Restaurants of Japanese cuisine you can easily find in any small or large city on the whole planet. Establishments positioning themselves as Japanese restaurants can clash in the battle for popularity with Irish pubs or Italian pizzerias. And, just like them, they will be very far from the authentic original. And it's not even the absence or presence in the menu of some dishes, and not in people dressed up in fake samurai suits, but in the fact that a ritual part and a special atmosphere play a big role in the Japanese meal.

The phenomenon of Japanese cuisine is in its simplicity, and at the same time of originality and originality. One of the main differences between the Japanese cuisine and the European cuisine is minimal heat treatment, in other words, often the products are not cooked or fried, but are absorbed naturally.

Local chefs try to preserve the natural look and taste of the dish as carefully as possible, so there is not a mixture of many ingredients. The Japanese are fond of their traditions, and the behavior at the meal is not an exception. In addition to the notorious sticks, an unprepared European or American, there are many different nuances of drinking etiquette. Mainly in Japanese cuisine - rice. Rice is the basis of the basics, it is served as a side dish and as a separate dish and even as a dessert. He, as a rule, does not salivate, but is abundantly flavored with condiments and sauces. Rice products are very diverse, local people use it in the form of rolls with stuffing (sushi), balls (onigri), pies (mochi). In addition to rice, the inhabitants of the islands enjoy the love of different noodles made from different cultures - buckwheat noodles "soba" or wheat "udon."

Traditional Japanese cuisine

Tokyo delicacies

Soups are prepared from all sorts of ingredients and in a variety of interpretations: meat and fish, potato and soya paste. Of course, in the island state, the cuisine can not do without the seafood - fish and seafood. Moreover, many of these products are used in a completely raw form. Among the Japanese specialties are shrimp in batter, pieces of sea urchin, fish cakes, cuttlefish, eel, edible seaweed and other culinary exercises on the sea theme.

As a snack or garnish, vegetables are often served, which, incidentally, are consumed mainly in raw form. Japanese soy, radish, bamboo shoots, cucumbers and turnips are popular in Japan, as well as mushrooms and vegetables, dried seaweed, spinach, tofu (which is made from soybeans). But with meat dishes in Japan is not very diverse, due to geographical reasons. Popular here are dishes such as stewed meat and potatoes, shish kebab cooked in accordance with local flavor, liver in Japanese, chicken dishes. Well, there can not be a good dinner without drinks. The main Japanese drinks are green tea (consumption of which is accompanied by a special ceremony) and rice vodka sake. It spreads here and beer, and from non-alcoholic drinks - measles (a bit of ice with syrups).