Summer is here and it is very hot, in Japan the temperature is very heavy and you will find many typical refreshing food and drinks, very different from ours. Here are 12 Japanese ideas to cool down in summer.
- The mugicha drink
- Japanese vinegar
- Kakigori, crushed ice
- Japanese beers
- Japanese summer vegetables
- Somen and hiyamugi noodles
- Myoga
- Tokoroten noodles
- Ayu fish
- Lemon sudachi
- Hiyayakko cold tofu
- Umeboshi plums
The mugicha drink
The mugicha 麦茶 is an iced drink widely consumed in Japan in the summer, which is made of roasted barley beans hence this brownish color. It contains no caffeine or theine which makes it an ideal early evening drink! It can also be drunk hot. It is a very thirst-quenching drink with a nutty or coffee taste if you let the barley grains soak for a long time.
Japanese vinegar
You will find many dishes drizzled with vinegar (rice, plum, black, white …) on salads, cold dishes because the vinegar gives a touch of freshness to the dish.
Kakigori, crushed ice
Kakigori かき氷 is a crushed ice flavored with syrup. There are 2 types of kakigori that of kansai and that of kanto. The kansai one has the syrup poured first at the bottom of the bowl (on the right in the picture) while the kanto version has the syrup poured on top (on the left in the picture). Many flavors are available!
Japanese beers
Beers in Japan are very popular in izakaya and among friends. Japanese beers such as Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory… quench your thirst after a hard and hot day.
Japanese summer vegetables
Summer vegetables in Japan are edamame, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, corn… They are eaten as an appetizer, in salads, or as tsukemono (pickled vegetables) with cold beer.
Somen and hiyamugi noodles
Somen 素麺 are thin, white Japanese noodles eaten cold in summer. They are made of wheat flour. They are eaten in soup or plain with some vegetables or tsukemono. Hiyamugi 冷麦 are similar to somen but are slightly thicker and the difference is also in the making. The somen are round while the hiyamugi are square because the latter are cut with a knife while the somen are drawn.
The myoga
Myoga 茗荷 is a Japanese ginger that you will often see in the summer in Japan. It is very refreshing and can also be eaten as tempura, nigiri sushi, or tsukemono with Japanese rice.
Tokoroten noodles
Tokoroten 心太 are transparent agar noodles eaten cold in summer in Japan. On top you will find a sauce, different in different regions, the most popular being vinegar. These noodles are considered a refreshing, healthy and very low-calorie food.
Ayu fish
Ayu 鮎 is a popular freshwater fish in the summer in Japan, often eaten grilled, this small fish is delicious. The fins and the tip of its tail are surrounded by salt so as not to grill them too quickly. Moreover, they are often presented in skewers and curved to give them dynamism, it seems that the fish is swimming.
The lemon sudachi
The sudachi スダチ is a member of the lemon family. Small, green, it refreshes the palate well. It is often accompanied with many fish dishes, noodles, used in spirits, cold drinks, ice cream… It is even more popular than yuzu.
Hiyayakko cold tofu
Hiyayakko 冷奴 is a cold tofu dish with various toppings such as yuzu, daikon, myoga, ginger… It is a very popular dish in summer.
Umeboshi plums
Umeboshi 梅干 are salty and sour plums, enjoyed in summer in Japan as in ume ochazuke. A simple rice-based dish with various ingredients on top and drizzled with green tea.
As you can see, in the summer, Japanese people usually eat very healthy and cold in order to cool down quickly. Japanese noodles are very popular at this time. If you want more ideas, please read our article, what do we eat in Japan in summer?
