These four Western dishes were invented in Japan!

In general, there are two main categories of food in Japan: yoshoku (Western food) and washoku (Japanese food), but yoshoku is not the typical Western food we’ve known before.

Yoshoku in Japan are not exactly hamburgers, spaghetti, steak, and fish and chips – at least, not as we know it.

Western food was imported to Japan for the first time in Meiji period, and many of them have been adapted to suit the Japanese food culture.

Therefore, most of them include rice as one of the main ingredients, and today we introduce four popular Western dishes, which all were invented in Japan.

Omurice

Omurice is a fusion of “omelet” and “rice”, and perhaps it’s the most popular Western dish in Japan that includes rice as its main ingredients.

Much tastier than it looks, omurice is ketchup flavored fried rice wrapped neatly in an omelet topped with ketchup or demi-glace sauce.

Another dish called omu-soba; fried noodles wrapped neatly in an omelet, is the noodle version of omurice.

Napolitan

Shigetada Irie, the head chef of the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama, invented napolitan during the postwar era.

Inspired by the spaghetti and ketchup eaten by the American military members, Irie swapped the ketchup with tomato puree and added sautéed onions, ham, and mushrooms.

Later the tomato puree was replaced with ketchup, and ever since then, many Japanese households serve napolitan for lunch or dinner regularly.

Doria

Doria is a baked rice casserole, topped with white sauce, cheese, and various ingredients.

It was invented in 1930, when Sally Weil, the first head of the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama made the first doria for a sick Swiss banker.

He requested something easy to digest, and Weil combined pilaf (rice cooked in broth and vegetables), shrimp, and cooked them in cream sauce before baking it in the oven.

These days you can find doria at most yoshoku restaurants, including the low-cost family restaurants in Japan.

Hambagu

Hambagu is how “hamburger” pronounced in Japanese, but it doesn’t look like the typical Western “hamburger” we know.

Yes – hambagu is a Japanese take on the traditional beef hamburger – but it has no bread, pickles, and condiments.

Made with ground beef, breadcrumb, onions, and egg, the oval-shapped patties are cooked in a frying pan or griller to taste.

Hambagu is a burger steak served with rice or fried potatoes, grilled vegetables, and a bowl of soup or salad.

Topped with ponzu, demi-glace, or pepper sauce, hambagu is usually served on a hot plate.