The secret has long been out about Japanese cuisine. You can get umami-rich ramen, chewy mochi and fragrant katsu curries all over the world.. But visit the country itself, and you’ll realise that’s only the tip of a very large iceberg.
There’s a borderline obsession with local, seasonal food in Japan, and it’s completely normal to travel to the other end of the country just to try a regional speciality. It’s not all high-end, either – it may be yakitori (chargrilled chicken skewers) from a street-food stall, crispy pan-fried gyoza from an izakaya (traditional pub) or even a convenience-store fruit sandwich that you find yourself wistfully remembering years later.
It’s impossible to fit more than a fraction of Japan’s culinary diversity into one article, so here are 10 definitive dishes to start with. You’ll discover plenty more along the way.
1. Tempura
Crispy, deep-fried tempura was born in the 16th century under the influence of Portuguese cooking, and has a Latin etymology, but by now it’s firmly in the pantheon of classic Japanese dishes. Made well, the filling – whether king prawn, sweet potato or foraged sansai (mountain vegetables) – is cooked to perfection, the coating light and crunchy without any lingering oiliness.
Where to try it
You can enjoy tempura throughout Japan, served as a topping for noodles or rice, or, usually in the old capital of Kyoto, it’s elevated to edible art at Tempura Endō Yasaka, where the seasonal tempura is the star of a multi-course kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) meal.