Table of Contents
Characteristics of the Japanese home menu
The Japanese home menu is an emphasis on balanced meals and a variety of fresh, seasonal ingredients. A main dish, side dish, soup, and multiple dishes are served in one meal. A variety of dishes will be served at the dinner table In recent years, the number of working couples has increased, and meals that can be eaten more easily and readily have become more common. Even so, many households probably eat a main dish, side dish, miso soup, and rice. Japanese home cooking can be made with sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, cooking sake, and mirin! If you have these seasonings at home and know the menu plan concept, you can recreate Japanese home cooking.
Do you know the word “Kondate (献立) ” in Japanese?
A ”Kondate (献立)” is the type, content, and order of dishes to be served at the table. Also, to make a schedule for it. Same means menu planning. For example, I got delicious salmon, so I have salmon as the main dish, boiled spinach for color, and miso soup for fermented foods. We are decide the menu with these images in mind.
How to determine a good menu plan for Japanese home cooking？
Here are some tips on how to plan your daily menu! I recommend deciding on the main dish first. Imagine the dishes you most want to eat that day, such as meat, fish, and vegetables. Next, think about the colors of the dishes. If all the food on the table is brown, it will be lonely. Think of colors such as green with spinach, red with tomatoes, etc. It is also recommended to think based on leftover ingredients. If you have a lot of eggs, make a side dish of fried eggs...etc. Of course, the idea of using seasonal ingredients, Nutrition, Items that are close to their expiration date is also wonderful! In Japan, corn is sweet and delicious in the summer season. So, one evening in July, the my home dinner menu was Ginger pork for the main dish. Side dish was Dashi, a local Yamagata dish of chopped and seasoned summer vegetables Grilled corn with butter and soy sauce No miso soup because it was a hot day! This was the plan. Of course, even in my home style, I don't make the main dish, side dish, and miso soup every time. So enjoy Japanese home dish it in a style that is easy to adopt in your home!
