Japanese Main Dishes - Rice Dishes

Sushi
Sushi is an iconic Japanese dish that has been popular around the world for a long time. It's small portions allow you to get a taste of a multitude of different flavours without overwhelming you with volume. Sushi is a delicious, fresh and light meal that comes in various forms.

The  most popular is the Nigirizushi, where the topping is generally raw/cooked fish  over a vine guard  When served fresh, it is soft, tender, and absolutely delicious. Usually served with soy sauce and wasabi for that zesty kick.

Image sourced from: http://www.eat-japan.com/images/stories/sushi_perfect/types/image_nigirizushi.jpg

Next is the also equally popular Makizushi, which refers to sushi that is made by rolling the filling (often salmon, cucumber, avocado), vineguard rice in toasted seaweed. The result is a convenient, easy and delicious meal.

Image sourced from: http://www.fareshare.net/images/maki-zushi.jpg

The Gunkanmaki variety of sushi that is iconically made with topping surrounded by a thin strip of nori (seaweed) which prevents the topping from slipping off. These toppings often include the likes of fish roe as a popular selection in Japan and around the world, and is likened to a "battleship" due to it's unique shape.

Image sourced from: http://madeinjapan.uol.com.br/imgmat/2006/02/01_sushi_gunkan_maki.jpg

Image sourced from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmvdjobGVtwlRgpkox49StD2AUaWir-NrEuxb3k8mFUMmb1On_D4Fiex63eM7spwnuVDMQRmsVbJPpXYoJHCHePJE6TLFZ1EJVvZjEDxeUaMGMo9hp-TMlyvRwNt-djWuo3BOa9QQf3g/s1600/sushi.jpg

Donburi
Donburi is basically a delicious combination of a soft bed of rice, and tender and crispy toppings. It is characterised by the unique use of egg over the rice, giving a soft texture to the rice. Toppings often include Karaage chicken, which is a specially fried chicken in japanese batter producing the most sensational crisp skin and tender chicken pieces.

Image sourced from: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2057157150_175ed375e5.jpg

Kare Raisu


This dish is a personal favourite of mine, fusing a unique thick japanese curry with perfectly cooked rice. The curry is obviously the main attraction, coming in varying degrees of spice (though, the spicier the better for me!) with subtle undertones of the sweet meats and a crunch of potato. An all-round delicious dish that is different to any curry you have experienced!

Image sourced from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zwgzpTx6BdE/Sljhf2-t_PI/AAAAAAAAAqg/2WHNrEO_OU0/s400/kare3.jpg