Here are the top five places in India where one can indulge in the best of Japanese cuisine. Its popularity has increased over the years and its flavours have travelled across the globe. They also like making their food plate look beautiful, hence they believe in the concept of arranging their food properly. The Japanese take their produce very seriously, they believe in using fresh ingredients while preparing a meal. Time-saving cooking methods have been adopted from the west, which are widely accepted in all parts of Japan these include instant ramen noodles, instant miso, pickling mixes as well as an electric rice cooker. The Japanese have developed their own exclusive cooking styles and also eating habits. Though it has been majorly influenced by other food customs, it has managed to build its own identity. That is one of the great appeals to me and so many other Japanophiles.Katsuobushi, dried bonito flakes (left), natto, fermented soybeans (upper right), and tonkotsu ramen, noodles served in a savory pork broth called tonkotsu (lower right).Japanese cuisine, also known as ‘washoku’, is full of precision and discipline. Virtually everything about Japan is surprising or different. It is the kind of place that haunts you, in a sense. I don’t know anyone who, once they have visited Japan for the first time, does not want to return. As for the inclusion of “Washoku” (traditional Japanese cuisine) in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013, while it may have helped a little to promote Japan in the rest of the world, I suspect it was more important for Japanese people in encouraging them to better appreciate their traditional foods. I still have a very, very long list of places I would like to visit and foods I would like to eat. The intensity, quality, and variety of these variations are extraordinary. One of the reasons I keep returning to Japan, and try to travel beyond Tokyo whenever I can, is because wherever you go you find fascinating regional foods and variations on dishes. But it is far cheaper to visit than London in terms of restaurants and accommodation-and far better to dine in. Another point that surprised me was the relatively low cost of staying in Japan. I’d been used to liking French foods which had more than a whiff of the barnyard about them, but never expected to find those kinds of strong flavors in Japan. Also, I had understood that the Japanese liked delicate flavors, but I discovered all the many fermented foods they have-not just miso and soy sauce but also katsuobushi, natto, and so on, as well as dishes like tonkotsu ramen, which smells and tastes kind of funky. Throughout my journey, I was surprised and impressed by the Japanese mastery of umami. I am delighted to say they have produced something with which I am extremely proud to be associated-and my sons love it too. It was translated into Japanese in 2013, and NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, has turned it into an animated series now being aired in English and Japanese. Sushi and Beyond: What the Japanese Know about Cooking got some lovely reviews, and it won the most prestigious food writing award in the UK, from the British Guild of Food Writers. My account of our fascinating journey was published in 2010. I spent 100 days traveling the length of Japan with my wife and two small sons. And so I decided to visit Japan again in 2007, to conduct research for a book about Japanese food. I was interested that this very traditional cuisine was in fact super-modern and super-healthy. It had been a fantastic time, but classic French food had taken its toll on my waistline! I began to learn about traditional Japanese food and realized that it had everything that Western nutritionists and dietary experts were advising us to eat: lots more vegetables, fish, far less animal fat or dairy, less cooking or “alteration” of ingredients, eating in seasons, and so on. I had spent a year training to be a chef at the Cordon Bleu, Paris. Ever since that visit, I had longed to return. I remember just wandering around in a daze, amazed at all the new and different sights. Sushi and Beyond:Smitten with Japan and Its Food It was 15 years ago when I first visited Japan on an assignment for a British newspaper.
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