Welcome to Nippon Spoon!
On this blog, I usually share halal-friendly Japanese home cooking recipes.
But today’s post is a little different.
During my summer vacation, I went back to Japan and enjoyed many meals with my family. These were not fancy restaurant meals — just the everyday food I ate while spending time at home.
So, what do Japanese families really eat?
Let’s take a look at some everyday Japanese home meals from my trip to Japan.
Japanese Breakfast Is Not Always Rice and Miso Soup
When many people think of a Japanese breakfast, they might imagine rice, grilled fish, and miso soup.
But my family has always been a bread-for-breakfast family.
In fact, more than half Japanese families enjoy bread for breakfast instead of rice.
Did you know that Japan has an incredibly high standard when it comes to bread?
Of course, bread from bakeries is delicious, but even a simple loaf of sandwich bread that you can buy for around one dollar at a local supermarket can be surprisingly delicious.
A typical breakfast for us is simple:
- Toast
- Fried egg
- Salad
- Cheese
- Coffee
- Watermelon
Nothing fancy, but it feels familiar and comforting.
Thinly Sliced Meat Is a Staple in Japanese Home Cooking
One of the dinners I enjoyed during my stay included:
- Steamed rice
- Sautéed thinly sliced beef
- Japanese rolled omelet
- Stir-fried zucchini
- Salad
Thinly sliced meat is a staple in many Japanese home kitchens because it cooks quickly and is incredibly versatile.
When I first discovered that thinly sliced meat was not something you could easily find at regular American supermarkets, I was honestly shocked.
It is such a useful ingredient — easy to cook, easy to eat, and perfect for so many different dishes.
I sincerely hope thinly sliced meat becomes more common and available around the world.
Want to make your own thinly sliced meat at home? Read my guide on how to slice meat thinly for Japanese cooking.
A Simple Japanese Lunch with Natto
One of the lunches I enjoyed during my stay was a simple but very Japanese meal.
We had:
- Steamed rice
- Kimchi
- Natto
- Grilled vegetables
- Cucumber
- Mentaiko (spicy cod roe)
- Watermelon
Have you heard of natto?
Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It has a unique smell and a sticky texture, so even some Japanese people do not like it.
However, many people love natto — and I am one of them.
Fresh Seafood Is One of the Things I Look Forward to in Japan
Since Japan is surrounded by the ocean, there are many different kinds of seafood available.
My parents’ home is especially lucky because it is located very close to the sea.
During my stay, we enjoyed sea bream sashimi made from a fish my husband caught.
It was incredibly fresh and absolutely delicious.
Fresh seafood like this is something I always look forward to when I visit Japan.
Simple Japanese Noodle Lunch at Home (And Fish!)
One simple lunch we had was:
- Salt-flavored yakisoba
- Japanese pickles
- Grilled sea bream
Weekend lunches are often simple noodle dishes in my family.
But adding fresh seafood made this meal feel much more special than usual.
If you like simple noodle lunches like this, be sure to check out my Halal-Friendly Yaki Udon recipe.
Japanese Family Gatherings Are Filled With Food (Sushi, Finally!)
When family members get together, food is always a big part of the gathering.
At one family gathering, the table was filled with:
- Sushi
- Karaage
- Fresh salad
- Grilled vegetables
It was like a dream meal filled with all of my favorite foods.
Sushi and karaage are classic choices when Japanese people have guests over because everyone loves them!
If you’d like to make it at home, check out my Halal-Friendly Japanese Karaage recipe.
A Creative Way to Enjoy Leftover Sushi
We had some sushi left over from the previous day.
I’m not sure if heating up leftover sushi is a common practice, but in our family, we decided to toast it in the oven just to be safe since it was raw fish.
The toasted sushi was completely different from fresh sushi, but it was delicious in its own way.
It had a warm, slightly toasted flavor that was very different from the original sushi, but I enjoyed it as a new version of the meal.
Watch the Video: What I Ate During My Stay in Japan
If you would like to see more details, including all 14 meals from my trip, check out the videos below.
A quick peek (Youtube Short)
Thank you for reading!
If you are interested in Japanese home cooking, check out more halal-friendly Japanese recipes here at Nippon Spoon.