Japanese Food near Salt Lake City Utah

Japanese cuisine as a national cuisine has evolved over the centuries from many political and social changes. Starting from the ancient era when much of the cuisine was influenced by Chinese culture and Korean culture, the cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of Shogun rule. Into the early modern area massive large changes would take place that would truly change when the modern era came and introduced western culture to Japan.

The modern term "Japanese cuisine" (nihon ryōri or washoku) means traditional-style Japanese food, similar to what already existed before the end of national seclusion in 1868. In a broader sense of the word, it could also include foods whose ingredients or cooking methods were subsequently introduced from abroad, but which have been developed by Japanese who made them their own. Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food (shun), quality of ingredients and presentation.

Noodles are an essential part of Japanese cuisine usually as an alternative to a rice-based meal. Soba (thin, grayish-brown noodles containing buckwheat flour) and udon (thick wheat noodles) are the main traditional noodles and are served hot or cold with soy-dashi flavorings. Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat stock broth known as ramen have become extremely popular over the last century.