Welcome back, food lovers!

Thank you for joining me for another one of my food blogs 🙂

Assuming that you’ve already seen the title of this post, I’m pretty sure you all are thinking the same thing: SUSHI (yes, I know, I’m a blogger AND a mind reader 😉 ). Although sushi is undoubtedly one of the most famous foods to originate from Japan, it is only one of the countless unique foods this beautiful country has to offer! So today I’ve decided to share some Japanese dishes that are not related to sushi… let’s get right into it!

     1. Oden (おでん, 御田) 

Do you find yourself craving some hot soup during the last few cold weeks? Then oden is just right for you! Oden is a one-pot dish, also known as Japanese nabemono (which literally means ‘food in a pot’), that is commonly eaten in Japan during the winter. It includes fish balls, boiled eggs, yams, deep-fried tofu, konjac, daikon, rice cakes, and many different vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, and mushrooms, that are all stewed together for a long time with soy sauce-based dashi broth. Due to its many different ingredients, oden is rich in regional colors as well as different flavors for each household. Japanese locals use local specialties when making the dish, by adding their own soup stock, seasoning, and ingredients.

     2. Donburi (丼)

Donburi is a Japanese fast-food dish that literally translates to “bowl”, and is made up of fish, meat (typically chicken and deep-fried breaded pork), eggs, green onions, and other vegetables all simmered together and served over white rice. The dish is usually served in big rice bowls that are called- you guessed it- donburi. But don’t you worry, if you need to distinguish between the two, the bowl itself is formally called donburi-bachi while the food is called donburi-mono (not confusing at all, right?). This dish is very popular in Japan, especially for busy Japanese workers that don’t have enough time to sit down and eat in a restaurant. 

     3. Yakitori (やきとり)

Yakitori, meaning “barbecued chicken”, is a very traditional Japanese food that is commonly eaten during sports matches in Japan. While we Americans usually go for hot dogs and fries, Japanese people enjoy some delicious yakitori. Yakitori is basically seasoned bite-size chicken on skewers, which are brushed with tare sauce (soy sauce, alcohol, and sugar) and then grilled over a charcoal fire. I would definitely not object to having these served in our dining halls every now and then 🙂

     4. Wagashi (和菓子)

Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets that are often eaten to finish off a meal and are enjoyed with a cup of warm green tea. They were invented during the Edo period (between 1603 and 1867) when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. While wagashi are made from only a few ingredients including mochi rice cakes, agar, chestnuts, anko paste (sweet red bean paste), and sugar, they are made into countless shapes and colors. Some are served annually, while others can only be bought in certain regions of Japan or during specific seasons. They are almost too pretty to eat… almost 😉

I hope you learned a bit about Japanese cuisine and that you enjoyed reading this post! Remember that while these dishes originate from a country that is far away, that doesn’t mean that you can’t try to make them yourselves. Or if you don’t feel like cooking, you can always try out new Japanese restaurants and experience this tasty and unique cuisine right here, right now. Let me know what you think!

また今度! (“See you next time!” in Japanese)

Oren 🙂