Fresh Bamboo Shoots

Fresh Bamboo Shoots

The moment in the culinary calendar when a food is at its seasonal peak of flavor is referred to as shün, and it is the driving force in most Japanese kitchens. Indeed, entire menus are planned around shün ingredients. In the spring, as tender bamboo buds begin to...
Project Kiriboshi Daikon

Project Kiriboshi Daikon

Cooking with KIRIBOSHI DAIKON in your kitchen. This versatile ingredient can be used in soups, pickles, rice dishes and a variety of sides, too. Here are a few recipes to get you started: Kogane Meshi, a takikomi-style rice dish Granny’s Sun-Dried Radish, a...
Kiriboshi Daikon

Kiriboshi Daikon

Before refrigeration became widely available, pre-modern societies struggled with keeping fresh food from spoiling. A variety of ingenious techniques were developed throughout the world, including drying fresh foods in well-ventilated shade. In Japan, the resulting...
Funky Fish Sauces

Funky Fish Sauces

Fermented Fish Sauce 魚醤 Fermented fish sauces can be found in many parts of the world, most having been produced for thousands of years. It is unclear whether each was an independent “discovery” or whether they influenced each other by way of shared...
PROJECT Cooking with Fish Sauce

PROJECT Cooking with Fish Sauce

Five ways to use fermented fish sauce There are lots of ways of using fish sauce. Here are a few popular examples: (top, left) NABÉMONO (hot pots that get assembled ahead and simmered at table) are often made with a seasoned broth. IKANAGO NABÉ seasoned with funky...