Top 10 foods you need to try when visiting Japan
Chris Ferdian
When visiting Japan, there are plenty of things to see and discover and one of those things that is necessary is food. But why just have your everyday food when even your meals can reach a whole new level and make you discover new things as well?
Like every new place you visit, you want to make sure you are going to have some of the most common and unique dishes that you can hardly find anywhere else -or at least not like the originals.
Here is our top 10 foods you need to try!
10 – Ramen: this noodles are becoming more and more popular everywhere in the world, but the different kinds of ramen you can find in Japan are unique and offer a lot more for a cheaper price, so you can't miss that one!
9 – Okonomiyaki: often called Japanese pancakes, this is simply due to their shape, as they have nothing to do with pancakes. For starters, they are a savory dish and not sweet, consisting of pan-fried batter and cabbage, on which are added meat, cheese, seafood and more.
8 – Donburi: those bowls of cooked rice with different kinds of topping can offer a lot of combinations such as beef, pork seafood, tempura, chicken and so on…
7 – Gyudon: it's a variety of donburi but it deserves a spot of its own, consisting in beef and onion cooked in soy sauce and sake then served over a bowl of rice
6 – Gyoza: also known as pot stickers or simply dumplings, they are filled with ground meat, vegetables and other kinds of fillings. Some restaurants offer a huge variety of gyoza, but the common ones can be found pretty much everywhere!
5 – Tsukemono: this is a small addition to a normal meal, simple pickled vegetables for which there is a huge variety and the taste can be surprising for some people. Not everyone will like it but it's worth trying for the first time.
4 – Daifuku: Rice cakes -mochi- filled with sweet bean paste or other sweet fillings such as strawberries of even ice creams. A sweet treat that you don't want to miss!
3 – Udon: another type of noodle, much thicker than soba or ramen and made with wheat, you can have them both hot or cold and with different kinds of soups and toppings.
2 – Yakitori: grilled chicken skewers that are cooked over charcoal, there are different variations and are usually enjoyed in Izakaya while having a drink, the atmosphere and taste just go so well together!
1 – Tonkatsu: thick deep-fried pork cutlets, they are usually served with chopped cabbage and rice, then you can add a spacial sauce that will bring out more taste.
Special mention: the melon pan. A simple sweet bread that can be found in every convenience store or bakery (for the fancier version) it's one of our favorites when we crave something sweet, so we had to include it somewhere!
This list is just a top 10 and it's not nearly enough to include all the great foods we love in Japan. Have you already tried any of those? Let us know in the comment what is your favorite food from Japan!
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