Next Stop: Japan (Part 1: Sushi and Rice Dishes)


There are many views of what is fundamental to Japanese cuisine. Many think of sushi or the elegant stylized formal kaiseki meals that originated as part of the Japanese tea ceremony. Many Japanese think of the everyday food of the Japanese people—especially that existing before the end of the Meiji Era (1868–1912) or before World War II.

A standard Japanese meal nearly always consists of a bowl of cooked white Japanese rice (gohan) as shushoku with accompanying tsukemono (pickles), a bowl of soup, and a variety of dishes known as okazu - fish, meat, vegetable, etc. Traditional Japanese meals are sometimes classified by the number of okazu which accompany the rice and soup. As Japanese meals, especially at the higher end, consist of several small dishes, the concept of a "side dish" is not a part of Japanese meal organization. The simplest Japanese meal, for example, consists of ichiju-issai ("one soup, one side" or "one dish meal"). This means soup, rice and pickles, and one accompanying dish. A traditional Japanese breakfast, for example, usually consists of miso soup, rice, a pickled vegetable and grilled fish. The standard traditional meal, however, is called ichiju-sansai ("one soup, three sides"), or soup, rice & pickles, and three dishes, each employing a different cooking technique. The dishes may be raw fish (sashimi), or grilled, simmered (sometimes called boiled in translations from Japanese), steamed, deep fried, vinegared, or dressed dishes. Ichiju-sansai often finishes with pickles such as umeboshi and green tea.

Since Japan is an island nation, its people consume much seafood including fish, shellfish, octopus, squid, crab, lobster, shrimp, whale and seaweed. Although not known as a meat eating country, very few Japanese consider themselves vegetarians. It is particularly difficult to find vegetarian cuisine in Japan, as even vegetable dishes are prepared with fish stock or garnishes. Although most Japanese eschew eating insects, there are a couple of exceptions. In some regions, grasshoppers (inago) and bee larvae (hachinoko) are not uncommon dishes. The larvae of a species of caddis fly (zaza-mushi), harvested from the Tenryu river as it flows through Ina City, is also boiled and canned, or boiled and then sautéed in soy sauce and sugar. Salamander is eaten as well in places.

Donburi is a one-bowl lunchtime dish, consisting of a donburi (big bowl) full of hot steamed rice with various savory toppings:

Katsudon - donburi topped with deep-fried breaded cutlet of pork (tonkatsudon)
Tekkadon - donburi topped with tuna sashimi
Oyakodon (Parent and Child) - donburi topped with chicken and egg (or sometimes salmon and salmon roe)
Gyudon - donburi topped with seasoned beef
Tendon - donburi topped with tempura (battered shrimp and vegetables).
Unadon - donburi topped with broiled eel with vegetables.

Sushi is vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients, usually fish or seafood.

Nigiri-zushi - This is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice.
Maki-zushi - Translated as "roll sushi", this is where rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed (nori) and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat and then cut into smaller pieces.
Temaki - Basically the same as makizushi, except that the nori is rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Sometimes referred to as a "hand-roll".
Chirashi - Translated as "scattered", chirashi involves fresh sea food, vegetables or other ingredients being placed on top of sushi rice in a bowl or dish.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cuisine