Japanese are made from…
What is a commonality in them? Yeah, they are Japanese food product, and then…. They are made from “soybeans”!! (1) Soy sauce: “しょうゆ, 醤油, Shoyu”. As you know, it’s a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans. (2) Miso: “みそ, 味噌” The precursor for soy sauce, is also a fermented Japanese […]
Rice bowl dish: Oyako-don
We have a lot of “Rice bowl dishes” in Japan, consisting of fish, meat, vestables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice. We call them “Donburi” (どんぶり, 丼), and we called them “ingredients” + “Don” (“Don” is short for “Donbiri”). For example, Gyu-don (Beef bowl dish), Kaisen-don (Seafood bowl dish), Katsu-don […]
Taste Spring! vol.1: Nanohana
Spring is coming soon in Tokyo. We are looking forward to Cherry and other many blossoms :) “Field mustard” called “Nanohana” (なのはな, 菜の花) is one of major spring flowers in Japan. We rarely see “Field mustard” fields in the city, but we can enjoy beautiful yellow fields in the suburbs. And we, Japanese […]
Yakiimo (grilled sweet potato) truck!
“Yakiimo” (やきいも, 焼き芋) is a Japanese grilled sweet potato. “Yakiimo” are a popular winter snack in Japan. The potatos are cooked over an open flame or on stones heated by fire. They are often sold from a “Yakiimo truck”, which drives around cities playing music and a Japanese lantern written “Yakiimo” to get […]
Order touch panel @ Izakaya
There are many Izakaya Chains in Tokyo. (Izakaya is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks) And Some chains has touch panels for guests to order food and drinks. Furthermore, some touch panels has multiple languages! Using “Order touch panels” is for […]
Tako-yaki: Octopus balls
“Tako-yaki” (たこやき, たこ焼) is a popular Japanese dumpling with diced or whole baby octopus, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, green laver (aonori), and katsuobushi (flaked fish). “Tako” means octopus in Japanese, and takoyaki are known as “octopus balls”. It was first popular in Osaka, but we can eat “Tako-yaki” everywhere in Japan. You can […]
Japan Restaurant Guide on the web
When we Japanese have a party at restaurants, we sometimes use sites for searching a good place. These sites are called “gourmet sites” (グルメサイト, ぐるめさいと) in Japan. “Guru-navi” (ぐるなび), short for “gourmet navigation” is a site, we can search good restaurant by locations, food, price. And each restaurant has useful coupons (ex one free beer, […]
Himono: Dried fish
As you know, we Japanese often eat fishes. Sushi, sashimi, broiled fish…. “dried fish” called “Himono” (干物, ひもの) as well. Drying fish is an old way to preserve it for later use. But Japanese are still enjoying textures and taste of “Himono”, different from broiled fish. You can see a lot type of […]
Okonomiyaki: Japanese pancake
“Okonomiyaki” (おこのみやき, お好み焼き) is a Japanese pancake containing a variety of ingredients (meat, seafood etc). The name is derived from the word “okonomi”, meaning “what you like” or “what you want”, and “yaki” meaning “grilled” or “cooked”. “Okonomiyaki” is mainly associated with the western regions, but nowadays we can eat it throughout Japan. […]
Day trip from Tokyo: Hakone vol.3
The last station of the ropeway is “Togendai”, by Lake Ashi. Lake Ashi (Ashinoko in Japanese, “あしのこ, 芦ノ湖”) was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano’s last eruption 3000 years ago. Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is the symbol of Hakone. The best views of the […]
Day trip from Tokyo: Hakone vol.2
This hell vally is called “Owakudani” (おおわくだに, 大涌谷). “Owakudani” is the area around a crater created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone some 3000 years ago. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers can be experienced. Once known as “Oojigoku” (hell), […]
Welcome to “sticky food” world!
Today, I introduce some of “sticky foods” in Japan. Entry No.1 “Okra” (おくら) “Okra” is a vegetable, it might be known as lady’s fingers or gumbo in your country. We basically eat “Okra” with Bonito flake and soy source after boiling. The inside is a little bit sticky, isn’t it? It’s […]
All-you-can-eat “shabushabu”
I’m starving! = Onaka pekopeko (おなか ぺこぺこ) I’m stuffed! = Onaka ippai (おなか いっぱい) * “Onaka” means “stomach”. “Shabushabu” (しゃぶしゃぶ) is a Japanese dish of thin slices of raw meat (usually paper-thin slices of beef or pork) and raw vegetables cooked at table in a simmering pot of broth. The freshly cooked ingredients […]
A “Hit Product” in Japan for 2010
Most people eat rice as a staple food in Japan as I previously mentioned in the article “Onigiri“. Therefore we have many kind of dry condiments sprinkled on top of rice or mixed with rice, called “Furikake” (ふりかけ). They are mixtures of dry fish/chicken, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt etc.. Each […]
Onigiri (Rice balls): What is the filling?
Most people eat rice as a staple food in Japan, we have many kind of rice dishes. “Onigiri” (おにぎり) is one of them, rice balls, usually with a filling. They are very portable, and therefore are very popular for carry-along lunches since olden days. You can see many kind of “Onigiri” at convenience […]
Taste Autumn!: Ginnan(ぎんなん)
In Autumn, we can enjoy beautiful yellow of ginkgo trees. And we have another way to enjoy ginkgo trees! It’s….. “ginkgo nut”! We call it “Ginnan (ぎんなん, 銀杏)” We could see very smelly fruits under ginkgo trees. Ginkgo nuts are seeds of them. We could see some people picking them up […]
Autumn leaves at a Japanese garden
“Showa kinen park” is a huge park located in Tachikawa city, a suburb of Tokyo. It takes about 1 hour from Shinjuku on “JR Chuo Line” (orange line). For more detail of the information, Please check the park website. The park is good to enjoy Cycling, BBQ, Boat, Picnic, Pool in Summer… etc. […]
Kappa-bashi kitchenware street vol.2: Fake Food Sample
You could see “Fake Food samples” of dishes are displayed in the windows of restaurants in Japan. They look like the actual dishes, isn’t it? If you are interested in these “fake food samples”, how about going to “Kappa-bashi kitchenware street”? * please read the previous article, “Kappa-bashi kitchenware street vol.1” for more infomation of […]
Gyudon: A keen competitive battle
“Gyudon” is a Japanese dish that consists of a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion simmered in a sweet sauce flavored with soy sauce and mirin (rice wine). Japanese man like “Gyudon” because it’s cheap, delicious, and they can get their oder quickly. The largest “Gyudon” chains in Japan are Sukiya (すきや), Matsuya […]
Today’s sweets: Taiyaki (たい焼,たいやき)
“Taiyaki”(literally “baked sea bream) is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. It’s made by using regular pancake or waffle batter. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold for each side. The filling is then put on one side and the mold is closed. It is then cooked on both sides until golden brown. The most common […]
Shirasu: baby sardine
“Shirasu” is one of the smallest fish you could buy at stores. They are baby sardine that are usually around 1-2 months old. At some places we can eat raw “Shirasu”, but we have boiled/dryed “Shirasu” at stores. we usually enjoy shirasu with rice, grated radish. “Shirasu” looks weird? The taste is pretty good, I […]
Cheap way to experience food culture: Depa-chika(デパ地下)
What does ”Depa-chika” stand for? Depa-chika (デパ地下) is short for “department (デパート)’s basement (地下,ちか)”. Many departments have a food floor on the basement. So “Depa-chika” means Department store food floors. There are a lot of shops (sweet, Sushi, Riceball, Yakitori etc.). Each shop has a booth. it’s like a shopping street, rather than aisles like […]
“Edamame” （えだまめ） is superb!!
“Edamame” (えだまめ,枝豆) is a preparation of immature soybeans, green soya bean. The best season to buy fresh “edamame” at stores is summer, from June to August. Cooking Edamame is very easy.The pods are boiled in water together with condiments such as salt, and served whole. That’s it! “Edamame” is rich in nutrients. Especially it’s said […]
Oden: a Winter dish
As the weather become colder, Japanese want to have winter dishes. Oden is one of popular Japanese winter dishes, consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon (radish), konnyaku(Konjac), and Chikuwa, Satumaage etc. (processed fish cakes) stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth. Ingredients vary according to region, restaurant, and between each household. In […]
Great! Sushi Maker!!
To “Sushi” lovers, I have a good news today! Sushi is expensive even at Sushi boats, isn’t it? Don’t worry, you can make sushi by yourself! This is “Sushi Maker”, you can get it at 100 yen shops! Put Sashimi (raw fish) on the bottom, add rice and put the lid on and press it. […]
Yakitori!
Yakitori (焼き鳥/やきとり/ヤキトリ) is Japanise grilled chicken speared on sticks. We use all different parts of the chicken, thighs, skin, liver, etc. for “Yakitori”. • toriniku（とりにく）, all white meat on skewer • negima(ねぎま), meat with Japanese leeks • hatsu (ハツ) , chicken heart • rebā (レバー), liver • sunagimo (砂肝), chicken gizzard • tsukune (つくね), chicken […]