Japanese cooking and food is centred around seven main ingredients, which are all highly nutritious, balanced and natural. They include fish, vegetables, rice, soya products, noodles, tea and fruit.
Let’s take a look inside these seven superfoods that make up the Japanese daily diet:
1. Fish
The Japanese are famous for their fish and seafood recipes, perhaps mostly for raw fish dishes such as sushi and sashimi. However, the Japanese don’t eat all their fish or meat raw; in fact, the only raw fish eaten would be in sushi and sashimi dishes – everything else is lightly grilled, fried or steamed. Most of the main fish consumed by the Japanese is also deep cold water fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, to name a few, which are high in essential fatty acids (omega 3) and other important nutrients.
2. Vegetables
The Japanese are crazy about vegetables, even more so than seafood and meat. The traditional Japanese meal actually consisted of usually three kinds of vegetables, a simple soup, and maybe a small piece of grilled fish. And like all ingredients chosen by the Japanese when shopping, only the best, freshest seasonal vegetables are eaten.
The Japanese are crazy about vegetables, even more so than seafood and meat. The traditional Japanese meal actually consisted of usually three kinds of vegetables, a simple soup, and maybe a small piece of grilled fish. And like all ingredients chosen by the Japanese when shopping, only the best, freshest seasonal vegetables are eaten.
3. Rice
For the Japanese, rice is sacred. It is, in a traditional meal, with 20 courses, served at the end, and eaten alone, because it is reserved for such a high place in the progression of the meal. It is the mainstay of the Japanese diet, eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and for snacks, prepared in many different ways. It’s a great filler and rarely eaten mixed with other foods, such as fried rice.
4. Soya
The Japanese love soya bean products, which include eating fresh green soya beans (called edamame), tofu (highly nutritious and a daily addition in Okinawan cooking) and soy sauce (called shoyu). In Japan, tofu is definitely one of their major superfoods.
5. Noodles
The Japanese are passionate about noodles! And there are some great kinds of noodles to eat – soba, udon, somen, ramen and more – all made from various grains, and prepared, cooked and eaten in a hundred different ways. Noodles are the spaghetti of the East, and a great source of healthy carbohydrates.
6. Tea
Along with sushi, perhaps one of the most famous images of Japan is the tea ceremony (called sado.) For most Asians, some form of green tea (called ocha) is consumed regularly through each day. For the Japanese, green tea (in several varieties) is almost sacred; so much so, they celebrate it in a special tea ceremony. Green tea is high in antioxidants (especially jasmine tea), very cleansing, and refreshing to drink hot or cold.
7. Fruit
Japan has an abundance of amazing fruits. They are also treated with reverence, such as during the cherry blossom season. Fruit is eaten only seasonally, and in Japan, certain fruits are famous for the region they are traditionally grown in. Fruit is always eaten alone (not with other foods) and the Japanese are extremely fussy about the freshness and quality appearance of the fruit they eat.