“Clean eating” might be a western fad, but for many Japanese cooks the focus on creating balanced, nutritious and – in many cases – raw food is tradition, not a passing trend. Across the country, food is celebrated in its purest, most elegant form. That might mean a plate of octopus or , a spread of pickled vegetables, fresh-as sushi or a simple seaweed salad.
But that’s not to say heartier food doesn’t exist – far from it. Japan’s food scene is a hungry beast. You’ll find hole-in-the-wall joints grilling every part imaginable, stall vendors flipping gooey (octopus balls), and cosy izakayas serving Asahi with a side of . And then, of course, there’s the . Japan specialises in four ramen varieties – shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), miso and tonkotsu (pork) bases. The former two are generally lighter and, in some instances, relatively healthy, while miso and particularly tonkotsu bases are heavy, meaty soups with carb-o-licious fillings.
In many Japanese dishes you’ll find the similar foundation ingredients: those being shoyu (soy sauce), kombu, miso paste, cooking sake and mirin. From here, other classic sauces – teriyaki and ponzu, for instance – or accompaniments such as wasabi and pickled ginger are brought into play. When it comes to desserts, Japanese recipes often sweeten up ‘savoury’ ingredients. Think , and .
Pantry essentials
Stock up on shoyu () in light and dark varieties, or try if you’re going gluten-free. Use for dressing; mirin () for cooking; and for marinades and sauces (buy the cooking version). Experiment with seaweed: wakame is a miso soup essential; is used in to wrap sushi and garnish dishes; and () gives dashi its special taste. You’ll also need in silken and firm forms; fermented paste ; and oodles of noodles – , and . Dried ingredients such as and bonito fish (katsuobushi) also come in handy.
Fast five
1. Sushi rules: When preparing sashimi, fresh fish is a must. Look for firm flesh and clear bulging eyes.
2. Finer things: A Japanese kitchen needs two graters – both finer than Western ones. The coarser utensil is for radish and daikon, while the finer item looks after wasabi.
3. Nicer rice: For excellent sushi, cook your rice with kombu (kelp) then add rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt.
4. Cutting edge: To master sushi and sashimi you’ll need a sharp Japanese knife. Unlike Western types, the blade is on one side only .
5. Know your soy: Sweeter and less salty than the Chinese sauce, shoyu (soy sauce) comes in light (usukuchi) and dark (koikuchi) varieties. Use tamari for a gluten-free shoyu alternative.
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