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.