[2026] Songs about cooking: A roundup of recommended Japanese classics
Delicious food adds color to our everyday lives, and surely many people reset their mood by making sure to eat a proper meal even when they’re going through something tough.
Whether we’re happy or sad, we humans can’t keep moving forward unless we eat.
Themes like cooking and food—which are closely tied to our daily lives—are, of course, important and unmissable subjects for artists as well, and they’re often chosen as motifs.
In this article, we’ve picked out classic Japanese songs—both old and new—that center on cooking and food.
Whether it’s breakfast or sweet desserts, take a look at how these artists express them!
- [Rice Songs] A selection of tracks where food appears in the lyrics!
- [Food Songs] Popular Japanese songs that use names of foods
- [Delicious] A collection of music you'll want to listen to while cooking
- A roundup of Japanese songs featuring curry—songs about curry and curry rice
- [2026] Japanese music that sings wishes: A collection of J-POP masterpieces
- [2026] Representative Famous Enka Songs: A Compilation of Classic Favorites [Beginner-Friendly]
- Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about food
- [Family Song] A gratitude song that lets you feel the importance of family.
- [Vegetable Songs] Unexpected artists too!? A roundup of recommended tracks
- [2026] Autumn songs sung by idols: A collection of classic autumn tunes filled with nostalgia
- [Thank You] A song for grandpa and grandma: a classic that makes you want to express your gratitude
- Vegetable Song: A Recommended Food Education Song for Children
- Packed with masterpieces! Karaoke songs recommended for women of the Yutori generation
[2026] Songs about cooking: Recommended masterpieces (Japanese music) (21–30)
Curry on loveLienel
A work whose lyrics fuse an appetite for curry with the exhilaration of love, leaving a powerful impact.
Its comical worldview and addictive melody linger in your ears.
Included on a double A-side single released in August 2024, it reached No.
3 on the Oricon weekly chart.
With its lively tone, it’s the kind of track that boosts your mood the moment you listen.
Why not enjoy the tantalizing premonition of love that’s as stimulating as spices?
NO CURRY NO LIFEKapurikōn
This is a unique number by Capricorn, the zodiac unit from The Idolmaster Million Live!, that likens the addiction of love to the kick of spices.
The vocals woven by Shiina Natsukawa as Anna Mochizuki, Tachibana Yamaguchi as Rio Momose, and Ibuki Kido as Kana Yabuki blend sweetness and spiciness to perfection.
Included on the album THE IDOLM@STER LIVE THE@TER FORWARD 01 Sunshine Rhythm, released in December 2016.
How about savoring it as background music while cooking?
Cold noodles for youKetsumeishi
This song, “Hiyashi Chuka for You,” included on the B-side of the hit single “Six Men and Women: A Summer Story,” seems like it could inspire a delicious dinner when paired with another B-side track, “Summer, Beer, and Rock ’n’ Roll.” Apparently, this song was created thanks to the “M-Topic” segment within the TV show Music Station.
The lyrics are packed with both a real recipe for making hiyashi chuka and affection for the one you love.
It’d be nice to make hiyashi chuka for your girlfriend while listening to it.
3636aimyon
This is a love song that shines with Aimyon’s unique perspective, sparked by the passcode of a delivery locker.
Included on her 2022 album “Falling into My Eyes Record,” the song is based on her real experience of being unable to open a delivery locker and portrays the end of a romance and a sense of emotional confinement.
The distinctive rhythm and melody arranged by Sunday Kamide will stick in your head after just one listen.
Immerse yourself in it while imagining the taste of curry.
Oops! Cha! CurryKukkingu-bu Mini Pati (Sakura Gakuin)
An irresistibly cute, high-energy idol pop song that casts a spell with appetite-stimulating spices.
It’s a track by Mini-Patissier, the Cooking Club unit of Sakura Gakuin, included on the limited edition of the single “Ganbare!!” released in October 2013.
Written and composed by Mikito-P, known as a Vocaloid producer, this piece features an Indian-style, brisk melody punctuated by lively calls—an addictive combination you won’t forget after a single listen.
Put it on as BGM while making curry, and your dish might turn out spicier than usual.
The Shocking Soup of Virgin Mary: The Magnificent DesireMakita Supōtsu presents Fly or Die
This is a song that makes you laugh at the unexpected gap between a decadent visual-kei worldview and the homely theme of curry! It’s by the band led by Makita Sports, Makita Sports presents Fly or Die.
Released digitally in January 2014 as their debut, it’s a track born from the popular segment “Comedians’ Serious Song Championship” on the TV Tokyo variety show Godtongue.
What’s sung over the heavy band sound isn’t pitch-black darkness or despair, but—surprise—an appetite for soup curry.
The contrast between the authentic performance and the ridiculous lyrics is the best.
If you listen to it when you’re feeling down, its gloriously over-the-top silliness is sure to lift you up!
Genghis KhanSuiyōbi no Campanella
You might think it’s a song about Genghis Khan, the first emperor of the Mongol Empire, but it’s actually a track themed around jingisukan, the lamb dish said to be named after Genghis Khan.
Being included on the album “SUPERMAN,” where all the track titles use the names of great historical figures, makes it clear they’ve intentionally chosen a confusing title.
With distinctive timbres and rhythms that incorporate folk music and evoke Mongolia through various languages, the song stands out for portraying scenes from Japanese eateries that serve jingisukan.
Though packed with jokes, the lyrics vividly depict the lamb sizzling to perfection, thoroughly whetting the listener’s appetite.
