Cuisine around the world: Japanese food

As an island nation, the Japanese diet is heavily influenced by fresh seafood, seasonal ingredients and intricate flavours. Whether you’re heading off on a cruise to Japan or want to mix things up in the kitchen, our guide to Japanese cuisine will leave you feeling inspired. Here are 10 of Japan’s most popular dishes: 

Gyozas are crescent-shaped dumplings that are usually pan-fried and filled with a mixture of meat and vegetables. The ingredients used are regionally influenced and most commonly include minced pork or chicken, cabbage, chives, garlic, ginger and green onions. Gyozas originated in China but the recipe has been altered over time to accommodate Japanese tastes. They are typically served as a main alongside fried rice or noodles and accompanied by a dipping sauce like soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chilli oil or ponzu sauce, which is a citrus soy dressing. 

Few Japanese dishes are consumed more often or more consistently than miso soup. It is estimated that more than 70% of Japan’s population consumes miso soup for breakfast - though it is served alongside almost every meal. Made from a miso paste (fermented soybeans) and dashi broth (fish stock), the soup often contains tofu, onion, wakame seaweed, green onions and vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and radish. It is a dish renowned for its great taste and innumerable health benefits. 

Okonomiyaki is a popular Japanese dish consisting of a batter made with eggs, flour, water, grated yam and shredded cabbage and topped with fish, seafood, meat, vegetables or cheese. Once the batter has been cooked, it’s covered with a rich brown sauce, mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes. It is Japanese comfort food at its best. At most restaurants, the experience is interactive - often, chefs will prepare okonomiyaki on a griddle while diners help to add ingredients.

Onigiri is a savoury snack often eaten on the go. Made of rice, filled with meat or vegetables and wrapped in a salty sheet of nori seaweed, onigiri has been enjoyed in Japan for hundreds of years. In fact, it’s been a popular portable snack since the 11th century, when it was known as tonjiki.  With a huge variety of flavours, including kelp, pickled plum, salmon and bonito flakes, onigiri is a great snack for when you’re hungry and don’t have much time. 

Often mistaken as sushi, sashimi is expertly sliced fresh raw fish served with pickled ginger, radish, wasabi and soy sauce. The fish used to make sashimi must be as fresh as possible in order to minimise the risk of contamination and to ensure it’s as tasty as can be. The fish (which can come in dozens of varieties including tuna, salmon, mackerel, sea bream, clams or sea urchins) can be sliced in different ways to alter the appearance of the dish. It is often served as an appetiser and decorated with shiso leaves, cucumbers and seaweed. 

Shabu shabu is another fun dining option for groups and families. It’s a nabemono hot pot dish made by boiling vegetables, tofu and other ingredients in a mellow broth seasoned with kombu kelp. Very thin slices of meat are then placed in the broth and swished around until cooked (normally within 10 to 20 seconds). The meat slices are then dipped into a sesame sauce or ponzu citrus seasoned soy sauce and enjoyed alongside rice. 

Like shabu shabu, sukiyaki consists of meat, seafood and vegetables in a broth made of mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar. The only difference is that ingredients bubble away in the pot continuously and diners fish out the slices they want before dipping them into a raw egg mixture. Sukiyaki is the ultimate comfort food and is more commonly enjoyed during Autumn and Winter. It’s usually prepared tableside on a portable gas stove, in a traditional shallow iron pan. 

Sushi is Japan’s most well-known dish. For sushi connoisseurs, it’s more than just food, it’s an art form. Commonly eaten with pickled ginger and dipped in soy sauce mixed with wasabi, sushi refers to a family of artfully presented dishes made with vinegared sushi rice and a variety of ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, sushi isn’t simply raw fish, it can come in many different forms. Sushi can be eaten with chopsticks or directly with hands. 

Read next: The best sushi restaurants in Tokyo

Tempura is a traditional Japanese cooking method where a choice of prawns, fish, squid, vegetables or tofu is lightly battered and quickly deep-fried, typically in sesame oil. Served on its own, with rice or noodles and alongside dipping sauces like tensuyu (which is made of broth from kombu or dried bonito, mirin and soy sauce), tempura is a crispy, tasty and somewhat healthy option. 

Yakitori is a popular street food that can be found on almost any corner in Japanese cities and is the perfect accompaniment to beer. Skewers of charcoal-grilled chicken are brushed with a sauce made of mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar. They’re often enjoyed as a quick snack but can also be served alongside rice and vegetables as a main course. Nearly every part of the chicken is on the menu - all grilled to perfection.