Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Japan

Ask what Japan eats and the answer starts with this: seasonal precision built on rice, dashi and seafood, from sushi counters to slurped noodle bowls. Look for Sushi (vinegared rice with raw fish or seafood, as nigiri or rolls), Ramen (wheat noodles in pork, soy or miso broth with chashu and egg) and Tempura (seafood and vegetables in gossamer batter, fried and dipped in tentsuyu). Fermented narezushi arrived from Southeast Asia via China; Hanaya Yohei popularised hand-pressed nigiri as Edo fast food in the 1820s. This atlas has 55 Japan dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

55 dishes.

ShiokaraShiokaraSquid fermented in its own salted viscera, intense brine chaser for sakeShochuShochuDistilled spirit from barley, sweet potato or rice, drunk with hot water or iceSobaSobaNutty buckwheat noodles served chilled with tsuyu or in hot brothSukiyakiSukiyakiBeef and vegetables simmered tableside in sweet soy, dipped in raw eggSushiSushiVinegared rice with raw fish or seafood, as nigiri or rollsTaiyakiTaiyakiSea-bream-shaped waffle filled with red bean paste or custardTakoyakiTakoyakiOsaka griddled batter balls with octopus, drizzled with sauce and bonitoTakuanTakuanWhole daikon dried then cured in rice bran and salt; bright yellow.TempuraTempuraSeafood and vegetables in gossamer batter, fried and dipped in tentsuyuTonkatsuTonkatsuPanko-breaded deep-fried pork cutlet with shredded cabbage and tangy sauceTsukemonoTsukemonoRice-bran or salt pickles of daikon, cucumber and aubergine served with every mealUdonUdonThick chewy wheat noodles in hot dashi broth or chilled with dipping sauceUmeboshiUmeboshiFiercely sour salt-pickled plums dyed red with shiso, one per rice boxUmeshuUmeshuGreen ume plums steeped with rock sugar in spirit, sweet and tartUnadonUnadonGrilled eel lacquered with sweet kabayaki sauce over riceWagyu BeefWagyu BeefIntensely marbled beef from Japanese black cattle, seared in small rich portionsYakisobaYakisobaWheat noodles griddled with cabbage, pork and sweet-savoury sauce.YakitoriYakitoriCharcoal-grilled chicken skewers glazed with sweet tare or simply saltedYuzu KoshoYuzu KoshoFiery paste of yuzu zest, chili and salt from Kyushu, dabbed on grills

  • Takoyaki

    Osaka griddled batter balls with octopus, drizzled with sauce and bonito. Ready in 30 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking.…

  • Takuan

    Whole daikon dried then cured in rice bran and salt; bright yellow. 40 min to prepare. Makes 4 pickled daikon.…

  • Amazake

    Thick sweet rice drink from koji, alcohol-free; served hot at shrines. Ready in 15 min prep and 9 hr, mostly…

  • Bamboo Cocktail

    Dry sherry and dry vermouth stirred with bitters; light aperitif. Ready in 5 minutes prep and none cooking. 1 cocktail.…

  • Basashi

    Raw horse meat sliced thin with ginger, garlic and sweet soy. 20 min to prepare. 4 servings as a starter.…

  • Castella

    Fine-crumbed honeyed sponge baked in a square loaf, Nagasaki’s souvenir cake. Ready in 30 min prep and 1 hr cooking.…

  • Chuhai

    Shochu with soda and citrus, served long and dry; izakaya default. 3 min to prepare. 1 drink. A cocktail recipe…

  • Dorayaki

    Two honeyed pancakes sandwiching sweet azuki bean paste. Ready in 20 min prep and 30 min cooking. 10 dorayaki. A…

  • Funazushi

    Lake Biwa crucian carp packed in rice and fermented for years, cheese-sharp. A fermented & pickled recipe from Japan.

  • Gyoza

    Pan-fried pork-and-chive dumplings with crisp bottoms, ramen-shop companion. Ready in 1 hr prep and 12 min per batch cooking. About…