Unique/exotic Japanese food?

Unique/exotic Japanese food? - Appetizing sweet persimmons hanging from metal hooks and sun drying in traditional Japanese Hoshigaki method in farm

I am an unapologetic omnivore, and one of the joys of traveling is experiencing local cuisine and tasting things I might not be able to find back in the US. For example, when I was in Hong Kong, I tried donkey short ribs. Or in Cambodia, I ate crickets, spiders, and water beetles (the spiders were quite tasty!).

I'll be traveling to Japan in a few weeks. Other than fugu, are there any meats or local ingredients that are unique to Japan/rare in other parts of the world? Alternately, which restaurants serve these dishes?

(I really want to ask for recommendations but that would be asking for opinions which isn't allowed here.)



Best Answer

Yes, Japan has tons of "weird" dishes from a Western POV. Visitors to our Tokyo office are regularly fed one or more of raw chicken (torisashi), whale (kujira) and fish milt (shirako), and these are at the milder end of the spectrum. For really weird stuff (read: inedible to the average Westerner), check out Japan's wide range of wacky seafood products: ika no shiokara fermented squid pickle, konowata sea cucumber guts, hoya sea pineapple ("like rubber dipped in ammonia"), etc. Here's a nice checklist of some of what I've run into over the years: https://driftingclouds.net/2007/01/02/weird-food-compendium/

As for where to find them, your best bet is to find an izakaya (Japanese pub) known for its chinmi ("rare tastes"), which will have a revolving gallery of whatever is good (and unusual) in this season.




Pictures about "Unique/exotic Japanese food?"

Unique/exotic Japanese food? - Whole persimmons strung on threads and sun drying in garden
Unique/exotic Japanese food? - From below of many ripe traditional Japanese persimmons hanging on ropes in local market in sunlight
Unique/exotic Japanese food? - Metal construction with persimmons sun drying in village



Quick Answer about "Unique/exotic Japanese food?"

  • Unagi Grilled Eel Over Rice with Japanese Sauce.
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  • Okonomiyaki, known as the Japanese Pancake.
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What is the most exotic food in Japan?

For the uninitiated, here are five Japanese foods that might be strange to you!
  • Raw Egg (nama tamago) My initial response to eating a raw egg in Japan was to be worried about salmonella. ...
  • Horsemeat Sashimi (Basashi) ...
  • Ika Sashimi (Squid Sashimi) ...
  • Natto (Fermented Soybeans) ...
  • Shirako (Fish Prostate)


  • What are some exotic foods in Japan?

    7+ strange Japanese foods to try while you're there
    • Torisashi (chicken sashimi) Have you been served raw chicken in Japan? ...
    • Natto. The easiest to find, and possibly the most divisive 'unusual food'. ...
    • Yakitori entrails. ...
    • Fugu (pufferfish) ...
    • Batta or inago (grasshopper) ...
    • Basashi (raw horse meat) ...
    • Mystery Snacks.


    What are the rarest food in Japan?

    10 crazy expensive Japanese food finds
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    • Wagyu beef $100 \u2013 $2,800. ...
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    • Densuke black watermelon \u2013 $6100. ...
    • Yubari King melons \u2013 up to $26,000. ...
    • Toro (high quality tuna) \u2013 price differs. ...
    • 10 Unagi (Japanese eel) \u2013 up to $200.




    Japanese Street Food - EXOTIC SEAFOOD FISH SASHIMI Okinawa , Japan




    More answers regarding unique/exotic Japanese food?

    Answer 2

    Japan certainly has some unique foods. One famous/notorious example, which even the most adventurous eater might think twice about, is Ikizukuri:

    ikezukuri (????), (roughly translated as "prepared alive") is the preparing of sashimi (raw fish) from live seafood. In this Japanese culinary technique, the most popular sea animal used is fish, but octopus, shrimp, and lobster may also be used.

    The practice is controversial owing to concerns about the animal's suffering, as it is still alive when served.

    ...The restaurant may have one or several tanks of live sea animals for a customer to choose from... Ikizukuri fish may be prepared with only three knife cuts by the chef. They are usually presented with the head still whole so that customers are able to see the continuing gill movements.

    Similar traditions exist in China and Korea (film fans might remember the live octopus eating scene from the original Oldboy) but there are some major differences described in this blog:

    • the Chinese have their own way of Ikizukuri, deep-frying the fish and keeping them alive till they are eaten, known as Yin Yang fish

    • In Korea, this practice is less cruel. Sannakji which are small octopuses cut into little pieces and usually lightly seasoned with sesame oil and sesame. While they are already dead, their nerves and suckers are still active, causing them to squirm and stick to the insides of your mouth. I’ve had the opportunity to try this, and let’s just say there wouldn’t be a second time. One [has] to be careful to chew them carefully as several cases of choking have been reported as the suckers stick to your throat when swallowing

    Curiously, the foodstuff of Japan that presents the biggest danger and causes (I believe) the most deaths is actually one of the most seemingly ordinary: extremely sticky mochi rice cakes, which are easy to choke on and difficult to dislodge, and cause several deaths every year, usually around New Year celebrations.

    Answer 3

    A few of the more "prevalent" exotic foods of Japan:

    • Horse meat, which the Japanese dub sakura-niku "cherry blossom meat" for its pinkish color. It is best eaten raw as basashi - making it even more exotic. Usually considered a delicacy of Kumamoto Prefecture, basashi is now more or less available around the country.
    • Salted and fermented seafood, prevalent in the Hokkaido and Tohoku (less sure about this) regions of the country. One example would be the shiokara, salted & fermented squid innards.
    • Live squid/octopus/shrimp(?) sashimi.
    • Natto, or fermented soybeans. They smell, um...pretty bad.
    • There is a wide selection of chicken/pig/ox innards available at yakitori (Japanese kabob skewer) restaurants - which range from liver (most "normal" IMO) to pig uterus (which I would rather not try).
    • I know that insects are delicacies in some prefectures of Kyushu and Shikoku, but I am not entirely sure about their consumption. If you visit those regions, you might want to give a try.
    • Pig ears are eaten in Okinawa.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh