One of my favorite things about visiting Japan was all of the new food I got to experience. Of course, there were things that I was already familiar with and expecting like ramen, sushi, fried rice, and matcha, which were still amazing, but there is a lot more to Japanese cuisine than that.
One of the more semi known things that I tried is called Takoyaki. Takoyaki literally translates to “grilled octopus,” and it is a dish made of wheat batter which is filled with grilled octopus and fried. Even though this is more of a fair type of food, our group had it for dinner and it was very filling, but still delicious!
Another semi-known dish I had is called Yakisoba. This is a stir-fried noodle dish which is so delicious. The difference between Yakisoba and other noodle dishes is that the noodles are a bit chewier and harder. Now moving onto the dishes that I had no idea about before coming to Japan which also happened to be my favorite dishes. My absolute favorite dish that I had in Japan is called Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is famous in two places in Japan which battle between which has the better Okonomiyaki: Hiroshima and Osaka. I’ve only had it in Hiroshima, but based on how amazing that was, Osaka’s Okonomiyaki would have to be on another level to beat Hiroshima’s. Okonomiyaki is a type of savory pancake dish which has wheat flour batter, cabbage, meat, seafood, and soba noodles. The toppings consist of okonomiyaki sauce, anori, Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger. They have different variations of this basic recipe, and I got one with kimchi added to it which added an extra little kick of flavor.
I also tried a specialty cold noodle dish which was unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. I didn’t even know that cold noodles were a thing before I saw them on the menu at a restaurant. It was a perfect dinner after a long day of walking in the heat. It was refreshing but interestingly spicy while still being cold.
The last dish I want to feature is called Sukiyaki. It is served in a clay pot over a mini stover at the table, and the raw meet cooks before your eyes. Within the stew there are also vegetables and other ingredients, and a raw egg was given alongside the dish and rice. It was interesting to see it cooked in front of me, and I think this is a good idea so you can cook the meat to your liking. Lastly, there were two foods that my friends tried, but I was too intimidated to try. One of my friends tried natto which is a very quintessential Japanese food which consists of fermented soybeans. Even though I didn’t try it myself, the reviews I got were very mixed, so I think it’s more of an acquired taste. The other food my friends tried is beef tongue, and after their ecstatic reviews I wish that I had. I know that someday I am going to have to make another trip to Japan and try even more food!