Andrea Fazzari. Andrea Fazzari
Japan boasts one of the world’s richest culinary cultures, historically emphasizing seasonal, vegetable-heavy ingredients. There’s also a plethora of seafood offerings, with fish prepared every way from grilled and tempura-fried to raw. Then there’s the meat: who could forget about Japanese barbecue, or yakitori? On the starch side, noodles like udon, soba, and ramen are standouts. Delicate flavors from ingredients like white miso and dashi are layered expertly throughout the cuisine, from clam chowder to chawanmushi. We’ve rounded up our best essential Japanese recipes to try today, from traditional dishes to modern takes on classics.
Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) Aya Mishima Brackett Aya Mishima Brackett
Comfort food at its finest, this dish incorporates the rich flavors of homemade dashi with tender chicken, onions, and soft-cooked eggs over rice. It’s a staple dish at Rintaro, chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett’s San Francisco izakaya. Get the recipe >
White Miso Clam Chowder Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen
White miso adds nutty, funky notes to this clam chowder recipe from Osamu Yoshikawa, the sixth-generation owner of bean-to-bottle soy sauce company Inoue Honten in Nara, Japan. Combined with fragrant dashi, it creates a rich, umami-filled take on a typical New England-style dish. Get the recipe >
Leftover Green Tea Leaf Salad Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen
After green tea leaves have been steeped, Junichi Uekubo, a
