Japanese Recipes healthy, delicious and diverse

Japanese cuisine is very diverse, well-known and also very healthy. Whether it's sushi, Ramen , Tempura or rather traditional Nabe , on this blog you will find many authentic dishes that you can usually cook quite easily!

In the following post I would like to explain to you what types of dishes & recipes there are, what to look out for and the differences between traditional Washoku and the modern Youshoku. I would also like to introduce you to the basics, as they are very important for cooking.

Characteristics of Japanese recipes:

1. Japanese cuisine is low in fat, sugar, carbohydrates and salt. This applies especially to traditional recipes.
2. Japanese recipes make you healthy! The many fresh and diverse ingredients provide you with a very versatile diet, which naturally has the positive effect of giving you softer skin, cleansing your intestines so that digestion is faster and cleaner, and generally makes your entire body healthier.
3. Japanese dishes are eaten in many small portions. This portioning of dishes through many bowls and eating with chopsticks has the positive effect of making you eat slower and consume fewer calories & carbohydrates.
4. Japanese cuisine has many facets whether spicy, salty, tart, sweet or even umami , Japanese cuisine offers you everything. Even more than the German language can describe, which is quite funny. There are special words for certain flavors that you might describe with, delicious or bitter.
5. Japanese recipes are very expensive to cook in Germany. Many things have to be imported. In addition, there is hardly any fresh fish in Germany and if you do find some, it is unfortunately quite expensive.
6. Modern Japanese recipes are usually a bit unhealthy. Examples are rolls with fried noodles, super delicious or bentos with lots of delicious fried dishes.

Japanese Side Dish Recipes

Side dishes are very important in Japanese cuisine, as rarely only one Bowl (Donburi) or a noodle soup (e.g. Ramen or Udon ) is cooked. But even with these recipes, where you only have one bowl at the end, you can cook side dishes to add some more variation to the table.

Japanese side dish recipes are easy to cook and usually only require a few ingredients. These are usually salt, sugar, mirin, Shoyu (soy sauce) and Sake .

Japanese Main Course Recipes

The main course is the most important element in Japanese cuisine. In addition to soup, rice and side dishes, there are main courses that often consist of fish, meat or noodles. In general, there are many different types of dishes and preparations that make it possible to satisfy all palates.

Japanese Rice Dishes

Rice is one of the main components of Japanese cuisine. The form or preparation of the rice is very variable. Whether it is formed into a ball as Onigiri or a main ingredient of Katsudon , there are unlimited possibilities here too. You can fry rice, then a delicious dish will be created Chahan , crush it and then Mochi is created or simply roll it together in Nori as Sushi .

Below you will find instructions on how to properly cook Japanese rice . Because this is very important, because poorly cooked rice can ruin the entire meal, believe me, I have unfortunately had to experience that.

Donburi Recipes

An easy and inexpensive way to cook Japanese food is to prepare it as Donburi. Donburis are dishes that consist of cooked rice and a topping. This Japanese dish is usually served in a bowl, hence the name. Since you eat a lot of rice with this dish, you will get full quickly. That's why it's also very popular for dinner when you want to eat something quickly.

Japanese Soup / Stew Recipes

Soups and stews are very popular in Japan. Especially the noodle soups (so Ramen and Udon )! The broth usually consists of the so-called Dashi . This is a broth consisting of Kombu and or Katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Other ingredients can also be used for Dashi , such as Shiitake mushrooms , but it mostly consists of Kombu and or Katsuobushi.

Japanese Dessert Recipes

Unfortunately, dessert in Japan is now far too sweet and unhealthy, which is not the case with traditional dessert. This usually consists of fruit. Of course, not just cutting fruit and putting it in a bowl, but prepared a little more elaborately.

The basic ingredients

The basic ingredients for Japanese recipes are usually the following:

• Dashi (broth)
• Mirin (sweet rice wine)
• Sake (rice wine)
• Shouyu (soy sauce)
• Japanese rice
• fish, lots of fish
• various types of algae

You can see that many ingredients come from the sea. Whether it's algae, fish, shellfish, etc.. This is because Japan is an island nation and therefore surrounded by the sea. That's why it can sometimes be a bit difficult to find certain ingredients in Germany. But there are more and more Asian markets as well as online shops, so you're not completely lost if you want to cook Japanese recipes.

Fish is very important

In Japan, fish is the be-all and end-all. Whether it's sushi, sashimi, soup or grilled, fish is in everything. Why is that? Japan is a very large island. And there is sea almost everywhere. So they focused more on fish than on meat. If you're a vegetarian, you have a bad hand in Japan.

Traditional (Washoku) vs modern (Youshoku) Japanese recipes

Traditional Japanese Recipes - Washoku

UNESCO has designated traditional Japanese cuisine "Washoku" as a World Heritage Site. I would like to explain in this article why this is so.

Japanese people live longer than anyone else on average. The exact reason for this is not yet fully understood, but everyone knows that healthy food is important for health and aging. In Japanese cuisine, little fat, sugar or salt is used. This makes it not easy for beginners, as they have to get used to the fact that food does not necessarily have to be hearty, but can also be hearty.

Modern Japanese Recipes - Youshoku

Unfortunately, Japanese cuisine has changed a lot. Through globalization, the West has had an increasing influence on the culture of the Japanese. It is shocking that Japan has the second highest number of McDonald's branches. Subway, KFC and other fast food chains have also established themselves in Japan. Since Japanese people often work 10-12 hours and often only have a small kitchen because apartment prices in the city are very expensive, they often resort to fast food. In the article Do Japanese people really eat healthy I have explained the topic in more detail.

Meals - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Breakfast

The most important meal of the day in Japanese cuisine is breakfast. Because it is important to start the day with a full and above all healthy stomach. Traditionally, no dairy products are consumed in Japan, as 70% of Japanese people (myself included) are lactose intolerant and milk is also not very healthy. More emphasis is placed on light food such as Miso Shiru and rice. Of course, you can also eat rice with Furikake, which has a low calorie content, but is very salty.

Lunch

The Japanese traditionally eat little for lunch. That's why I advise you, if you have eaten a proper breakfast, you only need to have a little something to eat. There are perfect recipes for this such as Onigiri, Bento or soup.

Dinner

Dinner in Japan is usually the most elaborate meal of the day. Unlike in Germany, Japanese dinner is always warm. In addition, the individual dishes are served in different containers such as plates, pots or bowls.