Everyone loves food and since we all die and live for it, we will keep reading everything that concerns food. Reading about different cuisines brings about similarities as well as differences. There is an ongoing misconception about Chinese and Japanese food. Most people think they are the same while they have their own absolute differences. It is wrong to think in those lines.
Japanese Vs. Chinese Food
The way both meals are prepared and the ingredients used to prepare them is the main difference between Japanese and Chinese food. Fresh ingredients are used while preparing Japanese food. Food is mostly raw and the process involved in cooking is light and healthy.
Chinese food on the other hand has a more complex preparation method. It involves the use of seasoning, sauce, oily and deep-fried foods which are unhealthy in the end.
Comparison between Japanese and Chinese Food
- Japanese food has its origin in Japan while Chinese food has its own in China.
- Seafood is the traditional cuisine used in Japanese foods. Chinese food on the other hand uses rice as its traditional cuisine.
- There are little to no spices used in Japanese food making the meals less spicy. Chinese food is all about spices. Foods are always spicy.
- Japanese foods have a little proportion of oil making them less oily. The oil proportion in Chinese foods is more and the foods are oilier.
- Japanese foods are mostly raw while Chinese foods are mostly cooked.
- The cooking method involved in preparing Japanese foods is the grilling method while the one involved in preparing Chinese foods is deep-frying.
- Japanese foods are eaten raw, cooked in little oil, and are less spicy. As such, they are considered healthier than Chinese foods that have too much oil and so many spices used to cook them.
- Green tea is the main tea option for Japanese foods while Black tea is the main tea option for Chinese foods.
- Examples of Japanese foods include Sushi, Tofu, and Ramen while examples of Chinese foods include fried rice, fried noodles, and Manchurian.
What is Japanese Food?
Japanese foods mostly constitute kinds of seafood and rice as well as sideline ingredients like fresh vegetables. They are considered the main cooking method and main traditional foods in Japan. It is said to be healthy because fewer oils and spices are used in the preparation of the same. They are also grilled to keep them raw.
While Chinese food is known to serve rice, Japanese food was also served rice which has since been considered a traditional food in Japan. Every single item in Japanese food is placed on the rice bowl while serving.
There are leaves used on every plate of Japanese delicacies and many homes in Japan have stuck with this tradition.
Rice was initially the main staple food in Japan. Years later, wheat and soybeans were introduced and considered the main staple food in Japan to date. In short, all three meals that are rice, soybeans, and wheat are currently the main staple foods in Japan.
Japanese foods do not contain meat products. This has been going on since the Kofun s period of Japan. It is also said that spices were very hard to find during this era. Garlic and pepper were the only two spices that could be found in food.
A few examples of Japanese food include:
- Sushi
- Tofu
- Udon
- Ramen
- Tempura
- Donburi
- Sashimi
- Yakitori
- Oden
- Natto
- Sobba
- Tonkatsu
- Kashipan
- Miso soup
What is Chinese Food?
These are foods that originated from China and have vinegar, red chili sauce, and soy sauce as their accompaniments. The sauces’ role is to ensure that the food’s flavors are enhanced. Following Gastronomy makes the Chinese food;
The four major Chinese cuisines include; Chuan which is the West cuisine of China, Lu for the North cuisine of China, Yue for the South Cuisine of China, and Huaiyang which symbolizes the East cuisine of China.
There are 8 more modern Chinese cuisines that comprise Chinese Food which include; Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang.
It is believed that it was the Chinese people who planted rice, millet, and other such grains 8000 to 9000 years ago. Wheat was even planted again for another 3000 to 4000 years. Chinese ancestors planted the staple foods, which are used for Chinese cuisines to date.
We know that seasoning in Japanese foods only involves the use of ginger and pepper. There are more species of seasonings in Chinese foods. You are likely to find spices like garlic, ginger, sesame, scallion, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, white peppers, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and white pepper.
Examples of Chinese foods include:
- Hotpot
- Pork
- Orange Chicken
- Shrimp
- Dumplings
- Chow Mein
- Roasted Duck
- Vermicelli Rolls
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Wontons
- Spring Rolls
- Manchurian
- Fried Noodles
- Chicken 65
- Yangchow Fried Chicken among others
Difference between Chinese and Japanese Food
- Japanese food has its origin in Japan while Chinese food has its origin in China.
- Japanese food is prepared using fewer oils when compared to Chinese food.
- Japanese foods contain fewer spices compared to Chinese foods.
- While Japanese foods use kinds of seafood as their core ingredients, Chinese foods use rice as their core ingredient.
- Japanese food is eaten raw while Chinese food is deep-fried.
- Japanese foods choose green tea for their tea option while Chinese food chooses black tea for their tea option.
- Overall, Japanese food is healthier as it involves no frying or spices while Chinese food is less healthy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that Japanese and Chinese foods are made differently by their idea of preparation as well as their taste. They both involve different methods of cooking and preparation. They both have different histories and different origins.
Japanese people consume more and prefer Chinese foods because they are healthier. They involve the use of fewer spices, little to no oils, and use fresher ingredients. Chinese foods on the other hand are too spicy and are prepared using so much oil. They are eaten after deep-frying, unlike Japanese foods that are eaten raw.