Nihon Ryōri, 日本料理

Japanese cuisine as a national cuisine has evolved over the centuries from many political and social changes. The modern term "Japanese cuisine" (nihon ryōri, 日本料理) means traditional-style Japanese food.

Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food, quality of ingredients and presentation. Japanese cuisine is based on combining staple foods, typically rice or noodles, with a soup and okazu - dishes made from fish, meat, vegetable, and tofu to add flavor to the staple food. These are typically flavored with dashi (kelp), miso, and soy sauce and are usually low in fat and high in salt.

Miso-shiru

Miso is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the mold kōjikin. The most typical miso is made with soy. The typical result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup called Miso-shiru, a Japanese culinary staple. High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso plays an important nutritional role. Miso is still very widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking, and has been gaining world-wide interest. Miso is typically salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savoury, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available.

Tamago kake gohan (left), Tsukemono and Miso-shiru (miso soup)

A standard Japanese meal generally consists of several different okazu accompanying a bowl of cooked gohan (white Japanese rice), a bowl of soup and some tsukemono (pickles). The most standard meal comprises three okazu and is termed ichijū-sansai ("one soup, three sides"). Different cooking techniques are applied to each of the three okazu; they may be raw (sashimi), grilled, simmered (sometimes called boiled), steamed, deep-fried, vinegared, or dressed.

sashimi

As an island nation, Japanese eat a lot of seafood.

Noodles are an essential part of Japanese cuisine usually as an alternative to a rice-based meal. Soba (thin, grayish-brown noodles containing buckwheat flour) and udon (thick wheat noodles) are the main traditional noodles and are served hot or cold with soy-dashi flavorings. Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat stock broth known as ramen have become extremely popular over the last century.