The Tokyo Traveler

5 Cool Summer Eats in Tokyo

by Shane on July 22nd, 2008

It’s getting hot and humid in Tokyo and with the increase in temperature it’s hard to find your appetite. The Japanese use the term natsubate, summer exhaustion or summer lethargy, to describe the effects of the heat and claim that the best cure for it is to eat well. Here are five summer foods that the Japanese love to eat and that you should definitely give a try when you visit.

Any type of cold noodle goes down well on a hot summer day in Tokyo and Zaru soba is one of my favorites. I make it at home when I’m hungry but the thought of anything hot is simply not appetizing. Soba noodles are made by mixing buckwheat and water, the resulting dough is then kneaded and rolled out before being cut into thin strips and dried. The resulting noodles are then boiled and cooled under running water before being placed on a bamboo mat topped with nori (dried seaweed) and serving alongside cold tsuyu (broth) with green onions and wasabi commonly added. It is a light and delicious meal that you can easily make at home.

Another popular cold noodle dish in Japan is Hiyashi Chuuka, cold somen noodles topped with a variety of fresh vegetables and meats like ham or chicken. The salad is dressed with a sweet and sour sauce made from rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil and is very refreshing on a hot day.

Traditional green tea, or matcha, as it is know in Japan is not only served hot. If you visit a Tokyo teahouse in the summer you should not miss the opportunity to have tea overlooking a beautiful garden like we did when we visited Mihama-en this past week. Due to the heat we opted to have our tea sumitai, or cold, which was served by a kimono clad woman, with a light cake in an air conditioned tea room, overlooking the garden.

Unagi (eel) has been consumed in Japan since the 17th century and is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E, and is said to give people stamina. It is a popular summer food that usually skewered and grilled over charcoal with sweet basting sauce called kabayaki, similar to teriyaki sauce, and served don style, over rice, in a beautiful lacquered box or bowl.

Hiya-yakko, or raw tofu, is eaten cold and is simply cubed and can be served plain or topped with grated ginger, green onion and soy sauce.

Watermelon is a summer favorite worldwide, but in Japan suika, or watermelon, are quite expensive and warrant honorable mention or the number six spot in this list of 5 Cool Summer Eats in Tokyo. I recently attended a matsuri (festival) where half of a melon sized watermelon was served with a spoon for Y600 (approximately US $6). Despite the cost, the sight of yukata clad young women wandering through the maturi stalls and taking in the entertainment on a humid night while eating their watermelons certainly looked like a great way to cool off!

Did I miss any of your favorite summer foods from Japan on this list?

Photo Credit: Flickr, zaru sboa, Hiyashi Chuuka !!, Unagi, FRF’07-0016.jpg, DSCF2572.JPG & Personal Collection

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POSTED IN: Food & Beverage