Food and drink

Japanese food and drink is not well known outside the country. Except for sushi, of course. This is slowly changing, and recently Japanese restaurants have been slowly spreading around the world, in developing countries (largely to please Japanese tourists) and in developed countries (to please local palates).

This page offers a brief introduction to some of the more common Japanese dishes and flavours - over time, this section will be developed and we welcome your suggestions.

Table manners

There are a few simple rules to make sure you don't offend anyone, but don't get too worried - the Japanese tend ot be very forgiving, and will almost exclusively regard any faux pas with hilarity. Don't feel that you are being laughed at though - the Japanese seem as likely to laugh at themselves as anyone else, and it's all part of the give and take.

Firstly, o-hashi. If you have ever met a Japanese person while in Japan, you will have been asked if you can use chopsticks, and whether you can eat sushi or sashimi (raw fish and other raw things on a small piece of rice, or raw fish). When eating with chopsticks, just remember table manners from your own country and you should be okay. A couple of things to avoid - don't point at people with chopsticks, don't stick your chopsticks in your rice or other food (leave them lying across the top of one of your bowls or on the little stand provided in some restaurants), and don't take food from someone else's chopsticks with yours - if someone offers you something, hold up a plate or your rice bowl to accept it. It's fine to pick things up when eating or taking items from communal dishes - in fact, it's better if you do. Finally, when in polite society or with people that you don't know well, take food from communal dishes with the back of your chopsticks and eat with the normal end, unless people tell you not to bother.

When drinking, always offer people drink from any bottles on the table when their glass gets empty. Don't fill your own glass - offer someone else a drink first, and they will then fill your glass. Filling your own glass is considered fairly bad, but among friends is common. Generally, remember the principle that you should be thinking about other people first, and it's easy. If someone's glass is empty, offer them a drink. If it isn't, and your is, they'll offer you one (if they don't, just offer them one).

NOTE: Japanese seem to be divided into those who can drink, and those who cannot. Some people will drink small glass of beer and be red in the face and completely drunk - this seems to be a result of some physiological difference in some people - so don't push people to drink against their will. Different people have different limits, and often know them.

Common dishes

Ramen is a Japanese adaptation of a Chinese staple. Various types exist; all are basically noodles in soup, but the thickness of the noodles varies (a little), and more importantly the type of soup varies. Three basic types exist: Miso ramen has a miso (soybean paste) base and originated in Sapporo, Hokkaido; Tonkotsu ramen has "tonkotsu" (boiled pork bone) base and comes originally from Kyushu; shoyu ramen is the standard and has a soup based on soy sauce; and finally shio ramen has a salt-based sauce (usually this means that seafood is used to make the stock). To this, noodles are added, and then various toppings (spices, bean sprouts, raw/boiled egg, "menma" and so on).

There are plenty of other noodles, from fat udon to the thin soumen made from all kinds of flours - soba is made from buckwheat, and is harder and more fibrous, while udon and soumen are made from ordinary wheat and are smoother and softer in texture. They are usually eaten with a sauce, and you slurp a few noodles up at a time with the sauce (making noise is important).

Sushi and sashimi need little introduction, although many people confuse the two. Sashimi is sliced raw fish and seafood, eaten as is or with a little shoyu (soy sauce) and wasabi (green horseradish). Sushi is a small lozenge shaped lump of rice with something on it - usually a slice of raw fish, but also vegetables, fish roe, meats, and so on. Sashimi are eaten with chopsticks; sushi you can eat with chopsticks or your fingers. Dip them in a little shoyu and down in one! To look a little more professional, make sure you dip the top part of the sushi in the soy sauce (unless it's likely to fall off).

One thing that you will come across often, and which is the quintessential Japanese taste, is Miso Shiru (miso soup). Miso is fermented soybean paste, and has a distinctive salty flavour. It comes in red and white forms; the red type is mostly eaten in central Japan, and the white in the rest of the country. Miso Shiru is the standard accompaniment to any meal, from breakfast to dinner. Other than the miso base, there could be anything in it at all - mushrooms, tofu, clams, meat, vegetables, and so on. Every restaurant has it's own recipe, and some change it day to day.

There are many more popular dishes in Japan, more information will be added later.