Japanese vs Chinese Food: Difference and Comparison

Commonly, no one can miss out on reading about food. Food is something we live and die for.

When it comes to discussing different cuisines to try, we may find a few of them are the same. Likely, when we talk about Japanese and Chinese Food, we have the same misconception that both are the same, which is wrong.

Key Takeaways

1. Japanese food is characterized by its emphasis on umami flavor and the use of fish and seafood, while Chinese food has a more varied taste profile and uses more meat and vegetables.
2. Japanese cuisine has a strong focus on presentation and aesthetics, while Chinese cuisine places a greater emphasis on achieving a balance of flavors and textures.
3. Japanese food has a simpler and more refined cooking style than Chinese food, using more complex cooking techniques such as stir-frying and braising.

Japanese vs Chinese Food

The difference between Japanese and Chinese Food is the way of cooking and the ingredients used; Japanese Food has fresh ingredients, the cooking method is light and healthy and mostly the food is raw. In contrast, Chinese food has a lot to do with heavy seasoning, sauces, and oily and deep-fried, comparatively unhealthy food.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Japanese Food	Chinese Food
Origin	Japanese Food originated from Japan.	Chinese Food originated in China.
Key Ingredient	Japanese Food deals with Sea Food as traditional cuisine.	Chinese Food deals with Rice as traditional cuisine.
Spices	Japanese Food is less spicy compared to Chinese Food.	Chinese Food is all about spices compared to Japanese Food.
Oil Proportion	Japanese Food is less oily.	Chinese Food is more oily compared to Japanese Food.
Food	Japanese Food is kept raw most of the time.	Chinese Food is fried most of the time.
Cooking Method	Japanese Food is cooked by grilling.	Chinese Food is cooked by deep-frying.
Healthy Option	Since Japanese Food is less oily and has fewer spices it is said to be healthier than Chinese Food.	Compared to Japanese Food, Chinese Food is oily and spicier, which is quite an unhealthy option.
Tea Option	Mostly, Japanese Food is about Green Tea.	Chinese Food comes with the option of Black Tea.
Examples	Sushi, Tofu, Ramen, etc.	Fried Rice, Fried Noodles, Manchurian, etc.

What is Japanese Food?

Japanese Food is mainly made of seafood and rice with other sideline ingredients like fresh vegetables. Japanese Food signifies the traditional food and cooking method in Japan.

Japanese Food is said to be healthy because of less oily and less spicy food, which is not deep-fried but grilled and kept raw.

Though Chinese Food is known for serving food with rice, in the olden era, Japanese Food was served with rice, followed as a tradition in Japan; even today, this tradition is somewhere around the globe.

According to that old Japanese tradition, Japanese Food is served by placing every item in a rice bowl. Every different flavoured dish of Japanese Food is given its plate-like leaves to keep on as an individual delicacy.

Many homes in Japan still follow this tradition to date.

Since rice is known as a staple in Japanese Food, wheat and soybeans were introduced as staples after rice. So, in short, all three – rice, soybeans, and wheat today are known as the staple of Japanese Food.

It is said that Japanese food has no meat products included since the Kofun period of Japan when Buddhism was the official religion for the country, which was the reason behind the minimal use of spices.

Even it is said that in that era, spices were hard to find, so Japanese Food used to consist of only two spices which were garlic and pepper, that too in a minimalistic amount.

Examples of Japanese Food are –

1. Sushi
2. Tofu
3. Udon
4. Ramen
5. Tempura
6. Donburi
7. Sashimi
8. Yakitori
9. Oden
10. Natto
11. Tamagoyaki
12. Soba
13. Tonkatsu
14. Kashipan
15. Miso Soup
16. Onigiri, etc.

What is Chinese Food?

Chinese Food originated from China and is always accompanied by Chinese Sauces- Vinegar, Red Chilly Sauce, and Soy Sauce. These sauces are meant to enhance the flavours of Chinese Food.

In short, Chinese Food is made out of the following Gastronomy.

There are 4 Major Cuisines of Chinese Food, namely Chuan, which symbolizes the West Cuisine of China; Lu symbolizes the North Cuisine of China; Yue symbolizes the South Cuisine of China and Huaiyang symbolizes East Cuisine of China.

Chinese Food also comprises eight modern cuisines: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang.

It is believed that 9000 to 8000 years ago, Chinese Ancestors were the people who planted rice and millet and other such grains. And they even planted wheat for another 3000-4000 years.

Hence, the planting of staple food planted by Chinese ancestors is used in Chinese Cuisine and Food till today.

When we talk about seasonings, we know Japanese Food only uses garlic and pepper as seasonings. Still, there are likely more species in Chinese Food – garlic, ginger, sesame, scallion, cilantro, cloves, cinnamons, fennel, white peppers, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Examples of Chinese Food are –

1. Hotpot
2. Pork
3. Orange Chicken
4. Shrimp
5. Dumplings
6. Chow Mein
7. Roasted Duck
8. Vermicelli Rolls
9. Kung Pao Chicken
10. Wontons
11. Spring Rolls
12. Manchurian
13. Fried Noodles
14. Chicken 65
15. Yangchow Fried Rice, etc.

Main Differences Between Japanese and Chinese Food

1. Japanese Food is from Japan, whereas Chinese Food is from China.
2. Japanese Food is less oily compared to Chinese Food.
3. Japanese Food is less spicy compared to Chinese Food.
4. Japanese Food uses Sea Food, and Chinese Food uses Rice as a core ingredient.
5. Japanese Food is raw, and Chinese Food is deep-fried.
6. For the tea option, Japanese Food chooses Green Tea, and Chinese Food chooses Black Tea.
7. Overall, Japanese Food is healthier compared to Chinese Food.