Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Common seafood is often grilled, but it is also sometimes served raw as sashimi or as sushi. Seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light batter, as tempura. Apart from rice, a staple includes noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan also has many simmered dishes, such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga.
Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with vinegared rice, typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of ingredients, such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in numerous styles and presentation, the defining component is the vinegared rice, also known as shari (しゃり), or sumeshi (酢飯).
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce.
Mirin is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content. The sugar content is a complex carbohydrate that forms naturally during the fermentation process; no sugars are added. The alcohol content is further lowered when the liquid is heated.
The history of sushi began with paddy fields, where fish was fermented with vinegar, salt and rice, after which the rice was discarded. The earliest form of the dish, today referred to as narezushi, was created in Southeast Asia from where it spread to surrounding countries. Narezushi spread to Japan around the Yayoi period. In the Muromachi period (1336–1573), people began to eat the rice as well as the fish. During the Edo period (1603–1867), vinegar rather than fermented rice began to be used. The dish has become a form of food strongly associated with Japanese culture.
A dip or dip sauce is a common condiment for many types of food. Dips are used to add flavor or texture to a food, such as pita bread, dumplings, crackers, chopped raw vegetables, fruits, seafood, cubed pieces of meat and cheese, potato chips, tortilla chips, falafel, and sometimes even whole sandwiches in the case of jus. Unlike other sauces, instead of applying the sauce to the food, the food is typically placed or dipped into the sauce.
Gỏi cuốn, nem cuốn, salad roll, summer roll, fresh spring roll, or rice paper roll is a Vietnamese dish traditionally consisting of pork, prawn, vegetables, bún, and other ingredients wrapped in bánh tráng. Unlike other spring roll dishes, which are believed to originate from China, Vietnamese gỏi cuốn is a national creation using bánh tráng.
California roll or California maki is an uramaki containing imitation crab, avocado, and cucumber. Sometimes crab salad is substituted for the crab stick, and often the outer layer of rice is sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds or roe.
A Philadelphia roll is a makizushi type of sushi generally made with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber, with the rice on the outside (uramaki). It is sometimes made with imitation crab instead of salmon, but can be found to include other ingredients, such as other types of fish, cucumber, scallions, and sesame seed. Like many Western-inspired sushi rolls, its design and name are modified to target an American market, which includes putting the rice on the outside, and the nori in the inside to appeal to western aesthetics.
Japanese cuisine has a vast array of regional specialities known as kyōdo ryōri (郷土料理) in Japanese, many of them originating from dishes prepared using local ingredients and traditional recipes.
Tamagoyaki is a type of Japanese omelette made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs. It is often prepared in a rectangular omelette pan called a makiyakinabe or tamagoyaki. The word "tamago" means egg in Japanese, and the word "yaki" means to be cooked over direct heat.
How Do You Roll? was a franchise fast-casual sushi restaurant, headquartered in Austin, Texas. The first How Do You Roll? location opened in October 2008 and the company began franchising in early 2010. As of April 2016, it had stores operating in California and Florida, but was later closed.
Lumpia are various types of spring rolls from China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Lumpias are made of thin paper-like or crepe-like pastry skin called "lumpia wrapper" enveloping savory or sweet fillings. It is often served as an appetizer or snack, and might be served deep-fried or fresh (unfried). Lumpia are Indonesian and Filipino adaptations of the Fujianese rùnbǐng and Teochew popiah, usually consumed during Qingming Festival.
The sushi burrito or sushirrito is a type of Japanese-Mexican fusion cuisine. It is typically prepared by rolling sushi ingredients such as fish and vegetables in a wrap and serving like a burrito. The dish is a form of American fusion cuisine inspired by the mixture of Mexican and Japanese cuisine, but is not considered to be authentic to either.
A spicy tuna roll is a makizushi roll that usually contains raw tuna, and spicy mayo or sriracha. The roll is often seasoned with Ichimi togarashi. The roll was invented in Seattle, Washington in the 1980s and is one of the more popular sushi rolls in the United States.
