A Tasty Adventure: 5 Weird Japanese Food Dishes You Have to Try

The number of Japanese restaurants worldwide has increased by nearly three times since 2006. Now there are almost 100,000 Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. 

However, the Japanese style dishes served in the United States and Europe are extremely different from what you can find in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Take a journey with us through the top 5 weird Japanese food dishes you can try in Japan. Let’s go!

1. Natto

Do you like the sound of fermented soybeans? Natto is eaten with either rice, sushi, or ramen.

Even though this dish is a favorite among locals, it’s notorious among tourists for its awful smell and strange texture. In many ways, the texture of Natto is one of the strangest things about it. It’s really sticky, which isn’t unusual in Japanese cooking. 

If you want to discover something you’ll never find anywhere else, Natto is definitely a great choice for you.

2. Horse Meat

In the United States and most of Europe, eating horse meat is taboo. Even though the best Japanese restaurants in Europe and the United States usually don’t have horse on the menu, it’s widely enjoyed in Japan.

Horses aren’t just pets in Japan. You can find horse meat dishes served in numerous restaurants around the country. Usually, it’s eaten with soy sauce and a pinch of garlic for more flavor. 

3. Shirako

Shirako is definitely weird, but it’s certainly not cheap to eat. It’s the seminal fluid of fish.

Yes, you read that correctly. It gets worse. The Japanese word “Shirako” actually translates into English as “white children.”

It’s eaten as a delicacy in Japan. Many tourists who have tried it claim it doesn’t have a strong taste and the texture is similar to pudding.

4. Goya 

No, the Japanese don’t eat the 19th-century Spanish painter Francisco Goya. But they do eat goya, which is a kind of Japanese melon.

However, the Japanese consider the goya to be a vegetable due to the strong bitter rather than sweet taste.

It is reportedly healthy, but it’s also an acquired taste for tourists. So, it’s possible the health reasons for eating goya are stronger than the taste.

5. Nankotsu

In Western culture, cartilage isn’t usually considered food. However, the Japanese beg to differ.

Nankotsu is chicken cartilage. If you like food with a crunch, then this could definitely be the snack for you.

But, don’t expect a particularly pleasant taste. It’s more about the crunch than anything else.

More Weird Japanese Food?

What are you waiting for? Book your flight today to experience Japanese food for yourself. There aren’t many places in the world where you can eat fermented soybeans for breakfast, horse meat for lunch, followed by fish sperm for dinner. 

Do you know of any other weird Japanese food that we didn’t mention in this article? If you have any other suggestions for strange food in other countries, tell us in a comment below. 

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