Japanese Cooking Info
<< UNDER CONSTRUCTION >>
I am not a Japanese person. I am not a cook. This is not a lesson in Japanese cooking.
This page is for me to save information on Japanese cuisine (“Washoku”) so I can learn to cook Japanese food, improve my diet and work on losing weight.
Japanese Cuisine – What is Washoku? (和食)
Washoku is traditional Japanese cuisine which refers to individual Japanese food or a set of Japanese dishes. Washoku is characterized by the use of various seasonal fresh foods, and it is famous as very healthy food due to a low calorie, nutritious and well-balanced for a diet.
yokoso-shinjuku.com
“Wa” means Japan or harmony, and “shoku” means food or to eat.
Essential Elements of the Japanese Kitchen
Popular Dishes
Some popular Japanese dishes you might recognize.
- Sushi (寿司)
- Tempura (天婦羅)
- Ramen (ラーメン)
- Miso Soup (味噌汁)
- Gyoza (餃子 – Japanese Potstickers)
- Onigiri (おにぎり – Japanese Rice Balls)
The Basics of Japanese Cuisine
Seasons / Shun (旬)
Seasonal awareness in the cuisine is one of the defining aspects of Washoku.
Examples of Shun (旬)
Spring:
- Plump Green Peas
- Hamaguri Clams
Summer:
- Spicy Shishito Peppers
- Japanese Whiting
Fall:
- Woody Matsutake Mushrooms
- Pike Eel
Winter:
- Herbal Shungiku Greens
- Buri Yellowtail
Japanese Cuisine & Diet
Essential Japanese Ingredients for Chefs
- Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Mirin
- Sushi Rice
- Miso Paste
- Wakame
- Bonito Flakes
- Kombu
- Shichimi Togarishi
- Nori
- Noodles
- Wasabi
The Japanese Food Pyramid
Understanding the Japanese food pyramid (LINK)
Common Foods for Cooking (That are available in the US)
The Japanese food pyramid is based around exercise & an active lifestyle.
TEA & WATER
- Water
- Macha
- Gyokuro
- Hojicha
- Sencha
GRAIN
- Rice
- Bread
- Noodles
- Pasta
VEGETABLES (Japanese Vegetables):
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- White Radish (Daikon)
- Turnip (Kabu)
- Potato (Jagaimo)
- Sweet Potato (Satsumaimo)
- Carrot
- Onion
- Ginger
- Bamboo
- Green Onion / Leek
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Green Pepper
- Pumpkin
- Corn
MEAT
- Pork
- Chicken
- Fish
- Eggs
- Beef
MILK & FRUITS (Meal Accents):
- Persimmons
- Apples (Ringo)
- Pears (Nashi)
Cultural Info
Shojin Ryori 精進料理 – Popularized by Zen Buddhism, Shojin Ryori refers to temple food that is entirely vegan (although some temples allow milk products).
Cha-Kaiseki Ryori (also referred to as Kaiseki Ryori) 茶懐石料理 – A meal served before a Japanese tea ceremony. Originally, Cha-Kaiseki Ryori was a frugal meal to satisfy hunger pangs before the ceremony.
Kaiseki Ryori 会席料理 – Same pronunciation as above, but different Chinese characters. Kaiseki Ryori refers to a meal traditionally served at ceremonial banquets. There are Kaiseki specialized restaurants, which you can read more about on JOC from Nami’s Kaiseki experience in Kyoto and Hida Takayama.
Honzen Ryori 本膳料理 – A formalized meal from court aristocracy, served on legged trays. Although rarer these days – replaced by tables and chairs – there are some places that still offer a true Honzen Ryori experience.
