You can find Japanese food pretty much all over the world, from sushi to ramen. But some things are just different when you get to taste them in their country of origin.
So here we'll look at 5 Japanese dishes that surprised our Canadian interviewees.
(The comments below are a reflection of the opinions of the respondents only)
"Japanese people take delicious sushi for granted!"
“Sushi is very popular in Canada. There are restaurants in Canada but there are only a few types of authentic nigiri sushi. There is a wide variety of sushi rolls, like California rolls, salmon, steamed shrimp, with a lot of onion slices and dressing.
When I went to a 'real' sushi restaurant in Japan, I was totally surprised there were so many kinds of fish. The tuna and sushi with salmon roe on seaweed shari (sushi rice) were particularly delicious!
The fish was fresh and delicious, and the rice was soft and mildly sweet, different from the sushi I had in Canada. Japanese people take delicious sushi for granted.”
Sushi is one of the most famous Japanese foods. It’s a popular dish because of its taste and health-conscious preparation. Overseas, restaurants that prepare sushi have tailored it to the palate of the locals.
If you've tried sushi abroad, you might be surprised to find that your usual favorites taste quite different in Japan – or you might even find a new favorite you can't get back home!
"I would definitely recommend sukiyaki"
“My friend told me I should try it in Japan, so when I went to Asakusa, I went to a sukiyaki restaurant. I liked that the staff would make it on the spot. In Canada, sliced beef is unusual, but now I've learned how sukiyaki is supposed to be prepared, I'm really impressed!
The beef with the sweet soy sauce taste was delicate and delicious, and it was great with raw eggs, which the owner recommended! After that I had ‘fu’ and ‘konnyaku’ for the first time. I thought it was a strange kind of food, but it tasted like sweet soup and it was really good. Japanese beef is wonderful, and I want to eat it again. I definitely recommend sukiyaki if you have friends going to Japan.”
In Japan, it’s common to eat sukiyaki with raw eggs. However, eating raw eggs abroad is rare, for hygiene reasons. This is because Japanese eggs are different from the ones used overseas, and they are handled differently, with a different inspection process so that they can be eaten raw.
Sukiyaki and raw egg are a perfect match. If you have the chance, try it! You won’t have many chances outside of Japan.
"I totally get the ramen hype!"
“I have b…
