Japanese Food

food photography of varieties of sushies|sushi on wooden platter
Type: Vocabulary
Originally published on November 23, 2022 and last updated on August 1, 2023

Japanese food, a delectable blend of tradition and innovation, offers English learners a delightful path to language improvement.

Exploring this culinary topic enables learners to expand their vocabulary with names of popular dishes like sushi, ramen and tempura. Engaging in discussions about Japanese cuisine allows learners to practice descriptive language, express tastes and preferences and understand cultural nuances tied to dining etiquette and culinary customs in Japan.

Instructions:
Go through the vocabulary below with your students and ask them to try and use this vocabaulry where possible when discussing the different conversation questions.

Japanese Food

Japanese food is becoming more and more popular all around the world. It is also healthier than most Western food.

Traditional Japanese food is mainly based on rice, fish, vegetables, seafood and noodles. There are different ways to cook and combine these ingredients, resulting in unique dishes like sushi, tempura or sashimi.

Some of the dishes include raw fish but this doesn’t stop many people from enjoying this cuisine. The truth is, when is comes to Japanese food you tend to either love it or hate it!

Useful Vocabulary

Try and use the following vocabulary when answering the question. Click to look up the definition in the dictionary

  • traditional (adjective)
  • cusine (noun)
  • flavour (noun)
  • healthy (adjective)
  • unhealthy (adjective)
  • chopsticks (noun)
  • recipe (noun)
  • typical (adjective)
  • raw (adjective)

Conversation Questions

My Image
  • Would you like to try Japanese food?
  • What do you know about Japanese food?
  • Which Japanese dish would you like to try?
  • What do you think about eating raw fish?
  • Is Japanese food becoming popular in the place where you live?
  • Do you know any Japanese restaurant where you live?
  • Do you think Japanese food is easy to prepare?
  • Would you try to cook Japanese food?
  • Which ingredients would you like use if you were cooking Japanese food?
  • Have you ever used chopsticks?
  • What do you know about Japanese culture?
Gregory
This conversation topic was prepared by Gregory

Gregory is a qualified TEFL teacher who has been teaching English as a Foreign Language (ESL) for over a decade. He has taught in-person classes in Spain and to English learners around the world online.