Japanese Cuisine Glossary For F&B Staff

About This Course

Japanese cuisine is known for its elegance, precision, and deep respect for seasonality and ingredients. For food and beverage professionals, understanding key Japanese culinary terms is essential for supporting menu knowledge, confident service, and guest engagement.

This glossary-based course introduces the most important dishes, ingredients, preparation styles, and cultural references found in Japanese dining. Whether you’re working in a Japanese restaurant or looking to expand your global cuisine knowledge, this course offers the vocabulary and context to speak with clarity and professionalism.

In this course, you will explore:

• Core ingredients such as miso, nori, dashi, and wasabi

• Popular dishes including sushi, sashimi, tempura, ramen, and donburi

• Traditional Japanese preparation techniques and cooking styles

• Types of Japanese knives, tools, and service ware

• Japanese food terms and menu vocabulary used in guest communication

• Seasonal and cultural concepts such as omotenashi and washoku

Each chapter includes a short quiz, with a final assessment at the end of the course. Successful completion earns a certificate in “Japanese Cuisine Glossary For F&B Staff.”

Course Curriculum

10 Chapters

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Japanese Cuisine

Explores the foundations of Japanese cooking, focusing on balance, simplicity, and respect for ingredients. Highlights Japan’s culinary philosophy of harmony between taste, presentation, and seasonality (washoku).

Chapter 2 - Essential Japanese Ingredients

Covers staple ingredients such as soy sauce, miso, mirin, sake, dashi, and seaweed. Explains how these create the distinctive umami flavour central to Japanese cuisine.

Chapter 3 - Japanese Cooking Techniques

Describes key techniques including grilling (yaki), simmering (nimono), steaming (mushi), and frying (agemono), showing how each method enhances texture and flavour.

Chapter 4 - Sushi and Sashimi Basics

Explains the differences between sushi and sashimi, the role of rice seasoning, knife precision, and presentation standards in Japanese culinary tradition.

Chapter 5 - Japanese Noodles and Rice Dishes

Introduces popular dishes like ramen, udon, soba, and donburi, explaining their varieties, regional differences, and recommended service styles.

Chapter 6 - Japanese Sauces and Condiments

Covers key condiments like wasabi, ponzu, teriyaki, and tonkatsu sauce, detailing their preparation and use in enhancing different dishes.

Chapter 7 - Japanese Dining Etiquette and Culture

Teaches key customs such as itadakimasu and gochisousama deshita, how to handle chopsticks properly, and the importance of gratitude and respect in Japanese dining.

Chapter 8 - Japanese Beverages

Explores popular beverages including sake, shochu, green tea, and matcha, explaining their flavour profiles, serving traditions, and pairing principles.

Chapter 9 - Japanese Desserts and Sweets

Introduces desserts such as mochi, dorayaki, and daifuku, discussing textures, sweetness levels, and seasonal variations.

Chapter 10 - Modern Japanese Cuisine and Global Influence

Highlights how Japanese cuisine has evolved internationally, blending tradition with innovation in dishes like sushi rolls, fusion ramen, and Nikkei-inspired flavours.