Foods in only anime or Japanese foods, delicacies in anime make fans crave for some of these authentic foods. Here are 20 foods in anime. Try not to get hungry!

+12 Delicious Anime Foods

Miso Chashu Pork Ramen

Hailing from the famous Ichiraku Ramen Shop in Naruto, this specific ramen is shown multiple times as Naruto’s go-to favorite order, which he mostly makes Kakashi treat him to. Miso Chashu pork ramen contains a miso/fish-based broth and is prepared using a chashu-braising liquid when preparing the broth. Chashu comes from the Chinese word “char-siu” which is a braising method for pork over high heat. It even contains the notable pink, swirly narutomaki. Seaweed, braised pork belly, sprouts, boiled egg, and daikon makes this dish a household name in Southeast Asia.

Onigiri

One of the most popular Japanese dishes, onigiri is widely-recognized as a quick snack or fast meal that can be made with little time and effort. Onigiri is basically rice-balls wrapped with seaweed and sometimes contain a stuffing of sorts. It’s made by molding hot Japanese white rice (or sometimes barley rice) and occasionally, putting a stuffing mixture of chicken, steak, or some meat and vegetables like edamame, ginger, and red beans. The finished onigiri is then wrapped with wakame seaweed as packaging.

Takoyaki

Deriving from the root word “tako-” or “octopus”, takoyaki is a delicious serving dish that requires no mess. Takoyaki consists of a minced or diced octopus mixture along with tonkatsu sauce, pickled ginger, green onion, and a flour batter that envelops it in a pancake-like fashion. It is then topped with more tonkatsu sauce and dried bonito flakes. It’s very popular at festivals and even has a planet named after it!

Omurice

This is probably one of the more globally-known foods, as omelets have been a common breakfast-time meal. Omurice is a derivative of the omelet that brings in more Southeast-Asian elements to this egg dish. The omurice is a creamy egg mixture (egg mixture contains butter and milk) that envelops a firm shape of chicken fried rice with soy sauce.

Yaki Dango

A popular Tanabata festival and fireworks appetizer, Yaki Dango is a popular kebab-like food that comes in the form of a dumpling covered in a type of sweet soy sauce glaze. The dumpling is made with rice flour, urushi rice flour, and gelatinous rice flour combined in different proportions to create an amazing taste. A quick and easy food to eat on the go.

Taiyaki

Taiyaki is not seafood as some might assume. It’s a hugely-adored sweet snack that you can buy for a single dollar at some places. The original shape of the fish is a cake made from cake flour and the inside is spread with a sweet red bean paste filling. That is the base for the taiyaki but certain places can add chocolate, honey, fruits, and other delicious items for any sweet tooth. These are sold almost anywhere in popular cities as well as small towns due to the ease of producing these treats. Many kids also eat this on the way back from school as a quick and cheap snack.

Shrimp Tempura Fry

Famous in izakaya bars because of its savory flavor accentuated by alcohol, shrimp tempura fry is also not a difficult dish to prepare and is served frequently in Japanese homes for any meal. Shrimps are dipped in a tempura batter made of flour, egg, and ice water and fried until light-brown and crispy. It can be served with a soy or other dipping sauce. Finish this dish off with some lime juice or chilies and the flavor will kick even harder.

Gyoza

If you’ve seen Dorohedoro, then you know the significance of putting this dish on the list. Gyoza is a soft dumpling filled with ground pork, cabbage, chives, onions, sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce. There are lots more of fillings that can be added but the base filling for most gyoza stops is this. The dumpling is made from a ratio of rice flour, cake flour, and all-purpose flour. In Dorohedoro, Caiman is a lizard-man hybrid who’s great friends with Nikaido, a muscular, cheery girl who runs a gyoza shop. Caiman is now a gyoza-addict so I wanted to reference him through this food.

Tamagoyaki

One of the staple breakfast dishes in common Japanese homes is tamagoyaki. Instead of fried like most other dishes are like egg, the omelet is made from a creamy, milky egg mixture and grilled to produce a fluffy texture that will melt upon contact. Tamagoyaki in anime shows no filings or additives like spinach, onion, garlic, pork, etc. but shows a plain tamagoyaki. In reality, there are many places and even lots of homes that mix a variety of ingredients into the egg batter to grill. The egg helps flavor the other ingredients and bring them out more since the egg serves as a base. This is a great dish that is quick to make but the technique will take some time to learn.

Katsudon

In my opinion, this is my favorite Japanese dish that I’ve ever eaten. They served katsudon for a limited time at the sushi bar near my university and it was one of the most unforgettable gustatory experiences ever. My tongue and gums were melting as this rich, savory, egg and pork dish was served with a warm bowl of rice as a base. Katsudon consists of three main items: rice, tonkatsu, and egg. The steaming rice is added as the base for the dish. Tonkotsu is the Japanese term for “breaded deep-fried pork” which is placed right on top of the rice. Finally, the egg is cooked in a sweet and salty broth and slowly poured over the bowl and it’s complete. I highly recommend trying this before you die because it is definitely a bucket-list necessity.

Curry Rice

A widely-popular staple dish served as a last resort for quick dinners or meals. Curry rice is popular for students and in small households as well because of its relative ease to make. It consists of a curry powder which can have mixtures of garam masala powder, paprika, fennel powder, curry powder, etc. for the spice and beef, carrots, and other vegetables can be added. We’ve seen this served at lunchtime in schools, quick dinners after study sessions at home, and so many other scenarios in anime. This list wouldn’t be complete without curry rice.

Shabu-Shabu Hot Pot

Shabu-Shabu Hot Pot is a myriad of various flavor-inducing meats, fungi, soy, vegetables, and an absolutely delicious broth. It contains thinly-sliced meats (mostly beef but can have shrimp or fish too) and assorted vegetables ranging from lettuce, cabbage, spring onions, seaweed, and even fungi like Korean mushrooms. The broth is extremely rich and is used from the kombu dashi mixture paste. Hot pots are common for big parties that want to shove in anything they can. It’s used to bring people closer through sharing a pot and breaking the ice. It’s a great tradition to do with many people and make more friends and meaningful connections.

Okonomiyaki

On the bottom of our list is another popular carnival food seen mostly during fireworks festivals served in a styrofoam box with chopsticks. Okonomiyaki is made of flour, grated nagaimo or a long yam, water, eggs, and shredded cabbage. It can usually have other ingredients like green onions, garlic, thinly-sliced pork belly or bacon, and an assortment of seafood. To top it off, it’s drizzled with okonomiyaki sauce, tonkatsu sauce, and other dressings that accentuate a savory and delectable treat.