Japanese Food Glossary: 50 Terms Every Londoner Should Know

You know the difference between sushi and sashimi. Probably. But what about the difference between nigiri and gunkan? Or tonkotsu and tantanmen? Japanese food vocabulary can feel overwhelming, but knowing even a handful of key terms transforms your dining experience. This glossary covers the 50 terms that come up most often when eating Japanese food in London.

Sushi & Sashimi

• Sushi 寿司 soo-shee
  Vinegared rice served with various toppings or fillings. The rice is the defining element, not the fish. Sushi without raw fish is still sushi. Raw fish without rice is sashimi.
• Sashimi 刺身 sa-shee-mee
  Thinly sliced raw fish or seafood, served without rice. The purest expression of the ingredient. Quality of the cut and freshness are everything.
• Nigiri 握り nee-gee-ree
  Hand-pressed sushi. A small mound of vinegared rice topped with a slice of fish or seafood. The foundation of omakase. The rice should be body temperature, the fish cool.
• Maki 巻き mah-kee
  Rolled sushi, wrapped in nori (seaweed). Hosomaki are thin rolls with one filling, futomaki are thick rolls with multiple fillings. The "sushi roll" as most people know it.
• Temaki 手巻き teh-mah-kee
  Hand roll. Nori shaped into a cone and filled with rice, fish, and vegetables. Eat immediately — the nori goes soft quickly.
• Gunkan 軍艦 goon-kahn
  Literally "battleship." A nigiri piece wrapped in a strip of nori to create a cup, filled with soft toppings like uni (sea urchin) or ikura (salmon roe) that would slide off regular nigiri.
• Chirashi ちらし chee-rah-shee
  Scattered sushi. A bowl of vinegared rice topped with an assortment of sashimi. Less fussy than nigiri, often excellent value at lunch. Try it at Atari-Ya
• Edomae 江戸前 eh-doh-mah-eh
  Tokyo-style sushi. The traditional method involving curing, marinating, and ageing fish rather than serving everything raw. Named after Edo (old Tokyo). The gold standard of sushi craftsmanship.
• Omakase おまかせ oh-mah-kah-seh
  "I'll leave it up to you." A meal where the chef chooses every course. The ultimate expression of trust in Japanese dining. Read our full omakase guide

• Ramen & Noodles

• Tonkotsu 豚骨 ton-kot-soo
  Pork bone broth ramen. Thick, creamy, opaque white broth simmered for 12–18+ hours. London's most popular ramen style. Not to be confused with tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet). Best in London: Kanada-Ya
• Shoyu 醤油 show-yoo
  Soy sauce. In ramen context, shoyu ramen has a clear, brown broth seasoned with soy sauce. Tokyo's most traditional ramen style. Lighter and more nuanced than tonkotsu.
• Miso 味噌 mee-soh
  Fermented soybean paste. A cornerstone of Japanese cooking. In ramen, miso broth is rich and hearty, originally from Sapporo. Also the base of miso soup, found at virtually every Japanese meal.
• Shio 塩 shee-oh
  Salt. Shio ramen is the most delicate style — clear, pale broth seasoned primarily with salt. Nowhere to hide, so stock quality matters enormously.
• Chashu チャーシュー chah-shoo
  Braised or roasted pork belly, thinly sliced. The most common ramen topping. Should be meltingly tender. Extra chashu is always a good idea.
• Ajitama 味玉 ah-jee-tah-mah
  Marinated soft-boiled egg. Soaked in a soy-based marinade for hours, giving the white a golden colour and the yolk a jammy, custard-like texture. The essential ramen addition.
• Udon うどん oo-don
  Thick, chewy wheat noodles. Served hot in broth or cold with dipping sauce. Sanuki-style (from Kagawa) is the most famous variety. Deeply comforting. London's best: Koya
• Soba 蕎麦 soh-bah
  Thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. Nutty, earthy flavour. Served cold (zaru soba) with dipping sauce or hot in broth. Lighter than udon.
• Tsukemen つけ麺 tsoo-keh-men
  Dipping ramen. Cold noodles served separately from a concentrated, thick broth. Dip the noodles into the broth to eat. More intense flavour than regular ramen because the broth is not diluted.

• Cooking & Techniques

• Tempura 天ぷら tem-poo-rah
  Seafood or vegetables coated in light batter and deep-fried. The batter should be thin and crispy, never heavy. Proper tempura is about restraint, not excess.
• Yakitori 焼き鳥 yah-kee-toh-ree
  Grilled chicken skewers. Traditionally every part of the bird, cooked over binchotan charcoal. Seasoned with either tare (sweet soy glaze) or shio (salt). Try at Jin Kichi
• Robata 炉端 roh-bah-tah
  Open charcoal grill. Seafood, meat, and vegetables grilled over binchotan. Broader than yakitori, which is specifically chicken. A theatrical cooking style.
• Tonkatsu とんかつ ton-kaht-soo
  Breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. Crispy panko coating, tender meat. Served with shredded cabbage, rice, and tonkatsu sauce. Not to be confused with tonkotsu (pork bone broth). Best in London: Tanakatsu
• Yakiniku 焼肉 yah-kee-nee-koo
  Japanese-style BBQ. Diners grill meat at their table over gas or charcoal. Influenced by Korean BBQ but with distinctly Japanese cuts, sauces, and etiquette. Try at Kintan
• Okonomiyaki お好み焼き oh-koh-noh-mee-yah-kee
  "As you like it" — savoury pancake filled with cabbage and various toppings. Osaka-style mixes everything together. Hiroshima-style layers the ingredients. Cooked on a teppan griddle. Try at Abeno
• Kaiseki 懐石 kai-seh-kee
  Traditional multi-course Japanese fine dining rooted in tea ceremony. Follows a prescribed structure: appetiser, soup, sashimi, grilled course, simmered course, rice, and dessert. Deeply seasonal.
• Teppanyaki 鉄板焼き tep-pan-yah-kee
  Food cooked on a flat iron griddle (teppan). Often associated with theatrical cooking in front of diners. Steak, seafood, and vegetables.
• Binchotan 備長炭 bin-choh-tahn
  White charcoal made from oak. Burns at extremely high heat with almost no smoke or smell. The preferred fuel for yakitori and robata. Produces cleaner, more precise cooking than regular charcoal.

• Key Ingredients

• Dashi 出汁 dah-shee
  The foundational stock of Japanese cooking. Made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Provides the umami backbone of miso soup, noodle broths, sauces, and countless other dishes. If dashi is wrong, everything is wrong.
• Umami 旨味 oo-mah-mee
  The fifth taste, alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. A deep, savoury, mouth-filling flavour found in dashi, soy sauce, miso, mushrooms, and aged foods. Discovered by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908.
• Nori 海苔 noh-ree
  Dried edible seaweed, pressed into thin sheets. Used to wrap maki and temaki, garnish ramen, and accompany rice. Quality varies enormously — good nori should snap cleanly and taste of the sea.
• Wasabi わさび wah-sah-bee
  Japanese horseradish, traditionally freshly grated. Real wasabi is subtle, fragrant, and not simply "hot." Most wasabi in London restaurants is actually coloured horseradish. At omakase counters, you may see the real thing.
• Panko パン粉 pahn-koh
  Japanese-style breadcrumbs. Lighter, flakier, and crispier than Western breadcrumbs. The secret to a perfect tonkatsu or tempura prawn. Made from crustless white bread.
• Matcha 抹茶 mah-chah
  Finely ground green tea powder. Used in traditional tea ceremony and increasingly in lattes, desserts, and pastries. Grades range from ceremonial (highest, for drinking) to culinary (for cooking and baking). Try at TSUJIRI
• Yuzu 柚子 yoo-zoo
  Japanese citrus fruit with a fragrant, tart flavour between lemon, lime, and grapefruit. Used in dressings, sauces, desserts, and cocktails. One of the most distinctive flavours in Japanese cuisine.
• Tofu 豆腐 toh-foo
  Soybean curd. Ranges from silken (kinugoshi, soft and custard-like) to firm (momen, dense and sliceable). A protein staple in Japanese cooking. Much more versatile than its Western reputation suggests.
• Shokupan 食パン shoh-koo-pahn
  Japanese milk bread. Incredibly soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet. Made using a tangzhong (water roux) method that gives it a cotton-like texture. The base of katsu sandos. Try at Happy Sky Bakery
• Wagyu 和牛 wah-gyoo
  Japanese beef breeds known for intense marbling. A5 is the highest grade. Buttery, rich, and best eaten in small quantities. Genuine Japanese wagyu is expensive for good reason — be wary of "wagyu" claims.
• Mentaiko 明太子 men-tai-koh
  Spicy marinated pollock roe. Briny, slightly spicy, deeply savoury. Used in pasta, rice, and ramen. Mentaiko cream is a London ramen phenomenon. Famous at Monohon Ramen

• Dining Terms

• Izakaya 居酒屋 ee-zah-kah-yah
  Japanese pub or informal drinking establishment serving small plates. The Japanese equivalent of a gastropub. Designed for sharing food and drinks with friends. Usually lively and casual.
• Donburi 丼 don-boo-ree
  Rice bowl dish. A bowl of steamed rice topped with various ingredients. Gyudon (beef), katsudon (fried pork cutlet), tendon (tempura), oyakodon (chicken and egg). The original fast food.
• Bento 弁当 ben-toh
  Compartmentalised lunch box. Typically contains rice, protein, pickles, and vegetables in separate sections. A balanced meal in a box. The art of bento-making is a thing unto itself.
• Otsumami おつまみ oh-tsoo-mah-mee
  Snacks or small dishes meant to accompany drinks. Edamame, pickles, dried fish — anything that goes with beer or sake. The izakaya equivalent of bar snacks, but better.
• Teishoku 定食 tay-shoh-koo
  Set meal. A main dish served with rice, miso soup, pickles, and sometimes a side salad. The standard Japanese lunch format. Usually the best value on any menu.
• Kappo 割烹 kap-poh
  Counter-style fine dining where the chef prepares food directly in front of guests. More interactive than kaiseki, less rigid in structure. The chef-diner relationship is central.
• Itadakimasu いただきます ee-tah-dah-kee-mahs
  "I humbly receive." Said before eating, expressing gratitude for the food. Not a prayer — more like an acknowledgement of the effort that went into the meal. The polite thing to say before your first bite.
• Gochisousama ごちそうさま goh-chee-soh-sah-mah
  "That was a feast." Said after eating to thank the chef and staff. The bookend to itadakimasu. Saying this as you leave an omakase counter is a nice touch.
• Washoku 和食 wah-shoh-koo
  Traditional Japanese cuisine. Recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Based on principles of balance, seasonality, and presentation. Not a dish but a philosophy of eating.

• Drinks

• Sake / Nihonshu 日本酒 sah-keh / nee-hon-shoo
  Japanese rice wine. Technically a brewed beverage (closer to beer in production). Ranges from light and fruity (junmai daiginjo) to rich and earthy (junmai). Served warm, room temperature, or chilled depending on the style.
• Shochu 焼酎 show-choo
  Japanese distilled spirit, typically 25–30% ABV. Made from barley, sweet potato, rice, or other bases. Lighter than whisky, more versatile than vodka. Japan's most consumed spirit (more than sake).
• Highball ハイボール hai-boh-roo
  Japanese whisky and soda. Served ice-cold with precisely carbonated water. A national obsession in Japan and the perfect accompaniment to yakitori and izakaya food. Simple, refreshing, endlessly drinkable.
• Hojicha ほうじ茶 hoh-jee-chah
  Roasted green tea. Nutty, caramel-like flavour with low caffeine. Increasingly popular in lattes and desserts. A warmer, more comforting alternative to matcha.