Difference Between Japanese and Chinese Food

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

When it comes to talking about 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 that same misconception that both of them are the same which is absolutely 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, often 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 ingredients used in it, Japanese Food has fresh ingredients and the cooking method is light and healthy and mostly the food is raw, whereas Chinese food has a lot to do with heavy seasoning, sauces, oily and deep-fried food which is comparatively unhealthy.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Japanese Food	Chinese Food
Origin	Japanese Food is originated from Japan.	Chinese Food is originated from 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 compare to Chinese Food.	Chinese Food is all about spices compare to Japanese Food.
Oil Proportion	Japanese Food is less oily.	Chinese Food is more oily compare 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 fewer spices it is said to be healthier than Chinese Food.	Compare to Japanese Food, Chinese Food is more 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 mostly made out 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 which was followed as a tradition of Japan, even today this tradition is somewhere present on the globe.

According to that old Japanese tradition, the Japanese Food is served to place every single item on the rice bowl. Every different flavored dish of Japanese Food is given its own plate-like leaves to kept on as an individual delicacy.

Many homes in Japan still follow this tradition to date.

Since rice is known as a staple for Japanese Food but wheat and soybeans was introduced to be known as staple after rice in the Japanese Food. So in short, all of the three – rice, soybeans, and wheat today are known as the staple for 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 the spices.

Even it is said that in that era spices were hard to find so Japanese Food used to consists 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 is originated from China and is always accompanied by the Chinese Sauces which are- Vinegar, Red Chilly Sauce, and Soy Sauce. These sauces are meant to enhance the flavors of Chinese Food.

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

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

Chinese Food also comprises of 8 modern cuisines namely are – 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 was planted by Chinese ancestors which are used in Chinese Cuisine and Food till today.

When we talk about seasonings we know Japanese Food only used garlic and pepper as seasonings but there are more species in the Chinese Food likely – 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 oiler compare to Chinese Food.
3. Japanese Food is less spicy compare 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 compare to Chinese Food.