Asia · Traditional

Japanese cuisine

Known for sushi, ramen, and delicate presentation.

Explore recipes Build a Japanese menu Wine pairings

Food history

Why Japanese cuisine is worth exploring

Japanese food developed through an island culture shaped by rice agriculture, Buddhism, court traditions, fishing and centuries of contact with China, Korea and later Europe. Soy foods, fermentation and seasonal presentation became deeply embedded, while dishes such as tempura and curry show how imported ideas were adapted into recognisably Japanese forms.

Why it is famous

Sushi, sashimi, ramen, tempura, yakitori, soba, udon, tonkatsu, curry rice and kaiseki are some of the foods that have made Japanese cuisine recognisable around the world. Explore further and the picture becomes much richer, with local dishes and everyday combinations that rarely travel as widely as the famous names.

Regional food story

Hokkaido is known for seafood and dairy; Kansai for lighter seasoning and traditions around Kyoto and Osaka; Osaka for takoyaki and okonomiyaki; Kyushu for pork-rich ramen and distinctive local dishes; Okinawa has a food culture shaped by its subtropical climate and Ryukyuan history.

How to cook it

Flavours, ingredients and menu ideas

Signature ingredients

Across Japanese kitchens, ingredients such as rice, soy sauce, miso, dashi, seaweed, tofu, sesame, ginger, daikon, mushrooms, fish and seasonal vegetables provide many of the familiar flavours. Geography and tradition decide the final result, which is why the same staple can produce very different dishes within one country.

Cooking style

Japanese cooking is attentive to season, cut, texture and presentation. Techniques may be simple, but precision matters: clear dashi, properly cooked rice, clean frying, controlled grilling and thoughtful use of pickles and condiments.

Build a menu

For a home menu, combine rice or noodles with one main dish, a vegetable side, pickles and soup. A more celebratory meal can move through sashimi, grilled or simmered food and a delicate sweet, keeping portions modest and the flavours varied.

Starters Mains Desserts

Cook by course

Japanese recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Japanese starters

Edamame with Sea Salt

Japanese edamame pods boiled briefly and tossed with coarse sea salt.

Starter 10 mins

Hiyayakko

Cold silken tofu with soy sauce, ginger, spring onion and katsuobushi.

Starter 10 mins

Sunomono

Cucumber and wakame vinegar salad with a light rice-vinegar dressing.

Starter 20 mins

Miso Soup

Classic Japanese miso soup with dashi, miso, tofu, wakame and spring onion.

Starter 22 mins

Agedashi Tofu

Crisp potato-starch tofu served in warm tentsuyu-style dashi with grated daikon and spring onion.

Starter 30 mins

Chawanmushi

Savoury steamed egg custard with dashi, chicken, prawn, shiitake and mitsuba.

Starter 43 mins

Takoyaki

Osaka octopus balls with dashi batter, spring onion, pickled ginger, takoyaki sauce and bonito flakes.

Starter 1 hr

Gyoza

Japanese pan-fried dumplings with pork, cabbage, garlic chives and crisp lacy bottoms.

Starter 1 hr 15 mins

Main courses

Japanese main courses

Zaru Soba

Cold buckwheat noodles served on a bamboo tray with chilled dipping sauce, spring onion and wasabi.

Main 23 mins

Gyudon

Thin beef and onion simmered in sweet soy dashi over rice.

Main 25 mins

Kaisen Don

Sashimi seafood rice bowl with tuna, salmon, prawns, ikura, nori and wasabi soy.

Main 25 mins

Oyakodon

Chicken and egg simmered in dashi, soy and mirin over steamed rice.

Main 30 mins

Chicken Teriyaki

Glazed Japanese chicken thighs cooked with soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar.

Main 35 mins

Yakisoba

Japanese festival fried noodles with pork, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts and savoury-sweet sauce.

Main 35 mins

Tonkatsu

Crisp panko-coated pork cutlet served with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce.

Main 40 mins

Unadon

Grilled eel glazed with sweet soy tare over steamed rice.

Main 40 mins

Omurice

Japanese ketchup fried rice wrapped or topped with a soft omelette.

Main 45 mins

Saba Shioyaki

Salt-grilled mackerel with grated daikon, lemon or sudachi and rice.

Main 47 mins

Ebi Tempura

Light Japanese prawn and vegetable tempura with crisp batter and tentsuyu dipping sauce.

Main 50 mins

Katsudon

Pork cutlet simmered briefly with onion and egg over steamed rice.

Main 50 mins

Nabeyaki Udon

Hot claypot udon with chicken, prawn tempura, egg, mushrooms, greens and dashi broth.

Main 50 mins

Okonomiyaki

Savoury Japanese cabbage pancake with pork, okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, aonori and bonito flakes.

Main 50 mins

Yakitori

Japanese grilled chicken skewers brushed with tare or seasoned simply with salt.

Main 50 mins

Nikujaga

Japanese home-style beef, potato and onion simmered in soy, mirin, sugar and dashi.

Main 55 mins

Karaage

Japanese soy-ginger fried chicken with a crisp potato-starch coating.

Main 1 hr

Sukiyaki

Japanese hotpot of thin beef, tofu, shirataki, negi and mushrooms in sweet soy warishita.

Main 1 hr

Japanese Curry Rice

Mild Japanese curry with beef or chicken, onions, carrots and potatoes served over rice.

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Takikomi Gohan

Seasoned Japanese rice cooked with chicken, mushrooms, carrot, burdock and soy-dashi.

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Chikuzenni

Braised chicken and root vegetables with lotus root, burdock, carrot, konnyaku and shiitake.

Main 1 hr 20 mins

Nigiri Sushi

Hand-shaped sushi rice topped with fresh fish, wasabi and brushed soy.

Main 1 hr 55 mins

Shoyu Ramen

Tokyo-style soy sauce ramen with clear chicken broth, springy noodles, chashu, egg and menma.

Main 7 hr

Saikyo Yaki Black Cod

Kyoto-style miso-marinated black cod grilled until caramelised and silky.

Main 24 hr 12 mins

Desserts

Japanese desserts

Kakigori

Japanese shaved ice with syrup, condensed milk and fruit or matcha toppings.

Dessert 20 mins

Anmitsu

Japanese dessert bowl with kanten jelly, anko, fruit, mochi and black sugar syrup.

Dessert 35 mins

Mitarashi Dango

Grilled rice dumpling skewers glazed with sweet soy mitarashi sauce.

Dessert 45 mins

Daifuku Mochi

Soft glutinous rice mochi wrapped around sweet red bean paste.

Dessert 50 mins

Dorayaki

Two honey pancakes sandwiched around sweet red bean paste.

Dessert 50 mins

Taiyaki

Fish-shaped Japanese cakes filled with sweet red bean paste.

Dessert 50 mins

Matcha Roll Cake

Light matcha sponge rolled with lightly sweetened cream and red bean.

Dessert 57 mins

Japanese Purin

Japanese caramel custard pudding with a soft set and bittersweet caramel.

Dessert 1 hr

Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Japanese food

When pairing wine with Japanese food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Red

Beaujolais / Gamay

Juicy light red with cherry, raspberry and low tannin. Excellent slightly chilled with charcuterie, poultry, pâté, saus…

Grape: Gamay Region: Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland

Red

Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux

Structured red with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and firm tannins. Best with roast beef, lamb, steak, rich gravies and…

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, Napa, Coonawarra, Maipo

Red

Malbec

Plush, dark red with blackberry, plum, cocoa and smooth tannins. Excellent with beef, charred meat, pies and smoky dish…

Grape: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Cahors

Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden

Red

Spätburgunder

German Pinot Noir with red cherry, earth and gentle spice. Excellent with pork, sausages, roast poultry, mushroom sauce…

Grape: Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir Region: Baden, Ahr, Pfalz

Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa

White

Albariño / Vinho Verde

Fresh coastal white wine with citrus, peach, sea-spray minerality and bright acidity. Excellent with seafood, salt cod…

Grape: Albariño, Alvarinho, Loureiro, Arinto Region: Rías Baixas, Minho, Vinho Verde

White

Assyrtiko

Greek white with piercing acidity, lemon, salt and volcanic minerality. Ideal for tzatziki, feta, seafood, grilled fish…

Grape: Assyrtiko Region: Santorini, Macedonia, Crete

Local beers

Japanese beers

Wine can lead the meal, but local beer tells another story: what people drink in bars, restaurants and shops alongside everyday food.

Explore local beers

Asahi Super Dry

Dry lager 5% ABV

Asahi Breweries

Japan’s iconic dry lager, crisp and widely sold nationwide.

Sapporo Premium Beer

Lager 4.9% ABV

Sapporo Breweries

A classic Japanese lager associated with Hokkaido brewing heritage.

Kirin Ichiban

Lager 5% ABV

Kirin Brewery

A major Japanese lager known for its first-press brewing method.

Suntory The Premium Malt’s

Pilsner-style lager 5.5% ABV

Suntory

A premium Japanese malt beer found in bars, restaurants and convenience stores.

Orion Draft Beer

Lager 5% ABV

Orion Breweries

Okinawa’s signature lager and a strong regional favourite.

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