When people think of Japanese cuisine its often sushi that springs to mind. That is however, just a small part of the rich and wholesome range of dishes that orginate there. From noodles to elegant and stylised kaiseki meals, Japan offers dishes and specialites to suit all tastes.

Japanese dishes traditionally consist of a bowl of white Japanese rice with tsukemono (pickles), a bowl of soup and dishes known as okazu which consist of fish, meat and vegetables.

Japanese meals are often named after the number of okazu that accompany the rice and soup. The most basic Japanese meal for example, 'ichiju-issai' consists of one soup, one side or one dish meal. The standard traditional meal however is called 'ichiju-sansai' (one soup, three sides) or or soup, rice and pickles, and three dishes, each employing a different cooking technique.


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