Discipline, order and tradition are key ingredients in Japan in terms of culture as well as in the food. In Japanese cuisine, the appearance of the final product is very important. Gastronomy in Japan is an aesthetic pursuit. Fish, meat and vegetables are shaped and formed and sliced into artistic presentations. Although emphasis is put on symmetry, simple elegance and harmony with nature is a key element.
The traditional Japanese meal is a meal of many dishes rather than one main course. There should always be an odd number of dishes on the table, as even numbers are considered bad luck. The primary flavor principle in Japanese cuisine is a combination of soy sauce and rice wine (sake) and sugar. Variations in flavor are achieved through the use of ginger root and sesame oil. Hot peppers and sometimes a fish flavored stock called Dashi is used. Dashi is made from kelp (seaweed) and bonito (tuna fish). Throughout Japan's history, food was scarce and Japanese cooking developed around this scarcity of food. Rice is the staple of the diet. Readily available fish, shellfish, and other seafood such as seaweed supplement the rice. Historically, meats were not widely used but are more common today.
Japanese cuisine has seen some influences from other cuisines. The Chinese brought soybeans, tea and sugar in the seventh and eighth centuries. In the sixteenth century, the Portuguese came to Japan and influenced Japanese cuisine with their batter-fried shrimp. The result, Shrimp Tempura, is one of the most widely known Japanese dishes today. From the 1600s to the 1800s all Europeans were evicted from Japan and their influence ceased. It was not until after World War II that western food, particularly American dishes, again influenced Japanese cuisine.
Eating three meals a day is typical in Japan. Additionally, snacks may be eaten. Breakfast usually includes rice with nori (a dried purplish red seaweed) which may be stuffed and occasionally topped with egg. Soups, pickled plums and pickled vegetables may also be part of the breakfast. Lunch is often rice with leftovers from the night before. Tea or soup stock is sometimes added to the rice to make a complete meal. Hot noodles of various forms are also a popular lunch item, typically combined with bits of meat and vegetables. At dinner, soup or rice and a pickled vegetable are always served.
With the exception of special occasions, all of the foods are served at once and a great many dishes are served. Soup, when served with the meal, is often served first to stimulate the appetite or it may be offered at the end of the meal as an act of cleansing. If dessert is offered, it usually consists of fresh fruit. Green tea, beer or sake are served throughout the meal. Chopsticks are typically used. Soups are drunk from a bowl; spoons are used infrequently. Snacks are often fresh fruit or perhaps crackers and confections such as sweet bean jelly or rice cakes. Sweet bean paste is a primary item in Japanese confections, which are usually eaten at teatime, never for dessert.
Etiquette and ritual is important in Japan. Visitors, traveling for pleasure or business, are often invited to long-lasting, lavish meals. Entertaining seldom takes place in a private house, but rather at restaurants or inns. Punctuality is encouraged, although arriving five minutes late is considered “on-time” and polite; it allows the host to be fully ready. It is a sign of respect to offer a slight bow when meeting a Japanese person, who will always attempt to bow lower than the visitor. Sake is often served prior to the meal. If the occasion is festive or important, sake will be served during the meal as well; otherwise tea is served.
At the beginning of each meal in Japan, each guest should receive a damp perfumed wash cloth so he/she can wash his hands and face. Sake or tea is served to each guest by the host or hostess and after the first cup has been consumed, each guest pours for his neighbor. It is very impolite to pour for yourself. Typically, the food is covered; it is a sign of respect for the food. Bowls of food should be picked up and held as their contents are eaten. It is appropriate to make sucking noising while enjoying the soup and any host or hostess should receive compliments on both the flavor and palatability of the food and the artistic arrangement of then food.
Etiquette requires that the rice be tasted before eating the broiled, steamed or deep fried meat, poultry, fish or seafood, which is eaten with vegetables and rice. The pickled vegetables are traditionally saved until the very end of the meal to be eaten with the remaining rice. When receiving or passing a bowl of food, or business cards for that matter, use both hands as a sign of respect. Only rude people would raise their voices during conversation. Do not discuss World War II. Gifts are acceptable, but may be declined two or three times prior to acceptance. Gifts that come in pairs (e.g., pen and pencil) are considered good luck omens..
| Milk Products | Milk and milk products are usually not found in traditional Japanese cuisine. |
| Meat, Fish, Poultry and Protein Alternatives | Fish and seafood in most any
form are readily used. Poultry and game birds are popular. Beef and pork, and horsemeat are available. Eggs from both chicken and fish are readily consumed. |
| Fruits and Vegetables | A variety of fruits are used;
fresh when in season or pickled for later use. Vegetables are very important; sprouts, roots and shoots are often incorporated. A variety of seaweeds are used. |
| Breads and Cereals | Short grain rice is the staple
grain. Noodles are important. |
| Cooking fats | Little fat is used. Most foods are either cooked with water or they are steamed rather than cooked in oil. Deep frying does take place. |
| Beverages | Tea is the primary social
beverages. Rice wine (sake), beer, soft drinks and whiskeys are also important. |
| Seasonings | Delicate and subtle is the
norm. A variety of sauces, pastes and pickled vegetables are used for flavoring. |
| Other | Nuts and seeds such as chestnuts and ginkgo nuts, peanuts, walnuts, poppy seeds and sesames are often added to dishes. |
| Cooking methods | Foods are often broiled, salted, simmered, steamed, pickled or served raw. |
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Last Updated: February 17, 2006