Traditional Japanese Breakfast
Are you a breakfast person? You better be if you’re going to try a traditional Japanese breakfast!While a traditional Japanese breakfast may not consist of foods commonly considered breakfast foods in America like eggs and bacon, it does bring in aspects of lunch and dinner. Traditional Japanese breakfasts are complete meals, consisting of side dishes and foods from all different food groups.
Japanese diets are said to be one of the healthiest diets in the world, and in many ways the traditional breakfast encompasses that. Usually Japanese Breakfasts consist of rice, vegetables, and fish. However, studies have also shown that presently in Japan, bread is a more popular breakfast table than traditional white rice. A big reason for that being that many people in Japan grab breakfast on-the-go, making bread a more convenient food for someone on the move.
Other side dishes often seen in traditional Japanese breakfasts include natto (fermented soybeans), green salads, kobachi, tsukemono ( Japanese pickles), and nor (dried seasoned seaweed). Often, a hot cup of green tea on the side is just what is needed to complete this meal.
Another traditional Japanese breakfast is savoury rice porridge (also called okayu) that is often made with leftover rice in a rice cooker. Okayu can be made with a variety of different ingredients, either leftover from the day before or fresh! Additionally, people that are very health conscious use traditional breakfast porridge as a great gluten-free, plant-based, vegan dish. With breakfast being considered by many cultures as “the most important meal of the day,” it only makes sense that the Japanese would traditionally make sure to fill themselves up with the healthiest foods to get the day going!