Gyudon is another Donburi (rice bowl) dish like Oyakodon. However, instead of eggs and chicken, Gyudon is all about beef. It is a much heartier Donburi and therefore, very popular among men, teenagers to middle-aged. Thinly sliced beef is cooked in sweet and salty sauce, which is piled on top of rice, and the rice absorbs all the flavorful sauce… it is just so good. I guess you don’t have to be a man to like this.
Korokke are potato cakes coated with panko and deep fried. Korokke is a food people of all ages love in Japan. Well, who wouldn’t like deep fried mashed potatoes? It does not seem like a traditional style of Japanese food, but it in fact is since Korokke has been popular for 100 years. People in Japan may not have to make Korokke at home because they can find it anywhere, but we do when living outside Japan. It’s hard to get decent tasting Korokke here… Besides you can’t beat homemade Korokke anyway when it’s hot and crispy!
Shira-ae is a vegetable side dish mixed with mashed Tofu. It is a little different from regular salad since there is no dressing like oil and vinegar. Shira-ae is served chilled, so in a sense it’s like salad. Shira-ae is hard to get in ordinary Japanese restaurants in the US, but this is a kind of food we grow up with.
Takoyaki (たこ焼き) is a very casual fast food in Japan. It might not be easily found at Japanese restaurants in the US or other parts of world even though it is a very popular dish. Takoyaki tastes a little bit like round shaped Okonomiyaki, but it has a much different flavor from the Tako (octopus) cooked inside them. In most parts of Japan, people don’t treat Takoyaki as a meal. Many people typically think of Takoyaki as something you get from street vendors at festivals and events.
Ozoni (お雑煮) is a special soup with Mochi (rice cake) in it that you eat in the morning on New Year’s Day in Japan. We decorate the house with Mochi to dedicate to the New Year, and eat it to celebrate and hope for a good year. We have a big meal called Osechi along with Ozoni, but we’ll talk about that some other time.
Mizutaki (水炊き) is a kind of hot pot dish (called Nabemono or simply Nabe) in which fish or other kinds of meat and vegetables are cooked in unseasoned fish broth and dipped in tangy Ponzu sauce. It is cooked in a ceramic pot called Donabe, right at the dinner table using a portable gas stove and we eat it as we cook. It is somewhat similar to Sukiyaki. But Mizutaki is an even more perfect food for cold weather.
Sukiyaki is one of the most popular hot pot dishes in Japan. It has a sweet and salty flavor a little bit like teriyaki sauce, but with beef and vegetable in the mix, it has its own Sukiyaki taste people love so much. We usually cook Sukiyaki in a cast iron Sukiyaki pot at the dinner table using a portable gas stove and eat it as we cook. It is a perfect dinner for family or great food to enjoy with guests.
Dorayaki is one of the most popular Japanese confectioneries. It is Anko (sweet red bean paste) sandwiched between sweet pancakes. It is a Japanese sweet beloved by the old and young. It may be perfect for people who have never had any traditional Japanese sweets because it doesn’t have any unusual ingredients. Dorayaki is also called Mikasa, from Mt. Mikasa in Nara which is next to Osaka. I presume that Dorayaki is the name used more in eastern part of Japan.
Anko (sweet red bean paste) is the crucial ingredient for Japanese traditional confectioneries. It is a paste made with Azuki (red beans) and sugar. It is used in a lot of different forms of dessert in Japan. It could be used as is in cakes like Dorayaki (Anko sandwiched between sweet pancakes), but also jellied and molded into Yokan, or made into a soup called Zenzai.
Nikujaga is literally meat (niku) and potatoes (jagaimo) in Japanese. It is a stewed dish seasoned with mainly soy sauce and sugar. It is very much mom’s cooking everyone loves.
Potatoes used in Nikujaga are anything you like. If you like soft and fluffy, use Russet potatoes. Or if you like smooth and creamy, use Yukon. Russet potatoes, because they are soft, tend to dissolve in the broth, but that makes this dish taste good, too.