Japan

Japanese cuisine has developed through centuries of social and economic changes, and encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan. The traditional cuisine of Japan (washoku or 和食) is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes, with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Fish is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi. Seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light batter as tempura.

Apart from rice, staples include noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga. Foreign food, in particular Chinese food in the form of noodles in soup called ramen and fried dumplings, gyoza, and western food such as curry and hamburger steaks are commonly found in Japan. Historically, the Japanese shunned meat, but with the modernization of Japan in the 1880s, meat-based dishes such as tonkatsu became common.

Japan has an indigenous form of sweets called wagashi (和菓子?), which include ingredients such as red bean paste, as well as its indigenous rice wine, sake.

Japanese cuisine, particularly sushi, has now become popular throughout the world. As of 2011, Japan overtook France in number of Michelin starred restaurants and has maintained the title since.

Rice dishes (ご飯物)

Gohan or Meshi: plainly cooked white rice. It is such a staple that the terms gohan and meshi are also used to refer meals in general, such as Asa gohan/meshi (朝御飯, 朝飯, breakfast), Hiru gohan/meshi (昼御飯, 昼飯, lunch), and Ban gohan/meshi (晩御飯, 晩飯, dinner). Also, raw rice is called kome (米, rice), while cooked rice is gohan (ご飯, [cooked] rice). Nori (海苔), and furikake (ふりかけ) are popular condiments in Japanese breakfast. Some alternatives are:
Curry rice (karē raisu カレーライス): Introduced from the UK in the late 19th century, "curry rice" is now one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is much milder than its Indian counterpart.
Chāhan (炒飯): fried rice, adapted to Japanese tastes, tends to be lighter in flavor and style than the Chinese version from which it is derived
Genmai gohan (玄米御飯): brown rice
Hayashi rice (ハヤシライス?): thick beef stew on rice
Kamameshi (釜飯): rice topped with vegetables and chicken or seafood, then baked in an individual-sized pot
Mochi (餅): glutinous rice cake
Mugi gohan/Mugi meshi (麦御飯, 麦飯): white rice cooked with barley
Ochazuke (御茶漬け): hot green tea or dashi (出汁) poured over cooked white rice, often with various savory ingredients such as umeboshi (梅干) or tsukemono (漬物).
Okowa (おこわ): cooked glutinous rice
Omurice (Omu-raisu, オムライス): omelet filled with fried rice, apparently originating from Tōkyō
Onigiri (おにぎり): balls of rice with a filling in the middle. Japanese equivalent of sandwiches.
Sekihan (赤飯): white rice cooked with azuki beans (小豆) to Glutinous rice. (literally red rice)
Takikomi gohan (炊き込み御飯): Japanese-style pilaf cooked with various ingredients and flavored with soy, dashi, etc.
Tamago kake gohan (卵掛け御飯): Rice with a raw egg

Noodles (men-rui, 麺類)[edit]
Noodles (麺類) often take the place of rice in a meal. However, the Japanese appetite for rice is so strong that many restaurants even serve noodles-rice combination sets.[citation needed]


Kamo nanban: Soba with sliced duck breast, negi (scallions) and mitsuba
Traditional Japanese noodles are usually served chilled with a dipping sauce, or in a hot soy-dashi broth.
Soba (蕎麦, そば): thin brown buckwheat noodles. Also known as Nihon-soba ("Japanese soba"). In Okinawa, soba likely refers to Okinawa soba (see below).
Zaru soba (ざるそば): Soba noodles served cold
Udon (うどん): thick white wheat noodles served with various toppings, usually in a hot soy-dashi broth, or sometimes in a Japanese curry soup.
Miso-nikomi-Udon (味噌煮込みうどん): hard udon simmered in red miso soup.
Somen (素麺, そうめん): thin white wheat noodles served chilled with a dipping sauce. Hot Somen is called Nyumen.