Japanese Superfoods Supporting Japan, the Country with the Longest Life Expectancy

Japan leads the world in both average age and healthy living. One of the key contributors to healthy lifestyles in Japan is "Japanese food. Here we introduce some of the "Japanese superfoods" that make up "Japanese diets," which is attracting attention from around the world.

Japanese food culture had its foundations in the 6th century. 

Four characteristics of Japanese food

Japanese food is particularly noted for its healthy nutritional balance. Based on the concept of "one soup and three dishes," Japanese food is characterized by its low content of animal oil and fat.

 Typical Japanese food style "one soup, three vegetables

Under the influence of Buddhism, the Emperor issued a "meat-eating ban" in 645.

In the 6th century, under the influence of Buddhism, the world became a place where "animals should not be killed". Since monks could not eat meat, they began to eat soybeans and other foods to consume protein, and they also began to "make dashi" (soup stock).

In 645, the Emperor issued a "meat-eating ban."

In 645, the emperor made a rule that people should not eat meat.

Under the influence of this, ordinary people began to eat dishes made from vegetables and other plant-based ingredients that the monks had eaten. Thus, a healthier food culture was born, which is rare in the world, in which animal protein is obtained primarily from fish and vegetable protein is supplied by soybeans and rice.

Japanese Superfoods, from an island nation long from north to south. 

The Japanese archipelago is long from north to south, and the climate and environment differ greatly from area to area.

Taking advantage of the differences in the natural environment due to its long north-south geography, Japan is rich in local foods such as vegetables(wild & cultivated), fish that are found in each region,  and rice. The term "superfood" was coined in the U.S. around 2004, but if we consider the criteria of "tradition," "nutritional value," and "food origin," there are many "superfoods" that have been consumed in Japan for a long time.

Japanese superfoods come in a wide variety of product types 

Main Classifications of Japanese Superfoods

The Japan Superfood Association defines Japanese superfoods as follows:

"Traditional natural foods and domestically produced foods with traditional production methods that are recognized as having contributed to the health and well-being of the Japanese people in the Japanese food culture."

Various dishes and sweets have been created through the ingenuity of cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, simmering, and baking traditional ingredients. The beauty of the presentation, born from the spirit of hospitality, is also attracting attention.