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Home » Washoku

Washoku (Traditional Japanese Cuisine)

Discover the beauty of washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine. It focuses on balance, seasonality, and simplicity. Enjoy dishes like yellowtail teriyaki, miso soup, mixed rice, pickled vegetables, and nimono (simmered foods).

Washoku highlights natural flavors and harmony in taste, color, and presentation. It’s perfect for slow, mindful cooking at home.

A special Japanese chawanmushi cup containing savory steamed custard filled with kamaboko fish cake, chicken, and mushroom. A special Japanese chawanmushi cup containing savory steamed custard filled with kamaboko fish cake, chicken, and mushroom.
Try this!
Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard) (Video) 茶碗蒸し

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All Washoku Recipes

  • Zaru soba and zaru cha soba (cold buckwheat noodles and green tea noodles) served on a bamboo mat with shredded nori on top. Dipping sauce, green onions, and wasabi are in the background.
    Easy
    Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles) ざるそば
    117
    15 minutes
  • Two bundles of freshly made, uncooked udon noodles rest on a bamboo tray, placed atop a wooden cutting board with a ruler, rolling pin, and kitchen knife in the background.
    Homemade Udon Noodles (Video) 手打ちうどん
    191
    1 hour
  • A Japanese meal consisting of small dishes or bowls, each plating Teriyaki Salmon, steamed rice, miso soup, pickles, tamagoyaki, and green bean gomaae.
    Easy
    Teriyaki Salmon (Video) 鮭の照り焼き
    376
    15 minutes
  • Small Japanese bowls containing Japanese cucumber salad called Sunomono.
    Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) (Video) 酢の物
    146
    15 minutes
  • A white rectangular plate containing yakitori, Japanese grilled chicken and scallion skewers, coated with savory yakitori sauce and served with shichimi togarashi on the side.
    Yakitori Recipe 焼き鳥
    226
    1 hour
  • A rectangular plate containing three ehomaki, or uncut sushi rolls, prepared for setsubun festival.
    Ehomaki (Setsubun Sushi Roll) 恵方巻
    3
    1 hour
  • Donburi rice bowls containing gyudon, simmered beef and onions over steamed rice.
    Easy
    Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl) (Video) 牛丼
    506
    20 minutes
  • A plate containing three tuna mayo onigiri and pickles, served with a wooden bowl of miso soup.
    Easy
    Tuna Mayo Onigiri ツナマヨおにぎり
    4
    15 minutes
  • A large ceramic donburi rice bowl containing Sukiyaki Don, thinly sliced beef, tofu, and vegetables simmered in a savory dashi soy broth and served over steamed rice.
    Easy
    Sukiyaki Don すき焼き丼
    4
    15 minutes
  • A ceramic donabe pot containing Japanese chestnut rice (kuri gohan); peeled chestnuts beautifully laying over steamed rice in a single layer.
    Chestnut Rice (Kuri Gohan) 栗ご飯
    13
    2 hours 35 minutes
  • A plate containing Miso Cod.
    Miso Cod (Black Cod with Miso) 銀だらの西京焼き
    462
    30 minutes
  • A blue and white bowl containing Simmered Ganmodoki topped with yuzu zest and served with dashi soy broth and komatsuna greens.
    Simmered Ganmodoki がんもどきの含め煮
    2
    35 minutes
  • A white bowl containing Onsen Tamago (Japanese Hot Spring Egg) drizzled with dashi-based broth and garnished with sliced green onion.
    Onsen Tamago (Video) 温泉卵
    174
    30 minutes
  • A rice bowl containing Hijiki Rice (Takikomi Gohan) served with pickles on the side.
    Hijiki Rice (Takikomi Gohan) ひじき炊き込みご飯
    25
    1 hour
  • A donburi bowl containing a Japanese grilled rice ball in a flavorful dashi broth, topped with green onions and furikake rice seasoning.
    Easy
    Yaki Onigiri Chazuke (Grilled Rice Ball Soup) 焼きおにぎり茶漬け
    6
    10 minutes
  • A glass picking jar containing my favorite and go-to Japanese pickles made with colorful vegetables seasoned with salt, kombu, and sugar.
    Asazuke (Japanese Lightly Pickled Vegetables) 浅漬け
    11
    15 minutes
  • Taiyaki, Japanese fish-shaped cakes, placed on a woven basket lined with a parchment paper.
    Crispy Taiyaki 薄皮たい焼き
    10
    40 minutes
  • Wooden miso soup bowls containing Kakitamajiru, Japanese egg drop soup.
    Easy
    Easy Japanese Egg Drop Soup (Kakitamajiru) かきたま汁
    57
    15 minutes
  • An oval Japanese plate containing Japanese rolled omelette, Tamagoyaki, placed over a bamboo leaf.
    3-Ingredient Simple Tamagoyaki (Video) 玉子焼き
    8
    15 minutes
  • Japanese miso soup bowls containing tofu and wakame miso soup.
    Easy
    Homemade Miso Soup (Video) 味噌汁
    585
    20 minutes
  • Japanese wooden soup bowls containing Daikon and Fried Miso Soup.
    Daikon and Fried Tofu Miso Soup 大根と油揚げの味噌汁
    3
    30 minutes
  • A temaki hand roll sushi spread on the dining table, consisting of plates and bowls containing sushi rice, sashimi, vegetable fillings, and nori seaweed.
    Temaki Sushi (Hand Roll) (Video) 手巻き寿司
    45
    10 minutes
  • A white plate containing two skewers of Tsukune (Japanese chicken meatball) accompanied by shichimi togarashi, Japanese seven spices.
    Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatball Skewers)(Video) つくね
    88
    55 minutes
  • A donabe containing Nanakusa Gayu, Japanese seven herb rice porridge.
    Nanakusa Gayu (Seven Herb Rice Porridge) 七草粥
    24
    45 minutes
  • A black bowl containing Namasu (Japanese Daikon and Carrot Salad).
    Namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad) 紅白なます
    51
    15 minutes
  • A green plate containing Datemaki, Japanese sweet rolled omelette, enjoyed during the New Years.
    Datemaki (Japanese Sweet Rolled Omelette) (Video) 伊達巻
    25
    40 minutes
  • A white and red Japanese bowl containing Kuromame, sweet black soybeans, topped with gold leaf for the Japanese new year's celebration.
    Kuromame (Sweet Black Soybeans) 黒豆
    18
    4 hours 35 minutes
  • A Japanese ceramic bowl containing simmered chicken and vegetables.
    Chikuzenni (Nishime) – Simmered Chicken and Vegetables 筑前煮
    52
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • A black and gold lacquered bowl containing Japanese New Year Soup Ozoni.
    Ozoni – Japanese New Year Mochi Soup (Kanto-Style) お雑煮
    49
    30 minutes
  • A black and gold lacquered bowl containing Japanese New Year Soup Ozoni.
    Ozoni – Japanese New Year Mochi Soup (Kansai-Style) お雑煮
    55
    50 minutes
  • Japanese spinach salad dressed in sesame sauce served in a bowl
    Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing (Gomaae) (Video) 胡麻和え
    249
    15 minutes
  • A glassware containing Japanese cold tofu topped with green onion and grated ginger and drizzled with soy sauce.
    Japanese Cold Tofu (Hiyayakko) 冷奴
    47
    10 minutes
  • A white ceramic bowl contaiing Yuba Tamagotoji (Simmered Tofu Skin with Soft Scrambled Eggs).
    Easy
    Japanese Simmered Egg and Yuba Tofu Skin (Tamagotoji) 湯葉の卵とじ
    6
    20 minutes
  • A donabe claypot containing Nabeyaki Udon, which is made of udon noodles, kamaboko fish cake, fried tofu, egg cooked in a dashi broth and topped with shrimp tempura.
    Nabeyaki Udon (Video) 鍋焼きうどん
    26
    30 minutes
  • Japanese round cast iron pan containing Sukiyaki, a Japanese hot pot dish where marbled beef, tofu, and vegetables are simmered in sweetened soy sauce broth.
    Sukiyaki Recipe (Video) すき焼き
    285
    30 minutes
  • Red Japanese lacquered bowls containing clear soup (Osumashi) with shiitake mushrooms, fu, and mitsuba leaf.
    Japanese Clear Soup (Osumashi) おすまし
    7
    20 minutes
  • A white ceramic plate containing Napa Cabbage Pickles (Tsukemono).
    Pickled Napa Cabbage 白菜の浅漬け
    17
    10 minutes
  • A special Japanese chawanmushi cup containing savory steamed custard filled with kamaboko fish cake, chicken, and mushroom.
    Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard) (Video) 茶碗蒸し
    104
    50 minutes
  • A blue bowl containing cold somen noodles topped with thinly sliced sudachi citrus.
    Easy
    Cold Somen Noodles with Sudachi Lime すだちそうめん
    5
    15 minutes
  • A mason jar containing Homemade Shiro Dashi (Versatile Dashi Base).
    Homemade Shiro Dashi (Versatile Dashi Base) 白だし
    8
    20 minutes
  • A ceramic bowl containing Agedashi Tofu (Agedashi Dofu) topped with grated daikon, chopped scallions, and grated ginger.
    Agedashi Tofu (Video) 揚げ出し豆腐
    152
    30 minutes
  • A bowl containing Soboro Don (seasoned ground chicken and scrambled egg over rice).
    Soboro Don (Ground Chicken Bowl) そぼろ丼
    153
    30 minutes
  • A bowl of simple soba noodle soup topped wakame seaweed, blanched komatsuna, and green onions.
    Easy
    Soba Noodle Soup (Video) 温かいお蕎麦
    67
    45 minutes
  • A white plate containing Japanese salted salmon (Shiozake), tamagoyaki, and spinach salad.
    Japanese Salted Salmon (Shiozake) 塩鮭
    166
    20 minutes
  • Simmered shrimp on the green plate.
    Simmered Shrimp えびのうま煮
    10
    25 minutes
  • Japanese New Year dish Kuri Kinton is served in the lacquer bowl.
    Kuri Kinton (Candied Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes) 栗きんとん
    18
    1 hour
  • White flower-shaped ceramic containing candied sardines (tazukuri)
    Tazukuri (Candied Anchovies) (Video) 田作り
    17
    20 minutes
  • Beef udon noodle soup in a donburi bowl.
    Beef Udon (Niku Udon) (Video) 肉うどん
    267
    25 minutes
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