rec_yes

The Just Bento Cookbook 2 cover

Believe it or not, a sequel to The Just Bento Cookbook will be here soon.

Filed under:  site news just bento

goryo_hamaguchi.jpg

The life of a remarkable man, who used his wealth to help people in many meaningful ways.

Filed under:  japan earthquake japanese culture history

Japanese Cooking 101, Lesson 2: Prep and Cook A Great Bowl of Japanese Rice

How properly cooked Japanese rice should look

jc101-ricebowl1.jpg

A perfectly steamed bowl of plain rice is the unquestioned star of a Japanese meal. And here's how to cook it, in copious detail - in Lesson 2 of Japanese Cooking 101: The Fundamentals of Washoku.

Type:  recipe Filed under:  basics rice washoku japanesecooking101

makiunhappy-sm.jpg

Attempting to turn cranky Maki into happy Maki through the power of fermentation. Plus a recipe for hummus with miso.

Filed under:  vegetarian vegan gluten-free health and weight loss

Printable cards for communicating dietary restrictions in Japan

IMG Dining out card

A selection of print and cut cards to communicate your dietary requirements and restrictions in Japanese. I've edited it to add some more information about food product labeling.

Type:  feature Filed under:  restaurants vegetarian vegan japan travel health and weight loss printables allergies

How my late father related to a particular scene in the movie Tampopo.

Filed under:  books and media essays movies japan food movies
Chopstick manners

The other day I was having lunch at one of the Asian-fusion restaurants in Zürich with a (non-Asian) friend. At one point, he speared a piece of chicken with one chopstick, brought it to his mouth and pried it off with his teeth. I must have a strange expression on my face, because he looked at me and asked me what was wrong.

Of course he did not know that in Japan, what he just did would be considered to be terribly rude, in the same way that someone who didn't grow up in Europe might not know about not putting your elbows on the table. I explained this to him, and he sort of snorted and said "well why don't you write a guide to chopstick manners on your site then!"

So, here it is: A guide to chopstick etiquette, Japanese style.

Filed under:  equipment japanese offbeat etiquette manners

100 Japanese foods to try

IMG: Rice with umeboshi

What 100 Japanese foods would I recommend people try at least once?

I tried to keep away from foods that are only available in certain regions, or even certain restaurants or homes (e.g. my aunt's homemade udon) and stuck to foods that are widely available in Japan. I've also tried to include foods from all categories and all price ranges, from wildly expensive matsutake mushrooms to cheap and sometimes not so good for you snacks. I also did not limit the list to 'genuine Japanese' foods (純和風), but include Western-style yohshoku dishes and a sprinkling of chuuka (imported Chinese) foods that are so ingrained in Japanese food culture that most people barely think of them as Chinese any more. And of course, I have eaten all of the foods listed at least once - in most cases many, many times. I like them all!

Type:  feature Filed under:  japanese ingredients offbeat lists

Mailorder merchants that ship Japanese goods worldwide

Merchants that ship worldwide, plus shipping services.

Type:  handbook Filed under:  japanese ingredients shopping equipment and supplies

Back to Japanese Basics: The essential staples of a Japanese pantry

IMG: Japanese groceries

My mother, who lives in Yokohama, occasionally sends me a box of Japanese food goodies. Since she is in her own way as much of a foodie as I am, she diligently scours the land for great sources of locally produced, artisanal and/or organically produced foods. Many of these foods are known under the umbrella term sanchi chokusou(産地直送), direct from where it was produced. If you think French people are hung up on terroir, you should read some Japanese food magazine ads for sanchi chokusou products.

Type:  feature Filed under:  basics japanese ingredients

Pages