A Culinary Journey Through Traditional Japanese Side Dishes
Traditional Japanese regional dishes often include simmered dishes characterized by broths made from seafood. Prominent examples are “Oden” and “Jibu-ni.” Oden, in particular, is a popular dish enjoyed with Japanese sake and other beverages.
Oden
Oden is a traditional Japanese simmered dish where various ingredients are cooked for a long time in a broth made from bonito flakes and kelp. Ingredients include fish cakes, hanpen, grilled chikuwa, tsukune, konnyaku, daikon, potatoes, ganmodoki, beef sinew, boiled eggs, and thick fried tofu. The components and dipping sauces vary by region and household. “Oden-ya” (oden shops) often serve it as a snack to accompany alcohol, and it is also sold in convenience stores, food stalls, and supermarkets.
Kinpira Gobo
Kinpira gobo is a traditional Japanese side dish where burdock root is julienned and stir-fried with sugar and soy sauce. The seasoning typically includes mirin, sake, sugar, and soy sauce.
Dashi-Maki Tamago
Dashi-maki tamago is a type of Japanese omelette made by mixing eggs with dashi and cooking it firmly. It is especially known for its soft texture and mild flavor in the Kansai style. The eggs are thoroughly whisked, mixed with dashi, and gradually rolled up while frying in a greased cooking implement.
Jibu-ni
Jibu-ni is a traditional dish from Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region, typically made with sliced duck or chicken. The meat is dusted with flour and simmered in a broth mixed with soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake, along with ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and green vegetables. Wasabi is often used as a condiment.
Karashi Renkon
Karashi Renkon is a specialty from Kumamoto Prefecture where lotus root is stuffed with spicy mustard miso, coated in flour and egg, and fried. Lotus root is believed to boost blood production, and mustard is thought to stimulate appetite. This dish has been traditionally made in Kumamoto homes for occasions like New Year’s. Now, it has become well-known, and there are specialty stores for Karashi Renkon.
Cucumber Sunomono
Cucumber sunomono is a traditional Japanese dish where thinly sliced cucumbers are marinated in vinegar. It is an indispensable summer salad in Japan, emphasizing the crunchy texture of cucumber with a refreshing vinegar flavor.
Dried Daikon Radish Strips
Dried daikon radish strips are made by slicing daikon radish into long strips and drying them. This dried food, also known as “kiriboshi daikon” in Western Japan, uses radishes harvested from late autumn to winter.
Chikuzen-ni
Chikuzen-ni is a traditional dish from Fukuoka Prefecture in the Kyushu region, originally made with softshell turtles but now typically using chicken. It is an essential dish for New Year celebrations and other festivities locally. All ingredients are sautéed, then simmered in a pot with soy sauce, mirin, and sake, starting with chicken and gradually adding vegetables like carrots, lotus root, and burdock. The dish is finished by adding taro and simmering until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced.
Agedashi
Agedashi is a dish where ingredients like eggplants are fried without boiling, then drenched with hot water to remove excess oil before being soaked in seasoned dashi. Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) may also be sprinkled on top.
Spinach Gomaae
Spinach gomaae is a flavorful Japanese dish particularly delicious during the cold season. The spinach is briefly boiled, chilled in cold water, then squeezed dry. It is mixed with ground sesame, sugar, and soy sauce to finish.
Lotus Root Manju
Lotus root manju uses the underground stem of the lotus, grated and formed into manju shapes. It may also be steamed with ingredients like shrimp mixed in.
Chawanmushi
Chawanmushi is a steamed Japanese custard that contains chicken, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko, and ginkgo nuts, served in a cylindrical cup. The egg mixture is seasoned with dashi and steamed. It is said to have originated in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu region.
The Flavorful Journey of Home-Cooked Japanese Soups
In Japanese home cuisine, dashi is an essential element of soups. It is a base made from kelp and bonito flakes, seasoned with soy sauce and other condiments. Miso soup, which adds miso to this dashi, along with various ingredients, forms the basic style of Japanese soup dishes.
Miso Soup
A quintessential Japanese soup that seasons dashi with miso and typically includes vegetables, tofu, and seafood.
Tonjiru
A miso soup simmered with pork and vegetables. It is characterized by the fat from the pork, the flavor of root vegetables, and the aroma of miso.
Asari Soup
A miso soup primarily made with clams. The cooking broth from the clams serves as the dashi, which is then flavored with miso.
Osuimono
A clear Japanese soup seasoned with salt or soy sauce, containing seafood or vegetables. Ingredients vary widely and include seasonal vegetables, fish, duck, and chicken.
Nikusui
A soup offered in some eateries in Osaka, derived from meat udon but without the noodles. Features thinly sliced beef and a soft-boiled egg.
Kenchinjiru
A clear soup simmered with daikon radish, carrots, and burdock in dashi, seasoned with soy sauce. Originally a Buddhist temple cuisine, it contains no meat or fish, with dashi made from kelp and shiitake mushrooms.
Zoni
A traditional Japanese soup eaten during the New Year, featuring mochi and seasoned with soy sauce or miso. The shape of mochi and other ingredients vary by region.
Tsumire Soup
A dish made by mixing fish paste with eggs and starch to form dumplings, which are then cooked in soup. Ingredients often include ground fish such as sardines or shrimp.
