I'm doing my report on Japanese food. I will be talking about what the Japanese people eat. I will describe some of the different types of food they have in Japan and the different dishes they make with it.
Rice is a basic Japanese food. They eat it at almost every meal. It is what bread and potatoes is to Canada. There are many ways to prepare rice such as fried rice , rice balls , sushi rice , cooked white rice and many more. Some things made out of rice are rice gruel , rice snacks , sake , rice vinegar and donburi. Rice gruel is soft like oatmeal and is typically eaten for breakfast.
Rice snacks are salty like crackers. Sake is a Japanese rice wine that is often used in cooking. Donburi is a bowl of rice topped with other foods such as egg , chicken , pork and beef. A popular dish in Japan is rice balls which are rice formed into balls and wrapped in seaweed.
Sukiyaki is one of the most well know dishes in Japan. It is a beef and vegetable mixture which is usually cooked at the table in a pot, and is usually eaten in the winter. The beef is placed in the bottom of the pot then tofu , green onions ,shiitake mushrooms and other vegetables are put in. A combination of soy sauce , water sugar and sake are poured on top. The mixture is simmered and stirred until barely cooked. It is served over rice.
Tofu is a very popular food in Japan. Not only is it good for you it is very inexpensive. It is one of the most protein rice foods in the world it is also one of the most versatile. It can be baked , boiled , deep-fried , steamed , marinated , broiled , dried , frozen or eaten fresh. Tofu originated in China. Tofu is made from soy beans.
Tempura is a vegetables and seafood dipped in batter and deep-fried until crisp and golden brown. Sea food includes prawns, squid , scallops and other kinds of fish. Vegetables used are eggplant , lotus root , shiitake mushrooms , green peppers , carrots and squash. Tempura came to Japan in the 16th century by the Portugese missionaries.
With every meal the Japanese drink some kind of tea. They drink 4 different kinds of tea which are Ocha , Macha , Kocha and Chinese tea. Ocha is the common Japanese green tea. It came from China in the 9th century. Green tea is different from the black teas of China and India because the tea leaves are steamed after picking so they stay green. macha is used in the tea ceremony and has a bitter taste. Kocha is English tea which we Canadians are familiar with. Chinese tea is black tea from China such as Oolong and Jasmine.
Sake is the popular alcoholic beverage in Japan. It is made from rice and dates back to the 8th century. It is traditionally drunk warm with meals. Also it is used in cooking.
Menrui is the Japanese word for noodles. The most popular kinds are Soba , Udon and Ramen. Soba is a buckwheat noodle and is long , thin and gray-brown. Udon is made of wheat and is either round , square or flat. Ramen is one of the most popular forms of Menrui in Japan and originates from China. Menrui is eaten either in soup or alone with dipping sauce. The proper way of eating Menrui is to slurp the noodles loudly , even in elegant restaurants. Sometimes the noodles are eaten cold. Instant noodles which come in a one serving package and cook in 3 minutes are very popular now in Japan. They are very popular in Canada now also.
Japan as a nation , eats lots of fish. They eat fish many ways boiled , broiled , most popular is fresh , or raw. Raw fish served in a bowl or on a dish , decorated , is called sashimi. Raw fish when it is served over a fingerful of rice is called sushi.
A definition from the New York Times describes sushi best. " An assortment of small morsels of freshest raw fish and seafood pressed into cold rice lightly seasoned with vinegar. " Sushi originated as a method of preserving fish. Rice was packed around the fillets fish and was thrown away before the fish was eaten. People found that it was good to eat the rice with the fish. The modern-day sushi was originated in Tokyo in the early 19th century as a sort of fast food , for Kabuki customers , hungry but not wanting to miss the next act , needed something quick to eat. Osaka - style sushi consisted of fresh seafood placed in a shallow mold , covered with rice , then pressed into a type of pie which is cut into bite - sized pieces. Sushi can be made from many types of fish . Some are tuna , Sea urchin , shrimp , sea breem , squid , ark shell , young yellowtail , adult yellowtail , octopus , salmon roe ,conger eel and abalone.Sushi is one of the most popular foods in Japan. Tokyo has 10-15 thousand Sushi shops. It is enjoyed by all types of people even though it is quite expensive. Since the seafood is raw, only the freshest fish must be used. Many Japanese people, when they have guests over, call up the local sushi shop and order a selection of sushi (called a moraines). A boy will deliver it on his bike. All sushi connoisseurs ( people who knows alot about the food )eat sushi with their fingers. The proper way to pick up a piece with the fingers , turn it over , dip the seafood into soy sauce , then put it into the mouth. Many Japanese choose to make their own sushi as it is more economical. It is made with rice that is cooked with less water and the water is hot to begin with. This gives the rice a glossy appearance and a chewiness to the texture. Then the rice is put into a shallow wooden tub with seasoned rice vinegar. It is tossed until the rice cools. When the rice is cools it is ready to make sushi. The fish is cut very thin. To make finger sushi a small amount of rice is put in the palm of the hand and formed into an oval shape. Then a piece of fish is placed on top and the entire thing is wrapped in a strip of nori which is a sheet of seaweed , dried. There are many more types sushi such as rolled sushi scattered sushi , Box sushi and pressed sushi.
I really enjoyed doing my report on Japanese food. I learned alot about what the Japanese people eat. Japanese food is quite different from Canadian food. I found it quite interesting how certain Japanese foods originated in other countries. The noodles , tea and the tofu originally came from China which is quite understandable since the countries are not to far apart geographically. I was surprised to find out that tempura came from Portugal by way of missionaries. Even though Japan has been subject to much Western influence they continue to enjoy their own unique cuisine. In fact, they have been an influence on the way we eat in North America. In every major city here there are several Japanese restaurants. Many North Americans enjoy sushi and some even make their own.