Japanese Food Tips

In Japan, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage are the most common vegetables eaten in salads. There are two types of Japanese cabbages (spring and winter) and both are usually soft enough to eat raw. They are most often eaten as "sengiri," which are long shredded pieces. At home, the main way to shred them is with a knife, or sometimes with a slicer. Shredded cabbage is often sold in supermarkets and is convenient to eat just by putting it on a plate. Shredded cabbage is often served with deep-fried Japanese food such as tonkatsu (deep–fried breaded pork cutlets) and korokke (Japanese croquettes), and it is common to place the shredded cabbage at the back of the plate and the deep-fried food in front. Tonkatsu specialty restaurants almost always serve the dish with shredded cabbage. If you like raw cabbage, give it a try.