Staying in Japan during summer can be very challenging. It is hot and humid and somehow you need to keep your body cool. Eating hot ramen is not the best during this time. But there are plenty of delicious and cool dishes you can enjoy during summer time in Japan. Here I want to introduce some to you!

# 1 – Hiyashi Chuka

One of my most favorite dishes in the Japanese summer is Hiyashi Chuka (冷やし中華). Translated it means Chilled Chinese, referring to the Chinese noodles which are used. Cold ramen noodles are put on a plate or bowl and topped with various other cold ingredients. Popular for this are tamagoyaki (egg omelette), cucumbers, ham, chicken, tomatoes and so on. Over all this you pour a tare sauce and you have a nice cool dish.

You can find Hiyashi Chuka at nearly all supermarkets and convenient stores, but for sure also restaurants are offering it. Furthermore it is a popular dish for cooking yourself at home.  

#2 Zaru Soba and Zaru Udon

One more cold dish for summer are zaru soba or zaru udon – depending on what you personally like more. The noodles are boiled and then washed with cold water. Next they are placed on a bamboo draining basket which is called zaru in Japanese. With this method the last liquid is removed without making a mess. Usually zaru noodles are served with a soy flavored sauce in which you can dip the noodles. It's a really nice dish for hot days and you can eat other things like tempura and vegetables with it.  

# 3 Somen

Another dish with noodles is Somen. These wheat-based noodles are thin and often served as a cold dish in summer. Pretty popular is Nagashi Somen, literally translated as flowing noodles. Here, the somen are placed in a long half-open bamboo groove where fresh, cold water is running. If you want to eat, you need to catch the noodles with your chopsticks and then you can dip them in your sauce. This way, the eating is makes for a fun experience!  

Picture by Jpninfo.com

#4 Eel

Eel, in Japanese called Unagi, is a popular summer dish because it is full of vitamins and protein. It is usually grilled on a charcoal fire and flavored with a sweet and spicy sauce. Served on rice it makes up a nice dish and sometimes people are even lining up at shops selling it. However, unagi can be a little bit more expensive if you want to have good quality.

Picture by JapaneseCooking101

For sure, there are not only main dishes you can have for cooling your body. Japan also has a big amount of cold desserts.

# 5 Kakigori 

Shaved ice served with different flavored syrups as topping is one of the ultimate summer desserts in Japan! The syrups start from normal ones such as strawberry, lemon and watermelon, but also those like the famous ramune soda which lets you make a colorful mix. And not only this, you can even add other toppings just like fruits, red beans and even ice cream. Kakigori is very popular at Japanese festivals.

But for sure, Kakigori is not the only one. Especially in Tokyo, the shops are fighting for the number one place of the best summer treats! McDonald’s Japan is offering a Pikachu styled banana-chocolate flavored McFlurry, Dominique Ansel Bakery has a unique watermelon ice cream served inside a real watermelon and at Second Best Melonpan in the World shop you can get your ice cream inside a baked melonpan.

So there are plenty of things to try this summer. Let’s fight again the heat!