JAPANESE CUISINE

JAPANESE DISHES SERVED COLD. UNIQUE IDEAS

Japanese dishes can be eaten in many forms and served in various ways. Dishes from the Land of the Rising Sun can be served both hot and cold. Served cold, popular dishes can act both as the main course and as snacks.

Japanese dishes served cold

The most popular dish served cold is a meal which you can have in almost any restaurant which offers Japanese cuisine. The dish in question is of course the timeless and universal sushi – a combination of rice, seafood and vegetables, wrapped in seaweed or served separately. Sushi is usually served with soy sauce, wasabi (Japanese spicy horseradish) and ground ginger. Yakisoba is another dish which can be eaten both hot and cold. It consists of fried noodles served with meat, vegetables and soy or sesame sauce. Vegetarian versions of the dish are also a popular variant.

Various ways of serving

Pieces of vegetables or meat fried in tempura are yet another popular Japanese dish which can be served both hot and cold. The delicate, deep-fried batter can also be consumed after it cools. Tempura can therefore serve as a unique snack when served cold. Udon and ramen, both Japanese cuisine classics, can also be served cold. Ramen is a meat stock-based soup with Japanese noodles, meat and vegetables. Served properly, it will taste equally as well cold as when served hot. The same goes for udon noodles – thick Japanese noodles which are served both as a separate dish, e.g. in sesame sauce, or in a cold, meat stock-based soup.

Japanese cold-served snacks

There are also a number of Japanese side dishes and starters which can be served cold. Take onigiri, for example – small rice balls which come in different shapes, stuffed with umeboshi – Japanese apricots, shrimp, roe or other seafood, or other salty stuffings. Gyoza dumplings are also an option – stuffed with meat or vegetables, they taste equally as well cold as when served hot. They are usually served with soy sauce. Light Japanese salads are also a popular cold starter. The most popular salads from the Land of the Rising Sun include salads with fish, noodles, surimi (ground fish), seaweed (hijiki), or the popular cucumber salad (sunomono). Seafood served separately also makes for perfect starters (e.g. scallops).

Delicacies from the Land of the Rising Sun

Japanese cuisine has fans all over the world. It will satisfy even the most demanding of palates, even those with cold dishes on their minds. It is important to remember that Japanese cuisine is not just sushi, but also many other traditional dishes which can be served both hot and cold.

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