Guest Author - Kate Werdebaugh

A typical Japanese meal consists of the following courses: a serving of rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables and fish or meat. In addition to rice, many kinds of noodles are also available in Japanese dishes, such as udon, soba and ramen. Seafood is a very popular part of Japanese cuisine, including eel, squid, shellfish, octopus, and many varieties of fish. Sushi is also popular, and many combinations are available to please everyone's palate.

Rice Dishes
Sushi and sashimi are very common Japanese rice dishes. Sushi and sashimi consist of a small portion of rice with a small piece of raw or cooked seafood, egg or vegetable. The rice is often rolled in dried seaweed with various fillings. The Japanese garnish their sushi with wasabi, a spicy round paste of horseradish root, and thinly sliced ginger. The ginger is designed to cleanse the palate between bites. Onigiri is a sushi dish often seasoned with Japanese pickles, sesame seeds, pieces of seafood or dried seaweed.

Noodles
Soba, thin brown noodles, and Udon, thick white noodles, are widely used in Japanese dishes ranging from soups to side dishes. Ramen, thin egg noodles, are often served in broth flavored with soy sauce or miso and topped with sliced roast pork, bean sprouts and sweet corn and butter.

Miso
Miso is a staple in Japanese cuisine. A paste made from fermented soybeans, salt, and sometimes rice or barley, miso is most often used to make miso soup. Miso is also used as a marinade for different dishes.

Domburimono
Domburimono dishes are comprised of a bowl of rice with various toppings such as beef chicken and egg, fried shrimp, or deep-fried pork cutlets and egg.

Table Dishes
Sukiyaki, cooked right at the table, consists of thin slices of beef and vegetables seasoned with soy sauce and sugar.

Shabu-Shabu is a dish cooked at the table by each diner. Thinly sliced beef and vegetables are cooked quickly by dipping into broth or boiling water and garnished with soy sauce and and a vinegar-based sauce or soy sauce and sesame seeds.

Tempura
Tempura consists of slices of seafood and vegetables coated in a light batter and deep-fried. Tempura is often served with soy sauce or salt or lemon.