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Also known as dry-frying, karaage is a Japanese cooking technique in which various foods are first lightly coated in arrowroot starch, then deep-fried. The use of arrowroot starch preserves the natural water content of fried foods and produces a crispy outer surface, but alternatively, other coating ingredients such as wheat flour, tapioca, or potato starch can also be used.
Karaage can be used for frying various meats and fish, but it is most often associated with chicken, and involves a special variant called tatsutaage, where pieces of chicken are first marinated in a mixture of sake, soy sauce, and sugar which are then lightly covered with arrowroot starch and deep-fried.
MOST ICONIC Karaage
View moreYakitori refers to Japanese grilled chicken where pieces of chicken meat are skewered with a particular type of skewer called kushi (which can be made from either steel or bamboo) and are then traditionally grilled over a charcoal fire.
Depending on the cut of chicken and the method of preparation, there are various types of this dish. An important step in the making of yakitori is the seasoning, either salty or salty-sweet, which can be done during or after grilling. Salty seasoning is just salt that can sometimes be combined with pepper, while salty-sweet seasoning is actually tare sauce made from mirin, soy sauce, sake, and sugar.
MOST ICONIC Yakitori
View moreGyūdon is one of the most popular and inexpensive fast food dishes in Japan. Its name can be literally translated to beef bowl. The dish consists of beef and onions served over a bowl of rice. Beef and onions are cooked in a combination of mirin, sugar, sake, and soy sauce, imparting a salty-sweet flavor to the dish.
In the restaurants, known as gyūdon-ya, there is often pickled red ginger and red chili at the table, so anyone can season their dish according to personal preferences. The restaurants are often frequented by numerous hungry students who eat on a budget, and some of those restaurants are open 24 hours a day.
MOST ICONIC Gyūdon
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Nikuman are Japanese-style steamed pork buns which were influenced by the traditional Chinese baozi. They consists of leavened wheat dough wrapped around a flavorful ground pork filling. The meat is combined with different vegetables and usually seasoned with soy sauce and various condiments and spices.
The soft, warm, and juicy nikuman buns are mostly enjoyed in wintertime as a popular and comforting street food. They are available in many Chinese restaurants and numerous grocery stores throughout the country.
The small, round takoyaki are one of the most famous Japanese snacks, made with a simple egg batter that is enriched with diced octopus pieces. These tiny balls get their signature shape from the traditional iron pan in which they are grilled. The pan is filled with small round molds in which the batter is poured and swirled until the traditional round shape has been developed.
The creamy egg mix consists of wheat flour, soy sauce, and dashi stock, and after it has been poured into the sizzling molds it is topped with tender octopus pieces. Sliced scallions, pickled ginger, crispy fried tenkasu pieces, and dried fish flakes are often incorporated to elevate the flavors of the dish.
MOST ICONIC Takoyaki
View moreBest known as a food cart meal intended for relaxing after a day of hard work, oden is a one-pot dish with numerous ingredients such as fish balls, fish cakes, konnyaku, deep-fried tofu, eggs, and vegetables, simmered in a light, soy sauce-based broth.
Oden is extremely popular during the winter, and it can often be found in Japan around September or October. Although it can be found at street stands, oden is also often made at home, bought in convenience stores, and served in some specialty restaurants.
MOST ICONIC Oden
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Yakisoba is the Japanese variety of fried noodles. Originating from the Chinese chow main, these noodles are usually mixed with a variety of meat and vegetables. Japanese favorites are usually pork, cabbage, onions, and carrots. The most common noodle varieties used in the dish are ramen noodles (made with wheat flour) or soba noodles (made with buckwheat).
Although soba noodles did give the name to the dish, the ramen variety is still the most common type used in yakisoba. When the meat and vegetables are stir-fried, and the noodles are fully cooked, a special yakisoba sauce, similar to the thick Worcestershire sauce, is added to complete the dish.
MOST ICONIC Yakisoba
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Korokke is a variety of Japanese deep-fried dishes that are a version of the French dish called croquette. It consists of a combination of mashed potatoes and chopped meat, seafood, or vegetables. The combination of those ingredients is shaped in a patty and rolled in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, then deep-fried.
It is said that the French croquette was introduced to Japan in 1887, but today it can be found in almost every supermarket and store in Japan, since it is inexpensive, yet very tasty and flavorful. With its huge popularity, there is also a number of korokke varieties including potato, meat, tuna, curry, cream, and okara korokke.
MOST ICONIC Korokke
Negima is a yakitori variety that is made with sliced chicken thighs or chicken breasts that are skewered together with pieces of green or Welsh onions (negi). Like other types of yakitori, negima is also typically seasoned with salt (shio), or a thick and subtly sweet soy sauce condiment known as tare.
The ingredients are alternated on bamboo skewers and are then grilled over charcoal on traditional yakitori grills. Negima is one of the most common types of yakitori in Japan. It is commonly prepared and served in restaurants and izakaya bars.
MOST ICONIC Negima yakitori
View moreTsukune is a yakitori version that is prepared with ground chicken. The meat is seasoned, and it is typically formed in oblong patties or small meatballs that are skewered on bamboo sticks. Like other types of yakitori, the skewers are typically seasoned with salt (shio) or tare—subtly sweet combination based on soy sauce, sake, and mirin, while the meat can be enriched with sliced scallions, garlic, ginger, onions, or shiso leaves.
Tsukune is usually served with a raw egg yolk and various toppings. The dish is a staple at specialized yakitori establishments.
MOST ICONIC Tsukune yakitori
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