Food

We all know yakisoba, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki. Let us introduce 6 of our personal favorites when it comes to street food in Japan!

Cup Noodles are a popular instant noodle brand sold in a cup invented by the Japanese in 1971. This article explains the development of the Cup Noodle and the Cup Noodle Museums in Osaka and Yokohama.

Japanese desserts are probably a bit different from what you are used to, but there are some really great ones out there. Here are our 5 favorite Japanese desserts and their recipes!

What is so good about wagyu? Which type of wagyu should you look for if you want to try the very best there is available? And what type of sake would go well with your great piece of beef?

Fermentation is a technique that is used all around the world to preserve food and drinks and to give a new flavor to what we consume. Japan has some originally Japanese fermented foods and drinks that are all good for your health and stamina.

What is the history of vegan and vegetarian food in Japan? What is Shojin Ryori? And what are Tokyo’s best restaurants for vegans and vegetarians? Read it here!

What makes for a perfect depachika-bought meal? What should you think about when you go to a depachika to get the best experience? And what is up with those perfect pieces of fruit in Japan?

Did you know that Japanese tea originated in China, and was then slowly cultivated to different kinds of tea that is still enjoyed throughout Japan and worldwide these days? There are 6 main types of Japanese tea, which differ in leave treatment and harvest time.

Sake is sometimes called ‘rice wine’ in the West, but this is actually an inaccurate term, as the brewing process of sake is a lot closer to beer than it is to wine.

There are old-world wines from France and Italy, new-world wines from California, South-Africa, and Chile, and then there is wine from Japan. How did wine end up being made in Japan? Which grape varieties are used? And where are Japan’s wineries?

Beer has a shorter history in Japan than it has in most of the rest of the world, the reason being having been isolated from the rest of the world and its techniques for centuries. It is not that Japan didn’t have its share of alcoholic beverages before beer made its entrance, as sake and shochu have been around for a long time.

Whether you like the spicy and intense flavor of wasabi or not, many Japanese dishes contain this green condiment. Do you know why Japanese people started eating wasabi?

Japanese cuisine is known for its mild but specific flavors, and miso (fermented soybeans) is one of its main components. Learn more about this versatile condiment!

Soy sauce is an indispensable ingredient for Japanese cooking. The origins of soy sauce can be found in China, where they used salt and a base of fruit, vegetables, or grains to pickle foods so they could be kept longer.

Unagi is eel prepared in the Japanese style. It is a very popular summer dish in Japan because of the prevailing belief that eel helps your stamina when the weather is hot.

Sushi has been the most popular Japanese food worldwide ever since the California Roll was invented in the United States. The inside-out roll was created by a Japanese chef in the 1960’s. But how do they eat sushi in Japan?

Harajuku doesn’t just offer fashion, but it’s also the place to go to satisfy your sweet cravings. You can find all kinds of delicious desserts that are loaded with all the kawaii energy of the area.

During the summer, temperatures in Japan can be quite high and the atmosphere gets very humid. This makes finding ways to cool down indispensable, and how to better do this than with freshly shaved ice?

Wagashi are Japanese sweets that look more like a piece of art than something to eat. Wagashi have a very long history that goes back more than 2000 years.

Ramen became one of the iconic foods from Japan, having gained a lot of popularity outside of Japan in recent years. This is no wonder as ramen noodles are affordable, quick, and delicious.

Udon and soba are two lesser-known types of noodles from Japan, even though they have deeper Japanese roots than the popular ramen noodles. What are udon and soba?

Did you know that in Japan, there are many varieties of noodles to choose from? Abura soba is one of those types of noodles that hasn’t yet become famous in the rest of the world, but surely will one day.

Sukiyaki is a typical wintertime dish in Japan featuring beef, tofu, scallions, cabbage, and mushrooms. You can eat it in restaurants, but Japanese people also eat this at home a lot.

Gyudon beef bowl is maybe not as famous as some other types of Japanese food, but it is definitely a must-try if you come to Japan and you like meat.

Shabu shabu is still a relatively new dish. It was inspired by the Chinese-style hot pot that was brought to Japan by a restaurant named Suehiro from Osaka.

Tonkatsu was invented in the late 19th century and it became a very popular dish in Japan. This Japanese version of the German schnitzel was inspired by a Western food boom in the late 19th century.

Japan is a country with one of the richest cuisines in the world, with endless dishes to choose from. One of the most popular dishes is the okonomiyaki savory pancake of Hiroshima.

Many people don’t know that tempura is actually not an original Japanese food and that it has a long history. Tempura was first made in Japan in the early Edo period when foreigners could barely enter Japan.

In Japanese culture, it is important not to waste any food, and the onigiri (rice ball) is a great example of how this goal is reached. Onigiri often features in home-made bento lunch boxes.

If you want to try something new in Japan that you can likely not find in your home country, you should give oden a try! It is not only delicious but also a healthy and low-calorie option.

In Japan, tofu has been a part of the menu for many centuries. The rest of the world is now also catching up, as there are great health benefits to eating tofu.

Kaiseki ryori is not just a meal, it is a quintessentially Japanese experience. Often served in ryokan as a part of your stay there, it is a multi-course high-end meal that tries to incorporate the locality and season as best as it can.

Japan’s traditional New Year’s food osechi ryori has a long history that began in the Heian era, as back in the day it was taboo to cook on the first 3 days of the year.

Just like most Japanese dishes based on meat, yakitori also doesn’t have a long history because Buddhism made eating meat a no-no. How did this locals’ favorite develop, and which variations are there?

Whether you go to a tiny village’s little center or to Tokyo’s most famous areas, everywhere you will be able to find izakaya. An izakaya is the Japanese equivalent of a gastropub.

Bento is the Japanese word for a meal served in a box. Bentos form an integral part of Japanese food culture, which cannot be simply traced from a packed meal.

To Japanese people, Osaka is known as the capital of gastronomy. Some of Japan’s most popular dishes were born and bred in Osaka and spread out into the rest of the country from here.