Today we continue our countdown to Celebration Japan with our weekly series focusing on the different planning aspects of such a big trip.
Today, we look at some of most popular dishes in Japan and the most highly recommended.
1. Ramen
I’m leaving sushi off this list as, being honest, you’d have to have been living on a moisture farm with your Aunt and Uncle for 19 years in the desert to not have heard of sushi. Ramen, however, was new to me until a few years ago. We’re heading to a completely different culture so surely the only thing to do is to throw ourselves into the deep end and try some weird and wonderful things. Ramen is a safe choice if you’re not overly adventurous and it’s essentially a soup/noodle dish that can have endless delicacies added to it. Chicken, veg, beef – you name it – it can go in. Probably a safe option if you have a dicky tummy and need something you can rely on.
2. Okonomiyaki
This is basically a pancake and the really fun thing with this is that you cook it yourself in the restaurants across Japan. Its base is made out of eggs, flour and cabbage and you can pick what you want to go in it as the flavouring. The most popular choices seem to be pork and cheese.
3. Onigiri
This tiny rice ball is wrapped in nori (dried seaweed) and can have endless choices places inside of it – meat and veg being the popular choice. The catch with this delicacy is that you don’t really find these in restaurants but they are actually found in vending machines and in convenience stores across the country such as 7-Eleven and Family Mart. So, instead of a packet of crisps, perhaps a rice ball might keep you going.
4. Gyudon
This dish is basically beef on rice. I’ve included it here on the off chance you want to remember it as it’s an incredibly cheap dish that fills you up nicely. So, if you’re on a budget one day or in a rush and need something you know you can go too that will be fairly good for you and not cost the earth then this one is something you can count on. It’s very popular, I’m told, with businessmen who are in a rush.
5. Takoyaki
Octopus balls. The balls of an octopus. Moving on.
Vending Machines
These machines of magnificence are massive in Japan. I cannot wait to experience the culture of them. Think of anything, yes anything, and it will be available in a vending machine. There will be endless choices of food and drink available for you if you’re in a hurry and in need of a quick snack. You can buy, in no particular order of popularity; lettuce, hot meat, 10kg bag of rice, Tommy Lee Jones’ Boss Coffee, a full hot meal, fish soup and eggs. There’s also the very famous ‘Transforming Cola’ that took eight years to develop. You can also buy ties, tarot readings and full-sized board games from these vending machines.
Drink
There are a few famous liquid beverages in Japan to try. I’ll start with my favourite. Tea. I confess, I don’t drink ‘builders’ tea. English breakfast tea that is. No, no. I’m a green tea man all the way. I can drink 8 cups a day sometimes. Then there’s chai, peppermint and white tea. It’s endless and good stuff. In Japan, the stuff to try (and mostly served with every meal) is matcha. It’s an incredibly pure form of green tea and the health benefits are incredible.
Next, is Calpis. It’s Japan’s most famous soft drink and made with lactic acid. It was established in 1919 and is basically a flavoured milky drink. It’s a must try and it’ll be everywhere. Not sold? Well, very recently there was a lady who turned 109 years old, and she proclaimed Calpis as one her favourite things to enjoy and credited with keeping her going. Sign me up!
Then there’s sake. The most famous alcoholic beverage in Japan. It’s often served with meals as a ‘gift’ so be careful on this front. If you can’t drink (perhaps due to medications) or, like me, are living a sober life one day at a time, then avoid anything put in front of you. It’s just not worth the risk. Stick to things you know, such as water or tea. If you are a brit abroad and dying for beer, then Happoshu is among the most popular in Japan.
As a side note, if you’re heading to Echo Base Live in Redditch in March and want to get into the mood for Japan, then I can fully recommend a restraint called Edo. It’s literally a 3 minute walk from where Echo will be held and is outside the shopping centre. I went here last Echo Base and had a lovely meal that didn’t cost the earth.
Join us next week as we look at other destinations worth travelling too outside of Tokyo and Chiba – where Celebration 2025 is being held.