Where to buy food in Japan

Recently, a representative of one of the Russian food chains asked me a question on Instagram: someone told him that there are no grocery stores in Tokyo, only a 7/11 combination (also kombini). Then I read several times that Japanese wives quite seriously buy groceries in such small convenience stores around the clock, and at the same time complain about a small selection. All this is very sad and ridiculous, so if you are suddenly going to Japan and experiencing gastronomic fears, let's read where to find food and what it is.

Surely you should not be stopped from traveling by doubts about whether you can find the usual food in Japan if you suddenly do not eat rice or fish. The Japanese are gourmets, they are very interested in the field of nutrition and are eager to learn, catching up with a certain, honesty, backwardness, in which Europrofiles are very fond of them. In modern Japanese cities, croissants, hamburgers, sandwiches, meatballs, spaghetti, pizza (at the same time, high-quality Italian cuisine) are at every step. Bread has also been assimilated for a long time, however, ordinary Japanese people eat very rich soft sweet bread, not every bakery has the “right” one, and it must be looked for according to special signs — it must be either French, Italian, or a very small “ideological” bakery.

And you need to lay a budget, one baguette can cost $ 8 (the usual "cotton" - 3). On the lower floors of expensive department stores, where the most luxurious, rare and simply gourmet foods reign, there are excellent bakeries that are unlikely to disappoint. In Japan, there is milk, yogurt, coffee, black tea and even Maria cookies - you will not die of hunger.

If you are a tourist with money, you will eat in cafes and restaurants. Takeaway coffee costs from $ 1 in combination, and now, no matter how we criticize them, in the combination there are still coffee machines that grind grains for each dollar portion, which is generally good. Combines are those very saving islands, there are a lot of them, and in them you can find all the basic necessities for a busy person whose home is far away: clean underpants, socks, a hangover pill, toothbrush, floss, scissors, adhesive plaster, warm lunch any type of ice cream, cigarettes, you can also send some types of mail, make a photocopy, withdraw money and even pay taxes. Hot drinks are also there, alcohol, including portioned, ice for drinks. As for gastronomy, you can often buy interesting beers there, very delicious desserts with mousse, cream, seasonal ingredients, fresh soft chocolate, as well as purely national cuisine, out of curiosity it is very good. The notorious bread and milk are also there, the simplest options, and sweet buns. Do not forget that prices in the combination are about 30 percent higher than in the supermarket. Buying there constantly and in many ways makes no sense. Therefore…

If you are a poor tourist, buy in combination only onigiri and bento, ready dinner - you can buy not only a very high-calorie dish with rice and cutlet, but also fresh vegetable salad, the softest chicken breast in a vacuum, the famous magic half-boiled or hard-boiled salted eggs. There is probably at least one grocery store in your area, you should find it in advance on Google maps. Buying food there is not only cheaper, but also more informative.

Here is the chicken.

This sticker indicates goods at a discount (fresh ones are sold a few hours before the end of the shelf life, sashimi and sushi are always sold in the evening), for example, 2 means 20%, etc.

Keep in mind that prices for fruits and vegetables (if they are not packed in several pieces), as well as whole fish and large seafood are indicated apiece! And you need to look at the price in small print and higher, alas, it is she who is real, taking into account the tax. Well, in principle, if you are not a genius of cooking and saving, then the costs are about the same - that for food in a simple cafe (curry, gudon, ramen, udon, etc.), that for cooking at home from purchased products. In addition, if you try to buy Western ingredients and cook the usual Western food, it will come out more expensive. IMHO, no frills on a combination of food from a combination, a food service and a supermarket, you can keep within $ 20 a day.

A few nuances from the supermarket.

Milk is whole and stabilized in terms of fat content or enriched with something, with reduced fat content or fat-free.

It is written on the whole like this: in the upper circle is “milk”, in the lower one is “whole, composition is unchanged”.

The whole indicates the minimum fat content (it varies depending on the season), it is still processed at 130 degrees for 2 seconds - I do not know what it is called, ultra-pasteurized?

On stabilized or enriched like this - "milk drink."

This is Premil - a drink for those who growl from regular milk in their stomachs. There is still something similar for young children who do not tolerate milk.

When I hear complaints that everything is very bad with dairy products, it seems to me that these people before Japan lived somewhere at the entrance of the dairy, otherwise where did this longing come from ... Maybe this is a poor choice, but everyone will find at least one pleasant yogurt or cottage cheese to your taste.

In the supermarket there is always a department of ready-made food, it is cooked right there, it is almost impossible to poison. Deep-fried is separate, green salads and ready meals in a box are separate. Sometimes there is even a station with curry and soups, and, of course, boiled rice is lousy, but edible anyway.

Grocery store floor (Takashimaya, Isetan, etc.) - "elite" products, very informative, the largest, selection, cheeses, off-season fruits, sausages, etc., lots of fresh food that you will immediately pack with you. Sometimes there is a whole wing of confectionery, and on the periphery there are small cafes or just places where you can eat just bought.

Imported goods stores: Yamaya, Kaldi, Seijo Ishii - buckwheat "Makfa" and the like exotic, sprats (however, they are in ordinary shops. In the combination, of course, no !!), foreign teas, Swiss and Belgian chocolate, yogurt for kefir.

Network Tomiz - baking ingredients, non-banal spices, cereals and all sorts of overseas trifles such as malt, which in life you can’t buy in an ordinary store.

American wholesale network Costco - large cheeses, feta cheese, lamb, cilantro and other objects of nostalgic suffering. Cheap berry, limes, watermelon juice and zucchini all year round. Most vegetables and herbs are made in Japan.

Small butchers - you can ask for any part of the carcass or offal, meat in large pieces, everything will be postponed in advance.

Supermarket - you can ask to cut any fish in any way, this will be done immediately and, of course, for free.

Online - you can buy morels and chanterelles, black currants, spelled flour and other delicacies that no one needs. There is also a good store of products officially imported from Russia.

Well, I don’t even know if anyone else remained hungry :)