Assorted Yakitori is grilled skewered chicken and various vegetables dipped in a sweet and salty Teriyaki-like sauce or simply served with salt. Yakitori is a very popular appetizer at Yakitori bars and other bar-type restaurants in Japan. It can be a nice dinner as well if there are more vegetables and especially when served with rice and Miso Soup.
Kintokimame are red kidney beans in sweet syrup. It is a small side dish that is often in the corner of a bento box. Because of its very sweet flavor, Kintokimame is not exactly a dish that goes well with Steamed Rice directly, which almost always comes with Japanese meals; however, it is a great pallet cleanser between rice and salty dishes.
Strawberry is the fruit of spring in Japan, the same as in many places throughout the world. And Japanese people take it seriously with strawberries. Seasonal foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood, etc., are very important for their everyday life there. Because there is an abundance of a particular food in a short period of time during the year, they celebrate with it well. When strawberries are in season, we eat them fresh as well as make them into special dishes. Strawberry Mousse is a super easy dessert to make at home, and it is great spring sweet after meals.
Chirashi Sushi (Chirashizushi) is a kind of Sushi dish with thinly sliced Sashimi raw fish placed over a bed of Sushi Rice, instead of single pieces (Nigiri Sushi) or rolls (Maki Sushi). Chirashi Sushi is sometimes mixed up with Barazushi which doesn’t contain much raw fish other than decoration. While Barazushi is mostly vegetable Sushi and more home cooking Sushi, Chirashi Sushi is a more elaborate Sushi dish that you often see at Sushi restaurants.
Furikake are rice toppings which are usually made of dried seafood and seasonings. Furikake means literally “sprinkle” in Japanese, and it is typically sprinkled over Steamed Rice or Onigiri. Kinshobai is an upscale Furikake brand and made of Kombu sea kelp and Katsuo bonito flakes. It is much more gourmet than the kinds of Furikake that you can typically buy at supermarkets. Here we will show you how to make this fancy Furikake at home. It’s so easy to make, and it doesn’t cost much at all.
Subuta is a Japanese version of Sweet and Sour Pork, the famous Chinese dish in the US. Deep fried crispy pork coated in a thick sweet vinegary sauce is one of the most appealing Chinese foods for a lot of people. Japanese Sweet and Sour Pork, Subuta has much less batter around the meat, and therefore it is less fatty, and tangier sauce than the American counterpart. This seemingly complicated dish is easier to make at home than you might think.
Kaki Dotenabe is a hot pot dish with Oysters and vegetables in a strong Miso based soup. Kaki Dotenabe is a Hiroshima regional dish, an area famous for oysters. It is often eaten in winter as other hot pots are, and that’s also when oysters are in season. The distinguished “Umami” savory flavor from oysters is blended into the Miso based soup, and it is eaten as is, without any dipping sauces like many other hot pots require. You can of course enjoy the main ingredient of oysters in the pot, but also the side ingredients Napa cabbage and Tofu absorb a wonderful shellfish taste.
Salad Chicken is lightly seasoned, boiled or steamed chicken breast that has become a popular dish in Japan for people who are health-conscious and on certain diets. This protein-packed, low calorie chicken can be added to not only salads but also various other dishes.
In Japan, the first meal of New Year’s Day always begins with a bowl of specially prepared soup called Ozoni. Ozoni (or Zoni) is a soup that contains mochi rice cake in a savory broth. The preparation of Ozoni varies significantly by region, and each household has its traditional recipe often passed down in a family for generations.