Japanese food.......delicious and healthy.

While I was living in Japan, I met so many people I shared so many experiences with. Something interesting that called my attention was that most foreigner women love Japanese food not only because its flavor is great, but also because it is healthy, and it helps women to be in shape. In the other hand, most of the foreigner men don't like Japanese food that much since they miss their country flavors, and they seem never to be satisfied with it for its small servings. Anyway, Japanese cuisine definitely it is exquisite and so diverse. There are so many kinds to please the most exigent and sophisticated taste. Here I am sharing with you some of my favorite Japanese food. Hope you like it.

1. Miso Soup

Misoshiru is a basic part of the typical Japanese breakfast. This nourishing soup is eaten alone or with eggs, rice, fish and pickles. A simple version of the soup, lightly garnished with tofu and scallions, is most popular for the morning meal. But misoshiru can also be part of a larger midday or evening meal, often with added garnishes. I won't forget my miso soup in the shoukudo of the university with my friends. Simply delicious....

2. RAMEN

It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as sliced pork (チャーシュー, chāshū), dried seaweed (海苔, nori), kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn. Almost every locality in Japan has its own variation of ramen, from the tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen of Kyushu to the miso ramen of Hokkaido. You can find a ramen shop everywhere in Japan. I love ramen so much.

3. SASHIMI

Sashimi : 刺身 is a Japanese delicacy. It primarily consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces, and served only with a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste or such condiments as grated fresh ginger, or ponzu), and such garnishes as shiso and shredded daikon radish. It is absolutely delicious.

4. SUKIYAKI

Sukiyaki (Japanese: 鋤焼 or more commonly すき焼き) is a Japanese dish in the nabemono (Japanese hot pot) style.
It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Before being eaten, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs.
Generally sukiyaki is a winter dish and it is commonly found at bōnenkai, Japanese year-end parties.

5. TOFU

Tofu or bean curd is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is of Chinese origin, and it is also a part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has been processed in some way. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, so it can be used either in savory or sweet dishes, and it is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish.
Tofu contains a low amount of calories, relatively large amount of iron, and little fat. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the tofu may also be high in calcium and/or magnesium.

6. TAKOYAKI

I wil never forget my dirst Japanese food......I love it so much.
Takoyaki (たこ焼き or 蛸焼) (literally fried or grilled octopus) is a popular ball-shaped Japanese dumpling or more like a savory pancake made of batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan (see below). It is typically filled with diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion.
In modern days, it became common to be brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and topped with green laver (aonori) and katsuobushi (shavings of dried bonito).

7. YAKITORI

Yakitori (焼き鳥/やきとり/ヤキトリ), grilled fowl, is commonly a Japanese type of skewered chicken. The term Yakitori can also refer to skewered food in general. Kushiyaki (skewer grilled), is a formal term that encompasses both poultry and non-poultry items, skewered and grilled. Both Yakitori and Kushiyaki mean the same, so the terms are used interchangeably in Japanese society.
The average yakitori is made from several bite-sized pieces of chicken meat, or chicken offal, skewered on a bamboo skewer and grilled, usually over charcoal.
Diners ordering yakitori usually have a choice of having it cooked with salt (shio) or with tare sauce, which is generally made up of mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar. The sauce is applied to the skewered meat and is grilled until delicately cooked.

8. TENPURA

Tempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅, tenpura), is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. My favorite is shrimp tempura. Oishii ne.

9. ONIGIRI

Onigiri (お握り or 御握り; おにぎり), also known as omusubi (お結び; おむすび) or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (umeboshi), salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a natural preservative. Because of the popularity of onigiri in Japan, most convenience stores stock their onigiri with various fillings and flavors. There are even specialized shops whose only products are onigiri for take out.

10. DANGO

Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made from mochiko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.
Dango are eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Three to four dango are often served on a skewer. I love dango.

11. WAGASHI

Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.
Wagashi is typically made from natural (mainly plant) ingredients. The names used for wagashi commonly fit a formula—a natural beauty and a word from ancient literature; they are thus often written with hyōgaiji (kanji that are not commonly used or known), and are glossed with furigana.
Generally, confections that were introduced from the West after the Meiji Restoration (1868) are not considered wagashi. Most sorts of Okinawan confectionery and those originating in Europe or China that use ingredients alien to traditional Japanese cuisine, e.g., kasutera, are only rarely referred to as wagashi. Most wagashi are made entirely of plant-based ingredients.

This is just a taste of Japanese food. I hope you like it and don't be afraid of tasting it. I guarantee you will love it as much as I do.....Itadakimasu!!!!!