Food that You Absolutely Must Try if You Travel to Japan

If there's one thing certain about food in Japan, it's the fact that these are highly nutritious because their diet is based on fresh and seasonal products. Fish is quite common in Japanese cuisine - is either served as main course or side dish and prepared cooked or raw. Another staple part of their meal are either rice or noodles. The following are but few interesting and unique meals that Japan has to offer.

Okonomiyaki is a pancake treat grilled with any meat of your preference -- pork, beef, chicken, squid or fish. This freedom to choose is demonstrated in its name since Okonomi means 'what you want' and yaki means 'grill.' It comes topped with sauce, mayonnaise and mixed with vegetables.

Ramen is noodles and soup dish mostly favored by diners during late night. It's a wonderful combination of wheat noodles, soy or miso-flavored broth and a variety of toppings that may differ depending on the region where it is prepared.

Shabu-Shabu is an interesting delicacy of pork or beef in thin slices made to be fried or boiled. The term is derived from the sound cooking the meat makes and it is usually served with sauce, vegetables and other side dishes.

Soba is a semi-dry delicacy made out of thin and long buckwheat noodles with hot savory broth. Compared to ramen, the treat usually comes with little sauce instead of soup. It is most common in the mountainous regions because rice is harder to come by.

Perhaps the most well-known food in Japan is the Sushi -- sticky rice paired with either raw fish, cooked seafood, vegetables, fruit or a combination of any of these. It comes in artistic textures and varying flavors but its main ingredient is the rice.

Tempura is seafood coated in vegetables and batter then fried. It is usually served with sauce where it is dipped before eaten or it may be merely sprinkled with salt. The most popular is the shrimp variation named 'ebi tempura.'

Unagi is a freshwater eel barbecue delicacy reminiscent of traditional Japan. The word 'unagi' translates to 'river eel' and is said to be the perfect meal to contrast the heat of summer according to folklore.