Few countries have a food scene as globally beloved, photographed, or talked about as Japan. Think every day faves like sushi or ramen, to highly regarded dishes like the luxurious A5 Wagyu that you’ll find gracing the menus of high-end restaurants all over the world. Yet despite such recognizable culinary offerings, you might be surprised to find that the average Japanese kitchen is very different from an American one, and that’s because most don’t have an oven. In the U.S., an oven is simply a must-have for roasting the perfect Thanksgiving turkey or baking delicious treats from a simple apple pie recipe to a more complex cinnamon roll pie with apples. To find out more about why many Japanese kitchens usually omit this appliance, Food Republic spoke with Namiko Hirasawa Chen, the creator behind Just One Cookbook and JOC Goods.
“Traditionally, Japanese cooking focuses on simmering, steaming, grilling, and stir-frying over baking or roasting,” Chen explained. “[These] dishes don’t require an oven, so it never became a core appliance.” For most Japanese dishes, all you’ll need are pots, pans, and a working stovetop (and a rice cooker, of course). Think appetizers like miso soup, or one-pan dishes like oyakadon, to fried faves like tonkatsu or tempura. Also, instead of roasted, oven-cooked meats, you’re more likely to find meats and vegetables grilled.
Aside from functionality, there are also practical issues with having an oven, too. “Many Japanese homes, especially in cities, are compact and have limited kitchen space,” Chen explained. “Layouts prioritize essentials like the sink, stovetop, refrigerator, and rice cooker — leaving little room for a large built-in oven.”
What cooking appliances take the place of an oven in Japanese homes?
To us, it may come as a surprise that many Japanese kitchens come without ovens, but a Japanese person would be just as surprised to find out our kitchens don’t contain their must-have appliances. “Nearly all Japanese stovetops come with a built-in fish grill that can also toast, roast, and brown food — acting as a small oven,” Namiko Hirasawa Chen explained. This small grill is usually positioned as a small pull-out drawer located beneath the burners, which allows for easy use and cleaning. It also heats up food super fast and usually cooks evenly on both sides, making it an ultra-efficient and practical substitute for an oven.
There are also some similarities between American and Japanese cooking appliances, too. “To suit smaller homes, appliance makers have also developed multifunctional appliances, such as the ‘oven range’ (a microwave with an oven function) and high-performance toaster ovens,” Chen explained. “With these, families can make gratins, casseroles, pastries, and more — without ever needing a full-size oven.” Having become increasingly popular in recent years, this high-end gadget is exceptionally useful for those looking to save space.
But what about baking? All over social media, people are gushing over the ultra-viral Japanese cheesecake, or milk bread used in the famous, trendy fruit sando – but surely an oven is needed to bake these, right? According to Chen, Western-style baking is actually a rather new introduction to the Japanese food scene. “Before that, people mainly enjoyed wagashi (traditional sweets),” she explained. “While home baking has gained popularity, compact toaster ovens and microwave ‘oven ranges’ remain sufficient for most households.”