Flavour and Preparation Techniques

There are two predominant flavors in Japanese cuisine, the kamigata flavor (from the Kansai area) and the Edo flavor (Tokyo area). The former is always correlated with “light flavor” using Kansai’s light shoyu (soy sauce), it doesn’t have the strong distinct flavor of dishes prepared Edo style. The difference in flavor can be explained by the region where the flavor was introduced. Edo is a place of samurais and artisans, most people in this region is exposed to manual labor thus requiring a strong, rich distinct flavor. While in Kansai, the people there are satisfied with the vague, uncertain taste of their dishes that need to be sought out by one’s tongue.

Japanese food is dominated by white rice. It is ever present in all meals. Other common dishes present are sashimi (raw fish), grilled dishes and simmered dishes (sometimes boiled in translations from Japanese).