Five Vegetarian Dishes You Simply Must Try In Japan

By Alex S.

One of the best parts about travelling the globe is getting to try all of the exciting cuisines from different cultures. Without question, Japanese food is up there with the best of all time.

Whereas people may associate Japanese cuisine with seafood and meat, you should never overlook Japan’s many vegetarian dishes. Vegetarian dishes in Japan are prepared with love, passion, and precision. You can taste this in every bite.

If you do find yourself travelling around Asia and are craving out-of-this-world vegetarian food, here are 5 vegetarian dishes you simply must try in Japan.

Futomaki

Japan is famous for many different cuisines, yet for many, it is sushi that is synonymous with the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’.

While sushi is often prepared with raw fish and seafood, vegetarians needn’t worry as they certainly won’t miss out when hoping to sample some authentic Japanese sushi. Why? Because Futomaki is a thing, and it’s delicious.

Futomaki literally translates to ‘fat roll’. It is named after a style of sushi roll, rather than the actual recipe itself. Over the years, however, it has become the norm for Futomaki to be made with generous servings of raw vegetables.

On paper, the dish is very simple as it is simply made from an outer layer of nori seaweed, a layer of seasoned sushi rice, and a selection of vegetable fillings. Carrots, cucumber, mushroom, avocado, and baby corn are popular choices, though each eatery will serve theirs differently.

Yasai Tempura

Yasai tempura is another vegetarian dish that is hugely popular in Japan.

Yasai, or ‘vegetable’ tempura, consists of a selection of fresh vegetables deep-fried in a crispy tempura batter. Tempura batter is often made with iced soda water and corn flour and is lighter, thinner, and crispier than traditional batters.

The crispy batter works wonderfully with the fresh and fragrant flavors of the vegetables, including carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, and sweet potatoes.

The crispy tempura-battered vegetables are traditionally served with a special dipping sauce known as ‘tentsuyu’, which contains things like mirin, dashi, and soy sauce.

Nasu Dengaku

If you’re a fan of eggplant, Nasu Dengaku is a dish you’re sure to absolutely adore.

Traditionally served as a side dish, Nasu Dengaku is a dish consisting of grilled halves of eggplant, glazed in a miso paste. The dish is sweet, salty, and savory and really comes to life once the eggplant goes under the grill. Here, the miso caramelizes and takes on a rich, deep, umami flavor.

Miso Soup

Miso soup is another hugely popular vegetarian dish, not only in Japan, but all over the world too.

Miso is a traditional Japanese soup that is made with a miso and soy base, mixed with a highly flavored dashi stock. Dashi is a term used to describe a variety of different stocks used to make soup and broth bases. It can be made from several ingredients, though primarily it contains kelp seaweed (kombu) and dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi).

While the soup is served with different ingredients, primarily it comes with cubes of tofu, as well as seaweed. The soup is renowned for its rich flavors, as well as its reported healing properties.

Aburaage

Finally, if you want a quick, easy, and delicious vegetarian Japanese delicacy, Aburaage is perfect.

Aburaage is made from thin slices of tofu, which are then deep-fried, usually twice, before being butterflied open to create a pocket on the inside, similar to a Middle Eastern pitta bread.

While the tofu can be eaten by itself, it is typically stuffed with other foods, including marinated vegetables, sushi rice, or even fermented soybeans. Some people will also float it in their soups and broths. It goes particularly well with miso soup, just like the one we just looked at.

Photo by Jezael Melgoza