Japanese cuisine follows a few simple food preparation principles, expressed in an amazing variety of dishes. If we attempt to boil the rich soup of Japanese cuisine down to its basic ingredients, we find there are five major cooking categories that form the backbone of Japanese food groups, supplemented by a few supporting groups like soups, sweets, and teas.

Japanese dishes are traditionally served in a special sequence designed to bring out the best taste in each dish. One of the most popular basic sequences begins with a soup, progresses through three side dishes, and concludes with rice, pickles, and tea. This article will serve you a sample Japanese meal, consisting of some traditional dishes served in their proper order.

Japanese food cultivates the taste of simplicity, taking a Zen approach to cooking. Japanese recipes aim to bring out the best tastes of basic foods such as rice instead of relying on spices to multiply tastes for flavor. In order to optimize essential tastes, Japanese chefs prepare foods as part of an overall aesthetic experience including all the senses, with each course served in a specific order, organized by a sequence of specific cooking methods, in order to make each ingredient in each dish contribute to the desired overall effect.