Help! - Japanese Vegetarian Recipes

[Clingy]

To cut a long story short, my daughter has been working toward a funded trip to Japan next year. We have been fund raising and hosting Japanese families for over a year now to help pay for the £4000 cost. Much of the funds come from a foundation.

However this week the trip organiser said that as a vegetarian my daughter must either promise to eat fish and meat or withdraw from the trip because Japanese hosts cannot cope with vegetarians. Not sure what is going wrong here as 1) They assured us several months ago it would not be a problem 2) They have known she is a vege for 2 years (she has been a vege since birth) 3) Frequent travellers to Japan tell me they will bend over backwards to accomodate her. 4) If they think my daughter would compromise her principles for personal gain, they do not know my daughter!!!

Well so much for the short story! Well, my daughter is not stupid and has forbidden me to "discuss" the matter with the organiser. Her negotiations have managed to get them to relent somewhat but we need to assure her hosts that she will not be fussy about what else she eats. So I need authentic vegetarian Japanese recipes so that my daughter may get used to the food she is likely to encounter. Cheese, I understand, is quite rare in Japan. Cheese is my daughters staple diet ....lol.

Any help or pointers much appreciated. I feel a trip to London coming up. I think there is a Japanese community on the edge of China town.

[Honoop]

Erk! Toughie!
Sorry mate - I know nothing about Japanese food, but Ive been to a Sushi bar and they did vegetarian dishes in there so I cant understand why the trip organiser is being such an awkward so and so!

Sorry I cant help - hope you get it sorted.

[KBeee]

You should try
"The Quick and Easy Japanese Cookbook" by Katsuyo Kobayashi. Lots of good recipes in there suitable for vegetarians.
I can't really see a problem being a vegetarian in Japan, as the staples are rice and noodles, and meat is comparatively rare compared to the UK.

[Nick]

Well.... its all rubbish bud.

The Japanese will have no probs at all cooking for your daughter, in fact, she'll find it a damn sight easier to eat veggie over there than here. Even if some sort of package deal has been doen for the food, it won't be a problem at all.

Pretty much everywhere I went could cater for veggies or even vegans, so she'll be fine as fine can be.

Sounds to me ike the organizers just dont want to have to bother their bums worrying about her, but thye dont need to. The Japanese can easily cater for her.

Cheese isn't exactly rare over there, its just not as common as here. That said, they do a great line in TASTY tofu and a vegan protein thingy that thye can make taste like anything you fancy... and its soooo good I was almost vegan when I was there (cos its cheap too!).

[Clingy]

Thanks for the support guys and girls. Can't understand what has been happening here. The organiser has been a regular traveller to Japan for 40+ years and naturally is very familiar with the culture and the language. I wonder whether their funds were tight and they needed to cut down on numbers. I have ordered that book KBeee and tried a tofu recipe I found on the net last night.

Nick, that just confirms what I had heard about the Japanese. Certainly they will be very skilled at making tofu (a totally bland food) taste delicious.

[Kumagoro]

This comes as no surprise to me having lived in japan.

If you want the advice of other vege's try posting at www.bigdaikon.com
be warned that a lot of posts are about the troubles people are having in japan
there have been lots of posts about vege and vegan stuff etc.

The problem is that most japanese food has some sort of animal products in them
mostly dashi (the fish kind)

The problem is that many japanese people will try to trick your daughter into eating
something with meat in it. This has happened to me (I ate whale when they blatently said it was something else) and many other people i know had similar exp.

You will find much better advice at big daikon then here

There is cheese there but from what ive been told (i hate cheese) by people i knew there, japanese cheese isnt very nice.

[Nick]

Weird, cos I had no problems at all, but hey ho... horses for courses.

I found pretty much any place had an extensive list of veggie options... most usually just the normal stuff with the meat/fish taken out and tofu or this protein thingy stuff put in its place.

[PriestJPN]

The kinda cheese you get there is the processed variety; its very rare to find a place that sells blocks of cheese as we have here. I'll second Deckard about the Tofu - the good stuff is really creamy tasting and awesome....

www.mountfuji.co.uk sell Japanese foods so you can get a (very basic) idea of whats on offer... All supermarkets there offer a wide range of fresh fruit and veg as you would expect, so it shouldn't be a problem unless the host family lives off the dreaded 'TV Dinners'...

Not that I'm advocating fast food, but Mos Burger does a range of rice burgers, one of which is vegetarian. Also salads and uber-tasty deserts too. Not bad if she needs a snack while out somewhere. Convenience stores (Lawson, 7-11, Circle-K, Family Mart, Save-on, etc) all carry a full range of sandwiches, rice balls (onigiri), and other things that can be called upon in a pinch. Japanese people love their meat and fish its true, but its not as bad as all that.

If in doubt, tell the host family that your daughter's a monk; they're vegetarian (well the ones I stayed a while with were!)

[Moby-Dick]

Miso soup for a start

[Kumagoro]

Miso soup more often than not will have the fish kind of dashi along with kombu. The problem is that labeling isnt that great.

[menthel]

The problem is not the obvious flesh products, but the stuff hidden within the ingredients. It may look and taste veggie, but it may well not be.

[Moby-Dick]

I guess it depends on your motivation for being a veggie ( taste or "humanitarian" (sp) )

[Proplus]

Look up recipes for Tofu (beancurd). You can cook so many dishes with it, substituting it for meat.

Another recipe is curry. The Japanese have developed their own flavours of curry, slightly sweeter and richer than the norm.

[EatVeg]

I had a lot of problems when I was in Japan, unless you speak Japanese it is almost impossible to tell what you are eating. I found out after a week that the Miso soup I had been eating probably had fish in it. I tried looking at the resin models that you see outside restaurants everywhere and the pictures in some of the menus but it is still very hard. I ordered a plate of radish and it came liberally sprinkled with dried fish, I ordered potato dumplings and they were full of meat.

However, it is not all bad, I eventually found a vegetarian restaurant in Nagoya and some in Hiroshima. There are apparently some in Kyoto and Osaka but I never found them. The Happy Cow web site is a really good place to look (sorry, the administrator wouldn't let me post the address but you can Google it). I also managed to buy a veggie Bento Box (a packed lunch) at some train stations and you can buy tofu covered rice rolls in most local supermarkets.

I think that vegetarianism is alien to most Japanese people, although they eat a lot of veggie items they tend to also add a lot of meat and, especially, fish products to it.

Good luck!!

[tigerboyce]

[ShenBlade]

Tokyo Vegetarian Guide: Articles about Vegetarianism
this might help for future vegetenarians/vegans heading to Japan (apologies to the mods, didnt really see the date the original post was done but its early morning and i'm half asleep)

KAPPA (MAKI): The cucumber roll. It is named KAPPA, Japanese mischievous river-sprite in folklore, because this creature was believed to love cucumber.
OSHINKO (MAKI): The Japanese pickle roll. The typical vegetables that may be used in OSHINKO MAKI are daikon (Japanese radish) or carrots.
UME (MAKI): The pickled UME (Japanese plum) roll. You will experience a tart flavor. Sometimes siso (Japanese basil) leaves are added to UME MAKI.
NATTO (MAKI): The fermented soybeans roll. NATTO is very sticky and has a strong flavor, which some Japanese dislike but some really love.
AVOCADO (MAKI): For its rich, fatty taste, avocado has been substituted for tuna in American sushi restaurants. What a great invention for vegetarians! You can ask to make a combination sushi roll with avocado and other vegetables, as well as order avocado nigiri.
HORENSO (MAKI): The spinach roll.
SHIITAKE (MAKI): The shiitake mushroom roll. As the ingredient of the rolled sushi, shiitake may be cooked with soy sauce and Japanese sweet rice wine. As I mentioned before, grilled shiitake nigiri would be a wonderful option.
KAMPYO (MAKI): KAMPYO is dried gourd strip which is usually seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. KAMPYO MAKI is a common rolled sushi in Japan. Enjoy its slightly spongy texture.
YUBA (MAKI): The YUBA (soymilk skin) roll. YUBA is good for making combination sushi with other ingredients such as shiitake (seasoned) or cucumber. Vegetarian
FUTOMAKI: FUTOMAKI means a thick roll and more than two ingredients are put in. Choose any vegetarian foods.
INARI: The sushi rice wrapped with seasoned abura-age (deep-fried thin tofu). In fact, it is a casual, homemade sushi, so you may rarely see this item on the menu.
CHIRASHI: The mixed sushi with a variety of ingredients. Usually, it contains fish so ask the chef to make CHIRASHI without fish. The same as INARI, CHIRASHI is a homemade type of sushi.
Garnishes: The garnishes for sushi are gari (pickled ginger slices) and wasabi (Japanese horseradish). Gari is free, so take as much as you want. Americans mix gari and wasabi in soy sauce, but it is not the authentic Japanese way of eating sushi. Put wasabi on sushi when you want a hotter taste. Also you can ask the chef not to add wasabi to your sushi (say, "SABI NUKI").

TOFU DISHES
You may eat lots of tofu dishes at vegetarian restaurants. Do the same at Japanese restaurants, too. Besides the following menu, other items, such as tofu salad or tofu steak, may be available for vegetarians/vegans. To be on the safe side, remind the restaurant staff you don't want bonito, sometimes used as a topping for tofu dishes.

YU DOFU: The Japanese find tofu's natural good taste in the simplest way of cooking. YU DOFU is tofu boiled in a pot in which kombu seaweed is placed. When you eat them, dip the tofu into soy sauce with some garnishes (grated ginger, chopped onion, and so on). The restaurant may serve you the sauce for YU DOFU, but it possibly contains bonito flakes. Check before you take the sauce.
HIYA YAKKO: The same as YU DOFU, HIYA YAKKO (also called just "YAKKO") is a very simple dish. It is served raw, usually in cold ice water. Dip the tofu into soy sauce. The toppings are grated ginger, chopped green onions, and nori seaweed. Ask not to put bonito flakes on the tofu.
TOFU DENGAKU: The word DENGAKU itself means grilled food, skewered, with sweetened miso paste topping. (So there are other varieties besides tofu. Eggplant DENGAKU is also highly recommended.) Just in case, check if they used bonito "dashi" or eggs in the miso paste.
AGEDASHI DOFU: Deep-fried tofu, which is coated with potato starch (katakuri-ko). It is served in a sauce, based on soy sauce. Check if the sauce contains bonito extract. In addition to that, bonito flakes are often used as a topping, so ask not to put them on the dish. You can eat AGEDASHI DOFU with a little soy sauce and some garnishes such as grated ginger.
GOMA DOFU: As a matter of fact, GOMA DOFU is not tofu: it is made from white sesame seeds, water, and potato starch. There is no bean in it. GOMA DOFU is usually served raw with wasabi and soy sauce. Never miss this savory "tofu" when you encounter it at a restaurant.

(Maybe) OK Dishes
Most appetizers, such as a small portion of salad, are vegetarian/vegan. Still, you may need to confirm that they don't put bonito flakes on the dishes. Japanese noodles are fine to eat, but also, check if the soup contains bonito. The followings are some items that vegetarians/vegans may enjoy.

EDAMAME: This is a green-colored young soybean. Japanese people love to eat EDAMAME as a summertime snack with beer. Of course, if you shun any alcohol, no problem. Usually, it is served boiled, with a pinch of salt.
OHITASHI: OHITASHI is generally boiled leafy greens, such as spinach. Tell them that you don't want bonito flakes as a topping. When you eat OHITASHI, drizzle a little soy sauce on the vegetable.
SU NO MONO: SU means vinegar, and SU NO MONO is vegetables and/or seaweed, sometimes seafood, dressed with mixed rice vinegar (with soy sauce, sugar, and salt). It refreshes your palate after eating oily dishes. Check the ingredients before you order.
GOMA AE: Vegetables which are dressed with a nutty-flavored sesame paste (sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sugar). In this case, we rarely add bonito to the dish.
NI MONO: Boiled vegetables, especially root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, or daikon (a kind of radish) are used. Usually, NI MONO is cooked with soy sauce, sake (Japanese rice wine), and mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), but you may need to check if they use soup stock containing bonito.
NUTA: It is a dish made of seafood and vegetables, dressed with sumiso (white miso thinned with vinegar); however, you can order NUTA made of vegetables and seaweed instead of seafood.
MISO Soup: Miso is fermented soybean paste. The Japanese make luscious soup with miso. Unfortunately, the soup stock may have bonito powder, so check what ingredients they use for the soup, dashi. Vegetable TEMPURA: The same as SUSHI, TEMPURA is a gorgeous Japanese dish for a special treat. Seafood and vegetables are dipped into a batter, then deep-fried in vegetable oil (we never use lard or any animal fat to cook TEMPURA). People love its crispy, oil-rich taste. Introduced in the sixteenth century from Portuguese, it is very similar to fritters but has a more delicate texture. These are the checkpoints for vegans. 1) Say you don't want seafood TEMPURA. 2) Tell them not to use egg in the batter. Otherwise, let them fry the vegetables without a batter. TEMPURA coated with harusame (mung bean noodles) is a great option for vegans. 3) Ask if it is possible to fry the vegetables in the oil in which seafood is not fried. 4) TEMPURA sauce contains bonito extract, so eat it with salt and if possible, lemon juice.
GYOZA: Originally, GYOZA, a kind of dumpling, is a Chinese dish. But now it has become indispensable to Japanese tables, too. Its typical filling is a mixture of pork, cabbage, Chinese chives, garlic, and ginger. Just ask if they can make vegetable GYOZA without pork or any other animal foods.
UDON: Soft, thick, and white wheat noodles. If you order hot UDON, check whether the soup contains bonito extract. You can also have cold UDON (say, "ZARU-UDON"); eat it with a little soy sauce and if possible, garnishes such as grated ginger, nori seaweed, and/or chopped green onions. Stir-fried UDON with vegetables is a very possible option.

ONIGIRI or RICE BALL: This is a kind of finger food, so eat ONIGIRI with your hands. It is often wrapped with nori seaweed and has a stuffing such as umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum). The stuffing may be fish, so check before ordering.
OCHA ZUKE: It is a casual, but popular Japanese meal. Pour hot Japanese green tea into a bowl of rice, then you can have OCHA ZUKE. There are some variations of toppings on the rice, so order vegetarian foods such as umeboshi, nori, or TSUKEMONO (also called OSHINKO. See the following section).
TSUKEMONO: Pickled vegetables, usually accompanied with rice. In fact, our ancestors felt satisfied with just several bowls of rice, TSUKEMONO and miso soup. TSUKEMONO is versatile, but at restaurants, they usually serve nukazuke (pickled in rice bran), umeboshi, takuan (strong flavored, yellow-colored pickled daikon), or shiozuke (pickled with salt).