Learn to cook foreign cuisine Japanese cuisine

Author: Shanghai Grand Hyatt International Convention Center Hotel
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The "Learn to Cook Foreign Cuisine" series are all selected and prepared by domestic chefs, accompanied by clear and intuitive color photos of ingredients, plus step-by-step written instructions, making the learning process effortless. The term "" (lǐcài) in Chinese originally means "to process" or "to organize," while in Japanese, it refers to dishes. Japanese-style small layers, tataki rice, waiters in kimonos, and colorful, elegantly presented Japanese cuisine create a unique landscape of Japanese cuisine. As a part of world cuisine, the flavors and dining styles of Japanese cuisine are being embraced by food lovers around the world. Japanese cuisine is internationally recognized as meticulous in cooking, with flavors that emphasize the five basic tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—as well as a special focus on the sixth taste—umami. Umami refers to fully bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients. A skilled chef must use their careful and meticulous cooking techniques to let guests savor the authentic natural taste. To achieve the umami flavor, seasonings such as soy sauce, sake, miso, mirin, and kombu are usually essential. Additionally, Japanese cuisine is composed of five basic cooking methods: cutting, boiling, grilling, steaming, and frying. Therefore, compared to the complexity of Chinese cooking, the preparation process of Japanese cuisine is relatively simple. Cooking naturally varies with different regional characteristics. Japanese cuisine in China must naturally differ from that in Japan and must be acceptable and enjoyable to Chinese people. If it achieves this, then the deliciousness of Japanese cuisine will undoubtedly be no less than that of Chinese cuisine.