Keto Means
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What is a typical lunch in Japan?

Various rice bowls and noodle dishes are popular for lunch. For example, ramen, soba, udon, and gyudon beef bowls are popular. Many people take bento lunch boxes to school or work. Dinner is usually the main meal of the day and can range from sushi to tori katsu, which is like a chicken cutlet.

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Japanese people call each meal "gohan." For example, breakfast is called "asa-gohan." A bowl of steamed rice is included in typical Japanese meals and can be part of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Side dishes are called okazu and are served with rice and soup. Rice is a staple of the Japanese diet. Rice cakes (mochi) are also commonly consumed. They range from sweet to savory and have many different preparations from boiled to grilled.

A Japanese Take on Three Square Meals

Traditional Japanese breakfast consists of steamed rice, miso (soybean paste) soup, and side dishes, such as grilled fish, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), pickles, nori (dried seaweed), natto, and so on. Various rice bowls and noodle dishes are popular for lunch. For example, ramen, soba, udon, and gyudon beef bowls are popular. Many people take bento lunch boxes to school or work. Dinner is usually the main meal of the day and can range from sushi to tori katsu, which is like a chicken cutlet. Modern Japanese dishes are highly influenced by other Asian and Western cuisines.

2:04 Delicious Katsudon Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl Recipe

Seafood

Besides rice, seafood is highly consumed in Japan since the country is surrounded by oceans. Seaweed, fish, clams, fish cakes are popular ingredients in Japanese cooking. Of course, sushi and sashimi are also quite popular.

Dashi Soup Stock

Dashi soup stock used in traditional dishes is made from katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and/or kombu (kelp). The stock is used as a base for noodle, seafood, or other dishes.

Seasonings

Essential seasonings are soy sauce, mirin, and miso. Umami, a Japanese word that has become quite popular in Western culinary vocabulary, is known as the fifth basic taste. Essentially, it's the savory taste and is key in Japanese cuisine.

Wa-Shoku

Japanese people distinguish traditional Japanese-style dishes as "wa-shoku" (wa means Japanese-style, and shoku indicates food) as opposed to Western food, which is generally called "yo-shoku." Chinese dishes are called "chuuka," and chuuka dishes cooked in Japan are arranged in Japanese-style. It's similar to authentic Chinese dishes but has its differences.

Regional Differences

Japan is a small country, but each region or even a city has its own specials. Mainly, there are Kanto region (eastern area of the main island) food and Kansai region (western area of the main island) food. Generally, Kanto food has strong flavors, and Kansai food is lightly seasoned. Many dishes are cooked differently between the Kansai and Kanto regions.

Cutlery and Table Settings

To eat Japanese-style meals, chopsticks are commonly used. Also, Japanese people use forks, knives, or spoons, depending on what types of food people are eating. The traditional Japanese table setting is to place a bowl of rice on your left and to place a bowl of miso soup on your right side on the table. Other dishes are set behind these bowls. Chopsticks are placed on a chopstick holder in front of soup and rice bowls.

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What do Japanese say before they eat?

itadakimasu Before eating, Japanese people say "itadakimasu," a polite phrase meaning "I receive this food." This expresses thanks to whoever worked to prepare the food in the meal.

The Japanese Dining Table

The word for "meal" in Japanese is gohan. This word actually refers to steamed rice, but rice is such an important food to the Japanese that gohan has come to mean all sorts of meals - even Western ones like spaghetti. The most traditional Japanese meal is a serving of plain, white rice, along with a main dish (fish or meat), some kind of side dish (often cooked vegetables), soup (either miso soup or clear broth), and pickled vegetables.

Eating a Meal

Before eating, Japanese people say "itadakimasu," a polite phrase meaning "I receive this food." This expresses thanks to whoever worked to prepare the food in the meal. Many people eat by taking a bite of the main or side dish, then eating a little rice, and then having a sip of soup straight from the bowl (soup isn't usually eaten with a spoon). A little rice is saved until the end of the meal, when it is eaten with the pickled vegetables. After eating, people once again express their thanks for the meal by saying "gochiso sama deshita," which literally means "it was quite a feast." Now that you know how to eat a Japanese meal, let's take a look at how to hold the chopsticks and dishes.

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