Japanese

Food
日本　の　しょ
く
 いただきます
(Said at start of meal)

テーブルマナー
Most table manners are abided in Japan, for
example, blowing your nose or burping.
One thing that is different is that most
Japanese dishes are eaten with chopsticks.
The proper use of them is the most
fundamental element in table manners.
Some important rules to follow when using
chopsticks:
• Hold chopsticks at end
• When you are not using them, put them on
the table with tips facing left
• Do not spear food with chopsticks
• Do not point your chopsticks
• Do not wave your chopsticks in the air or
play with them
• Tear apart food with chopsticks, not fingers
• Spoons, made of wood, plastic or porcelain,
are used to eat & drink soups like Miso Soup,
which is made of a stock called Dashi with
tofu and green onions.
 Breakfast あさごはん
• A traditional Japanese breakfast is based on rice,
seafood, and fermented foods. This combo does not
differ too much from lunch and dinner, except for
certain dishes like natto, (a type of fermented
soybeans) which are most popularly eaten for
breakfast.
An example of a breakfast that you would get
at a restaurant would be miso soup, rice with
nori (edible seaweed), natto, rice porridge,
grilled fish, raw egg, and a pickled vegetable .
• Last evening's dinner leftovers are
usually eaten for breakfast.
• Japan has also infused the West into
their modern breakfast by serving
toast and boiled or fried eggs as a
common breakfast. Cereals are also
popular.
• Typical drinks for breakfast are green tea and
puree, which are fruit or veggies that have been
ground into thick liquid. Green tea flavour has
inspired other things like candy bars and ice
cream.
 Lunch 　ひるごはん
• An Obento, meaning boxed lunch, are very popular in
Japan for lunch. You can easily pack one with your
favourite foods and take it to work or school, like we
do with what we call lunch-box here.
 obento
• A typical obento that you would get at a restaurant
usually consists of rice, assorted tempura, sashimi,
maki, pickled or cooked vegetable , and cooked
chicken or beef over noodles with a sauce. You may
also see Onigiri or temaki.
 Kyaraben
• There are contests in Japan to see who can design
the most beautiful obento. These are called Kyaraben
and mean “character obento” because they usually
have to look like some creature.
 Dinner ばんごはん
• Similar to lunch, a Japanese dinner usually has rice,
fish, and veggies. This is a very healthy combo, in
fact, the Japanese have the longest average life span
because of these food habits.
 Dessert: Anmitsu
• Anmitsu is made of small cubes of agar jelly served
with azuki bean paste or anko, boiled peas, and fruits.
Bibliography
Shrishti N S