LONDON, England – Japanese food could one day rule the world after being voted global travelers’ third favorite culinary delight, a new worldwide food survey from Hotels.com reveals. The survey, which questioned more than 27,000 travelers, shows there is now tough competition for more traditional favorites such as Italian and French cuisine from food from the Far East.
Although international travelers do still favour Italian (32%) and French (24%) cuisine, with them taking first and second spot in the rankings, the dishes from the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ Japan are gaining in popularity with more cosmopolitan palates. Eighteen percent of all people surveyed favoured Sushi, Tempura, Ramen and Japanese Soba, particularly when it comes to fine dining.
“Japanese food is seen as great example of healthy eating and there are a variety of Japanese restaurants in every multicultural capital,” said Alison Couper from Hotels.com. “I’m a big fan of Japanese and not surprised at its elevated ranking. The fact that it beat more traditional holiday dishes such as Tapas and Burritos is testament to the world class reputation of Japanese chefs.”
Several other Asian countries and regions appear in the Top Ten list, including mainland China (13%), Thailand (8%), Taiwan and India (5%). The popularity of Paella and Tapas could have contributed to Spain clinching fifth place (11%) on the list, while those who love Burger and Fries have helped the USA secure sixth place (10%) in the table.
The world’s best food when on holiday
Position Country and region Votes in %
1 Italy 32%
2 France 24%
3 Japan 18%
4 Mainland China 13%
5 Spain 11%
6 USA 10%
7 Mexico 8%
8 Thailand 8%
9 Taiwan 5%
10 India 5%
According to Japanese locals there is much more on the menu than just Sushi and these traditional cuisines are creeping up the popularity scales with the global traveller:
Position Dish Description Japanese recommendations in %
1 Sushi Cooked vinegared rice (shari) combined with other ingredients (neta) such as seafood 74%
2 Tempura Dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried 57%
3 Ramen Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or (occasionally) fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso , and uses toppings 33%
4 Japanese soba A type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour 31%
5 Okonomiyaki Savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients, such as flour, eggs, cabbage, pork, shrimp or seafood 27%
6 Shabu Shabu Variant of hot pot with thinly sliced meat and vegetables and usually served with dipping sauces 24%
7 Japanese Curry The most popular dishes in Japan, curry rice served with vegetables or meat 14%
8 Yakiniku Grilled meat dish, derived from Korean roots 9%
9 Natto Fermented soybeans with Bacillus Subtilis, which is very popular as breakfast 7%
10 Fugu Pufferfish and related dishes 6%
Itadakimasu!
