Senbei (rice crackers)
Let’s be honest people, unless you are a health guru, chips or crisps are a rite of culinary passage for westerners. Japan has a very civilized version from the Edo period in the form of baked crackers traditionally cooked over charcoal and brushed with soy sauce but now flavored with wasabi, curry, mentaiko, sesame, nori, […]
Continue ReadingTomiz
Tomizawa shouten is a mostly dry foods store that stocks essentials for your pantry and some hard to find items that will leave you giddy with joy! With a solid selection of miso, flours, vinegars, soy sauce, oils, dried seaweed, and on and on all meticulously organised to make the shopping experience expeditious and exciting, […]
Continue ReadingKoji kin (aspergillus oryzae)
Understanding this essential ingredient in Japanese food culture will bring you closer to it and perhaps even inspire in you some fresh ideas on its application and possible uses in the quest for deliciousness. This invisible dream weaver is responsible for the production of miso, sake, amazake, soy sauce, rice vinegar and shio koji which […]
Continue ReadingOkinawa pineapple
Thanks to the Columbian exchange the entire planet benefited from South American culinary exotica and the pineapple was a score indeed. History of this foreign fruit hitting Japan dates back to 1866 when budding plants from a Dutch shipwreck of Ishigaki island floated ashore into Kabira bay. 1927 marked the introduction of cayenne pineapples to […]
Continue ReadingTogarashi
This spicy enlightenment pictured above is straight up togarashi and its big brother shichimi togarashi is pictured underneath. When you are looking for focused attack without distraction out of your spice then straight togarashi is your candidate but if what you are eating could do with some help then shichimi togarashi will deliver dynamic toasty, […]
Continue ReadingWasabi
So last year, the Osaka based sushi chain Ichibazushi publicly apologised for excessively seasoning their sushi with this pungent root although they claimed it was the chefs that judged who would be a target in the heavy handedness. Most westerners actually asked for extra to liven up the sushi and did not see it as […]
Continue ReadingNatto
This pungent fermented soybean attack on the senses is loathed by most foreigners and plenty of Japanese(somewhere around 30% and way more in Kansai for example) as well but don’t be swayed by its horrendous odour before you at least give it a try! Its most commonly eaten at breakfast time with rice/green onion and […]
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Cherry blossom action
Flower viewing (Hanami) of cherry blossoms (Sakura) in spring is one of the most important times in the social seasonal calendar in Japan with friends getting together for a fleeting glimpse of these beloved trees. There is something for everyone at a Hanami get together as if like me you have seen ’em all and […]
Continue ReadingSea bream (madai/tai)
Sea bream, similar to snapper, is revered in Japan as an important celebratory/festive choice as it is both red(ish skinned) which is a colour of fortune and its homophone connection with the word Medetai which means joyful/optimistic. It is a great source of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids with a balanced, elegant flavour and […]
Continue ReadingKamakura farmers market
Kamakura is an interesting and opulent place to visit if Japanese history and temples are your thing. On the other hand, chilling or indeed partying at the beach is also an option if you wish but for me, i go for the veggies. There is a rotation of farmers who are as unique and varied […]
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