Cucumber with Sesame Seeds is such a simple salad but a great small side dish. It takes literally no time to make it. The only tip here is to pound cucumbers with a pestle or a rolling pin to break them apart instead of cutting with a knife. Having a rough surface on the cucumbers makes seasonings adhere well.
Tsukune are Japanese chicken meat balls with a kind of Teriyaki sauce and are popular at Yakitori restaurants. Often times, small Tsukune meat balls are skewered on bamboo sticks and grilled on the coal barbecue grill, but they don’t have to be. Here they are shaped like small hamburger steaks and cooked in a frying pan. Tsukune is a great appetizer as well as a main dish for everyday dinners.
Shishito are Japanese green colored peppers similar to hot green chili peppers. Shishito are in season in summer, and are a taste of summer in Japan. The bitter and fragrant taste is a great companion to meat dishes.
Teppanyaki is grilled meat and vegetables prepared on a flat Teppanyaki iron grill. The meat used in this dish is usually beef although not exclusively, and it is similar to or sometimes interchangeable with Yakiniku, grilled beef often cooked on a slotted grill. Most often Teppanyaki is eaten with a garlicky spicy dipping sauce or simple salt. Teppanyaki can be enjoyed as a regular dinner for a family but it’s also great as a party food for bigger crowds.
Fruit Sandwich is literally a sandwich with an assortment of fruits. Thinly sliced Japanese soft white bread goes very well with the filling of fresh fruit and whipped cream. This is not an everyday Japanese food, but people like to eat it from time to time.
Shokupan (Shoku Pan, Japanese Milk Bread, 食パン) is a Japanese square loaf bread that is often eaten as toast or used for sandwiches. Although rice is the biggest staple food in Japan, Shokupan bread today may be the most popular breakfast item. Shokupan is very soft and tender and delicious, and you will love it if you like Japanese bread. This basic white bread is so versatile it can be used it in many recipes, both savory and sweet.
Mabo Tofu (or Mapo Tofu) is one of the very popular Chinese dishes in Japan. Tofu in a garlicky, spicy meat sauce is vey tasty, and it goes very well with Steamed Rice. That may be the reason why Japanese people love the dish so much.
Tororo Soba is a Soba noodle dish with gooey grated Nagaimo. It could be hot or cold although the recipe here is a cold version. Zaru Soba is the very basic and most popular soba dish, but Tororo Soba is also found on the menu at any Soba restaurant in Japan. Cold Tororo Soba is a great dish during summer for Nagaimo’s rich nutrition and coolness of Soba when you don’t have much appetite from heat outside.
