12 of the most famous Japanese dishes: traditional recipes from Japanese cuisine

Summary: 12 Most Famous Japanese Dishes: Traditional Recipes of Japanese Cuisine

Category: articles-en, beef-en, fish-and-seafood-en, japanese-cuisine-en, meatless-dishes-en, pork-en, poultry-en, soups-en | Reading time: 12 minutes

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Japanese cuisine made its way into the world along two paths. The first led through big cities and restaurants where sushi and tempura are served. The second led through small stalls and home kitchens, the source of ramen, okonomiyaki, takoyaki and bowls of rice with meat. Both paths share one thing: technique decides the result, not the number of ingredients. The rice is rinsed until the water runs clear. The broth is drawn below boiling point so it stays clear. Miso is stirred in off the heat. The griddle is heated until a drop of batter sets on it without burning. In this guide you will find twelve dishes from sushi to shabu-shabu. Each one explains what holds it together, which mistakes spoil it most often and what the right result looks like. Every dish comes with a recipe using exact ratios for six servings, so you never have to recalculate anything.

Quick overview

• Topic / Dish: 12 Most Famous Japanese Dishes: Traditional Recipes of Japanese Cuisine
• Category: articles-en, beef-en, fish-and-seafood-en, japanese-cuisine-en, meatless-dishes-en, pork-en, poultry-en, soups-en
• Cuisine: Japanese
• Variants included: Sushi – rice seasoned with rice vinegar, combined with fresh fish, seafood, vegetables or other ingredients, combined with fresh fish, seafood, vegetables or other ingredients, combined with fresh fish, seafood, vegetables or other ingredients, Ramen – a noodle soup with a rich broth, meat, egg, vegetables and other typical toppings, meat, egg, vegetables and other typical toppings, meat, egg, vegetables and other typical toppings, Tempura – lightly battered and fried seafood or vegetables in a thin crispy batter, Tonkatsu – breaded and fried pork cutlet served with finely shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce, Yakitori – grilled chicken skewers cooked over a high heat and brushed with tare sauce or seasoned with salt, Okonomiyaki – Japanese savoury pancake made from batter, cabbage and other ingredients, typical especially for Osaka and Hiroshima, cabbage and other ingredients, typical especially for Osaka and Hiroshima, cabbage and other ingredients, typical especially for Osaka and Hiroshima, Takoyaki – round fried batter balls filled with octopus, typical for Osaka, typical for Osaka, typical for Osaka, Katsudon – a bowl of rice with breaded pork cutlet tonkatsu, egg and onion in a seasoned broth, egg and onion in a seasoned broth, egg and onion in a seasoned broth, Gyudon – a bowl of rice topped with thin slices of beef and onion simmered in a sweet-savoury sauce, Curry Rice (Kare Raisu) – Japanese curry with rice, usually with meat, onion, carrot and potatoes in a thick spiced sauce, usually with meat, onion, carrot and potatoes in a thick spiced sauce, usually with meat, onion, carrot and potatoes in a thick spiced sauce, Miso Soup – a traditional soup made from dashi stock and miso paste, often with tofu, wakame and spring onion, often with tofu, wakame and spring onion, often with tofu, wakame and spring onion, Shabu-Shabu – a Japanese fondue where thin slices of meat and vegetables are briefly cooked in hot stock and dipped in sauces
• Key techniques: – a traditional soup made from dashi stock and miso paste, often with tofu, wakame and spring onion
• Physicochemical background: Japanese pale lager, dry white wine, sencha green tea
• Common mistakes: Everyday Japanese-style breakfast, lunch starter, accompaniment to rice and pickled vegetables, light supper, first course of a festive menu. The full recipe is here:
• In a nutshell: Japanese cuisine stands on three foundations that repeat in different forms. The first is rice. It is served in a bowl alongside soup, it forms the base of donburi bowls, and in seasoned form it is the foundation of sushi. Sushi rice is cooked at one part rice to 1.2 parts water and seasoned after cooking with a mix of rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The vinegar lowers the pH of the rice, the grains stay firmer and the rice does not run after seasoning. The second foundation is the broth. The base is dashi from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes, drawn below boiling point. Kombu contains compounds released as bitterness when boiled hard, so the seaweed is lifted out before the water boils. The third foundation is the coating and its temperature. Tempura, tonkatsu and takoyaki all have a coating of flour, egg and water or panko, and it is decided by the oil temperature and how long the batter is stirred
• Last updated: Shabu-Shabu – a Japanese fondue where thin slices of meat and vegetables are briefly cooked in hot stock and dipped in sauces

Who this guide is for: Beginner – start with miso soup, gyudon or yakitori: a short process and clear checkpoints. Intermediate – reach for ramen, tonkatsu and okonomiyaki, where oil temperature and stock preparation are what matter. Pro – sushi, shabu-shabu and kare raisu with homemade roux, techniques where even slicing, hand temperature and patience with the rice are what count.

Japonská kuchyně v kostce

Japanese cooking rests on three foundations that repeat in different forms. The first is rice. It comes in a bowl alongside soup, it forms the base of donburi bowls, and in its seasoned form it is the foundation of sushi. Sushi rice is cooked at a ratio of one part rice to 1.2 parts water, and once cooked it is seasoned with a mix of rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The vinegar lowers the pH of the rice, the grains stay firmer and the seasoned rice does not turn sticky. The second pillar is stock. The base is dashi made from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes, drawn below boiling point. Kombu contains compounds that are released as bitterness when boiled hard, so the seaweed is removed before the water even comes to a boil. The third pillar is the coating and its temperature. Tempura, tonkatsu and takoyaki all have a coating of flour, egg and water or panko, and it is the oil temperature and how long you mix the batter that decides the result.

Result:

Once you can rinse rice until the water runs clear, draw stock below boiling point and mix a batter only briefly, you can handle all twelve dishes.

Who this guide is for:

Beginner – start with miso soup, gyudon or yakitori: a short process and clear checkpoints. Intermediate – reach for ramen, tonkatsu and okonomiyaki, where oil temperature and stock preparation are what matter. Pro – sushi, shabu-shabu and kare raisu with homemade roux, techniques where even slicing, hand temperature and patience with the rice are what count.

Sushi – rice seasoned with rice vinegar, combined with fresh fish, seafood, vegetables or other ingredients

Sushi comes together in two steps that can’t be skipped: the rice must be rinsed until clean and cooled to hand temperature after seasoning, and the fish must be sliced in a single stroke with a wet knife. Rice vinegar isn’t just flavour – it’s the acid that keeps the grains firm and prevents bacterial growth. When rice is pressed with wet hands, the grains break apart and the roll won’t hold. When fish is sliced with pressure, the fibres crush and lose their juices

Ramen – a noodle soup with a rich broth, meat, egg, vegetables and other typical toppings

Ramen stands on two things: a broth cooked slowly from bones and vegetables, and noodles cooked separately and served straight away. Starch from the noodles clouds the broth and changes its flavour, so the two are combined only in the bowl. The pork belly is seared first and then braised in seasoned liquid, so it holds its shape and doesn’t fall apart when sliced. The eggs are boiled for a precisely measured time and cooled immediately, otherwise the yolk sets to a greenish grey

Tempura – lightly battered and fried seafood or vegetables in a thin crispy batter

Tempura is recognised by a coating thinner than in other fried foods. Three things decide this: ice-cold water, mixing with chopsticks instead of a whisk, and oil temperature. Cold batter in hot oil sets on the surface immediately, so fat does not get inside. When the batter is mixed until smooth, a gluten network forms that absorbs oil during frying and the coating becomes heavy. Before coating, prawns are straightened with shallow cuts so they do not curl into a ring during frying

Tonkatsu – breaded and fried pork cutlet served with finely shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce

Tonkatsu relies on two things that are easy to get wrong: an even thickness of all meat slices and the oil temperature. If one slice is thicker, you’ll pull it out raw or dry. Panko differs from regular breadcrumbs: its flakes are large and dry, so the coating stays light and absorbs less oil than fine breadcrumbs. After frying, the cutlet needs two to three minutes of rest so the juices redistribute. The cabbage is shredded finely and served separately so steam doesn’t soften the coating

Yakitori – grilled chicken skewers cooked over a high heat and brushed with tare sauce or seasoned with salt

Yakitori rests on two things: equally sized pieces of meat and splitting the grill into two temperature zones. Equal pieces heat through at the same moment, so nothing dries out and nothing stays raw. The pieces are threaded onto flat skewers so they can be turned as a whole. The tare sauce is brushed on only at the end, because the sugar in it caramelises and burns within seconds. The other batch of skewers gets only salt – the flavour of the chicken and the grill smoke comes through without sauce

Okonomiyaki – Japanese savoury pancake made from batter, cabbage and other ingredients, typical especially for Osaka and Hiroshima

Okonomiyaki is recognised by its height. The layer of cabbage is taller than the layer of batter, and it is the cabbage that keeps the pancake fluffy. The batter is just a binder that holds the cabbage together, so it is mixed just before frying and must not be left to stand. The lid over the pan is as important as the hot plate under it: the steam inside cooks the cabbage and heats the pancake through to the middle without burning the bottom. It is flipped by placing a plate on top, not with a spatula, because the pancake is soft and a spatula would tear it

Takoyaki – round fried batter balls filled with octopus, typical for Osaka

Takoyaki looks like play, but the pan temperature and the thinness of the batter decide everything. The batter must be runnier than for pancakes so that it wraps itself around the filling in the hollow. The pan heats for a long time and evenly, because a cold spot means a ball that will not release and tears. Turning with skewers is not decoration: each quarter turn adds a layer of batter to the ball and seals it. If you turn too late, the batter leaks out; if too early, the ball falls apart

Katsudon – a bowl of rice with breaded pork cutlet tonkatsu, egg and onion in a seasoned broth

Katsudon is a two-part dish that comes together in the last minute: a crisp cutlet and a soft egg in a seasoned broth. The cutlet is fried separately and added to the broth only briefly so the coating absorbs flavour without going soggy. The broth is made in advance so the sweetness of mirin and the saltiness of soy sauce have time to blend. The egg is beaten with just three strokes of a whisk: the white and yolk remain separate streaks and form two different textures in the pan. The rice is served hot and the broth is not poured over all of it, only about two-thirds

Gyudon – a bowl of rice topped with thin slices of beef and onion simmered in a sweet-savoury sauce

Gyudon is a dish that comes together in one pan and is ready before the rice. The thickness of the slices and the timing are what matter. Slices cut to two or three millimetres warm through in a few tens of seconds; thicker ones would need longer simmering and would lose their juices. The onion is first softened in the sauce, because the sugar from the mirin needs time to blend with the flavour of the onion. The beef is added only at the end and layered on top of itself, so it warms through as a whole in the simmering sauce. The sauce is never boiled hard, otherwise the saltiness of the soy sauce intensifies and bitterness appears before serving

Curry Rice (Kare Raisu) – Japanese curry with rice, usually with meat, onion, carrot and potatoes in a thick spiced sauce

Kare Raisu relies on two steps that cannot be rushed: the meat must become tender in the seasoned stock, and the roux must be cooked out. The butter and flour roux is added only at the end, because it thickens immediately in hot liquid and could catch on the bottom of the pan. After adding the roux, the sauce is left to simmer until it loses the raw flour taste. The potatoes are added in two stages: some break down into the sauce as a natural thickener, the rest stay whole. The rice is served separately, because soaked rice would dilute the sauce

Miso Soup – a traditional soup made from dashi stock and miso paste, often with tofu, wakame and spring onion

Miso soup is ready in half an hour, but one sentence decides it: miso is not boiled. The aromatic compounds created by long fermentation evaporate at high temperatures and the soup is left salty and flat. Dashi stock is drawn below boiling point because kombu seaweed releases bitter compounds when boiled vigorously. Tofu is added before the miso so it warms through but stays firm. Spring onion belongs only in the bowl, where it keeps its crunch and fresh aroma

Shabu-Shabu – a Japanese fondue where thin slices of meat and vegetables are briefly cooked in hot stock and dipped in sauces

Shabu-shabu is a dish made right at the table. A slice of meat is held with chopsticks and just swished back and forth in simmering stock; if it stays in the heat longer, it loses its juices and becomes tough. Vegetables and mushrooms are cooked in the same stock, so the flavours of the meat and vegetables gradually blend. The stock is not boiled vigorously, because it would become cloudy and lose the kombu flavour. After dinner, the flavoured stock remains in the pot, noodles are added and the meal is finished – the second half of dinner comes from what is left

Frequently asked questions

Also known as: Japanese cuisine, washoku, traditional Japanese recipes, Kyoto cuisine and kaiseki

Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 7 Oct 2026 • Updated: 10 Oct 2026

Conclusion

One principle links the twelve dishes in this guide: the right technique matters more than the list of ingredients. Rice rinsed until clean, broth drawn below boiling point, a coating from batter stirred only briefly and meat that stays in the heat only as long as it needs. Keep to these four things and the result will be good even without expensive equipment and rare ingredients. Pick a dish according to the time you have and start with the simplest one.

Choose your recipe

Every dish has its own recipe with exact ratios for six servings, with stages, visual checkpoints and an explanation of why each step is done. Choose by taste and by the time you have.

Sushi – rice seasoned with rice vinegar, combined with fresh fish, seafood, vegetables or other ingredients – Sushi comes together in two steps that can’t be skipped: the rice must be rinsed until clean and cooled to hand temperature after seasoning, and the fish must be sliced in a single stroke with a wet knife. Rice vinegar isn’t just flavour – it’s the acid that keeps the grains firm and prevents bacterial growth. When rice is pressed with wet hands, the grains break apart and the roll won’t hold. When fish is sliced with pressure, the fibres crush and lose their juices

Ramen – a noodle soup with a rich broth, meat, egg, vegetables and other typical toppings – Ramen stands on two things: a broth cooked slowly from bones and vegetables, and noodles cooked separately and served straight away. Starch from the noodles clouds the broth and changes its flavour, so the two are combined only in the bowl. The pork belly is seared first and then braised in seasoned liquid, so it holds its shape and doesn’t fall apart when sliced. The eggs are boiled for a precisely measured time and cooled immediately, otherwise the yolk sets to a greenish grey

Tempura – lightly battered and fried seafood or vegetables in a thin crispy batter – Tempura is recognised by a coating thinner than in other fried foods. Three things decide this: ice-cold water, mixing with chopsticks instead of a whisk, and oil temperature. Cold batter in hot oil sets on the surface immediately, so fat does not get inside. When the batter is mixed until smooth, a gluten network forms that absorbs oil during frying and the coating becomes heavy. Before coating, prawns are straightened with shallow cuts so they do not curl into a ring during frying

Tonkatsu – breaded and fried pork cutlet served with finely shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce – Tonkatsu relies on two things that are easy to get wrong: an even thickness of all meat slices and the oil temperature. If one slice is thicker, you’ll pull it out raw or dry. Panko differs from regular breadcrumbs: its flakes are large and dry, so the coating stays light and absorbs less oil than fine breadcrumbs. After frying, the cutlet needs two to three minutes of rest so the juices redistribute. The cabbage is shredded finely and served separately so steam doesn’t soften the coating

Yakitori – grilled chicken skewers cooked over a high heat and brushed with tare sauce or seasoned with salt – Yakitori rests on two things: equally sized pieces of meat and splitting the grill into two temperature zones. Equal pieces heat through at the same moment, so nothing dries out and nothing stays raw. The pieces are threaded onto flat skewers so they can be turned as a whole. The tare sauce is brushed on only at the end, because the sugar in it caramelises and burns within seconds. The other batch of skewers gets only salt – the flavour of the chicken and the grill smoke comes through without sauce

Okonomiyaki – Japanese savoury pancake made from batter, cabbage and other ingredients, typical especially for Osaka and Hiroshima – Okonomiyaki is recognised by its height. The layer of cabbage is taller than the layer of batter, and it is the cabbage that keeps the pancake fluffy. The batter is just a binder that holds the cabbage together, so it is mixed just before frying and must not be left to stand. The lid over the pan is as important as the hot plate under it: the steam inside cooks the cabbage and heats the pancake through to the middle without burning the bottom. It is flipped by placing a plate on top, not with a spatula, because the pancake is soft and a spatula would tear it

Takoyaki – round fried batter balls filled with octopus, typical for Osaka – Takoyaki looks like play, but the pan temperature and the thinness of the batter decide everything. The batter must be runnier than for pancakes so that it wraps itself around the filling in the hollow. The pan heats for a long time and evenly, because a cold spot means a ball that will not release and tears. Turning with skewers is not decoration: each quarter turn adds a layer of batter to the ball and seals it. If you turn too late, the batter leaks out; if too early, the ball falls apart

Katsudon – a bowl of rice with breaded pork cutlet tonkatsu, egg and onion in a seasoned broth – Katsudon is a two-part dish that comes together in the last minute: a crisp cutlet and a soft egg in a seasoned broth. The cutlet is fried separately and added to the broth only briefly so the coating absorbs flavour without going soggy. The broth is made in advance so the sweetness of mirin and the saltiness of soy sauce have time to blend. The egg is beaten with just three strokes of a whisk: the white and yolk remain separate streaks and form two different textures in the pan. The rice is served hot and the broth is not poured over all of it, only about two-thirds

Gyudon – a bowl of rice topped with thin slices of beef and onion simmered in a sweet-savoury sauce – Gyudon is a dish that comes together in one pan and is ready before the rice. The thickness of the slices and the timing are what matter. Slices cut to two or three millimetres warm through in a few tens of seconds; thicker ones would need longer simmering and would lose their juices. The onion is first softened in the sauce, because the sugar from the mirin needs time to blend with the flavour of the onion. The beef is added only at the end and layered on top of itself, so it warms through as a whole in the simmering sauce. The sauce is never boiled hard, otherwise the saltiness of the soy sauce intensifies and bitterness appears before serving

Curry Rice (Kare Raisu) – Japanese curry with rice, usually with meat, onion, carrot and potatoes in a thick spiced sauce – Kare Raisu relies on two steps that cannot be rushed: the meat must become tender in the seasoned stock, and the roux must be cooked out. The butter and flour roux is added only at the end, because it thickens immediately in hot liquid and could catch on the bottom of the pan. After adding the roux, the sauce is left to simmer until it loses the raw flour taste. The potatoes are added in two stages: some break down into the sauce as a natural thickener, the rest stay whole. The rice is served separately, because soaked rice would dilute the sauce

Miso Soup – a traditional soup made from dashi stock and miso paste, often with tofu, wakame and spring onion – Miso soup is ready in half an hour, but one sentence decides it: miso is not boiled. The aromatic compounds created by long fermentation evaporate at high temperatures and the soup is left salty and flat. Dashi stock is drawn below boiling point because kombu seaweed releases bitter compounds when boiled vigorously. Tofu is added before the miso so it warms through but stays firm. Spring onion belongs only in the bowl, where it keeps its crunch and fresh aroma

Shabu-Shabu – a Japanese fondue where thin slices of meat and vegetables are briefly cooked in hot stock and dipped in sauces – Shabu-shabu is a dish made right at the table. A slice of meat is held with chopsticks and just swished back and forth in simmering stock; if it stays in the heat longer, it loses its juices and becomes tough. Vegetables and mushrooms are cooked in the same stock, so the flavours of the meat and vegetables gradually blend. The stock is not boiled vigorously, because it would become cloudy and lose the kombu flavour. After dinner, the flavoured stock remains in the pot, noodles are added and the meal is finished – the second half of dinner comes from what is left

More recipe variations

Nigiri instead of maki rolls

Shape the rice into ovals and lay a slice of fish on top instead of rolling it. You use less nori and the fish touches the rice directly, so the flavour stays cleaner. It is harder to handle because the oval has to hold its shape in your hand.

Vegetarian sushi

Replace the fish with avocado, cucumber, thin carrot strips and pickled radish. The rice and the vinegar mix stay the same, only the filling changes and the rolls need to be pressed a little more firmly.

Miso ramen

Keep the broth base and replace the soy sauce with more miso paste stirred in off the heat. The soup gets a thicker body and a sweeter taste while staying less salty.

Meat-free ramen with mushrooms

Swap the pork belly for shiitake mushrooms and firm tofu and draw the broth from kombu and vegetables only. The soup is lighter and quicker, and the flavour rests on the mushrooms.

Vegetable tempura

Replace the prawns with slices of pumpkin, aubergine, sweet potato and red pepper. Cut the vegetables to the same thickness so they cook in the same time, and keep the batter ice cold.

Tempura from white fish

Use cod or pike-perch fillet cut into wider strips instead of prawns. Dry the fish with kitchen paper first, because water on the surface thins the batter.

Chicken katsu

Replace the pork loin with boneless chicken thigh beaten to the same thickness. The meat heats through faster, so it fries for a shorter time and the crust stays paler.

Tonkatsu in an air fryer

Bake the breaded cutlets at 190 °C in an air fryer instead of frying them. You use far less oil and the kitchen smells less, but the crust will not be as airy as from oil.

Yakitori with pork belly

Skewer pork belly in equally sized pieces instead of chicken thigh. The meat is fattier and holds its juices better over the coals, and the tare sauce sits more strongly on it.

Skewers with salt and lemon

Do not glaze the skewers at all; season them with coarse sea salt and a squeeze of lemon once they come off the grill. The flavour of the meat and the smoke stays clean and the dish is lighter.

Okonomiyaki with mountain yam

Grate nagaimo into the batter. The pancake turns out lighter and airier, but you have to mix it for an even shorter time so the gluten does not tighten.

Hiroshima style with noodles

Do not mix the layers, stack them: batter, a heap of cabbage, spring onion, bacon and finally cooked noodles. The pancake is more filling and fries for several minutes longer.

Takoyaki with prawns

Replace the octopus with prawns cut into pieces of the same size. The flavour is sweeter and milder, the batter stays the same and the balls close just as quickly.

Takoyaki with cheese

Drop a cube of gouda into each hollow along with the filling. The cheese melts and gives the ball a creamy centre, but the surface browns faster.

Katsudon with chicken

Replace the pork cutlet with chicken thigh beaten to the same thickness. The bowl is lighter and the egg sets in less time, because chicken heats through faster.

Katsudon with two layers of egg

Add the eggs in two stages: let half of them set first, then pour in the rest. You get two layers, a firm one underneath and a creamy one on top.

Gyudon with pork belly

Replace the beef with thin slices of pork belly. The meat is fattier and sweeter, so use less sugar and let the sauce reduce for a minute longer.

Gyudon with kimchi

Add chopped kimchi and a teaspoon of gochujang to the meat. The bowl gains acidity and heat, and the egg on top becomes necessary to round the flavour off.

Chicken curry rice

Replace the beef shin with boneless chicken thigh and add the potatoes right at the start. The curry is ready sooner and the sauce is lighter in colour.

Vegetable curry with chickpeas

Replace the meat with cauliflower, courgette and pre-cooked chickpeas. The roux stays the same, but season the sauce with a teaspoon of soy sauce so it does not taste flat.

Soup with white miso

Use white miso instead of red. The soup is milder and sweeter, so add less salt and a few more strands of wakame.

Miso soup with mushrooms

Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and let them steep in the broth. The flavour is deeper and the soup smells of the forest, so the dashi can be drawn weaker.

Shabu-shabu with pork tenderloin

Replace the beef with pork tenderloin cut into thin slices. The meat heats through faster, so keep it in the broth for only three to four seconds.

Shabu-shabu finished with rice

At the end of the meal, add drained rice to the broth and let it soak up the flavour. The second course comes from what is left and the dinner closes with it.

Know another variation? Add your own suggestion below.

Frequently asked questions about other variations

Missing a recipe?

Write to us which recipe you would like us to add. We will try to publish it as soon as possible!

Add suggestion

What is the difference between tonkatsu and katsudon?

Tonkatsu is a fried cutlet served separately with shredded cabbage. Katsudon is the same cutlet sliced into a bowl of rice, finished in broth with onion and egg.

Can ramen be made without pork bones?

Yes, the broth can be drawn from chicken bones or only from kombu and mushrooms. The flavour will be lighter, but dashi and miso stay the base.

Why is curry served with rice in Japan?

Japanese curry is a thick sauce that needs a neutral side. The rice soaks up the sauce and the flavours come together.

Can tempura be baked instead of fried?

Yes, but the coating will not be crisp. In the oven it dries evenly, yet the pores that hot oil creates never form.

What is the difference between Osaka and Hiroshima okonomiyaki?

In the Osaka version the ingredients are mixed into the batter. In the Hiroshima version they are stacked in layers and noodles are added.

Why should miso soup not be reheated?

It can, but not hard. Repeated boiling drives off the aromatic compounds and leaves the soup salty. Reheat it gently and stir the miso in at the end.

What can be done with the broth left from shabu-shabu?

Add udon noodles or rice and let them finish in it. The broth is seasoned by the meat and vegetables and makes a second course.

Do Japanese dishes go with beer?

Yes, a Japanese pale lager is the traditional match. Its carbonation and mild bitterness cut through the fat of fried and grilled dishes.

Satay Gai – grilled marinated chicken skewers with peanut sauce and pickled vegetables

Know another variation? Add your own suggestion below.

Frequently asked questions about the variations

• Missing a recipe? Write to us which recipe you would like us to add. We will try to publish it as soon as possible!
• What is the difference between tonkatsu and katsudon? Tonkatsu is a fried cutlet served separately with shredded cabbage. Katsudon is the same cutlet sliced into a bowl of rice, finished in broth with onion and egg.
• Can ramen be made without pork bones? Yes, the broth can be drawn from chicken bones or only from kombu and mushrooms. The flavour will be lighter, but dashi and miso stay the base.
• Why is curry served with rice in Japan? Japanese curry is a thick sauce that needs a neutral side. The rice soaks up the sauce and the flavours come together.
• Can tempura be baked instead of fried? Yes, but the coating will not be crisp. In the oven it dries evenly, yet the pores that hot oil creates never form.
• What is the difference between Osaka and Hiroshima okonomiyaki? In the Osaka version the ingredients are mixed into the batter. In the Hiroshima version they are stacked in layers and noodles are added.
• Why should miso soup not be reheated? It can, but not hard. Repeated boiling drives off the aromatic compounds and leaves the soup salty. Reheat it gently and stir the miso in at the end.
• What can be done with the broth left from shabu-shabu? Add udon noodles or rice and let them finish in it. The broth is seasoned by the meat and vegetables and makes a second course.
• Do Japanese dishes go with beer? Yes, a Japanese pale lager is the traditional match. Its carbonation and mild bitterness cut through the fat of fried and grilled dishes.

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