The Best of Japan

Updated August 13, 2008

Whether it's your first Asian culinary adventure or you're a seasoned pro, these recipes are sure to become top-rated favorites.

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Yakitori

Credit: Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Japanese-style vegetable and chicken kabobs marinate in a mixture of sake, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Readers recommend quadrupling the top-rated recipe for large groups thanks to the delicious flavor and ease of preparation.

Recipe: Yakitori

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Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Gingered Soy Sauce

Tonkatsu, a traditional breaded deep-fried pork cutlet served with sauce, gets a healthy makeover by pan-frying the pork. The show-stealing ginger sauce gets a kick of flavor from spicy wasabi, but it's balanced out by the sauce's sugar and sake.

Recipe: Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Gingered Soy Sauce

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Vegetable Donburi Over Seasoned Rice

Donburi is a rice dish with fish, meat, or vegetables that's simmered in a rich, hearty sauce. Our sauce recipe combines, miso, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic for Asian-inspired flavor. If you have trouble locating miso, check the foreign foods aisle of your grocery store, or a local Asian market.

Recipe: Vegetable Donburi Over Seasoned Rice

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Vegetarian Gyoza with Spicy Dipping Sauce

From the sauce to the filling to the wrappers, these homemade Asian dumplings are sure to please. Although Japanese gyoza are generally fried, our just-as-tasty version is steamed to reduce calories and fat. Serve with a spicy soy sauce for dipping.

Recipe: Vegetarian Gyoza with Spicy Dipping Sauce

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Pan-Fried Udon Noodles with Teriyaki Sauce

Udon noodles are a staple of Japanese cuisine. In this top-rated recipe, they are prepared with a green-tea teriyaki sauce and tofu. Jicama, leeks, and carrots add a satisfying crunch to round-out the noodle dinner.

Recipe: Pan-Fried Udon Noodles with Teriyaki Sauce

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Tuna Nigiri

Sushi's popularity has reached culinary celeb status throughout the world. All raw fish is generally lumped into the sushi category, but there are a variety of types based on ingredients and style. Nigiri is an oblong mound of sushi rice with a speck of wasabi that is draped with fish, and secured with a "seaweed belt."

Recipe: Tuna Nigiri

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Roasted Fish with Kabocha Coulis

Bright orange kabocha squash forms a sweet base for roasted halibut. Kabocha is a Japanese-style pumpkin with a flavor slightly sweeter than butternut squash. It's packed with beta-carotene, iron, vitamin C, and potassium, making it a Japanese superfood.

Recipe: Roasted Fish with Kabocha Coulis

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Miso-Garlic Broiled Eggplant

According to Japanese mythology, miso assures a healthy, long, and happy life. Originating as a necessity for samuri, the fermented soybean paste has a distinct earthy, savory flavor that's popular in Japanese dishes. When combined with sweet rice wine, ginger, and crushed red pepper, the miso gives the eggplant dish a delicious sweet 'n' spicy twist.

Recipe: Miso-Garlic Broiled Eggplant

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Toyoshimas' Teriyaki Tri-Tip

Soy sauce, sweet rice wine, and sake form a trio of ingredients that flavor teriyaki, a traditional Japanese glaze. Marinating the beef overnight creates a melt-in-your-mouth entrée perfect for entertaining.

Recipe: Toyoshimas' Teriyaki Tri-Tip

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Infused Sake

Drink like the gods, as you sip this traditional Japanese rice wine. Despite sake's lofty reputation, the wine is inexpensive, accessible, and easily infused with fruit. This version uses pineapple and mango to add a sweet twist to the Japanese wine. The infused wine is best served cold.

Recipe: Infused Sake

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Japanese Style Daikon and Carrot Pickles

Daikon, a Japanese radish resembling an albino carrot, is a mild root-vegetable with a pungent smell making it ideal for pickling. Flavored with lime, sweet rice wine, and orange rind, this pickled side is an ideal accompaniment to grilled tuna or salmon.

Recipe: Japanese Style Daikon and Carrot Pickles

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