Why Japan is popular with raw food?

Japan is one country that is famous for the type of raw food. This country is famous love to eat raw fish meat that is called sashimi. The habit of eating raw fish has begun Japanese society since long ago. In addition, the geography of Japan also supports the community eating raw fish.

As quoted from Cambridge.org, geographically, Japanese sea was in the meeting of warm and cold. These conditions provide a natural resource (fish) is abundant. The abundant fish make Japanese society love to explore and processing fish.

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The tradition of eating raw fish in Japanese society has done since the time of the ancestors. Namasu, or by eating raw sliced fish and dipped in vinegar sauce is one such example. Japanese society know the famous slogan of the basic concepts cultivate fish dishes, namely "Eat fish, especially in raw, then bake, and boil as a last resort".

The slogan emphasizes that the best way to feel the taste and texture of the fish when the fish is still fresh and raw. If conditions are less fresh fish, the best way to eat them is by adding salt and baking it. If the condition of the fish is not fresh, it is better to boil it with spices, such as Japanese soy sauce (shoyu) or soybean paste (miso).

Japan Society assessing fish dishes have a higher social status than vegetable dishes, especially as a food treat in a big event parties. However, sashimi become more popular since the 17th century, when the increasing popularity of shoyu soy sauce. Fresh slices of raw fish to be eaten after dipped in shoyu soy sauce with a little wasabi (Wasabia Japonica), sauce derived from plants that are similar to horseradish.

Cooking philosophy in general lead to the creation of new flavors that do not exist naturally. The new flavor is produced from the cooking process and add the spices to the cooking ingredients.

However, the traditional Japanese way of cooking just the opposite. The idea of how to cook Japanese is to retain the natural flavor of food materials with minimal cooking process. Therefore, sashimi, can be regarded as symbolizing of cooking philosophy of traditional Japanese cooking methods. Even so, the difficulty of sending in a fresh sea fish reduce the rate of consumption of fresh fish in inland. Then, in the modern era, fresh sea fish is replaced with freshwater fish as a main dish.