Japanese cuisine

Japanese cuisine is very different from any other cuisine in the world. For residents of Asian countries it is the same thing that the French for Europeans. Its secret lies in careful selection of products, beauty supply, and also in relation to the product in General. Only the best gifts of the earth and water worthy of the honor to be on the table, and the main task of the cook is to maintain their original properties. The basic rule of Japanese cooking does not make, and find and open. Nobody will be able to compete with what is created by nature itself. Any excess in relation to the nature of the product akin to barbarism.Serving, seasonality, servings. An important part of Japanese cooking is the art of serving. It is not surprising that Japanese cuisine is sometimes referred to as a toy for adults: Japanese "eats" eyes, because it is very important to the design of the courses. From here came the idea that nowhere in the world's eyes do not accept such participation in the food, as here. Perhaps it's a tradition from the past, when the elegance and beauty of the design was up a modest set of products.

In Japanese cuisine, there is another unique feature. Besides the beauty and harmony of forms and colours, dishes necessarily reflect the time of year. According to them each season gives their own delicacies. The correspondence of the season, and the freshness of the product, valued in Japan is higher than the actual cooking. It is not surprising, therefore, that in the Golden autumn season, you can make the soup with slices of carrots, cut in the shape of maple leaves, and a spring dish will remind you of the cherry blossoms outside the window.

Great importance is attached to and the amount on the table eating. Unlike Russian very tasty, but "heavy" cuisine with a decent portion size, all serving Japanese dishes meted out to avoid satiety. The main consideration when planning the menu on diversity as "the source material" and ways of cooking. The Japanese like it when the meal consists of a large number of small dishes of different taste, so Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is being heralded as if tasting a variety of foods to taste. Classic Japanese meal aristocrats consisted of 15-20 small dishes of change.

By the way, another feature of Japanese cuisine: as the size of the edible marine animals are usually small, there is no concept "main dish". In addition, there is no division changes - first, second, soup or hot and cold dishes. Is the beginning of the meal, the middle, end. Lunch you can start with any dish, but that green tea accompanies lunch always.

Fish and seafood. Japan is an island country, washed by the warm waters of the sea of Japan Kuroshio. The space inhabited by a variety of fish, crustaceans and molluscs. It is therefore not surprising that the second most important nutrient is the Japanese fish and seafood. Today, the Japanese eat 1/6 of all mined in the world of seafood. Add to this a favorite addition to fish dishes as algae and sea grass.

The Japanese are known for more than 10 thousand species of marine animals, most of which are edible. Fish and other seafood is not accepted to fry, they are usually only lightly fried, stewed, steamed or served almost raw. A popular Japanese dish festive table - raw fish, and it is one of its kind that is most delicious at this time of year or just in the local area.

With this method of cooking these dishes are easily digested and retain much of their nutritional and taste qualities. A popular method of disinfection of fish soaking in vinegar.

Probably the most popular dish in Japan - sashimi - sliced into small pieces of raw fish. To enhance the natural taste, sasami supposed to be dipped in a mixture of soy sauce diluted therein Japanese horseradish - wasabi. Another dish, the popularity of which has long gone outside of Japan - sushi (sushi). Homeland love for him was due to the pleasant taste and price.

Sometimes fish and seafood are used not only in raw form, but alive. Are the dishes "Odori". For example, cooked squid or dish with the romantic name "dancing perch". The cooking process is that perch scalded with boiling water, pour sauce, immediately cut into pieces and sent to the mouth, although at this time the fish has a tail and moves his lips.

The Blowfish But there is in Japanese cuisine and a very special delicacy-fukusaki - dish of fugu fish. Fukusaki is very beautiful and has a very unique taste to the dish. It is made from small fish (Blowfish, diodon or fachak). Pearl slices puffer fish, fried or raw, stacked petals on a round dish and eat, dipping the slices in the mixture ponzu (vinegar sauce), asazuke (crumbling onion resanta), Momiji-oroshi (grated daikon radish and red pepper. The dish is served in cups of tea, Tawan with lid, where in sake for 1-2 minutes dipped toasted on the grill until charring the edges of the fins puffer fish (fugu-hiri). To fukusaki also served fugu-sosui soup broth boiled fugu fish, rice, and raw eggs.

Every year in Japan eaten more than 1.5 thousand tons of Fugue. Archaeological excavations scientists have shown that even a few millennia BC, the inhabitants of the Japanese Islands ate insidious poison globular spiny puffer fish. In muscle, liver and ROE fish contains poison nerve, which is 25 times the power of curare and 275 times more toxic than cyanide - tetrodotoxin. Lethal dose for humans is only 1 mm tetrodotoxin; one fish poison enough to kill 30-40 people. Moreover, an effective antidote to the poison puffer still does not exist. By the way, the main components "powder zombies" - dried and estarta in powder puffer fish.

Even now cooks preparing this highly delicate and expensive dish (from 250 to 750 dollars per kilogram), graduate from a special school to get a license to open a specialized restaurant. Write that in case of client's death from poisoning the cook makes a Hara-Kiri.

Preparation of fugu is as follows: quick hits "Choco" sharp and thin knife chef separates the fins, cuts mouthparts and reveals the belly puffer. Then he carefully removed the poisonous part of the liver, ovaries, kidneys, eyes, skin - it is no less poisonous, and cut the fillets thin pieces (plates should be no thicker than paper). Further, all meat should be rinsed thoroughly under running water to remove the slightest traces of blood and poison. The thus prepared fillet chef has the fillets in the dish, creating a picture of the landscape, the image of a butterfly, or the image of a flying crane with spread wings and outstretched neck.

Aerobatics in the preparation of food to leave poison, enough to cause visitors of the restaurant is a pleasant feeling of narcotic euphoria. Sometimes after tasting Fugue some gourmets comes complete paralysis, which can easily be followed by respiratory arrest, coma and death.

To eat and to cook fugu tantamount to playing Russian roulette: enough during butchering, and preparation to shed at least a modicum its poisonous bile, death will come instantly. Evidence statistical evidence that in the period from 1886 to 1979, more than 12.5 thousand people suffered from eating fugu, and almost 7 thousand of them died. A sad record became famous in 1947, when the number of deaths reached 470. Only in 1994 was poisoned 2H lover of this dangerous food, however, died only one.

But despite this, the Japanese proverb says: "He who eats fugu is a fool, but he who does not eat too". To die from poison puffer fish is decent for Japan death.

Rice for health. One of the oldest names in Japan - "Land of rice stalks". And this is not surprising, as it is to cultivate this culture began about 2500 years ago, and it is from this period and actually born Japanese cuisine, the main component of which was and remains "gohan" (Fig). Of the 700 known in the world rice varieties in Japan are grown 44. "Japanese rice" (the common name of several varieties) has high adhesion for cooking. This rice when cooking sleeplees in the pieces that are easy using the Hasi.

The Japanese eat rice two or three times a day and usually without the spice, but the portions, however, are traditionally small. However, they firmly believe that the Fig preserves health. Indeed, according to statistics cardiovascular disease in the Japanese suffer less than Westerners.

Rice is the main component of which is preparing a Japanese beer, sake, Setu. Old sake (at a speed of several tens of years and the fortress around 16-18�) resembles the taste of a good sherry. But Seto is quite strong rice vodka, not so refined in taste as sake.

Meat and dairy products. The belief that the Japanese are strict vegetarians wrong. Under the influence of the traditions of Chinese cooking Japanese cuisine is met dishes as beef and pork, however, in fairness it should be noted that their popularity was small. According to some survived to our times literary sources, the smell of pork and beef even caused some people to faint. Slightly better was the case with dairy products, especially cheese. The number of dishes from beef and pork have increased significantly in the late 19th century, when the country began to penetrate more and more Europeans, however, and then these dishes often used as a treat than an everyday food.

In modern Japanese cuisine especially popular among the Japanese and Europeans are a few meat dishes. For example, "the nab", "Sukiyaki", "shabu-shabu" or "shabu shabu-" named for the sounds, which publishes dushasana in meat sauce. For this dish the finest meat slices cooked in boiling broth or oil with algae, add miso, onion, carrot, celery, vegetables, and sake. To complement and enhance the taste of the dish, it is served with soy and raw egg.

Many restaurants prepare delicious Japanese yakitori skewers of small, strung on short skewers pieces of chicken and vegetables, or katsudon - chopped pork cutlet filled with egg.

Many have heard of the dish, which is considered the pearl of Japanese cooking - marbled meat Koba-Gyu, cooked before your eyes on the table-the roaster Teppanyaki standing next to the dining table. The meat is so gentle on the taste that just melts in your mouth. The secret dishes not in the way of cooking, and the meat quality. Breeders Kobe bulls graze on the pristine meadows, fed the choicest food, drink spring water, and beer, and every day make electromassage. So the bulls are not overworked, they hung in the bassinet and give good music. In the meat gets a nice intricate marble pattern of veins.

Of marble meat is cooked dish Sukiyaki, with a history spanning 150 years. For cooking bonfire near the house and grilled meat on a special shovel (in Japanese- "bitches"), and any hot Japanese have called "yaki". Thus arose the name of this dish. In restaurants you can often find Sukiyaki, nabe - marbled meat cooked with soy cheese, vegetables, noodles and raw egg. For this dish the chef only prepares components, and guests are cooked thin slices of beef in a pan with water or a mild broth. Ready slices of meat dipped in a small Cup with whipped raw egg. While all eat, cook as needed adds to the sauce and various spices. If it tastes too sharp, it adds more sake or water.

Daikon Vegetables. Of Chinese cooking Japanese cuisine borrowed dishes of beans and soybeans. Especially popular tofu - bean cheese, consisting mainly of soy protein (similar to cottage cheese, and soy-bean sauce say that the Japanese drink with all that goes on the table. Saw made from a blend of fermented soy beans and wheat, and the fermentation process takes about two years.

Mandatory part of Japanese food are vegetables. They are present in the dish not only all possible types, colours and flavours, but also for aesthetic reasons. There are several types of onions, from the Golden round tamanegi to white narrow and long bow hoonage, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, lettuce, horseradish wasabi, bamboo, Lotus, batatinha other. There are also many kinds of radish and radish (for example, white daikon radish), which give the dish a spicy taste and desired colors. Widely used as a seasoning, as well as for soups and other dishes of salted and pickled vegetables, pickled radish, pickled garlic and pickled cucumbers.

The main methods of cooking

All dishes are prepared fried, grilled or fried, in Japanese called the same - "roasted on the fire". Japanese chefs love to cook in the grill, prepared as it serves attractive and appetizing, and also the products it does not require special training, and sauces and condiments are served on the table. In the grill all cook quickly over high heat, and therefore external, i.e. beautiful side, for example fish, it turns out crispy, and the inside remains soft and juicy, while maintaining the flavor of the product. Roasted in the grill, decorated on the plate of different vegetables in the appropriate colours, it looks as if in his element. In fried or grilled over an open fire, type our grill, or on a closed - in electroacoust. Still the Japanese love to cook at home on an open fire (gas or electrophoretic), and absolutely no worries incredible Chad, spreading throughout the apartment and even penetrating to the neighbors why any foreigner would have come to dread.

Taste fried foods largely depends on how they are prepared: in breadcrumbs, flour or dough, and the number and quality of oil and the correct temperature. When frying in the pan used vegetable oil, but not olive, which the Japanese seem too European taste. For the preparation of dishes such as tempura apply a special blend of vegetable oils that are not moutput at high temperatures. Economical Japanese women use the same oil 3-4 times. After frying his well-filtered and stored in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic bowl in a few weeks. About as many times used oil is judged by its purity and transparency - it should be bright. To remove odor from already used oils in it fry a few slices of potato, which absorbs unpleasant taste. From the same oil you can mix and fresh in the ratio of 3:1.

When frying in a pan heat little oil and shaking it so that it is evenly spread. The oil is heated until the bottom of the pan will not strip. After a minute or two in it lower wooden spoon and check that no bubbles do it. When frying such as pork chops, rolled in breadcrumbs, pre-oil throw crumbs of crackers in the egg with the flour, to determine its readiness. If the temperature is too low, then crumbs soaked it and will drown if too high the oil will hissing, and crumbs will instantly burn out. At the optimum temperature of the oil will hissing, and crumbs will remain on the surface in a light foam. For meat products, rolled in flour or starch, the temperature of the oil is determined differently: it throw a pinch of flour or starch. If the temperature is low, the flour will begin to move over the surface of the oil; if too high, the oil will smoke, and the flour will start to foam and hiss, algora on the edges of the pan. If flour hisses at the same place where it was thrown, but does not burn oil at the right temperature. This frying takes a little time.

For longer cooking should reduce the heat, add the sauce and close the lid for a few minutes, then open and continue to cook until it boils away all the liquid. To preserve the aroma and taste of the meat and vegetables of their fry, stirring constantly. In this case, all products are cut the same pieces so they are ready at the same time.

When cooking in a pan meat or fish for the most part, pre-marinated in various sauces or sprinkled them in the process of frying. Glazed crust appears, if before the end of cooking add the sweet soy sauce.

For frying in hot oil, use a deep heavy pan or deep fryer. To determine the readiness it can be cast, for example, a piece of batter. At low temperature the dough will sink to the bottom and remain there, while a high will hissing, will darken, but the inside remains raw. If the oil has reached the desired temperature, the batter will sink to the bottom, then rises to the surface and swells. This frying products, rolled in breadcrumbs, flour or starch, pre-poured some sauce.

The so-called dry frying, i.e., without oil, used mostly for frying sesame seeds and seaweed. Fry them in a heavy skillet, constantly shaking her, not more than one minute. Sesame grain, light or dark, in General, are widely used in Japanese cooking. If the recipe is not specifically limited, what to use, I have always bright. Store them in the dish with a glass cover in a dry place at room temperature. Roasted sesame grains have a very strong and pleasant smell. Sesame doing fragrant oil.

Tender, juicy and flavorful stews occupy a worthy place in Japanese cuisine. In one case, vegetables, meat and seafood at first lightly fried and then stewed in another stew from the very beginning on low heat. Liquid for extinguishing prepared from Dasi vodka, wine, sugar, salt, miso, and various seasonings. When braising broth in which prepared foods should boil away. At the last moment give a strong fire to the products covered by glaze.

Very close to braised dishes, steamed, which retain more nutrients and natural taste of the product than with other cooking methods. The principle of steam, the same everywhere, but the main thing is that the products are not in contact with the water, and the steam circulate in the pan.

Some basic components
One peculiar feature of Japanese cooking is the broth Dasi, serves as a base for many dishes and soups. It is good Dasi - the key to understanding the mysteries of Japanese cuisine. There are three main types, based on the seaweed - kombu. First, the easiest option is water and kombu. This broth is clear, without a trace of oil or fat, tastes like sea water. Plate seaweed length of 10-15 cm wipe with a damp cloth, do not wash, not to lose the flavor, soak it in four cups of water and leave for 1 hour, then cook on medium heat, without closing the lid; as soon as the water boils, cabbage immediately removed. The second option - Dasi with dried fish flakes, katsuobushi. Once removed seaweed, add (10-15 g) in the broth just for a few seconds that there was a strong fish smell; then turn off the heat and throw a pinch of salt; the flakes settle to the bottom and broth infused. Just to make it, it takes no more than 10 minutes. In the third embodiment, katsuobushi replace dried sardines (10 pieces), which give the broth a strong fishy odor. Such Dasi is used mostly for cooking miso soup, as discussed below. Fish is cleaned, separated head and soak for 2-3 hours, then lightly boil and allow to infuse. Seaweed gives the broth a sweetish taste, and flakes of katsuobushi or sardine - the aroma of the sea. Before use, all types of broth is filtered. Dasi simple to prepare, but, as in all cooking, requires attention to detail.

For such broths exist and dry mixes, what is now called fast food. In this case, the powder poured in boiling water and insist. Instead of water you can use the liquid in which it was soaked dried mushrooms.

Used in Japanese cooking and chicken broth. It is prepared from necks, wings, legs. They lay in a saucepan with water, add slices of fresh ginger, 2-3 pen chopped leek, a little salt, black pepper and bring to a boil over high heat, skim, lower the heat and cook 30 minutes - 1 hour, covering with a lid. The hot broth is filtered, again bring to a boil and add the crushed shell from 3-4 eggs or white from 1 egg. Once the broth begins to boil, remove it from the heat, again filtered, removing any residual fat. Thus Dasi is fundamentally different from the Western broths.

On the basis of preparing all Japanese soups are eaten during the day at any time. Differ in two main types - transparent and thick. The first is considered the most refined, and serve them, usually during lunch. This broth can swim a few cubes of vegetables or pieces of clams, cut in the form of symbols or other season - for example, in the form of snowflakes in winter and flowers in summer. Thick soup - misoshiru is prepared on the basis of enzyme bean paste. It misoshiru - rod Japanese soup cooking. Millions of Housewives prepare daily different types of these soups are not only for Breakfast but also for lunch and dinner. Almost every house has its own recipes, misoshiru.

When cooking many dishes of meat, fish and poultry are different variations of sauces and seasonings. Many of them can be bought in the shop ready, but if you want to do at home. The most popular sauce teriyaki. Its purpose is to give the products a Golden-brown crust when frying ( says and the name ("tryho" - brilliant and "yaki" - fry). To prepare this sauce, for example, to 500 g of fishery products is taken 1/4 Cup shoyu, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 Cup of sweet wine, 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Option for meat - 1/4 Cup shoyu, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons of grated ginger. Option for poultry - 2/3 Cup shoyu, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 Cup of sweet wine, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of grated ginger.

Used for many sauces and rice vinegar. It is softer than most used in European cuisine, as well as more light and sweet. It is best to replace it, as already mentioned, Apple. Rice vinegar is to prepare two types of sweet sauce amaze. For the 5 tablespoons of sauce first type is taken 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt. To cook 1 Cup of the second - 2/3 Cup rice vinegar, 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook it on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

You can easily cook and two types of sauce Ponzu. To get the 6 tablespoons of the sauce of the first type take 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons shoyu 2 tablespoons Dasi; to get 11/4 Cup sauce Ponzu second type need 1/3 Cup rice vinegar (you can substitute lemon juice) 1/3 Cup shoyu, 1/3 Cup Dasi. You can cook two types and sauce Zambija. In the first case 6 tablespoons requires 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2-3 drops of shoyu, 2 tables