Japanese Food - It's More Than Sushi!

When most people think of Japanese food, the first thing that comes to mind is raw fish. With sushi bars becoming a favorite lunchtime hangout, Japanese food has only meant one thing to many Westerners – raw fish. Frankly, I don't like sushi.  It was only recently that I discovered a whole new side to Japanese food and I must admit that I know consider Japanese food to be one of my favorites.

Taste is a subjective thing.  So is smell, which affects what food tastes like.  Many people cringe when they smell certain pungent herbs. Others may have a problem with certain spices or vegetables and others do not care for certain textures.  

Japanese food incorporates a variety of tastes and caters to a holistic approach to the concept of food itself. Like Zen, Japanese food treats each human being as a balance of the elements and suggests the making and consumption of various articles of food as a way to retain that balance.

This is what especially appeals to me about Japanese food.  If a certain type of Japanese food is fried, you can be pretty sure that a boiled or steamed accompaniment is suggested to go along with it. If there is a certain food that is raw, you can be pretty sure that the sauce that coats it is pungent enough to cover the taste.

Japanese food represents a very unique cuisine that demands a thorough understanding before it can be appreciated. Although I am far from an expert, I can now distinguish between sushi and sashimi; between ramen and udon; between wasabi and sake and even between various kinds of exotic vegetables and herbs used. Nowadays, whenever I go out looking for good food, a place serving Japanese food is one of the first ports of call.

"Japanese Food - It's More Than Sushi!" contributed by Evan Rowe