PROJECT Uchiwa flat fan

PROJECT Uchiwa is about uchiwa fans as an important kitchen tool.

Uchiwa stoke hot coals when grilling foods like filleted eel and skewers of chicken, brushing them with taré (soy-based basting sauce) as they cook.

Uchiwa are also used to cool blow away steam from freshly cooked rice when making SUSHI MESHI.  Freshly cooked rice readily absorbs the slightly sweet vinegar with which it is seasoned. See the recipe below.

Slightly sweet, vinegar-seasoned rice called su meshi (literally “tart rice”) is the basis for all sushi dishes. For optimal flavor and texture when making su meshi, use freshly cooked and still-warm, Japanese-style short-grained white rice that has been rinsed really well to remove surface starch.

As warm rice cools it is most receptive to absorbing the seasoned vinegar (that is why freshly cooked rice is best). If surface starch remains on the rice because it has not been thoroughly rinsed away, the cooked rice can become unpleasantly gummy and gluey.

Here is a basic recipe.