Refined, elegant, exquisite yet humble. These are just some of the few words to describe Japanese food. Like the Japanese culture, Japanese cuisine is rich, diverse and intriguing as well. A very large variety of dishes and regional specialties with its rich flavor would surely satisfy one palate and appreciation for food. Alongside the elegant fare are the humble bowl of rice and the rich heritage of simple country cooking. Japanese food is considered one of the healthiest in the world since it is rich in fiber and incredibly low in cholesterol, fat and calories. No wonder Japan has the highest longevity rate.

Japanese food has become known around the world already but it is still considered exceptional because of its manner of preparation. Fish and vegetables are the main ingredients and only minimal of oil and spice are used. Traditional Japanese food relies heavily on seafood, but a typical meal will contain many vegetable dishes which are or can be vegetarian.

The Japanese believe that food is an integral part of the rhythm of life. Besides austerely observing dishes to be fresh, healthy and low in fat Japanese food must also satisfy all the sense by being prepared with great care and beautifully presented. Ingredients are combined that will not only delight the eyes but also the taste buds. And seasonings are generally very simple just to enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients used.

Flavour and Ingredents

There are two predominant flavors in Japanese cuisine, the kamigata flavor (from the Kansai area) and the Edo flavor (Tokyo area). The former is always correlated with “light flavor” using Kansai’s light shoyu (soy sauce), it doesn’t have the strong distinct flavor of dishes prepared Edo style. The difference in flavor can be explained by the region where the flavor was introduced. Edo is a place of samurais and artisans, most people in this region is exposed to manual labor thus requiring a strong, rich distinct flavor. While in Kansai, the people there are satisfied with the vague, uncertain taste of their dishes that need to be sought out by one’s tongue.

Japanese food is dominated by white rice. It is ever present in all meals. Other common dishes present are sashimi (raw fish), grilled dishes and simmered dishes (sometimes boiled in translations from Japanese).