Aside from the well-known sushi and other colorful dishes that the Japanese created, their cuisine still has some dishes that may sound weird to us but in fact very beneficial to our health.
When people hear about these dishes, they may feel discomfort and maybe a little nauseating but these dishes actually contain multiple nutrition values. These dishes are examples of the saying: “Don’t judge the book by its cover”. Today, together with Illume-eMag, we will discover weird but nutritious dishes from Japan.
Ochazuke Rice & Green Tea Ochazuke
Ochazuke – A strange but very popular rice and tea dish. With a simple method, just put white rice in a bowl, then pour green tea over it and enjoy. This dish represents the rustic, simple and simple of the Japanese people. However, as society develops more and more people pay attention to the aesthetics of dishes. Ochazuke has been modified with more toppings such as tuna, bacon and some seaweed. Ochazuke has been around since the Heian period in the 17th century and has become a popular Japanese dish. The reason this unique dish is loved by the Japanese is due to its convenience in processing.
Shirouo no Odorigui
Shirouo no Odorigui means “dancing fish”. Listening to this, surely everyone can partly guess the strange Japanese dish that Han River is about to introduce, right! The dish presented to you is a small bowl filled with small swimming shirouo fish. Restaurants often add a little vinegar to the bowl to stimulate the fish to “dance” more. You will then use a spoon and eat this unique dish directly. Then you will feel the fish waving in the mouth extremely interesting. Shirouo no Odorigui is the challenge of many foreign visitors when traveling to Japan. If you have the opportunity, please overcome yourself to enjoy this unique and sweet raw fish dish!
Basashi Raw Horse Meat
Japanese cuisine is famous for raw dishes like Sashimi. If you have had a chance to enjoy Sashimi, then this Basashi raw horse meat dish will make you excited. For some foreign visitors this is scary. However, Basashi is a famous dish in Japan from Kumamoto Prefecture. They are often used as snacks when drinking. Raw horse meat is often divided into several types: high fat, lean or medium fat and lean. The meat is sweet, has no unpleasant smell and is very easy to eat because it has been sliced ​​extremely thin. You will serve them with onions, garlic, ginger, wasabi and shoyu soy sauce.
Shiokara Fermented Salted Seafood
Fermented foods have become familiar dishes for many Asian countries such as Korean kimchi and Vietnam’s fish sauce and pickles. Japanese cuisine is also present, with dishes taken from the country’s main ingredient, seafood. Shiokara was voted as a Japanese dish with a very scary scent, just smelling it made many people run away. That scent comes from the long fermentation of the seafood. Seafood is inherently fishy. Along with that, mixing seafood and offal and fermentation time is about 1 month. So the smell of this dish becomes extremely foul and strong. However, this is a nutritious dish that contains many vitamins, minerals and protein. They reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Therefore, this dish is very popular in Japan.
Shirako Fish Testicles
The first Japanese dish to hear the name that scared people – fish testicles or Shirako. The testicles of the freshest fish are taken as soon as they are caught. Some specific types of fish are taken from the testicles to make Shirako such as puffer, cod or salmon. Shirako is also known as a Japanese dish that is loved by men. Because they contain high nutritional value, suitable for men. However, the price of fish testicles is extremely expensive because of its scarcity and difficult processing. The selection and removal of testicles from fresh fish is a process that requires understanding and meticulousness. This is also one of the factors that make the price of this Japanese dish soar.