Browse Techniques

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (広島お好み焼き) is the distinct Hiroshima preparation of the Japanese savoury pancake — structurally different from Osaka's mixed-batter style in that it is built in layers on the teppan (iron griddle) rather than mixed beforehand. The sequence: a thin crepe of batter is laid down first; then a generous mound of shredded cabbage and bean sprouts are piled on top; then thinly sliced pork belly is draped over; then soba (or udon) noodles are fried separately on the griddle surface and added as a structural layer; finally an egg is cracked and spread on the griddle, and the whole construction is flipped onto it to cook. The Hiroshima version is denser, taller, and more substantial than Osaka's style — filling in a way the Osaka version is not.

The izakaya (居酒屋, 'stay-sake-shop') is Japan's pub — a drinking establishment serving food designed to accompany alcoholic beverages, typically ordering multiple small dishes over an extended evening. The izakaya food canon represents one of Japanese cuisine's broadest and most practically accessible culinary traditions: the dishes are designed to be flavourful, satisfying, and complementary to beer, sake, shochu, and highball. The canonical izakaya menu items beyond what's covered individually: monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き, Tokyo's liquid batter pancake, scraped from the teppan with a small metal spatula), tamagoyaki (both styles), karaage (唐揚げ, Japanese fried chicken), edamame, hiyayakko (cold tofu), yakitori variations (chicken thigh, skin, liver, tsukune, negima), oden in winter, nabe in cold months, and the specific izakaya drinking progression.

Gyoza—Japan's version of the Chinese jiaozi dumpling—represents one of the most complete cultural transformations of an imported dish in food history. Chinese jiaozi, brought to Japan most significantly by repatriated soldiers and settlers returning from Manchuria after World War II, were adapted through a consistent set of Japanese modifications that created a genuinely distinct dish within two generations. The key differences: gyoza use a thinner, more delicate wrapper (compared to the thicker, chewier jiaozi skin); the filling is seasoned with garlic, ginger, cabbage, and pork but typically with a more restrained, less garlicky hand than Chinese versions; and the cooking method is almost universally yaki-gyoza (pan-fried)—Japanese gyoza are browned on one side, then water is added and the lid placed to steam-cook the top, producing a distinctive crispy-bottom, tender-top result that differs from Chinese boiled (shuijiao) or steamed (zhēngjiǎo) traditions. The 'wings' (羽根, hane)—a lacy, crisp skirt of starch from the water-starch mixture added at the end of cooking—is a Japanese innovation not found in Chinese versions. Japan's gyoza culture intensified into specific cities: Utsunomiya (Tochigi Prefecture) and Hamamatsu (Shizuoka) compete fiercely for the title of Japan's 'gyoza capital,' with both cities producing distinct local styles—Utsunomiya's gyoza tends toward larger, more heavily garlicked versions; Hamamatsu adds bean sprouts to the filling and serves them in a ring arrangement with a pickled vegetable in the centre.

Kurobuta (literally 'black pig') is the Japanese name for the Berkshire heritage breed of pig, imported from England in the Meiji era and now considered Japan's most prized pork variety. Developed through careful selective breeding specifically in Kagoshima Prefecture (where it is known as Satsuma Berkshire), kurobuta pork has characteristics that set it apart from standard commercial pork: a higher intramuscular fat content (comparable in concept to wagyu marbling), a distinctive cherry-red meat colour, a significantly longer fibre length (creating more satisfying chew), and a flavour described as nutty, sweet, and deeply savoury—the pork equivalent of wagyu's fat profile. The superior eating quality of kurobuta comes from the breed's genetic predisposition to store intramuscular fat rather than subcutaneous fat, combined with traditional farming practices that include longer raising periods (220+ days versus 180 days for commercial breeds) and specific feed programmes. Kagoshima Prefecture's Satsuma Berkshire certification is Japan's most recognised kurobuta appellation, though Okinawan Agu pig (another heritage breed) has emerged as a rival premium pork with a distinct flavour profile emphasising sweetness and extremely high fat content. In Japanese culinary contexts, kurobuta appears in premium tonkatsu, where the breed's flavour withstands the breading and frying process and delivers a result impossible with commodity pork, and in shabu-shabu preparations where the marbling renders delicately into the hot dashi.

Okonomiyaki—the 'as-you-like-it pancake'—is one of Japan's most beloved comfort foods and the site of one of its most passionate regional identity debates: the distinction between Osaka-style (Kansai-style) and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki represents a genuine culinary divide with historical, technical, and emotional dimensions. Osaka-style (also called Kansai or maze-yaki) integrates all ingredients—finely shredded cabbage, batter (flour, dashi, eggs, grated nagaimo yam), and proteins (pork belly, shrimp, octopus, mochi)—into a thick, unified pancake cooked on the teppan (iron griddle). The nagaimo (mountain yam) is the key ingredient that gives the Osaka-style its characteristic fluffy, airy interior—its mucinous carbohydrates create a unique lightness impossible with plain flour. Hiroshima-style (also called layered-style or Hiroshima-yaki) is a distinct construction: thin crepe of plain batter first, then a mountain of raw shredded cabbage placed on top, followed by bean sprouts, pork belly, optional noodles (yakisoba or udon), and finally an egg broken and cooked separately that serves as a base plate when the entire stack is flipped. The Hiroshima method builds layers rather than mixing—the result is a more substantial, texturally complex preparation with a clear visual architecture of distinct layers in cross-section. The sauces—otafuku or bulldog sauce applied in a swirl on top—and the dried bonito flake/aonori garnish are shared elements. The two styles are objects of genuine civic pride: no Hiroshima restaurant would serve Osaka-style, and vice versa.

Kare raisu (カレーライス, 'curry rice') is one of Japan's most popular everyday foods — a thick, mildly spiced sauce of onion, carrot, potato, and meat (typically beef, pork, or chicken) served over white rice, developed from British Raj-influenced curry during the Meiji period when the Japanese navy adopted the British naval diet. Japanese curry is not Indian curry, nor British curry, nor Thai curry — it is its own category: sweeter, thicker, less aromatic, and fundamentally different in spice profile from any source tradition. The standard Japanese curry uses a roux-based sauce thickened with curry powder and S&B or House brand curry roux blocks; fine restaurants make their own roux from scratch. The cult of Japanese curry is enormous — there are curry specialists (karē-ya) in every Japanese city with decades of dedicated development.

Kushikatsu (串カツ) is the Osaka street food and izakaya staple — skewered ingredients (meat, seafood, vegetables) individually battered with a light panko coating and deep-fried in oil maintained between 170–180°C, served with a communal tsuyu dipping sauce (a thick Worcester-style sauce) and fresh cabbage leaves for refreshing the palate between skewers. The Osaka kushikatsu district (Shinsekai, 新世界) has maintained the tradition since the 1920s; its most famous rule is 'double dipping prohibited' (二度漬け禁止, nido-tsuke kinshi) — once a skewer has been dipped, it cannot be returned to the shared sauce pot. The batter is distinctively lighter than tonkatsu — thinner egg-flour dip followed by fine domestic panko rather than coarse American-style panko.

Nishiki Market (錦市場, 'Nishiki Ichiba') in central Kyoto, operating along a narrow 400-metre covered arcade through Nakagyo ward, is Japan's most famous market street dedicated to fresh food and prepared foods, earning the description 'Kyoto's Kitchen' (Kyoto no daidokoro). Operating since the Heian period as a wholesale fish market, Nishiki evolved into the retail and specialty food destination for both Kyoto residents and culinary tourism, with approximately 130 shops along the arcade selling: fresh tofu and yudofu preparations, Kyoto-style pickles (Nishiki-zuke, Shibazuke, Senmaizuke), fresh fu (wheat gluten cakes), konbu products, dashi materials, wagashi, seafood, and prepared foods for immediate consumption (hashimaki crepes, octopus skewers). The Kyoto food culture Nishiki represents is one of extreme refinement: Kyo-yasai (Kyoto vegetables), including Kujo negi, Manganji togarashi pepper, Kamo nasu eggplant, and Shogoin daikon, are sourced directly from surrounding farming families. Kyoto's cuisine was historically driven by the court (gosei ryori) and temple (shojin ryori) traditions, and Nishiki's product range reflects this heritage: fu products in elaborate seasonal forms, kombu products for dashi, premium pickles, and wagashi of extraordinary delicacy. In contrast, depachika (デパ地下, department store basements) represent Japan's other great food retail phenomenon — vast underground food halls in major cities where every major food brand and regional specialty is available, staffed by specialists who sample aggressively and advise customers. Isetan Shinjuku, Mitsukoshi Ginza, and Takashimaya Osaka depachika are considered the summit of Japanese food retail.

Takoyaki (たこ焼き, 'octopus grill') are spherical snacks of wheat-flour batter filled with a piece of octopus (tako), green onion, tenkasu (tempura scraps), pickled ginger, and sometimes cheese, cooked in a hemispherical mould griddle (takoyaki-ki) until the exterior is crispy and the interior is custard-soft. They are Osaka's most iconic street food — sold from yatai (street stalls) throughout Dotonbori and available at every Japanese matsuri. The technique requires a specific rolling skill: the takoyaki must be turned 90° multiple times during cooking using metal picks or chopsticks to build up the characteristic round shape as fresh batter flows under the partially-set ball. Fully cooked takoyaki should be crispy outside, almost liquid-custard inside, and served covered in takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, aonori, and katsuobushi.

Tonkatsu (とんかつ, 'pork cutlet') is Japan's most beloved yoshoku (Western-influenced) preparation — a pork loin (rosu-katsu, ロースカツ) or pork fillet (hire-katsu, ヒレカツ) coated in a three-stage breading (flour → egg → panko) and deep-fried in oil at 160–170°C until the panko crust is golden and the interior is juicy and fully cooked. The defining innovation: Japanese panko (パン粉), a dry, flake-form breadcrumb made from crustless white bread processed while still partially frozen — the irregular flake structure creates significantly more surface area than conventional breadcrumbs, producing a dramatically crispier, lighter crust that retains crispness longer. Tonkatsu is served with finely shredded raw cabbage, rice, miso soup, and tonkatsu sauce (a thick Worcester-derivative).