A comprehensive guide to Japanese food for beginners

Japanese cuisine, renowned for its emphasis on fresh ingredients, delicate flavours, and beautiful presentation, offers a diverse range of dishes that reflect the country's rich cultural heritage and regional variations.

In Singapore, Japanese food holds a special place in the hearts of many, with Singaporeans often willing to spend a little extra for an authentic dining experience.

For your next omakase or Japanese dinner outing, here's a guide to take you through some of the most iconic Japanese foods — from sushi and sashimi to ramen and tempura — and provide insights into the culinary traditions that make Japanese food so beloved worldwide.

Seasonality and freshness

Seasonality is a cornerstone of Japanese cuisine. Known as "shun," the practice of eating foods at their peak season ensures optimal flavour and nutritional value.

Freshness is paramount, especially in dishes like sushi and sashimi, where the quality of the ingredients is crucial to the dish’s success. This focus on seasonal ingredients reflects Japan’s deep connection to nature and its cycles.

Common ingredients and seasonings

Japanese cuisine relies on a few fundamental ingredients and seasonings that form the backbone of many dishes.

These include soy sauce (shoyu), miso (fermented soybean paste), dashi (a stock made from kelp and bonito flakes), rice vinegar, sake (Japanese rice wine), mirin (sweet rice wine), and various types of seaweed. These elements contribute to the unique umami flavour that characterises much of Japanese food.

Cooking styles and dining types

Japanese cooking styles are diverse and include methods such as grilling (yakimono), steaming (mushimono), frying (agemono), simmering (nimono), and raw preparations (namamono).

Dining types also vary, ranging from street food to casual shabu-shabu, teppanyaki, and elaborate multi-course meals known as kaiseki or omakase. Each style and type of dining experience emphasizes harmony, balance, and aesthetic presentation.

Sushi and sashimi

Sushi

Sushi is one of the most well-known Japanese dishes globally. It consists of vinegared rice combined with various ingredients, such as raw or cooked seafood, vegetables, and sometimes tropical fruits. Here are a few popular types:

• Nigiri: Slices of raw fish or seafood placed atop small balls of vinegared rice.
• Maki: Rice and fillings rolled in seaweed (nori) and sliced into bite-sized pieces.
• Temaki: Hand-rolled cones of seaweed filled with rice, fish, and vegetables.
• Uramaki: Inside-out rolls with the rice on the outside and seaweed wrapping the filling.

Sashimi

Sashimi consists of thinly sliced raw fish or seafood, served without rice. It is often accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. Popular sashimi fish include tuna, salmon, and yellowtail.

Rice dishes

Donburi

Donburi is a versatile rice bowl dish that consists of a variety of toppings served over a bed of steamed rice. Common types of donburi include:

• Gyudon: Thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a mildly sweet soy sauce-based sauce, often topped with a raw or poached egg.
• Oyakodon: Chicken and egg simmered together with onions in a dashi-based broth.
• Katsudon: Breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu) simmered with egg and onions in a sweet and savoury sauce.

Kamameshi

Kamameshi is a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in an iron pot called a kama. It typically includes a variety of ingredients such as chicken, seafood, vegetables, and mushrooms, all seasoned with soy sauce, sake, and mirin. The dish is cooked until the rice forms a crispy layer at the bottom, adding a unique texture and flavour.

Onigiri

Onigiri, also known as rice balls, are a popular and convenient Japanese snack made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed).

They can be plain or filled with a variety of ingredients such as salted salmon, pickled plum (umeboshi), tuna with mayonnaise, or bonito flakes. Onigiri are commonly found in convenience stores across Japan and are a staple in lunchboxes.

Omurice

Omurice is a fusion dish that combines Western omelette with Japanese fried rice. The rice is typically cooked with ketchup and sometimes includes chicken or vegetables. It is then wrapped in a thin layer of scrambled eggs and often garnished with ketchup or demi-glace sauce.

Noodles

Ramen

Ramen is a noodle soup dish with Chinese origins that has become a staple in Japanese cuisine. It features wheat noodles served in a rich, flavourful broth, often topped with slices of pork, green onions, and a soft-boiled egg. The four main types of ramen are:

• Shoyu (Soy Sauce): Clear, brown broth flavoured with soy sauce.
• Miso: Broth made with fermented soybean paste, giving it a hearty and robust flavour.
• Shio (Salt): Clear, light broth that is typically seasoned with salt.
• Tonkotsu: Creamy, opaque broth made from simmered pork bones.

Udon

Udon are thick, chewy noodles made from wheat flour. They are typically served in a hot broth, but can also be enjoyed chilled with a dipping sauce. Common toppings include tempura, green onions, and kamaboko (fish cake).

Soba

Soba are thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. They can be served hot in a broth (kake soba) or chilled with a dipping sauce (zaru soba). Soba is particularly popular in the summer months.

Grilled and fried dishes

Tempura

Tempura involves lightly battered and deep-fried seafood or vegetables. The batter is typically made from cold water, flour, and eggs, resulting in a light, crispy coating.

Common tempura items include shrimp, squid, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers. Tempura is often served with tentsuyu, a dipping sauce made from dashi, mirin, and soy sauce.

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is a breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet, usually served with shredded cabbage and a thick, tangy sauce. It can also be served as part of a curry dish (katsu curry) or in a sandwich (katsu sando).

Yakitori

Yakitori refers to skewered and grilled chicken, typically seasoned with either salt or a savoury sauce called tare, which is made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. The chicken is usually grilled over a charcoal fire, which imparts a distinctive smoky flavour. Common yakitori items include:

• Negima: Chicken thigh and green onion.
• Tsukune: Chicken meatballs.
• Teba: Chicken wings.
• Reba: Chicken liver.

Karaage

Karaage is Japanese-style fried chicken. Bite-sized pieces of chicken are marinated in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, then coated in potato starch or flour and deep-fried until crispy. It is often served with a wedge of lemon and sometimes accompanied by a dipping sauce.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name means "grilled as you like it," reflecting the flexibility of the dish.

It usually includes flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, and meat or seafood. It's cooked on a griddle and topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes.

Other specialty dishes

Miso soup

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made from dashi stock mixed with miso paste. It often contains ingredients such as tofu, seaweed, and green onions. Miso soup is a staple of Japanese cuisine and is commonly served as a side dish in meals.

Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is a savoury egg custard dish served in a tea cup. It is made by steaming a mixture of eggs, dashi, soy sauce, and mirin, often with added ingredients such as chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, and ginkgo nuts. The texture is smooth and silky, similar to that of a flan.

Nattō

Nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It has a strong smell and a slimy, sticky texture, which can be off-putting to those unaccustomed to it. Nattō is often eaten for breakfast and is typically served with rice, soy sauce, and sometimes mustard or green onions.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki are savoury ball-shaped snacks made from a batter and filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onions. They are cooked in a special moulded pan and typically topped with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, green laver (aonori), and bonito flakes.

Japanese desserts

Japanese desserts, or wagashi, often incorporate ingredients like red bean paste, mochi, and matcha (green tea powder). Popular examples include:

• Mochi: Sticky rice cakes that can be plain or filled with sweetened red bean paste.
• Dorayaki: Two small pancakes with a filling of sweet red bean paste.
• Matcha Ice Cream: Ice cream flavoured with matcha green tea powder.

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This article was first published in City Nomads.