Category: Culinary culture

Though Japan is widely known for its seafood, with per capita consumption at approximately 22kg in 2020, pork is, in fact, an extremely popular meat that plays a central role in the modern Japanese diet. Do the Japanese eat pork? Absolutely, and its widespread popularity is evidenced by the numerous regional specialties and beloved national dishes featuring it.

According to the World Health Organization, unsafe food is linked to more than 200 diseases, including risks that can be associated with some traditional preparation methods. While often celebrated for cultural significance, eating traditional food can have several disadvantages related to health, nutrition, and lifestyle.

For centuries, the potent and pungent root of the ginger plant has been prized for both its flavor and medicinal properties. This rich history continues today, as millions enjoy ginger biscuits for their distinctive taste, but also for their purported health benefits, especially in soothing an upset stomach.

According to lore, the sandwich was famously invented in 1762 for John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who wanted a convenient meal he could eat at the card table. However, this simple meal has evolved, and today, one of the most debated topics among foodies is whether a sandwich is primarily a breakfast or a lunch item.

In Japan, around 80% of all edible cherry blossom leaves come from the Oshima-zakura variety, primarily grown in the Izu region. For centuries, these leaves have been pickled and used in traditional sweets and savory dishes, but many outside Japan still wonder: do you eat the sakura leaf or discard it?

Over half of the world's population relies on rice as a staple food, making it a strong contender, but does global reach alone determine which of the food is the greatest? The answer is complex, as judging the 'greatest' involves a multifaceted look into nutrition, taste, and cultural impact, not just sheer volume.

A 2019 Healthline report on the traditional Japanese diet notes it is naturally low in added sugar and fat. But do Japanese eat oily food despite this reputation? The answer is nuanced, as their culinary landscape includes both minimally processed and deep-fried dishes.

While raw salmon is a modern sushi favorite worldwide, it was almost completely absent from traditional Japanese cuisine for centuries. The primary reason for this was a well-founded fear of parasites found in wild Pacific salmon, a risk that was historically mitigated by cooking, curing, or salting the fish. A bold marketing campaign, known as "Project Japan," was needed to change this deeply held cultural perspective and introduce raw salmon to the Japanese market.

Japan has one of the lowest per capita sugar consumption rates among developed countries, approximately half that of the UK and Australia. This moderation doesn't mean sugar is absent from the Japanese diet, but rather that its role is significantly different from Western culinary traditions.

A single, standard-sized aloo samosa can contain upwards of 200 calories, primarily from fat, sparking the perennial debate: is samosa junk food or fast food? The answer, as it turns out, is more about how it's prepared and consumed, rather than one simple label.