cooking techniques

deep-frying

Introduced to Japan in the 1500s by the Portuguese, deep-frying
has become a widely-accepted cooking method in Japan. Coating
seafood, meats and vegetables in a light batter and cooking them
in hot oil ensures that the shape and flavours of the ingredients
are retained. The most common types of batter used in Japanese
cooking include breadcrumbs (panko) and plain (all-purpose) flour.
Some Japanese dishes are deep-fried with just a light coating of
potato starch, as in the case of cooking Japanese-style deep-fried
chicken (karaage). Other classic dishes that are deep-fried include
tempura and tonkatsu.

grilling

Grilling can be done over charcoal fire or gas. Seafood and meats
are often marinated before grilling, then basted with the marinade
as the seafood or meat cooks. The most basic type of marinade,
called teriyaki, is made with Japanese soy sauce (shoyu), mirin and
sugar. Grilling can also be done in a frying pan using just a small
amount of oil. This cooking method is healthy yet the results are
highly flavourful. One of the more popular Japanese foods cooked
this way is grilled chicken parts cooked over charcoal (yakitori).

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