24 INGREDIENTS OF JAPANESE CUISINE

Japanese ingredients are unique for a reason.

Japan is an island with a large population and few natural resources. It is a mountainous area with less than 12% of arable land. As a result, Japanese cuisine uses everything edible on the island.

Japanese ingredients include many foods that many countries have traditionally ignored, such as seaweed, wild mountain vegetables such as ferns, and every imaginable type of fish. Japanese staples such as soybeans and rice have been adapted into hundreds of forms and uses.

Walk through a typical Japanese supermarket and you'll find a wonderland of unique ingredients. Many of these things are hard to find outside of Japan and there is no substitute which is slowly changing. It is often possible to buy Japanese ingredients anywhere if you look hard enough.

The following ingredients are all you may need to prepare Japanese food at home:

1. JAPANESE RICE

Japanese rice has a unique flavor and slightly sticky texture that is essential for dishes such as sushi.

There are two main types of Japanese rice. Uruchimai is ordinary Japanese rice that is slightly sticky. It is used for sushi and most Japanese rice dishes. Mochigome is a stickier type of rice used for mochi and mochi-like foods such as dango (sweet Japanese rice balls).

Japan is a patriot when it comes to rice.

2. SHOYU

Japanese shoyu (soy sauce) adds another dimension to flavor known as umami (the fifth basic taste).

3. DASHI

A type of Japanese soup, sauce and stock with an umami flavor that is central to countless Japanese dishes.

4. MIRIN

A cooking sake (rice wine) that usually contains more sugar and less alcohol than regular sake.

5. MISO

A type of Japanese cooking stock (paste) made of fermenting soybeans, rice, or other grains. As with many fermented ingredients, miso has an addictive flavor. It is best known for its role in miso soup, but it is also used in many other Japanese dishes.

6. SOY

Japan uses the humble soybean in many ways. Important staples such as tofu (soybean cheese), shoyu, miso, natto (fermented soybeans), aburaage (fried tofu), and yuba (dried tofu leaves) are all soy foods.

Soy also has cultural uses in Japan. For example, dried soybeans are thrown on Setsubun (the last day of winter) to ward off devils.

7. ANKO

Anko is a paste made from crushed azuki beans (Vigna angularis). This is what Japan used to sweeten desserts before refined sugar arrived in the 16th century. Anko is still a common filling and topping for Japanese desserts.

8. DAIKON

Giant Japanese radishes (Raphanus sativus) that can be found hanging out and drying all over Japan.

9. KATSUOBUSHI

Katsuobushi are flakes of dried, fermented and smoked Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) with a strong flavor. Katsuobushi flakes dance when heated.

10. KOMBU

A type of seaweed (Laminaria japonica) that is prized for its umami taste. As with most umami ingredients, it is very important to Japanese cuisine. It is usually used in dashi.

11. NEGI

Negi (Allium fistulosum), a Japanese leek-like long green onion, is a very popular vegetable in Japan.

12. ABURAAGE

Aburaage is a type of deep-fried tofu that is factory-produced using a complex process that produces soft, flexible, strong, thin tofu with a somewhat cloth-like texture. It is primarily used to make "pockets" for wrapping food.

13. ATSUAGE

A thicker version of aburaage with plain tofu in the center. It is used for grilling and is much firmer than regular tofu.

14. WASABI

A hot root related to horseradish and mustard. It stimulates the nose more than the tongue. Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) is grown in Japan and sold fresh in the market. It is a special plant that needs special conditions and lots of clean water to grow.

15. HIJIKI

Brown seaweed (Sargassum fusufirme), prized in Japan for its delicate texture and high content of essential minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium.

16. MOCHI

Japanese rice cakes sold in blocks in all Japanese supermarkets. It is also possible to make your own at home if you have access to mochigome rice and a mochi mallet.

17. NORI

Dried edible seaweed (Porphyra), processed into flat sheets for sushi wrapping, which are usually factory made. It is possible to make nori at home, but it is difficult. The process resembles papermaking techniques from the Edo period.

18. PANKO

Breadcrumbs produced by passing an electric current through the bread while it is baking. The result is a breadcrumb that does not absorb oil. It is used in various Japanese fried dishes.

19. UMEBOSHI

Umeboshi is a pickled ume fruit common in Japan. The word umeboshi is often translated into English as 'salted Japanese plums', 'Japanese plums' or 'preserved plums'. Ume is a type of fruit tree in the genus Prunus, which is often called a "plum", but is actually closer to an apricot.

20. KINAKO

Kinako is fried soybean flour. It is a fine brown powder used as a topping for Japanese desserts. Kinako has a characteristic taste that is as recognizable in Japan as maple syrup.

21. SAKURA

Sakura, or Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata), blooms in early spring, inspiring tree-blossom viewing parties across Japan. Sakura petals are a symbol of Japanese culture that has inspired philosophy, art and literature.

They are brilliant fluffy pink colors that seem to glow at night. It's tempting to eat them, and that's exactly what people do.

Sakura is added to every Japanese dessert imaginable in the spring. As expected, it has a mild floral taste and smell. It's also a weak natural food coloring that can barely turn something white to light pink.

Sakuras are considered edible, but are poisonous in large quantities. Use in moderation.

22. MAITAKE

Maitake (Grifola frondosa) are large Japanese mushrooms that can reach a size of up to 1 meter in diameter and a weight of up to 20 kilograms.

They have a bitter taste, but are considered extremely healthy. Maitake are at the center of medical research in a number of areas including cancer prevention and treatment.

Maitake are great for tempura, they can be grilled or added to pasta, soups, salads and nabe (one pot dishes).

23. YUZU

Yuzu is a bitter Japanese citrus fruit (Citrus junos) that is widely used as a flavoring in Japanese cuisine. Its peels and juice are used more often than the flesh of the fruit. Yuzu vinegar is another popular way to add the bitter zest of yuzu to food.

24. SUDACHI

Sudachi (Citrus sudachi), a sour Japanese fruit, is a specialty of Tokushima Prefecture.

It is not eaten as a fruit, but is used as a food flavoring in place of lemon or lime, or used in Japanese fish dishes to reduce the taste and smell of fish. Fruit is usually squeezed over baked or raw fish. Such dishes are usually served with a sudachi decoration.