For years, I was fascinated by Japanese culture. Wherever I lived, I sought out Japanese discussion groups and cultural societies. I was lucky enough to get to know many Japanese people who introduced me to their remarkable world — and I had the extraordinary happiness of being invited to my pen pal’s wedding in Kyoto during cherry blossom season.
It was an astonishing journey, though not without its challenges. While I could manage a few words of spoken Japanese, reading was another matter entirely — and that proved to be a real obstacle, especially at mealtimes! It was impossible to tell whether a door in a busy street led to a restaurant, or to decipher a menu. On our first night, my husband and I wandered for hours before stumbling into a restaurant that had a picture menu. It turned out to be a grill. But to my horror, looking at the plates of neighbouring diners, I realised the menu consisted entirely of cuts of meat that are not typically on the menu in France — tongue, ears, trotters and so on. I ended up ordering the only salad on the menu!
Despite that rocky start, Japan remains one of the most extraordinary countries I have ever visited — a place of breathtaking beauty, deep traditions, and some of the most refined cuisine in the world. Explore our Japanese recipes below!
Potato, Tomato and Chickpea Soup
This simple, beautifully coloured golden soup will warm you through on long winter evenings. Nourishing, easy to prepare and wonderfully satisfying on its own — no meat needed.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1 x 400 g tin chickpeas
- 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 3–4 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 onion (red preferred)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp curry powder
- Olive oil
- 250 ml water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Finely dice the onion. Peel and cube the potatoes.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan. Toast the cumin seeds until fragrant. Add the onion and cook until golden.
- Add the curry powder, then the tomatoes, chickpeas, potatoes, lemon juice and water.
- Season well. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened.
- Serve as a hearty soup or thick stew with warm naan or crusty bread.
बोन अप्पेतित! 🇮🇳
Cucumber Salad – Sunomono
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 2 cucumbers
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- A little freshly grated ginger
- Sesame seeds (to serve)
About rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice. It has a milder, less acidic flavour than wine vinegar, with an acetic acid content of 4–5% (compared to 5–8% for wine vinegar). If you can’t find rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar makes a good substitute.
Instructions
- Peel the cucumbers and slice them into very thin rounds (use a mandoline if you have one).
- Place the cucumber slices in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave for a few minutes to draw out the excess moisture.
- Cover the cucumber slices with the rice vinegar and leave for 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar and grated ginger.
- Pour this mixture over the cucumbers and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to develop.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds just before serving.
良い食欲！ 🥒🇯🇵
Tip: Sunomono is a perfect light side dish alongside onigiri or ramen. It keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Salmon-Stuffed Rice Balls – Onigiri
Ingredients (makes 6–8 rice balls)
- 500 g Japanese round-grain rice (sushi rice)
- 100 g salmon fillet
- 2 tbsp oil
- Salt
- Optional: nori (dried seaweed sheets) or black sesame seeds (usually available in the Asian aisle of supermarkets)
Instructions
- Place the rice in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold water, washing away the excess starch. Leave to soak in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour.
- While the rice soaks, lightly salt the salmon fillet and let it rest in the refrigerator.
- Drain the rice and place it in a large saucepan. Fill the same bowl (that was used for soaking) with cold water up to the same level as the rice was, and add this to the saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the rice has completely absorbed the water.
- Remove from heat and leave to steam, covered, for another 10 minutes. The rice should be perfectly sticky.
- While the rice cools slightly, rinse the salmon to remove excess salt and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cook in a lightly oiled pan, then flake with a fork.
- Fill a bowl with cold salted water. Wet your hands in the bowl (this prevents sticking and seasons the rice slightly). Take a handful of rice and press it into your palm. Make a well in the centre and place some flaked salmon inside.
- Close the rice around the filling and press firmly into a triangular or oval shape. For a traditional finish, wrap a strip of nori around the base.
- Sprinkle with black sesame seeds to serve.
良い食欲！ 🍙🇯🇵 (Yoi shokuyoku — Bon appétit in Japanese!)
Tip: Onigiri are best eaten fresh, but can be wrapped in cling film and kept at room temperature for a few hours. Don’t refrigerate — cold rice becomes hard and loses its texture.