10 Traditional Japanese Dishes that you should try

9. Oden – Simmered Ingredients

Picture from Asakusa Oden Otafuku – Traditional Dining With A Tokyo Skytree View
Oden is dish of various ingredients simmered in broth. The ingredients are meant to bring out the flavor of the dashi (consisting usually of a mixture of seafood and kelp) and have a savory, salty taste. Oden has been eaten for a long time in Japan and is thought to have been first made during the Muromachi period (1336 – 1573).

Mild-tasting vegetables, tofu, and fish are common ingredients in oden. Daikon radish, a thick root vegetable, can be found at most shops with oden. Another popular choice is ganmodoki, a hearty mixture of tofu and vegetables made into a circular shape.

Restaurants, food stalls sell oden, and you can even see it at convenience stores in the fall and winter months. In Akihabara, Tokyo, there are even vending machines where you can buy oden in cans. Be sure to try this iconic dish when you are in Japan!