Japanese Food: English Vocabulary List

a dish of small rolls or balls of cold cooked rice flavored with vinegar and garnished with raw fish or vegetables, originated in Japan

"I love eating fresh salmon sushi."

"Sushi must be made with extremely fresh fish because it is eaten completely raw."

a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced raw fish or seafood that is typically served with soy sauce and wasabi

"Sashimi is raw fish."

"Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish served without rice usually with soy sauce and wasabi."

a Japanese savory pancake made with a variety of ingredients such as cabbage, flour, eggs, and meat or seafood

"Okonomiyaki is savory cabbage pancake."

"Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake made with cabbage and various ingredients."

a traditional Japanese soup made with fermented soybean paste (miso) as the base

"Miso soup has fermented soybean paste."

"Light soup made from fermented soybean paste and dashi broth is served with most Japanese meals."

a Japanese dish made of skewered and grilled chicken, often marinated in a savory sauce

"Yakitori is grilled skewers."

"We stopped at a small street vendor in Tokyo and ordered several sticks of yakitori grilled over hot charcoal."

a type of thick Japanese wheat noodle, often served in a mild soy-based broth

"Udon is thick wheat noodle."

"On cold winter evenings, nothing beats a steaming bowl of udon with thick noodles floating in a rich soy-based broth."

a type of Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, often served chilled with a dipping sauce

"Soba is buckwheat noodle."

"During the hot summer months, I prefer eating chilled soba noodles with a refreshing dipping sauce on the side."

a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced beef and onions cooked in a sweet and savory sauce

"Gyudon has beef onion rice."

"After a long day at work, I treated myself to a comforting bowl of gyudon topped with tender beef slices."

a Japanese dish made of grilled freshwater eel, typically served over rice and glazed with a sweet and savory sauce

"Unagi is freshwater eel."

"The chef carefully grilled the unagi over charcoal and drizzled it with a sweet sauce before serving it over rice."

a popular Japanese street food made of batter filled with diced octopus, cooked in a special takoyaki pan to create crispy balls

"Takoyaki has octopus filling."

"While walking through Osaka, I bought a box of takoyaki from a street vendor and enjoyed every crispy bite."

a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of cooked rice topped with various ingredients

"Donburi is rice bowl."

"Donburi is a Japanese rice bowl dish topped with meat vegetables or seafood."

a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans that are known for their strong flavor, slimy texture, and distinct aroma

"Natto is fermented soybean."

"Although natto has a strong smell and slimy texture, many Japanese people eat it every morning for breakfast."

a Japanese rolled omelet made with eggs, sugar, and soy sauce and sliced into small, rectangular pieces

"I love tamagoyaki."

"The bento box included a perfectly sliced piece of tamagoyaki for lunch."

a Japanese dish made of breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets, usually served with rice, cabbage, and a tangy sauce

"This tonkatsu is delicious."

"We ordered a crispy tonkatsu set meal with shredded cabbage and rice."

a Japanese hot pot dish, typically made with beef, vegetables, tofu, and a sweet-savory sauce

"Let's eat sukiyaki."

"The sukiyaki simmered in the pot, filling the air with its sweet and savory aroma."

a Japanese dish consisting of meat (usually beef) and potatoes stewed in a sweet soy-based sauce

"Mom made nikujaga."

"Nikujaga is a comforting Japanese stew of tender beef and potatoes."

a traditional Japanese multi-course meal that showcases seasonal and regional ingredients

"We had kaiseki."

"The kaiseki dinner was an exquisite journey through Japan's finest seasonal ingredients."

young soybeans still in their pods that are boiled or steamed and often served as a healthy and tasty snack

"I want edamame."

"Steamed edamame pods are a perfect, healthy appetizer to share with friends."

a popular Japanese stir-fried noodle dish typically made with thin wheat noodles, meat (usually pork), and vegetables

"Yakisoba is tasty."

"The street vendor served up a steaming plate of savory yakisoba with pork and vegetables."

traditional Japanese confections made from plant-based ingredients, typically enjoyed with tea

"These wagashi are sweet."

"Delicate wagashi, shaped like flowers, are often served with green tea."

a popular Japanese dish where bite-sized pieces of meat are grilled at the table and enjoyed with various dipping sauces

"We ate yakiniku."

"Grilling marinated beef at the table is the fun of yakiniku."

a traditional Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice that is pounded into a sticky and chewy texture

"This mochi is chewy."

"The sweet mochi, filled with red bean paste, had a delightfully chewy texture."

Japanese dumplings typically filled with ground meat and vegetables, wrapped in a thin dough, and pan-fried

"I like gyoza."

"Crispy pan-fried gyoza are a delicious appetizer with a savory filling."

a Japanese hot pot dish where thinly sliced meat and vegetables are cooked by briefly swishing them in a boiling broth

"We tried shabu-shabu."

"Thin slices of beef are quickly cooked in boiling broth for shabu-shabu."

a dish of meat or fish marinated in soy sauce and then grilled, originated in Japan

"Chicken teriyaki is good."

"The glazed chicken teriyaki had a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors."

a Japanese one-pot dish where various ingredients are simmered together in a flavorful broth

"This nabemono is warm."

"A hearty nabemono is perfect for a cold winter evening with family."

a Japanese dish consisting of simmered ingredients, usually meat, fish, or vegetables, in a seasoned broth

"Fish nimono is nice."

"The tender fish nimono absorbed the rich flavors of the seasoned broth."

a Japanese dish made of breaded and deep-fried meat and/or vegetable croquettes

"I want korokke."

"The crispy exterior of the korokke gave way to a creamy potato filling."

a type of Japanese fried food, usually made with seafood or vegetables that are coated in a light batter and deep-fried

"Shrimp tempura is great."

"Lightly battered shrimp and vegetables are deep-fried to perfection for tempura."