Rice and shine

A rich, culinary past helps the Japanese present a multi-course meal by blending simple ingredients and sauces.

Did someone cathe UAE a melting pot of cultures? Well, this country is also brimming over with good food … the myriad delectable cuisines its diverse communities are bringing to the table.

So what is the food, the many people in the UAE eat at home, like? What are the recipes they cook on their special occasions? What are the secret ingredients that make their food exotic?

Where, if you want to savour them, wiyou find their dishes about town? And finally, what are the chefs saying about cooking up that storm?

Unwind takes you on a culinary journey across many mouth-watering preparations.

This week, food from Japan …

Japanese food is one of the most refined cuisines in the world. It portrays a sharp contrast between the elegant fare and the humble bowl of rice depicting the Japanese heritage of simple, home-style cooking. The traditional diet is no doubt one of the healthiest, comprising nutritious ingredients such as tofu, miso, sushi, green tea and soba. Until recently, meat eating was rare because of restrictions placed on it by Buddhism.

The Japanese culture is perceived as "uniquely unique". Through a long culinary past, the Japanese have developed a sophisticated cuisine with an emphasis on maintaining the authenticity, practicality and nutritional content of the many dishes.

Everyday meals

The Japanese word for breakfast is asagohan, which translates to "morning rice". A traditional breakfast usually consists of a bowl of rice and miso soup (this soup is prepared by combining miso, or soyabean paste, with water, tofu, sesame oil and green onions). According to legend, miso is god's gift to good health and happiness. Additional dishes include nori (seaweed), raw egg and natto (fermented soyabean mixed with mustard and soya sauce).

A typical meal comprises a bowl of rice or gohan, miso soup, pickled vegetables and meats or seafood. While rice is the staple food, several types of noodles (udon, soba and ramen) are also quite popular for light meals.

Main ingredients

Rice: The sticky, short-grained variety is the central point of a Japanese meal. It is cooked with red beans, vegetables and seafood to make a mouth-watering main course. It is also used to make mochi (rice cakes) and senbei (rice crackers). Onigiri (rice balls) stuffed with seafood or vegetables and wrapped in dried seaweed is a relishable delicacy.

Noodles (udon, soba and ramen): Udon noodles are made from wheat flour. These are served in a hot broth during winter and cold broth during summer. The noodles are topped with ingredients such as raw egg and deep-fried tofu (soyabean curd). Soba, or buckwheat noodles, are thinner and darker in colour. They are usually served cold with a dipping sauce, sliced green onions and wasabi (Japanese horseradish). Ramen are thin egg noodles, which are served in a hot broth flavoured with soya sauce or miso. Ramen are topped with meats, sprouts, sweet corn and melted butter.

Soy products: The humble soyabean (daizu) is used to make a variety of foods and flavourings. Soyabean and rice are used to make miso — a paste that is also used to marinate fish. Tofu is soyabean curd and a popular source of protein for vegetarians. Natto is one of the healthiest forms of soy and is served with chopped onions, raw eggs and rice.

Sashimi and sushi: Sashimi consists of thin slices of raw fish served with wasabi and soya sauce. Sushi, the most famous dish in the world, is served on rice soaked in vinegar and includes seafood, vegetables and eggs. The best-known sushi is nigiri. Another form of this delicacy is norimaki, or sushi roll, in which the filling is rolled in rice with a nori (seaweed) covering.

Tempura: Seafood or vegetables dipped in a batter, deep-fried and served with a dipping sauce is what this dish is about.

Sukiyaki: This is a savoury stew of beef and vegetables, served with a bowl of beaten raw egg. The vegetables usually are green onions, shiitake mushrooms and chrysanthemum leaves with tofu and gelatinous noodles.

Yakitori: Yakitori means broiled chicken. Various cuts of chicken, including heart, liver and cartilage, are cooked on skewers over a charcoal grill. They are flavoured using either a tangy sauce or plain salt.

Cooking Japanese cuisine is impossible without shoyu (soya sauce), miso and wasabi. These are available at the Asian supermarkets in Karama in Dubai.

— Sana Zarrar Paloba is a UAE-based culinary writer