Japanese people love seafood, not only because they have too, Japan comprises several islands in the pacific after all, but because the sea bounties are beautifully aligned with their cooking style.
Japan is one of the world’s largest seafood markets – both cold and warm oceanic currents allow fisheries to catch an unforeseen myriad of fish and shellfish. Despite being one of the most significant players in the fishing industry, the country consumes 90% of its production. That’s a lot of fish!
How do Japanese people eat their fish then? Well, here’s a list of the most popular Japanese seafood dishes you must try.
Sushi
Let’s start with the better-known seafood specialty in Japan. There’s at least a sushi place in every major city globally; this delicacy is a world phenomenon!
Sushi is not one thing, but many. But we can say it’s always made of vinegar-infused sticky rice and fish. This, of course, is an understatement. Sushi comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and the ingredients used range from veggies to shrimp, mussels, octopus and many types of fish.
Sushi came to be centuries ago to preserve fish by covering it in glutinous rice, but it has become an art form. There’s no doubt sushi is amongst the most popular one-biters on the planet.
Sashimi
For some, sashimi is a type of sushi, but not everyone agrees. The high-grade sushi-quality fish is used in both preparations, but sashimi lacks the rice.
Beautifully thin slices of fresh, raw tuna, salmon, bonito and other fish are a real delight. The fish melts in your mouth! Then you have more exciting styles of sashimi, including sliced scallops, clams, and even squid.
Although sashimi can be a wonderful casual light meal, it’s a starter served before other food, including rice and soups in Japan. It is one of the finest and purest dishes in the country’s food repertoire, and it’s not only for its fresh flavor but its presentation. Sashimi platters are often gorgeous.
Deep-fried Oysters
In the same way Western chefs make wonders with fresh oysters, from serving them raw to grating them with cheese, Japanese cooks have their own oyster specialties. One of the most satisfying is the crackling, deep-fried oysters.
The name is Kaki Fry, and it’s a Japanese winter specialty. The secret behind these sea-scented golden brown treats is the panko — the country’s crunchy flaky breadcrumbs that give anything coated with them the crispiest texture.
It comes without saying these beauties are served with diverse dipping sauces. The most popular? the Tonkatsu sauce, a brown sweet and savory sauce that tastes very much like spicy ketchup.
Takoyaki
Tako means octopus in Japanese, and yaki refers to anything grilled. Having said that, takoyaki is much more than grilled octopus; it’s one of the most popular seafood street-foods in Japan, particularly in the city of Osaka.
Think of bite-sized crispy and golden fried batter balls with a tender octopus core. Takoyaki is so remarkable people make them in special dimpled pans or griddles for perfect, even balls every time.
There’s more; these octopus treats are best enjoyed when drizzled with a savory sauce redolent of Worcestershire sauce, mayo and other toppings. Make yourself a takoyaki ‘boat’ that can hold up to ten takoyaki balls!
Donburi
Donburi means bowl, but it’s more than that. These are rice bowls topped with your choice of ingredients, from veggies to beef. Of course, the most exciting bowls are topped with seafood.
From all donburi bowls, the unadon is topped with creamy unagi eel, and the kaisendon is the most vibrant collection of various seafood specialties topping that fluffy rice bed.
Picture all your favorite seafood sashimi in the same bowl; what’s not to love about that? If there’s a Japanese word to remember, it’s Kaisen — it means seafood, and in Japan, seafood is sacred!
This is Just a Drop in the Bucket!
Japan might not be a large country, but it has varied regional cuisines, each with its own seafood specialties. You’d be amazed to see the creativity behind Japan’s seafood scene; from traditional sushi to soups and broths, there’s something for everyone. Receive seafood to your doorstep and get started on some at-home Japanese seafood dishes!
How many of these Japanese specialties have you tried? And which one is your favorite? Most importantly, how are you cooking your seafood today? Why not Japanese style?