This is the ultimate guide to vegan-friendly Japanese cuisine in 2021.

So if you want to:

• Understand Japanese food culture
• Learn which Japanese ingredients are suitable for vegans
• Discover delicious traditional Japanese dishes
• Master Japanese flavors and cooking techniques

Then you’ll love this new guide!

Let’s get going.

What is traditional Japanese cuisine?

While we are all probably aware of sushi 🍣 and ramen 🍜 (these foods even have their own emojis!), there’s a lot more to Japanese cuisine than these popular modern dishes. 

Traditional ‘Japanese food’ translates to ‘washoku’ (和食) in Kanji and has been classified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The first character ‘和’ also means ‘harmony’, indicating the importance of creating balanced dishes, both in terms of flavor, nutrition, and presentation.

Japanese cuisine places emphasis on seasonal cooking, with a focus on the best fresh ingredients available. Pickled and fermented foods are also popular, adding intensity and mature flavors to meal times. A great deal of care and patience is required to create these dishes, which is emblematic of Japanese food culture.

Is Japanese food suitable for vegans?

Upon first glance, Japanese cuisine may appear suitable for vegans since tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, rice, and egg-free noodles feature heavily. However, it is common for seemingly vegan Japanese foods to contain hidden seafood or meat in the form of dashi (often made with fish stock), meat broth, or bonito flakes.

It’s not all bad news though! While seafood plays an integral role in Japanese cuisine, much of washoku was catered toward a Zen Buddhist diet. Therefore, meat, such as beef and pork, was rare to find in traditional dishes, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Shojin Ryori (精進料理) is a type of traditional Japanese temple food that is usually completely vegan (sometimes vegetarian).

Although vegan-friendly Japanese dishes have become less prevalent, they are quickly regaining popularity and there is a growing movement for a more holistic approach to eating. For example, the macrobiotic diet, which focuses on organic, locally-grown seasonal produce, is a fast-growing trend.

So in summary, Japanese food features lots of meat and fish and even their plant-based dishes contain hidden non-vegan ingredients. Luckily, vegan food is becoming easier to find (look out for Shojin Ryori or macrobiotic foods) and many of the traditional dishes are easy to cook and veganize at home!

Japanese Flavors

Japanese cuisine is based around 6 major flavor profiles, including salty, sweet, spicy, bitter, sour, and (very importantly) umami. As we’ve mentioned, there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients so many of the flavors depend on the fresh produce that is used. Similar to Thai cuisine, the trick to mastering Japanese cuisine is to create a balance of these flavors.

Here are some of the most common flavorful ingredients used in Japanese cooking:

• Goma (sesame)
• Wasabi
• Miso
• Mirin (sweet rice wine)
• Shoyu (soy sauce)
• Matcha
• Seaweed
• Dashi (often made with fish stock)
• Japanese pickles (tsukemono)
• Yuzu
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Bonito flakes (dehydrated fish flakes)

What is the most popular Japanese food?

There are so many! But if we had to pick 5 of the local specialties that you must try, then here are our favorites:

1. Nattō

Bursting with flavor, nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from fermenting soybeans with Bacillus subtilis. The resulting product is sticky, slimy, extremely delicious, and 100% vegan (watch out for toppings)! An acquired taste it may be but definitely worth a try if you’re passionate about Japanese cuisine.

1. Goma-ae

A vegan Japanese side dish made using vegetables and a sesame dressing (ground sesame seeds, sugar, and soy sauce), goma-ae has a beautifully unique flavor.

1. Tofu

Also known as bean curd, tofu comes in many different forms and is much revered in Japanese cuisine. It’s used in a variety of dishes but can also be served whole with seasonings, such as soy sauce, spring onions, and grated ginger (watch out for bonito flakes).

It’s best to eat freshly made tofu, so why not make your own?

1. Ramen

Without a doubt, ramen is a hugely popular Japanese dish! It’s an iconic noodle soup made with ramen noodles (wheat) and a savory broth. The broth varies depending on the base ingredients and examples include tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, and shio (watch out for non-vegan broths). Toppings can include vegetables, seaweed, and protein.

1. Sushi

Of course, we couldn’t list the most popular Japanese foods without mentioning sushi. Luckily, not all sushi is seafood-based! What’s more, there are now some incredible sushi alternatives on the market, just check out Gauthier’s new vegan sushi dish in the picture below:

 

 

 

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Are you ready to master vegan Japanese sushi and ramen?

If you’re ready to learn more about authentic Japanese cuisine, including how to make your own noodles, sushi, ramen, gyoza, and pickled ginger, then perhaps it’s time to take an online cooking course!

Discover the Japanese way of preparing vegan ramen and sushi with Japanese chef Akiko from Bentoya Cooking:

LEARN MORE

Watch the Vegan Japanese - Sushi And Ramen course trailer below: