More Japanese Street Foods to Enjoy!

Many countries boast of their unique kinds of street food. Sampling various street food from a particular place will give you a taste of their authentic traditional cuisine.

Street food is usually ready to eat food sold in a street or public area by a hawker or a vendor from a booth or food cart that can be packed up easily at closing time.  In Japan, street food is commonly found at the many festivals that take place all year round and at other busy spots. The types of food sold are often times regional and are easy to eat on the go.

We previously wrote about delicious Japanese street food. Here are some more mouthwatering street foods to look out for when visiting Japan:

Yakisoba –  it first made its debut in food stalls in Japan in the early 20th century and probably originated from Chinese fried noodles. Yakisoba noodles are made from wheat flour and may include ingredients pork, cabbage, carrots, onions, and oyster sauce. The array of condiments like seaweed powder (aonori), fish flakes (katsuobushi), Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger (beni shoga), adds to the distinct flavor of yakisoba.

Shioyaki –  the term shioyaki means salt-grilled in Japanese. It is a traditional method of grilling fish, beef, or poultry in Japan. Salt is rubbed all over the surface of the fish or meat and left to flavor before being cooked over hot coals.

Rice burger –  it is a variation of your typical hamburger only instead of bread for a bun, a rice burger uses compressed rice cakes. It was first introduced by the Japanese fast food chain MOS Burger in 1987 and has quickly spread to other Asian countries. It has become a familiar sight at festivals and where Japanese street food stalls are found.

Onigiri –  a popular Japanese snack made from white rice and molded into triangular or oval shapes. It is filled with anything salty or pickled.

Taiyaki – a pancake shaped like a fish, with a sweet red bean paste filling commonly made with adzuki beans.  Other types of filling are custard, cheese, chocolate, and sweet potato.