10 Popular Japanese Foods That Aren’t Sushi or Ramen
Ramen and sushi are the most popular and yummy dishes, but you will be surprised to know that there are so many other wonderful Japanese foods that you must try too.
1.Takoyaki
Takoyaki is a street food made first in Osaka, and now you can find this dish all over Japan. So this dish comprises pieces of octopus fried inside the batter and topped with different ingredients like takoyaki sauce, seaweed, mayo, and fish flakes. You can also see cheese as a topping that some people like. This dish is served very hot in Japan at food stalls, festival stands and even found frozen at convenience stores.
2. Okonomiyaki
Well, this dish can be called the cousin of takoyaki is okonomiyaki. It’s like a pancake made of cabbage and batter and topped with pork, sauce, and other savory condiments. The dish’s name-“Okonomi,” means “as you like it” in Japanese. Thus you can go ahead and customize this dish in many ways. For example, you can make it Hiroshima style or Kansai style!
3.Nikujaga
If you are a meat and potato over, then you should surely try the nikujaga dish. This dish is like a stew often cooked at home because it’s tasty and easy to make. Another ingredient that is usually found in nikujaga is konnyaku noodles. This is made from Koniac.
4.Donburi
Donburi has much variety of rice bowls, and you will find one that suits your taste. Each donburi is a bowl of rice with a type of protein laid on top. The photos you see above are of katsudon, a deep-fried pork cutlet with eggs on top of rice. You can also find tendon (tempura), gyudon (beef), and ovakodon (chicken and egg).
5.Oden
Oden dish is a must-try on a cold winter’s day. A pot of oden is a comforting stew made with a Japanese broth called dashi. It is a dish filled with fish cakes, konnyaku, veggies, tofu, and boiled eggs cooked in earthenware. Many local stores sell Oden in winter.
6.Tamago Kake Gohan
This dish is a raw egg eaten on top of a bowl of warm rice. This can be eaten sometimes with soy sauce or other condiments. You must be wondering about raw eggs in Tamago Kake Gohan? Yes! Don’t worry because they have strict rules on egg production in Japan and are hence safe. Do try this dish on your visit to Japan!
7.Kushikatsu/Kushiage
In the Kushikatsu dish, there are meat or veggies dipped in batter and deep-fried on sticks. This dish is best when eaten in a group as you can then order a variety of platters and share with everyone. Many restaurants also offer dips with this dish.
8.Taiyaki
Are you visiting a Japanese festival? You will indeed find Taiyaki dishes. It’s a pancake that is fish-shaped and filled with sweet red bean paste. You can also find Taiyaki filled with custard that tastes yum too!
9.Dango
Have you tasted Dango? It is a dish quite similar to mocha that is made from whole rice grains. But dango is made from rice flour. Mitarashi Dango is shown in the photo. The rice balls are placed onto sticks, grilled, and covered in a sweet soy sauce, and quite tasty to eat.
10.Anmitsu
Anmitsu is a dessert that consists of a variety of ingredients beautifully placed in a bowl. The main components are usually red bean paste (Anko), agar/kanten jelly cubes, Dango, fruits, and a brown sugar syrup called Mitsu poured on top. This dish is usually eaten during summer because it is served cold!