Abstract
A questionnaire survey was conducted on college students' families in the Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu regions to clarify how spices are used for home cooking in Japan. Among the 28 spices investigated, the frequency of use of ginger, pepper, sesame, wasabi and onion was very high. Most of the spices often used had a sharp or hot tasting effect. There were regional differences in the use of perilla, celery, basil and laurel (p <0.001), their uses being particularly high in the Kanto region. Japanese-style dishes in which many spices were used were sashimi, hiyayakko (chilled tofu), stir-fried meat and vegetables, and udon (Japanese noodles). The western-style dishes in which many spices were used were curry and rice, hamburgers and stew, this also being the case for Chinese noodles and gyoza (Chinese meat dumplings). The most common combinations of spice and dish were wasabi for sashimi, mustard for oden (Japanese pot-au-feu) and ginger for boiled fish.
