What kind of meat do the Japanese eat. Morning set of european food

One of the secrets of Japanese health and longevity is the cuisine - delicious, healthy, energizing and in a good mood.

Surprisingly, the origin of Japanese cuisine as we know it was food shortages. The scarcity of flora and fauna of the country rising sun tamed its inhabitants to reverently treat everyday food, they tried to give modest dishes the most aesthetic appearance. The lack of fuel forced the Japanese to focus on a raw food diet, and bread was not known here until a few decades ago. The date of birth of Japanese cuisine is the moment when the Japanese began to cultivate rice. According to legend, it was brought to Japan in a cane staff by the rice deity Inari-sama. It happened 2500 years ago. Rice was everything: food and money. The leaders of the tribes kept it in special barns - okura. Even now in Japan, the Ministry of Finance is called Okura-sho, that is, the Ministry of Barns.

For most Europeans Japanese food are sushi and rolls. Sushi is indeed one of Japan's favorite foods, but there are plenty of other foods besides it. The Japanese are passionate epicureans. No other country in the world has such a developed culture of food. Food is everywhere here. And most highest quality. The Japanese have a cult of freshness. This is the basis of the preparation of any dish. Products should be either from the garden or still warm. Japanese supermarkets are temples of freshness. On packages with meat, fish or vegetables, the time and day of packaging are indicated with an accuracy of half an hour. Japanese food culture is almost free of frozen foods and preservatives. Actor, screenwriter and director Donald Ritchie wrote, “Japanese food's amazing freshness is like a whisper among screams. The authentic look and taste of products is revealed. They are offered and eaten practically raw, nothing is cooked for too long. You enjoy the almost natural taste of food.” At the heart of all the variety of Japanese cuisine are ten principles that make it the most useful way food on earth.

1. Fish

The Japanese are obsessed with fish. It is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She is placed on rice balls, inside rice balls, eaten raw, smoked, baked, fried, stewed with spices and just like that. But among tuna, eels and trout, the Japanese have a favorite fish - salmon, and they have come up with a lot of ways to cook it. These are salmon steaks, salmon skin marinated in vinegar, salmon caviar, salted salmon kidneys and much more. The passion of the Japanese for fish originated in the 7th century, when the Buddhist emperor issued a decree forbidding to kill and eat anyone who runs on the ground. The imperial decree was in effect for twelve centuries, which was more than enough to change the taste preferences of the nation. But now Japan consumes about ten percent of the world's fish production, although only two percent of the world's population lives on its territory. At the same time, researchers around the world note that thanks to the omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish, the risk of heart disease is significantly reduced. vascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and some forms of cancer.

2. Vegetables

The average Japanese woman knows everything about vegetables. She is well versed in the virtues and varieties of onions, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, beets, baht and turnips. Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun love vegetables. Particularly popular mixtures are steamed, stewed on rapeseed oil, consisting of red pepper, green peas, zucchini, eggplant, white onion, nagi, cilantro and of course rice. Don't forget the shiitake mushrooms. Finely chopped, they are a great addition to clear soup. Zucchini is good grated with ginger root and don't forget the herbs: shiso, mitsuba and moyoga. Japanese women constantly cook their children food with seaweed, which is rich in vitamin C, fiber, potassium and iodine. Based on vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals, Japanese cuisine is distinguished low content calories and does not give rise to overeating.

3. Rice

Japan is an endless rice feast that has been going on for 1,300 years. The Japanese have an almost mystical connection with rice. Rice fields were dedicated to paintings and poems. Long time rice was the main currency of the country. Rice is an obligatory participant Japanese table and constant companion of the Japanese. From rice grains, the Japanese prepare ritual and festive dishes, everyday food, oil, vinegar, sake. And finally rice irreplaceable source healthy carbohydrates. The Japanese love round, white rice because it's chewy, a little sticky, and fluffy. The grains should stick together but not stick together. The most popular type of rice is koshihikari, which is slightly sweet. On the occasion of celebrations, Japanese housewives prepare mochi. Rice is pounded for a long time until they get a homogeneous, viscous mass from which square pies are molded.

Rice is the basis of a high-carbohydrate diet, thanks to which Japanese women break all longevity records. Studies have shown that people who eat foods with high content carbohydrates are not affected overweight. In addition, there is almost no salt in rice, there are no saturated fat and cholesterol.

4. Soy

It is unthinkable for a Japanese to go through a day without eating a low-calorie, low-fat, high-protein soybean dish. It is mostly eaten in the form of miso soup, tofu chunks, soy sauce, or fermented natto beans. Tofu came to Japan from China about a thousand years ago, quickly becoming a favorite delicacy of Zen Buddhist priests. Miso - fried bean paste with wheat or barley grains also comes from China. Experts believe that high consumption soy products in Japan is the cause of the health and longevity of the Japanese nation.

5. Noodles

Another immigrant to Japanese cuisine is noodles. The noodles that arrived in Japan from China along with Buddhism quickly won the hearts and stomachs of the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. True, in the seventeenth century, soba (noodles) was considered the food of the lower class. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, well-equipped restaurants began to appear, which attracted wealthy citizens to their walls. In 1818, there were over 3,000 soba restaurants in Edo. There are many varieties of noodles and their preferences depend on the region. So in the south and west of Tokyo, in Kyoto and Osaka, they love viscous, white noodles- udon made from wheat flour, and Tokyois love thin, brown noodles made from a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour.

6. Tea

Green tea is a symbol of Japan. And the tea ceremony is the essence of Zen Buddhism, a process that has been perfected for five hundred years. A Zen Buddhist monk named Eisai brought tea to Japan from China in the 12th century. Soon the Japanese nobility arranged tastings where one could meet hundreds of varieties of this drink. The connection between tea and food was strengthened with the advent of kaiseki reri - special meals accompanying the tea ceremony. The monk who brought this drink to China wrote that “tea is the secret of longevity. On the mountain slopes, he spreads his leaves, like the soul of the earth.

7. Monastery kitchen

apotheosis healthy cuisine is a 100% vegetarian style, or sojin reri, a temple cuisine that has been practiced by Zen Buddhist priests in Japan for eight hundred years. The main meaning of sojin ryeri is that food should contribute to spiritual growth. Nothing can be thrown away. Only small portions are allowed herbal products. A typical lunch is daikon stew with chopped leeks and miso sauce. The shojin reflects the sacred number five for Buddhists. Five cooking methods (raw, steamed, grilled, boiled, plain fried), five colors (green, yellow, red, white, black), five tastes (sweet, spicy, bitter, sour, salty) and five phrases that monks should say before the meal:

I think about the work that I can eat

I think about my own imperfection and whether I deserved this food

Let my mind be free from preference and greed

May this food give me healing and keep me healthy

May this food help me in my perfection.

8. Breakfast

Japanese women know what a breakfast with a lot of energy, but without buns and pancakes. A typical morning meal is green tea, a cup of boiled rice, miso soup with tofu and onions, small sheets of nori seaweed, scrambled eggs and a piece of smoked salmon. In Japan, breakfast is the most important and most abundant meal of the day. Try to eat the same way, and you will immediately feel great - right up to lunch.

9. Desserts

Japanese women love sweets, they are crazy about chocolate, ice cream, pastries and cakes. However, unlike the West, they eat desserts much less often and in small quantities.

10. Right attitude to nutrition

Japanese women do not exhaust themselves with starvation and do not terrorize their body with various diets. Their diet and way of eating almost does not change throughout their lives.

All this is certainly great, you say, our dear reader, but we are not in Japan. I am sure that all this is very healthy and tasty, but where do I get all these tofu, miso, soba and other wasabi. Fortunately, most large supermarkets already have the answer to your question. Almost all the ingredients of the main dishes of Japanese cuisine appeared on our shelves.

You must have heard this incredible story about forty-two-year-old Japanese Naomi Moriya, who was asked for documents to make sure that she was already 21 years old and she could buy alcohol.

This famous Japanese woman gained a lot of weight while studying in America. And she easily parted with kilograms when she returned to Japan. A similar situation happened with her American husband, whom Japanese cuisine helped to lose weight.

As you know, the highest life expectancy - in Japan. Fat Japanese are nonsense! What is the secret? And the secret is in the nutrition of the Japanese, which can be called the easiest and most effective diet. So, let's figure it out.

First Rule of Japanese Diet: Fish

The main food in Japan is, of course, fish. The Japanese eat fish in any form. Very popular raw fish: tuna and trout sushi, cod teriyaki, miso stewed mackerel, mussel soup, fried scallops, shrimp tempura, octopus marinated in rice vinegar, fried squid.

The Japanese annually eat 68 kg of fish per person (in other countries - no more than 16 kg), a lot is said about the beneficial properties of fish: fish contains a large number of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids protect against Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and some forms of cancer.

The second rule of Japanese nutrition: Vegetables

Vegetables play an important role in Japanese cuisine. The benefits of vegetables are undeniable: vegetables are low in calories, they are practically fat-free foods, they contain a large amount of water and little fat. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Almost all vegetables contain antioxidants - substances that help rejuvenate the body. A feature of cooking vegetables in Japanese cuisine is that the vegetables must be fresh.

After all the largest number valuable substances contained in freshly harvested vegetables, and during subsequent storage their number decreases.

The third rule of Japanese nutrition: Rice

Rice is the basis of any Japanese cuisine. The Japanese eat rice throughout their lives. Rice does not contain cholesterol and gluten. The oils contained in rice are very valuable, as they supply the body with polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Rice is present in any ritual dishes, at every meal, at festive table. The Japanese can eat rice without seasonings and sauces, unlike Europeans. Made from rice rice oil, sake, paper, hats, tatami.

The Japanese love round white rice, it is chewy for a long time, a little viscous and fluffy. The rice grains should stick together but not stick together.

The fourth rule of Japanese nutrition: Soy

The Japanese do not imagine their table without a low-calorie, low-fat and protein-rich soy product. Soy in Japan is consumed in the form of miso soup, pieces of toou, sauce, natto beans.

Unlike Europeans, who are accustomed to using soy in the form of cocktails, meatballs, pies, the Japanese use soy in in kind, unprocessed.

The Fifth Rule of Japanese Diet: Noodles

Noodles are an ideal source of energy. Japanese noodles(sobu, udon, ramen, somen) easy to digest, rich minerals and vitamins.

Traditional Japanese noodles are never served with cheese or ketchup. Many Japanese eat noodles with smacking their lips as if to show how much they enjoy the food. Tokyo noodle restaurants arrange home delivery of noodles.

The sixth rule of Japanese nutrition: Green tea

The Japanese have been drinking tea for thousands of years. Tea is a kind of water therapy. Medical studies confirm its properties as a strong antioxidant and protector against diseases, it lowers blood cholesterol levels, prevents heart disease and burns fat. But the main advantage of green tea is that it perfectly quenches thirst.

The Seventh Rule of Japanese Diet: Fruits

Statistics say that, in general, no more fruits are eaten in Japan than in the West. But here it is customary to eat fruits freshly picked!

Fruits are not only healthy, but also very tasty. Eating fruits has a positive effect on digestion, normalizes metabolism. In addition to the fact that fruits are rich in vitamins and microelements, secondary plant substances found in fruits prevent and inhibit the development of malignant tumors.

In Japan, a traveler will never have a problem with food - the number of different restaurants and eateries in the country is simply colossal. In most cities, not only traditional Japanese food is available, but also various types of international cuisine (from French and Italian to Indian and Mexican). The Japanese almost never invite guests to their homes, preferring to communicate or resolve business issues in restaurants and cafes.

At lunchtime at Japanese restaurants offer set meals, i.e. a fixed set of meals, usually consisting of meat or fish, a bowl of soup, pickles, and rice. The cost of such a dinner is about 1000 Japanese yen (360 rubles). The names of the dishes on the menu, as a rule, are indicated only in Japanese, but if necessary, the waiter will help you with the choice and tell you what to eat.

Average account size in inexpensive Japanese cafe ranges from 800 to 1200 yen (290-430 rubles) per person; good lunch or a dinner for two in a mid-range restaurant will cost about 4,000 yen (1,440 rubles). A cup of coffee in a decent cafe costs 300-400 yen.

Usually after a meal they give a check, which you need to pay at the counter when you exit the cafe.

The fast food industry is represented in Japan by restaurants of various chains, both local and international ( McDonald's, Wendy, Kentucky Fried Chicken etc.). McDonald's are found almost everywhere in Japan. A combo lunch at McDonald's costs an average of 600 yen (240 rubles); Big Mac - about 300 yen.

in many restaurants fast food and eateries there are vending machines where, using the pictures on the display, you can form and pay for an order. Such machines greatly facilitate the life of tourists who do not speak Japanese.

If you want to save money while traveling in Japan, convenience stores (7-11, lawson, Family Mart etc.). Here you can buy noodles fast food, sandwiches, mince pies and even some small ready meals, which can be heated in the microwave right in the store. They also sell onigiri - balls of rice, stuffed with fish and wrapped in seaweed (about 100 yen, perfect for a snack on the go).

Japanese cuisine and traditional Japanese dishes

A traditional Japanese meal begins with soup, then fresh raw fish is eaten, followed by the main course (fried, boiled or stewed fish, chicken or vegetables). Then rice and pickles are served, and finally dessert (most often fresh fruits) and a cup of green tea.

The main products used in the preparation of Japanese cuisine are rice, seafood, huge variety vegetables (wild and garden; raw, pickled and boiled); as well as soybeans in all sorts of combinations, and algae.

Among the national Japanese dishes, one can note Suki-Yaki (beef boiled in a large frying pan, cut into thin slices, green onion, mushrooms, noodles and bean curd tofu); sashimi (fresh raw fish with soy sauce and wasabi - local spicy horseradish); various types of sushi; oden (vegetables, octopus or eggs boiled in soy fish broth); miso shiru (thick stew with mushrooms and bean curd).

If you get tired of eating rice, then noodles can replace it. In Japan, the two main types of noodles are soba (thin, made from buckwheat) and udon (thick, made from wheat). Almost every city and village in Japan has its own "famous" noodle dish.

Fugu fish is considered a local delicacy, despite its toxicity. For her proper cooking need a lot of experience (requires complete removal internal organs containing poison). Despite the potential danger, the risk of being poisoned by it is minimal due to the high requirements for the qualifications of cooks (fugu cooks are licensed). Fugu is usually only served in specialty restaurants ("fugu-ya") and is very expensive.

Although most Japanese establishments specialize in certain form dishes, each of them has several shokudō or teishoku– sets of prime and popular dishes at affordable prices (no more than 1000 yen). These sets almost always consist of a main course, rice, soup, and pickles.

Japanese dishes are designed for the use of chopsticks - the components in them are always finely chopped, so a knife becomes unnecessary, and it is difficult to take small pieces with a fork.

Rice is Japan's most important crop, and has been cultivated throughout the country for over 2,000 years. It is a staple in Japanese cuisine and is fundamental to Japanese culture. Once it was used as a currency, and the word for boiled rice(ご飯, Gohan) has become synonymous with the general meaning of "food".

A bowl of boiled rice is the centerpiece of traditional Japanese dishes. Rice grains are processed into a variety of products, including alcohol, vinegar, and flour. Below are some foods and a list of rice dishes that can be found throughout the country.

The most common types of rice.

Hakumai or white rice

Genmai or brown rice

multigrain rice

Glutinous rice Mochigome (Mochigome)

Rice products.

Rice wine Nihonshu or Sake

rice vinegar

Rice flour

Rice bran - Nuka

Rice dishes.

Boiled Rice - Gohan

Mochi

Onigiri (Onigiri)

Egg Rice (Tamago Kake Gohan)

Ochazuke (Ochazuke)

Kayu (Kayu)

Domburi

Sushi

Fried Rice - Chahan

Senbei Rice Crackers

Sweets

Pickles with Rice Bran Nakazuke (Nukazuke)

Rice bread Komepan

rice rules

It is considered polite if you have eaten all the rice to the last grain.

It is considered indecent to pour soy sauce directly into Fig.

Don't leave your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, this is considered a bad omen and is only done at funerals.

rice fields

Hello again! To everyone who is now chewing a sandwich, or enjoying a cup of their favorite tea or coffee, I wish Bon appetit. By the way, the habit of having breakfast with espresso or cappuccino is exclusively European, while in Asian countries, the approach to the morning meal is completely different. And how are things with food, in the country of chrysanthemums and sakura? You are also curious about how the Japanese eat - their food is completely different. Now I will tell you in more detail, it will be.

traditional table

Modern Japanese eat almost everything that their ancestors preferred to eat many years ago. The basis of the cuisine is rice, seafood and vegetables. The Japanese don't eat meat very often. The main part is made up of vegetables and plants (sansai - the so-called "gifts of the forest", this includes: fern, bamboo shoots, etc.). For the inhabitants of the islands, it is important to consume natural, and maximize fresh food.

The daily diet of the Japanese is balanced: a small amount of calories is compensated for by the body, minerals and vitamins. That is probably why most of the inhabitants are not subject to fullness. Although, of course, there are also very well-fed Japanese, who are not indifferent to buns, chips and Japanese sweets, or simply, loving, eat a lot (I will tell you about this someday).

Usually eaten seasonal products because they are healthier, more nutritious and fresher. Researchers argue that it is thanks to this diet that among the Japanese great amount centenarians. Apparently, not in vain, unique is so popular in the world.

Meals throughout the day

The Japanese, like most other peoples, eat three times a day. As a rule, every time they prefer to eat white rice (no salt or oil added).

For example, a classic Japanese menu might look like this:

1. Breakfast: rice, miso soup (miso soup), cooked vegetables, tofu and. For some, the meal ends with coffee and toast.
2. Lunch: curry rice (“ka:ri raisu”), seafood, a few snacks, small amounts of vegetables, sansai, tamagoyaki ( fried egg, reminiscent of an omelette), "tempura" (vegetables or seafood, battered and fried, deep-fried) may be present with fresh vegetables And definitely tea.
3. Dinner: rice, s Japanese seasoning("furikake" - a dried mixture. The benefit of varieties and tastes, a lot, and you can find it to your taste. For example, it can be - sea ​​kale, sesame, red fish and spices, incl. salt), miso soup, or light soup, meat or fish, salad. Steamed vegetables and definitely green tea.

Sometimes rice is replaced with noodles (for example, ramen). Snacks served at the table are very diverse, seasoned with spices, vinegar (moreover, the classic table vinegar, is 4.5%), sesame seeds, pepper, but each is brought in a very small amount.

Thus, it achieves a balance of minerals of vitamins in Japanese food, and also with this diversity, rice does not bother. There are always a lot of very small plates and cups on the table, with various pickled, salted or seasoned vegetables.