Japanese Foods > Basic Japanese foods 　Japanese Foods If we asked you to think of one Japanese food, what comes to your mind? sushi, raw fish, tempura, tofu? Itadakimasu Before eating the meal, the Japanese say "Itadakimasu" I look up the word in my dictionary. It said "Itadakimasu" means I take your life. We sacrifice the lives of many animals and plants to eat. So "Itadakimasu" is the symbol of thanks for those lives. Keita Iguchi Chubu Middle School 　Basic Japanese Foods Asa-Gohan (Japanese Breakfast) Most of Japanese people feel like eating rice at least once a day, although some have bread for breakfast. Rice - steamed rice Traditionally the Japanese staple has been rice, with side dishes of seafood, fruit, and vegetables. The easiest way to cook rice is in a rice steamer. (use short-grain rice) Miso paste is a concentrated, savory paste made from soybeans--often mixed with a grain such as rice, barley, or wheat--that is fermented with a yeast mold (koji) and then combined with salt and water. Store miso paste in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to a year. Miso Soup miso soup is served with nearly every meal in Japan, including breakfast. It is very simple and quick to make, nutritious and low in calories. It's also very tasty. Copyright(C) Add7network All rights reserved.