The Japanese are known to have a long and healthy life. Apart from its clean air and lifestyle, the food they eat contributes to their longevity. When compared to the food from other cultures, Japanese food has a unique taste that makes us come back for more. So what makes them unique?
Japanese food is an art, both to the taste buds and the sight. Creatively crafted, they mix flavors like salty, sour, sweet, and savory into a single dish, yet they turn out unbelievably delicious and healthy. This creativity is an attention to detail that the Japanese culture practices.
The staple food of Japan is rice. The word "gohan" means rice, and each different meal has that word in it, where "asogohan" refers to "morning rice", "hirugohan" refers to lunch, and "bangohan" refers to dinner. That is not only for say, the Japanese do eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which regards the importance of it.
The Japanese rarely uses artificial flavoring, as they use sugar, soy sauce and sake as their flavorings. Their flavors tend to be milder than most food of other cultures, and their combinations are also healthier.
As the islands in Japan are mainly filled with mountains, the land is not very fit for cultivation. Thus, quality of the food is highly valued over quantity. Most of the food is served in small portions, but like its culture in any part of Japan, it is a beautiful cuisine. Although the portions of dishes are small, eating three meals of rice gives them enough energy to survive the day.
Teriyaki sauce is an example of a Japanese food recipe that’s easy to follow. There are plenty of foods that use teriyaki sauce, and it is certainly a great addition to meats, giving it a tangy and sweet taste. You will need a half cup of soy sauce and a half cup of mirin, or Japanese cooking wine. Pour both into a pan and stir. Put it in low heat and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Let cool and place into a jar. Pour onto beef or chicken for a sweet sauce.
Many people cannot resist tempura. This is good food that can be eaten as part of a meal, or even as a snack. Best of all, tempura batter can be done so easily. All you need is an egg, a cup of ice water, and a cup of all-purpose flour. Beat the egg in a bowl and add the ice water in. Slowly add in the sifted flour and mix lightly. Dip the shrimps into the batter and fry. If you are making vegetable tempura, make sure you fry the vegetables first before the shrimps or seafood.
With the sea surrounding the islands, the Japanese also uses a lot of seafood. One of the well-known fishes that people around the world love to eat would be the salmon fish. Eaten raw or cooked, people love the clean taste of the orange-colored meat. Another favorite would be the eel, or better known as "unagi", which goes well with sweet sauce.
Much of the uniqueness of Japanese food is how they can make use of common ingredients to become so many different tasting dishes, while keeping them well-presented, satiating, and healthy. Try some, and you may simply fall in love with their food.
