Japan is a beautiful country rich in traditions and tastes unusual for residents of other countries. Tourists who first arrived in the Land of the Rising Sun are amazed by the interesting culture and diverse cuisine, which is very different from the European one. This article will discuss some of the national recipes of this country and what is included in the Japanese breakfast.
Japanese preferences
The Japanese prefer to eat everything fresh and natural, preferably without any processing or with minimal. High quality products for them come first.
Apply a huge amount of a variety of seafood in the diet.
When serving dishes, the Japanese are content with the principle "serving sizes are smaller, but more varied."
What do the Japanese eat? Of course, the main component of many dishes in Japan is rice with a stickiness above the norm. This allows him to eat with chopsticks (as expected from the Japanese).
Almost everything is eaten from seafood: fish, marine animals, algae, mollusks and so on. Moreover, most are used raw.
Very often, Japanese dishes use soy, which is deeply processed, which allows you to get soy sauce, soy milk, miso, tofu, yuba, natto and edamame.
Beans, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, wasabi, bamboo, daikon, lotus and so on are also widely used in Japanese cuisine.
Japanese breakfast
Breakfast for the Japanese is very important. After all, it is the very first meal at the beginning of the day that gives the body vitality and a good mood for the whole day. Japanese breakfast includes rice and natto (soybeans that are placed on top of rice). Natto is notable for being rich in protein of plant origin. This allows you to satisfy your hunger for a long time.
In addition to rice and natto, the Japanese cook an omelet for breakfast, which is rolled. Soy sauce and some sugar are added to it. This dish is called tamago-yaki.
Misosup (misosiru) is very popular in Japan. This is a soup made from miso pasta. Wakame seaweed, tofu cheese and other ingredients are added to it. Depending on the time of year and the territory of the country, the ingredients can be varied.
The Japanese also serve pickled vegetables (tsukemono) for breakfast. They add little salt, and they are not subjected to heat treatment. This allows you to save all the nutrients in vegetables.
From drinks for breakfast, the Japanese prefer healthy green tea.
Japanese breakfast dishes are distinguished by the fact that they are quite nutritious and energize for the whole day.
Japanese Lunch and Dinner
For lunch, the Japanese prepare light meals. The basis, as always, is rice. Fish of any kind (pickled, grilled or raw) is served to it. Additionally, salads or boiled vegetables are served. For salad dressing, soy sauce or rice vinegar is used.
Of the drinks, tea is preferred.
But the Japanese favorite of many Europeans is practically never used by the Japanese.
The Japanese dinner is hearty. As usual, it is rice or noodles. Also use fish, vegetable or meat soups. Moreover, the Japanese do not use spoons. First, chopsticks catch pieces of meat and vegetables, then drink the broth directly from the bowl.
For dinner, steamed vegetables, meat, fish, and pickled snacks can also be served.
For dessert, use wagashi made from rice or legumes, gelatin, herbs, fruits.
Below we consider how to cook onigiri - a dish of rice and various fillings. It is used both for breakfast and for lunch and dinner.
Strange Japanese dishes
Japanese food (cooking recipes below) is diverse and odd. There are dishes that people in other countries seem disgusting. Among them can be noted such as:
- Grated Japanese yams, characterized by unpleasant slippery.
- Uni are the genitals of sea urchins.
- Habushu - sake (strong drink) with an adder inside.
- Shiro no odorigi - a wriggling fish with a quail egg, served alive.
- Shiokara - squid marinated in giblets.
- Natto is a smelly, sticky soy.
- Black sulfur noodles - noodles boiled in sulfur.
- Zazamushi are the larvae of insects living in the river.
- Fugu is the most poisonous fish.
- Shirako - cod sperm eaten both raw and cooked.
Despite the strange recipes of Japanese food, it is known that the Japanese differ from the inhabitants of other countries in good health and longevity. The naturalness of the products and the minimum of their processing make themselves felt.
How to cook onigiri?
Very often, the Japanese prepare such a dish called onigiri. It is similar to sushi and rolls, but it is easier to prepare. It is important to choose the right rice. It should be sticky. First boil the water. Rice is thoroughly washed 6-8 times, then put in boiling water. Do not salt water. The product should be fresh. Cook for 5-7 minutes at medium power, then 10 minutes - on low heat. The plate is turned off and the rice is left to boil to the desired state for about 20 minutes.
Further, triangles or balls are formed from the finished rice, inside which you can put some stuffing (you can also without it). They make a substrate of algae, where ready-made rice triangles are placed.
A cling film can be used to form triangles. Better yet, use special molds.
Onigiri filling
As a filling, the Japanese use various seafood: salmon, caviar, shrimp, tuna. Onigiri with salted plums are very popular. Meat, chicken, fresh or pickled vegetables, seaweed, cream cheese and salmon are also used. The filling can be put inside, or you can mix with rice and only then form triangles (balls).
If desired, soy sauce or sesame oil can be added to the rice.
Before serving, onigiri can be decorated with sesame seeds, pieces of fruit, algae, vegetables.
Instead of a seaweed pad for rice triangles, you can make an omelet in which they will be wrapped. To prepare it, you will need an egg, mayonnaise and starch. Beating them in a homogeneous mass, salt, pepper and fry in a pan on both sides.
Unusual dish - tamagoyaki
The Japanese have such a dish as Japanese tamagoyaki, which many have liked. This is an omelet with a sweet taste, prepared in a special way. Many children love it for its sweet taste. The cooking technique is simple.
They take eggs, about five, and beat lightly (30 seconds at the slow power of the mixer). Next you need to strain them through a sieve. Then add soy sauce (1.5 tsp), sugar (1 tbsp.), Rice vinegar (1 tbsp.). All mix thoroughly. Next, the frying omelet begins. It is advisable to use a square pan. Fire should be weak. The egg mixture is poured into a thin layer and, as soon as it sets, the omelet is rolled into a roll and left on the edge of the pan. Once again, the egg mixture is poured into the empty space, and the first finished roll is already rolled into the second. The procedure is repeated three to four times. It turns out 3-4 layers of omelet in roll. The resulting roll is cut into portions. The dish can be served with ginger, wasabi, daikon and so on.
Despite the fact that most Japanese food recipes use rice and soy, Japanese dishes are varied and beautifully decorated.
Afterword
Having considered what the Japanese eat, we can conclude that their longevity is associated with proper nutrition and lifestyle. It is known that rice is very useful for the body, rich in essential trace elements. Seafood is also very important for human health.
A balanced Japanese breakfast allows the Japanese to always keep themselves in good condition.