Japanese food. healthy japanese food

In Japan, women reach an average age of 86, the highest life expectancy in the world. The reason lies, among other things, in the attitude of the Japanese - especially those who belong to the older generation: a healthy mind lives in a healthy body, and movement and nutrition are very important for a healthy lifestyle.

The Japanese way of life is the minimum number of overweight people, long life expectancy and low incidence of breast cancer: the diet of the Japanese plays an important role in maintaining their health. How exactly do the Japanese eat?

The Japanese diet includes about a hundred foods.

Japanese food secrets

The Japanese prefer a low-fat diet. Rice is the staple of the diet. Other staple foods of the Japanese are mostly from the sea. They rarely eat meat. Choose quality, not quantity. And let the products be somewhat more expensive and therefore not so often present on the menu, but they will bring more health benefits.

Japanese breakfast

Fat and sugar are used minimally by the Japanese, even sweet treats contain very little sugar. Various types of tea, which is drunk in Japan at any time of the day, also bring many benefits. Green tea is especially popular because it prevents stroke.

Wagashi - traditional Japanese sweets, contain a minimum of sugar, which is one of the reasons for the excess weight of Europeans and Americans

1- Diversity- the guarantee of health. The Japanese believe that many different components should be eaten per day. Thanks to this, the body receives the necessary nutrients and satisfies all taste directions, which, in turn, prevents acute attacks of hunger. Unlike our culture, where only about 20-30 different foods a week appear on the table, in Japan there are about 100. Following their example, we should mix, for example, more variety of vegetables or spices, such as sesame seeds, ginger and wasabi.

Tea ceremony in the open air. The Japanese drink green tea every day, which reduces the risk of stroke

2- Rich breakfast., consisting of flour products, briefly maintains a feeling of satiety. The Japanese prefer to eat for breakfast, fish and vegetables, seaweed and natto, pasta from. Of course, we will not advise you to eat fish early in the morning, but we strongly recommend replacing buns and sandwiches with tofu and cheese.

3- Soy, fish and rice. The main products of Japanese cuisine contain a real panacea against diseases and skin aging: soy contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids and plant extracts that supply our skin with moisture and smooth fine lines.

Rice(in its pure form) is present daily in the Japanese diet. Rice absorbs moisture, stimulates metabolism and fat burning thanks to the fiber and vitamins present in it. (Never throw away the concoction in which you have cooked rice. This is an excellent cosmetic product and a way to restore good health).

V fish contains important omega-3 fatty acids. So if possible, eat fish and tofu cheese, edamame soybeans, or miso soup as often as possible.

Japan's most popular miso soup with tofu

4- Enjoy every bite. Don't overeat - that's the secret! Small portions should be consumed slowly and consciously, or, in other words, with pleasure. The tradition of eating with chopsticks contributes to this - it turns out more slowly than with a fork and knife.

5- Algae, algae, algae. Many people know seaweed thanks to sushi: delicious rolls are wrapped mainly in sheets of seaweed. The Japanese insist that it is algae that help maintain youth and health. Nori, kelp, wakame and kombu are the most famous seaweeds and are also used in soups and salads and as a garnish.

6- Roasting, baking, stewing. Vegetables and beef can be perfectly fried without fat; a frying pan with oil is absolutely not necessary for this. If you cook fish, vegetables or flour products with steam, they will retain their nutrients. Meat, fish and vegetables are best stewed in broth or water, also without adding fat.

Alexandra LAPShINA

Basically, rice and fish are present in the daily diet of this people. On the shelves of our stores you can find dozens of varieties of rice, but in Japan they use short-grain rice, which is slightly different in taste, and also boils easily, which makes it convenient to eat with chopsticks. An interesting fact: rice is not just a side dish, everything is made from it: from sauce to confectionery, from beer to wine, the use of rice is unthinkable wide. In connection with the widespread use of this cereal, the Japanese are much less likely to suffer from various kinds of diseases and it is not for nothing that they are considered the healthiest nation in the world.

Fish products are no less important in the country. Fortunately, in a country where every fourth inhabitant is a fisherman, there are plenty of them. There are many different types of fish and how to cook it. It can be stewed, eaten raw, fried, boiled, added to soup.

What do they really eat in Japan?

How do these people combine these products in life? What do you usually eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? The answer to these questions is quite obvious and quite logical - sushi. They occupy a huge place in the life of the Japanese, but it is worth noting that this dish came into use relatively recently, 80-100 years ago. Then this event became a real evolution of traditional Japanese cuisine.

There are several facts about sushi that will be of great interest to the Russian reader. Perhaps this will shock someone, but the Japanese do not eat sushi with chopsticks, they eat them with their hands, and only fish is dipped in soy sauce. The second misconception is that in this country there are no sushi called "Philadelphia".

Official statistics claim that the Japanese live the longest in the world: the average life expectancy for men is 77.16 years, for women - 84.01 years. Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun are easier than all other women in the world to endure age-related hormonal changes. The problem of excess weight is also not relevant for most of them. The secret of longevity and beautiful appearance of the representatives of this nation, of course, is in sustainable food traditions.

Philosophy of food.

Traditional Japanese cuisine is not just a collection of culinary recipes, it is a whole philosophical system aimed at teaching a person to independently achieve health, youth and longevity. At the heart of the Japanese food system are two components, yin and yang, denoting the feminine and masculine. Foods and drinks are classified according to the presence of these elements in them. There are many ways to achieve health and balance the yin-yang energy in the body. First of all, it is important to eat fresh, natural foods and avoid spices, chemical ingredients, coffee and tea that contain chemical dyes. Tea should be drunk natural Japanese or Chinese. If possible, it is necessary to reduce the amount of yin foods - potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes. Try to eat less off-season vegetables and those products that are produced far from where you live. As far as animal proteins are concerned, meat from wild animals is preferable to that obtained from domestic animals. For the proper assimilation of food, the psychological attitude is also very important. In Japan, before dinner, it is customary to tune in to a positive mood, discard all anxieties and vain thoughts.

Foundation stone.

The first rule is a small amount of servings. When the portion is large, a person absorbs more than the body needs, and thereby only harms himself. Sticks - hashi, which the Japanese eat, also help to observe moderation in food. Firstly, the very design of the chopsticks does not allow you to grab a large piece, and yet “eat a little, chewing thoroughly” is one of the basic rules of a healthy diet. Secondly, manipulations with hashi develop fine motor skills of the hands, which is directly related to the level of intelligence and memory.

The second rule is the freshness of products and compliance with the season. The Japanese are very sensitive to the quality of the products from which they are going to cook. The choice of dishes for a meal largely determines the season and time of year. Usually, exactly what is ripening in the field or in the beds is in use. In addition, the preference for seasonal fish, which is caught only at this time of the year. In addition to the season, the choice of food is also influenced by the weather. In winter, it is customary to eat meat, fish, warming drinks and soups, in the summer heat - cold soups, seafood, cold ramen noodles and salads.

The third rule is proximity to the natural, original form of the product. Local chefs strive to keep the appearance of fish and vegetables unchanged, so that after cooking they visually remain themselves.

The fourth rule is the preservation of vitamins and minerals. To achieve this goal, the right temperature regime and special cutting of vegetables are very important, which are cut in such a way that the vegetables not only look more attractive, but also cook faster. And, as you know, the less time spent on cooking, the more vitamins and minerals are stored in the product.

Foundation of the basics.

On the table there must be something from the mountains and something from the sea. Mountain products are, of course, rice and numerous seasonal vegetables. These are soybeans, as well as their derivatives: tofu (soybean curd), miso (fermented soybean paste for soups and seasonings) and shoyu soy sauce. The marine component is almost all types of marine fish, cetaceans, molluscs, jellyfish, as well as algae and seaweed.

Rice is eaten two to three times a day, most often unseasoned. If rice (gohan) is not served to the Japanese at the table, then he considers the meal unfinished. By the way, the word "gohan" means not only rice, but also just food. The Japanese prefer all varieties of rice, grown at home, as the most healthy and delicious. Local rice here is much more expensive than imported. The closest in taste is rice from California. The cult of rice gave rise to strict canons of its preparation. Rice cooked according to the Japanese tradition is not only tasty, but also retains a greater amount of substances useful to the body.

Japanese rice is cooked without oil, salt and spices. But the most important thing is the observance of proportions: 1.25 glasses of water are added to one glass of rice. Before cooking, the rice is washed in plenty of water until the water runs clear. Then soak for 30 minutes in summer and an hour in winter. The rice softens and the cooking time decreases. As a result, it retains much more useful substances. Next, the rice is transferred to the pan, adding the prescribed amount of water, and tightly closed with a lid, which in no case is removed until the end of cooking. This is an important point, since the main principle of cooking rice in Japan is steaming it. If the lid is opened, then part of the steam necessary for cooking will evaporate, and cooking will go in a different mode. The lid must not be opened for 10 minutes after the rice is cooked. After the water boils, the rice is boiled over low heat, and then cooked over very low heat. Salt is not added during cooking. Soy sauce, vegetables, herbs are put in the finished dish - this makes it not fresh.

Japan is an island state, its shores are washed by the salty waters of the Sea of Japan. Therefore, it is not surprising that the second most important component of the Japanese diet is fish and seafood. Today, the Japanese eat 1/6 of all seafood caught in the world. It is customary not to fry fish, but only lightly fry or steam it. And even serve directly raw: the festive table necessarily includes raw fish dishes, and it is from those varieties of fish that, depending on the timing of spawning, are most delicious at one time or another of the year. As a precaution, fish is sometimes soaked in vinegar.

The most popular Japanese fish dishes - sushi (sushi) and sashimi (sashimi) - are prepared from raw fish seasoned with wasabi spicy horseradish and soy sauce. In raw fish, a set of trace elements and vitamins remains practically untouched. Fish proteins are incomparably healthier than meat proteins. There is less cholesterol, and more useful substances for the body. Fish is low in calories and easier to digest. Under the influence of Chinese tradition, meat also appeared in Japan, although initially the smell of pork and beef even caused some Japanese to faint. Meat for the Japanese today is only a delicacy, and not daily food. But local chefs approached the preparation of this product with traditional imagination and thoroughness. Livestock breeders in Japan graze gobies in the purest meadows, feed them with selected food, drink spring water and beer, pamper the animals with electric massage every day. So that the bulls do not overwork, they are hung in cradles and allowed to listen to good music. The result is the famous "marble meat" which is then cooked in front of the eyes of the diners using a teppanyaki brazier table next to the dining table.
An invariable element of the Japanese meal is vegetables. In order to preserve the necessary set of trace elements and vitamins in vegetables, they are eaten either raw or subjected to minimal cooking.

Japanese diet.

Having tried, at least approximately, to change your diet in accordance with the rules described in this article, you will certainly provide an invaluable service to both health and figure. In order to feel tangible results, try to stick to the next real “Japanese diet” for two to three weeks. This diet is saturated with all substances useful for the body, is easily tolerated by everyone except for notorious meat-eaters, and is quite diverse.

The daily diet should include:

300-400 g rice (unpeeled is best, but white will do)

150-240 g fruit

About 270 g vegetables

60 g legumes

1 20 g fish or seafood

100 g milk

One egg

2 teaspoons unrefined sugar

You can vary the products at your discretion, it is very desirable to refuse salt, you can use soy sauce. From drinks water, green and herbal teas are allowed. Try to pay attention to the design of the meal, then the food will benefit not only the body, but also the soul!

Julia Shapko

Reading time: 15 minutes

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History of Japanese cuisine is inseparable from the traditions of this country and the people inhabiting the islands. main food are rice, vegetables and seafood.

The philosophy of Japanese cuisine is to preserve the original form of the product as much as possible - whether it be vegetables or fish. The long isolation of the people in the archipelago led to a special respect for nature, its power, and all its components, including products.

Features of nutrition in Shinto - why do the Japanese eat with chopsticks?

Philosophy of Shinto,Japanese people's religions , speaks of the divine origin of everything that is on earth. Therefore, each object, plant or living organism is of particular importance in the overall harmony of man with nature.

The mention of sticks was recorded for the first time 15 centuries ago. Noble people used them for eating. Commoners continued to eat with their hands.

Confucius, himself a vegetarian, approved the use of wooden chopsticks for eating. Once he said that we should not have knives and cutting objects at the table that remind us of edged weapons and bloody battles produced with their help.

Principles and rules of Japanese traditional food

Japanese food– an integrated approach to achieve a combination of nutrients and aesthetic harmony. Food in Japan is an art, and for some dishes, chefs have been trained for several years.

Principles of Japanese cuisine:

5 colors– white, red, yellow, green, black
5 flavors salty, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy
5 ways to cook – boil, fry, steam, grill, salad
5 senses- taste, smell, sight, hearing, touch

Processing and cooking Japanese food

According to the canons of Japanese philosophy, only high-quality and best products should be on the table. The main goal of any cook is to preserve the beneficial properties and original taste of seafood and nature.

The rule of every cook in Japan is to find and discover the unique taste of any product, but with a minimum use of spices and flavorings.

Product processing methods:

Spices

The most famous Japanese seasonings: shiso, wasabi, ginger. Separately, we can highlight the fact that wild-growing spicy herbs sansai are used in Japanese cuisine.

During cooking, the chef does not add spices and seasonings to the dish. This is already done by the consumer in order to highlight or emphasize the taste of food. Many use spices to increase the spiciness of the product.

Table setting

Japanese tableware stands out for its small size and elegance. The design of bowls, plates and bowls for soup follows the rule that the dishes must be held in hand while eating.

The color and shape of the dishes can be completely different. If you come across a set of dishes called "Japanese service", you should understand that this is made for a European buyer.

List of dishes on the Japanese table:

Bowls and plates.
Soup bowls.
Wooden coasters for serving dishes.
Gravy boats.
Ceramic spoons for soup.
Tea utensils.
Wooden sticks.

tea utensils

For tea ceremony kettles are used for brewing tea and bowls. The teapot can be made not only of ceramics, but also of cast iron. In such teapots, you can heat water and directly brew tea.

The bowls are made in the proportion that the height is greater than or equal to the diameter. There are no handles on bowls and cups. The shape of the dishes is so diverse that it is impossible to characterize it according to some criteria.

Ten Rules for Using Japanese Chopsticks

Japanese diet - what do the Japanese eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Traditional Japanese breakfast

Japanese lunch Bento

The Japanese usually take lunch with them to work or on a trip. Particular attention is paid to the temperature regime of cooking dinner. Before packing lunch, it must be cooled down. Due to the need to store food, raw fish and undercooked meat are not suitable for making Bento.

Japanese dinner

Dinner consists of soup and four courses.

Miso- soup
Nikujaga– meat and stew seasoned with soy sauce and sugar
Sunomono– cucumber salad with sesame seeds and soy sauce
Saba Shioyaka- grilled mackerel with salt
Genmai- brown rice, which has more beneficial properties than white counterpart

The Japanese food system itself is dietary . The nature of the dishes - small portions and a lot of vegetables. You will not see a fat Japanese, except for a sumo wrestler, because nutrition and the attitude to food is observed taking into account centuries-old traditions.

Traditional Japanese food

Below is a list of dishes that have a history of over 500 years:

The Japanese are the healthiest nation in the world. And life expectancy is the highest there. This is due to the fact that they eat only natural and fresh products.

The main components of the Japanese diet are:

Fish and seafood,

The Japanese eat rice all the time. And they cook it in a special way. They boil it for 20 minutes under the lid without disturbing. Salt is not added to it, so it is served with various spicy and sweet snacks. Rice in Japan even replaces bread, where it is considered not a side dish, but an independent dish.

It is customary to eat 3 servings of rice, since 1 serving is given to a deceased person on the day of remembrance. But this is not much, because the plates there are very small, like bowls.

Rice is even used to make alcoholic beverages such as sake and beer.

Fish in Japan is presented in a wide range. Salmon is a favorite species. Freshwater fish is very expensive, so sea fish is in the greatest demand.

In addition, the Japanese eat all kinds of seafood - these are shrimp, squid, sea cucumbers, crabs, octopuses, spiny lobsters, clams. Moreover, they prefer to eat mollusks boiled or raw, and squids are also fried.

Japanese salmon caviar is served as a regular snack, but herring caviar is considered a festive dish and is served, for example, on New Year's Eve. In addition, sea urchin caviar is also eaten in Japan.

Another favorite delicacy of the Japanese is eels.

It is believed that the Japanese achieve longevity through the regular consumption of algae. The most common types are nori, kombu, wakase and hijiki.

Unusual dishes include puffer fish and a dish called "dancing perch".

In the first case, we mean a poisonous fish, the poison in which is enough for 30 people! Every year, dozens of Japanese suffer from poisoning, but this does not make the fish less popular. It is prepared only by specially trained chefs. Moreover, if a person dies from poisoning, the cook is obliged to make himself hara-kiri.

"Dancing perch" is the following: live fish is scalded with boiling water, poured with sauce, immediately cut and eaten while still trembling.

The Japanese eat all the vegetables known to us. In addition, in their diet there are burdock or lotus rhizomes, unusual for us, shoots of young bamboo or ginkgo nuts.

Cucumbers in Japan are boiled and stewed, and lettuce is added to soup. Favorite salad there is from radish, radish and greens. Soybeans are highly valued, from which soups, desserts, and cottage cheese are prepared.

Traditional Japanese dishes are udon (wheat flour noodles, eaten both on their own and in soups) and soba (long buckwheat noodles that are grey-brown in color).

Eating traditions

The Japanese eat 3 times a day. In the morning, it is customary to eat rice with various snacks, it can be vegetables, fish or meat. Sometimes they serve scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, sushi and rolls, and even soup.

In the midday meal, on the contrary, it is not customary to eat soup. For “dinner”, sweet dishes and desserts are usually served, for example, tofu is bean curd.

In Japan, not only the taste of food is of great importance, but also its aesthetic appearance, so the dishes there are always served very beautifully.

In addition, there is no division into first and second courses. They are served in large quantities, about 15 pieces, and you need to try each one.

They hardly eat meat there. Chicken and quail meat are more common, while lamb, pork and beef, which are familiar to us, are very rare there.

Indispensable attributes of the Japanese table are soy sauce, which is served with each dish, and wasabi.

Other popular dishes

Miso soup. Made from soy, wheat or rice.
Takikomi-gohan. Rice that is boiled together with meat and vegetables such as potatoes, beans or daikon.
Tamago-yaki. Beaten eggs are mixed with broth, to which salt, sugar and soy sauce are added, and then fried.
Oh hagi. These are steamed rice cakes.
Onigiri. Also a rice dish. Rice is mixed with stuffing and wrapped in nori, lettuce, scrambled eggs or ham. There are round and triangular shapes.
Tempura. Shrimps, vegetables, fish or meat in batter. Served with wasabi, soy sauce, seaweed and daikon.