Learn about the Top 5 Fast Foods in Japan
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| Hello, and welcome back to JapanesePod101.com. |
| I’m Eric. |
| In this lesson we will talk about the "Top 5 fast |
| foods in Japan". |
| === |
| The first topic on the list is a beef bowl, (J: Gyu-don). |
| This is a very popular rice bowl dish with thin-sliced beef and onion in a savory sweet sauce. Beef bowls are often served with red pickled ginger (J: Beni Shoga) and Japanese mixed pepper (J: Shi-chi-mi togarashi). |
| You can find many (J: Gyudon) chains across Japan, |
| such as (J: Yoshinoya), (J: Sukiya) and (J: |
| Matsuya). They also offer takeout services, |
| which makes them a perfect meal for busy office |
| workers. |
| (J: Gyudon) is also available at some supermarkets |
| and convenience stores. But don’t forget to have your bowl heated with their in-store microwave ovens, because it tastes much better that way. |
| == |
| The next topic is buckwheat noodles (J: Soba). |
| Many traditional buckwheat noodle restaurants serve homemade (J: Soba) in a pure Japanese atmosphere. But “Soba Stands”, better known as stand-and-eat soba counters (J: Tachi-gui-soba), are also convenient fast food, especially for young and middle-aged men. |
| Many Soba stands are on the train platform, so you can pop in while waiting for a train. Everything on the menu is quick and cheap, and easily warms you up on a cold day. |
| You can also pick up some ready-made Soba noodles, both hot and cold, from convenience stores. |
| === |
| The next topic is Udon noodles (J: Udon). |
| (J: Udon) is a thick, white noodle made from wheat |
| flour, and they are made and cooked in different ways depending on the region. |
| But among all kinds of regional noodles, the (J: Udon) from Kagawa Prefecture in western Japan is the most famous nationwide and is called (J: Sanuki udon). |
| Many (J: Sanuki Udon) restaurants such as (J: Hanamaru Udon) and (J: Marugame Seimen) offer cafeteria-style services. It’s simple – just grab a tray, order your Udon, and add your favorite toppings. |
| === |
| The next topic is the box lunch (J: Bento). This is Japan’s traditional fast food and includes a variety of different side dishes. |
| (J: Bento) is sold in almost all supermarkets and |
| convenience stores, with many styles and sizes available, from simple ones with just rice balls to deluxe bento with a dozen different side dishes. |
| You can even find some take-out bento-speciality shops such as (J: Hokka hokka tei) and (J: Hotto Motto). They also take delivery orders. |
| === |
| Last but not least is the rice ball |
| (J: Onigiri), which has been Japan’s most loved portable meal for hundreds of years. |
| The recipe is quite simple. Just season cooked rice with salt, and make triangle or oval-shapes and add whatever ingredients you like for the fillings. |
| For years people enjoyed eating rice balls with traditional fillings like dried plum (J:Umeboshi), kelp (J: Kombu) or bonito flake (J:Katsuobushi). |
| But nowadays there are a number of new kinds |
| of ingredients available, and convenience stores also offer original rice balls with unique fillings such as “Grilled Beef” and “Fried Chicken”. |
| It is definitely fun to try them all and find your favorite! |
| That’s all for this lesson. |
| Do you have a favorite place to get a quick, cheap bite? Leave us a comment and let us know! |
| Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next time. Until then, bye! |
Get complete breakdowns, review with quizzes and download printable practice sheets! Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Comments
Hide