2. Japanese Cuisine
The traditional cuisine of Japan, washoku (和食), lit. "Japanese
eating" (or kappō (ja:割烹)), is based on rice with miso soup
and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal
ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled
vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is
common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in
sushi.
Seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light
batter, as tempura. Apart from rice, staples include noodles,
such as soba and udon. Japan also has many simmered
dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in
sukiyaki and nikujaga.
3. Sushi
Sushi (すし, 寿司, 鮨,
pronounced [sɯ̥ ɕiꜜ] is a
Japanese dish of prepared
vinegared rice (鮨飯, sushi-
meshi), usually with some
sugar and salt,
accompanying a variety of
ingredients (ネタ, neta),
such as seafood,
vegetables, and
occasionally tropical fruits.
Styles of sushi and its
presentation vary widely, but
the one key ingredient is
"sushi rice", also referred to
as shari