April, 2018
Mountain yam (yamaimo)
Translated as mountain (yama) potato (imo) these beauties have a long history in China, Korea and at least from the Stone Age in Japan. They are fantastic as tempura and I love them raw as above with perhaps some soy sauce, ponzu or katsuobushi for a kick. The Japanese enjoy slimy texture and so the […]
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Firefly squid (Hotaru ika)
Regular squid (ika) are embraced with mild enthusiasm and the giants elicit fear but from March to June, these beautiful creatures flash their mesmerizing neon shimmer along the shoreline of Toyama bay and gourmands get very excited . These bioluminescent cephalopods are a marvel of nature if the conditions are right and you are lucky […]
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What’s in season…?
Seasonality is embraced wholeheartedly in Japan and vegetable lockers are a great place to get your healthy, delicious fix whilst supporting your local farmer. The unmanned open shelves are the best as you get to inspect up close before choosing and it’s also nice to be reminded that you are living in a fairly honest society […]
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