Summary
- Anime showcases a variety of delicious and visually appealing Japanese dishes like sushi, tempura, and ramen.
- Characters in popular anime series often indulge in iconic Japanese snacks like Pocky, Taiyaki, and Melon Pan.
- Traditional Japanese foods like Omurice, Katsudon, and Onigiri are frequently featured in anime as comforting meals.
Anime has seen a rise in popularity in recent years among teens and the general public. The creativity and diversity behind most of the mainstream storylines bring something unique to the table that fans can’t find anywhere else.
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Anime has beautiful visuals and stunning animation. The vivid or bright colors enhance the fantastic world that fans love. Even anime food looks more appealing and delicious. Fans long to try the various animated dishes or at least try to recreate the most iconic ones at home when they can’t find them in supermarkets.
Updated June 14, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: The hold on pop culture that anime has can't be stated enough, with several popular shows capturing a ton of attention from fans. The narratives, characters, and animation quality of these shows are just a few of the many things that help the vast majority of quality anime stand out as some of the best shows fans can check out. Sometimes, certain anime can become such major pop culture phenomenons that the food ingested in these shows becomes worthy of a discussion too.
1 Apples
Notable Appearances: Death Note
- A universally beloved fruit that becomes the favorite snack of a beloved shinigami.
Death Note is one of the most popular series of all time, with the battle of wits between L and Light being the stuff of legends. While both these characters are pretty riveting in their own right, credit should also be given to Ryuk for being the most interesting shinigami in the series by a country mile. It's his mischievous act of dropping the Death Note in the human world that kickstarts a chain reaction that changes the entire course of humanity.
Despite the ramifications of his actions, all Ryuk wanted was to be entertained after being bored of being a shinigami for thousands of years with nothing interesting happening. After landing in the Human World, his love for apples and their richness makes him one of the best characters in the show. Even now, after all the years have passed since this masterpiece was animated, fans still look back on Ryuk's fondness of apples and how he gulped them down time and time again.
2 Pizza
Notable Appearances: Code Geass
- The Pizza Hut sponsorship in Code Geass coupled with C.C.'s obsession with this food makes it a frequent food item that appears multiple times in the series.
Code Geass is one of the best shows that fans can check out if they want to experience a wonderful amalgamation of the sci-fi, mecha, mystery, and thriller genres. The plot revolves around the disgraced prince Lelouch and how he fights to regain the throne he lost after gaining the power of Geass to make people follow his commands at all costs. During his journey, he's joined by C.C., a mysterious girl with unknown origins who becomes addicted to pizza.
This obsession made Code Geass the perfect show for a tie-up with Pizza Hut, with this sponsorship being plastered across several episodes in the series as C.C. And other characters in the series regularly munch down on pizza from time to time. Given the high stakes of the narrative, fans always welcome moments in the story when things wind down and everyone indulges in this delicious dish from time to time.
3 Oden
Notable Appearances: One Piece
- A one-pot dish consisting of ingredients like boiled eggs and processed fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth.
Oden is a tasty broth of eggs, fishcakes, and various vegetables in a dashi broth that is extremely tasty. The muted flavors of this one-pot meal come together to give the dish a unique flavor that most people would relish.
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It's impossible to talk about Oden without mentioning a One Piece character who is so fascinated by this character that his name is taken from this dish itself. Kozuki Oden is a daimyo with a fascinating personality who plays a major role in one of One Piece's more riveting arcs, and his love for Oden manifests in unique and hilarious ways.
4 Dorayaki
Notable Appearances: Doraemon
- Two pancake-like patties stuffed with sweet azuki bean paste.
Doraemon is one of Japan's most famous feel-good cartoons with a tinge of sci-fi added to the mix. The misadventures of Nobita and Doraemon as they use the robot's many nifty gadgets to solve their problems make for a great time indeed.
The reason why Doraemon is named so is because of his love for Dorayaki, a soft round dessert with a sweet bean paste filling. He's seen munching on these delicacies all the time across the show's many episodes, making it a standout part of his endearing personality.
5 Sushi
Notable Appearances: Almost Every Anime In Existence
- A combination of rice and other ingredients (typically various kinds of fish) in a bite-sized package that's paired with soy sauce and wasabi.
Among the many iconic Japanese dishes, sushi stands out as one of the most recognizable and delectable items of the lot. This bite-sized delicacy features seasoned rice topped with various types of seafood, vegetables, and other ingredients. Whether served as nigiri, maki rolls, or sashimi, sushi has become a global sensation that captures the essence of Japanese cuisine.
The beautiful presentation and unique flavor combinations of sushi have made it a staple in Japanese cuisine. In anime, sushi is often portrayed in a mouth-watering way, with close-up shots showcasing the intricate details of each piece. There are so many shows that feature sushi that trying to list all of them is downright impossible, establishing it as one of the most popular and renowned Japanese food items of all time.
6 Sashimi
Notable Appearances: Pokemon
- Thinly sliced pieces of meat that are supposed to melt in your mouth, usually paired with soy sauce.
Sashimi is another classic Japanese dish that has been popularized by anime. It's similar to sushi in that it features fresh, raw seafood, but unlike sushi, it's served without rice. Many people dismiss this dish as nothing more than raw slices of meat...but there's an art to cutting up and serving sashimi that food connoisseurs appreciate.
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With a light helping of soy sauce, really good sashimi absolutely melts in the mouths of people lucky enough to have this delicacy. While there are several common instances of sashimi in anime, one rather disturbing instance is when Brock and Ash dream about Magikarp sashimi in Pokemon, which has several dark implications that many fans of the series would rather ignore.
7 Tempura
Notable Appearances: Sora No Woto, Hanasaku Iroha, K-On!!, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Usagi Drop, And Nichijou
- Various ingredients are covered in batter and deep-fried, usually paired with soy sauce.
Tempura is a deep-fried dish that is made by coating seafood or vegetables in a light batter and frying them until they become perfectly crispy. In anime, tempura is often portrayed as a comfort food that's enjoyed by everyone.
Many shows have displayed tempura in some form or other, including Sora no Woto, Hanasaku Iroha, K-On!!, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Usagi Drop, and Nichijou. It may be a simple dish, but tempura is still a Japanese delicacy in every way that anyone would love to taste.
8 Melon Pan
Notable Appearances: Shakugan No Shana, Free!, Gintama, Amagami SS, Natsume's Book of Friends, Saekano: How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend
- A Japanese sweet bun covered in crisp cookie dough that resembles the shape of a melon.
Melon Pan is one of the most iconic Japanese snacks out there. It's a sweet, soft, and fluffy Japanese bread with a patterned grid on its sugar cookie crust (which looks like the skin of a melon). Although it is named Melon Pan, it is rarely melon-flavored. The treat is available in flavors such as chocolate, matcha, and strawberry instead. Fans who are curious to try this type of bread can find it in most convenience stores and bakeries in Japan.
Melon Pan is often seen in anime when the main character is running late to school and grabs something to eat on the go. This tasty snack is Shana's favorite in the anime Shakugan No Shana. It is also in anime like Free!, Gintama, Amagami SS, Natsume's Book of Friends, and Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend.
9 Japanese Parfait
Notable Appearances: Sailor Moon, Tokyo Ghoul: Root A, Vampire Knight, Zombieland Saga, Someday's Dreamers, Vampire Princess Miyu, After the Rain, Fuuka
- A parfait with Japanese elements that usually contains crunchy elements.
The Japanese parfait is extremely popular in Japan, especially its choco-banana flavored variant. Although the dessert isn't traditionally a Japanese treat, it is still a fan favorite. Fans can find this delicious ice cream treat in many Japanese cafés or can even replicate it at home. The most traditional way of making a Japanese parfait is with ice cream, mochi, red beans, cornflakes, fruits, and other toppings like pocky, though other options are available.
The Japanese parfait is one of the most popular sweets in anime and is often seen in Sailor Moon, Tokyo Ghoul: Root A, Vampire Knight, Zombieland Saga, Someday's Dreamers, Vampire Princess Miyu, After the Rain, and Fuuka. A strawberry parfait also appears in Akame ga Kill and Gintama.
10 Ebi Fry
Notable Appearances: Natsume's Book of Friends, Sailor Moon, The IDOLM@STER, Squid Girl, Tari Tari, Urahara, Restaurant To Another World, Ninjaboy Rantaro, Log Horizon
- Shrimp that's covered in panko bread crumbs and deep-fried.
Ebi fry is a simple dish of fried shrimp. Commonly served in Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, this dish is perfect for Bento boxes, snacks, and home meals. Fans who would love to try it at home need five ingredients – shrimp, egg, flour, and breadcrumbs and then their choice of dipping sauce.
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The shrimp dish is in many animes like Natsume's Book of Friends, Sailor Moon, The IDOLM@STER, Squid Girl, Tari Tari, Urahara, Restaurant to Another World, Ninjaboy Rantaro, and Log Horizon. Japanese cuisine includes a ton of seafood, and ebi fry is one of the many dishes that are made using this ingredient.