rice with a covering of nori. Cheap sushi is available at supermarkets or at kaiten-zushi restaurants, where customers sit at a counter and choose what they want from a conveyer belt” (Japan-Zone, 1999).
Even though fish definitely does play a major role in the diets of the Japanese, they do also consume other foods on a regular basis that we may not be as familiar with. We all think of hibachi or teriyaki when we think of how the Japanese prepare their meats, but in reality they are not as common as other ways. For example “Sukiyaki is prepared right at the table by cooking thinly sliced beef together with various vegetables, tofu and vermicelli” (JNTO, 2009). Some of their most popular dishes are unknown to westerners. Domburimono is a bowl of rice that is usually covered with many toppings that vary from beef, to pork, chicken and even egg. They are usually sold as a lunch item with a pickle and soup (Japan-Zone, 1999). Okonomiyaki is described as the Japanese pancake. It includes chopped vegetables, meat, or seafood with batter and then cooked on a griddle. Like the western pancake we eat in America, the okonomiyaki is flipped and cooked on both sides. Once done it is topped with mayonnaise and sprinkled with dried fish flakes (Japan-Zone, 1999). One of the strangest popular dishes in Japan is Shabushabu. “For this dish, diners dip paper-thin slices of beef in a pot of boiling water and stock for a few seconds and then dip the cooked beef in sesame sauce before they eat it. Later, vegetables such as enoki mushrooms and Chinese cabbage, tofu and shirataki are added. After the beef and vegetables have been finished, udon, a type of noodle, can be added to the broth and eaten” (Japan-Zone, 1999). Shabushabu is one of the most economical meals in Japan, it is also called the “all-you-can-eat-meal” (Japan-Zone, 1999).

For other common foods in Japan follow this link > http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/food/cuisine.html
The most interesting part of Japan’s food culture is not the foods but the culture involved in the eating process itself. Some customs are not so different from customs here in the west such as it is customary for a Japan host to insist that their guests eat more food at a dinner or any other meal. But there are also other customs in Japan that we would consider way off limits here in the west. “Japanese noodle-eating etiquette is, to Americans, unusual to say the least” (AsiaRecipe, 2009). In Japan it is customary to make a slurping noise while eating noodles and pick the bowl up and drink the soup that remains after the noodles are gone. (AsiaRecipe, 2009)
Although Japanese culture is definitely different from that of our own we can also appreciate it. “Eating in Japan is an experience to be enjoyed and remembered fondly for the rest of your life” (JNTO, 2009). When all is said and done the Japanese food culture can be described in just a few words, “natural” and “harmony”. Whichever dish is made they never kill the natural flavor. The ingredients are always in harmony together to make one dish, and that one dish in harmony with all other dishes to make a meal. In Japan, the food will be in harmony with nature and the surroundings, even with the person who is dinning. (AsiaRecipe, 2009)

Works Cited

Asiarecipe. (2009). Japan. Retrieved 5, May 2009. From
http://asiarecipe.com/japeathistory.html#top

Japan-Zone. (1999). Popular Dishes. Retrived 5, May 2009. From http://www.japan-
zone.com/culture/dishes.shtml

JNTO, Japan National Tourism Organization. (2009). Japanese Food. Retrieved 5, May 2009.
From http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/food/cuisine.html