Did you know there are two main categories of food in Japan? They're called yoshoku and washoku. Yes – to the foreign traveller they both sound equally Japanese but translated, “yoshoku” means “Western food” and “washoku” means “Japanese food”.

Contemporary Japanese cuisine: yoshoku and wafu Yoshoku – when traditional Japanese ingredients are prepared in a Western manner. Wafu – when Western or foreign ingredients are prepared in a Japanese manner.

The word “teishoku” can be translated to mean “set meal” or “meal set” and is a popular style of dining in Japan that typically consists of a balanced meal served on a single tray or platter.

Yōshoku began by altering Western recipes for lack of information about foreign countries' cuisine, or adaptions to suit local tastes, but over time, yōshoku also evolved dishes that were not at all based on European foods, such as chicken rice and omurice (omelette rice).