by Elizabeth Andoh | Mar 12, 2020 | Kitchen Culture, Tools & Techniques, Year-Round
Sa = sato (sugar); saké also begins with “sa”; Shi = shio (salt); Su = su (vinegar); Sé = sé is currently pronounced shō and stands for shōyu or soy sauce; So = miso The Japanese Culinary “Alphabet” To maximize flavor and achieve tenderness with minimal...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Mar 2, 2020 | Culture, Kitchen Culture, Spring
The Andoh Family’s full set of HINA NINGYŌ Just off camera is a wind-up music box that plays Ureshi Hina Matsuri うれしひな祭り. Download a chart explaining each of the dolls, and words to the song. 雛祭り Hina Matsuri Doll’s Day For ancient agrarian societies,...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Feb 22, 2020 | Kitchen Culture, Spring
Fuki no Tō 蕗の薹BUTTERBUR (Petasites japonicas) Sansai, literally “mountain vegetables,” are foraged from woodland areas in various parts of Japan as winter thaws into spring. When sansai dishes appear at table, it signals the start of culinary spring fever: an...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Feb 12, 2020 | Kitchen Culture, Winter
Salmon Saké Kasu Chowder 粕汁SAKÉ KASU-JIRU A belly-warming salmon and root vegetable chowder, shaké no kasu-jiru, is standard wintertime fare throughout Japan’s northeastern region, the Tohoku. Every household seems to have its own rendition, but with this master...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Feb 6, 2020 | Culture, Kitchen Culture, Winter
A sampling of Japan’s chocolates (clockwide from top right) chocolate covered yuzu peel, bonbons filled with various shochū spirits, bonbons filled with saké, matcha infused chocolate planks, white chocolate animal characters, a variety of elegant truffles. The...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Feb 2, 2020 | Culture, Holiday, Kitchen Culture, Spring, Winter
FUKU wa UCHI ONI wa SOTO Bring in Good Fortune! Throw out the ogres! 節分 Setsubun, a marker on the ancient, lunar-based koyomi calendar indicates the start of a new season; setsubun breaks occur many times during the year. Today in Japan the...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Jan 22, 2020 | Kitchen Culture, Winter
Furofuki Daikon topped with Yuzu-Scented Miso ふろふき大根 Furofuki Daikon Piping Hot Radish with Miso Sauce Furofuki, literally “blowing steam,” is the name given to vegetables – most often daikon radish – that has been tender-prepped and then simmered in dashi broth....
by Elizabeth Andoh | Jan 12, 2020 | Kitchen Culture, Tools & Techniques
16th century scroll (Shuhanron Emaki) 酒飯論絵巻 落し蓋 Otoshi-Buta Dropped Lids Used in Japanese kitchens for centuries for preparing nimono (simmered dishes), otoshi-buta lids drop down to sit directly on the food, rather than on the rim of a pot. Fuel-efficient as they...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Jan 2, 2020 | Culture, Holiday, Kitchen Culture, Spring, Winter
From left to right, the seven spring herbs are: SERI, NAZUNA, GOGYŌ, HAKOBERA, HOTOKÉNOZA, SUZUNA, SUZUSHIRO 七草粥 Nana Kusa Kayu Rice Porridge with Seven Spring Herbs More than a thousand years ago, the Japanese spoke of watari-dori (“migrating birds”)...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Dec 22, 2019 | Culture, Holiday, Kitchen Culture, Winter
Kuri kinton sweet chestnuts in yam paste. KURI KINTON 栗金団 This traditional New Year’s sweet combines syrup-stewed chestnuts with a sweet paste made of mashed and sieved satsuma imo potato. The golden color of both the chestnuts and the potatoes are enhanced by...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Dec 12, 2019 | Culture, Holiday, Kitchen Culture, Winter
Classic KOHAKU NAMASU, “red and white salad” is made from finely shredded daikon and carrots. Fruit peel is added after the vegetables have been salt-wilted and rinsed. The mixture is marinated in sweet-and-sour sauce for several hours to several days. Yuzu peel is...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Dec 2, 2019 | Culture, Holiday, Kitchen Culture, Winter
Glossy sugar-stewed black beans, a New Year’s treat. KURO MAMÉ black beans・earnest effort 黒豆・苦労＋忠実 In the world of culinary endeavor, word-play can add a nuance of flavor to mealtime. Several of Japan’s osechi dishes served during the New Year holiday exemplify...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Nov 28, 2019 | Kitchen Culture, Year-Round
Four varieties of kombu (left to right): Rishiri, ma, Rausu, Hidaka. Find out about the differences among kombu varieties and how best to make stock from them. 昆布の力 Kombu Power All varieties of kombu are rich in umami seibun, or glutamates; the essence of flavor...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Nov 22, 2019 | Culture, Holiday, Kitchen Culture, Winter
In the nishimé assortment pictured here, lotus root, carrots and country potatoes have been simmered Kansai-style while dried shiitaké mushrooms and konnyaku braids have been prepared Kanto-style. NISHIMÉ・煮染め Hundreds of variations on this classic soy-simmered dish...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Nov 12, 2019 | Kitchen Culture, Year-Round
Spinach ohitashi garnished with katsuo-bushi flakes. Spinach Steeped in Broth Hōrensō no Ohitashi ほうれん草のお浸し The verb hitasu means “to steep” and is the root of the word ohitashi, a classic dish frequently seen on Japanese restaurant menus, served at family dinner...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Nov 2, 2019 | Autumn, Kitchen Culture, Tools & Techniques
3-Colored Turnip Flowers 三色花蕪Sanshoku Hana Kabu Emblematic of Japan and its culture, chrysanthemums appear in many guises: as the exalted Imperial household crest (a special, layered 16-petal design), the “official” stamp of the Japanese government (passport cover),...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Oct 22, 2019 | Autumn, Kitchen Culture, Tabletop
Fresh kaki persimmons “Kaki ga akaku naru to isha ga aoku naru” (as persimmons turn to orange, doctors turn green) is a Japanese saying similar to the American “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This adage attests to the powerhouse of nutrients found in ripe...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Oct 12, 2019 | Kitchen Culture, Year-Round
HARAKO MESHI, rice cooked with salmon and topped with roe ハラコ飯Harako Meshi Salmon Rice with Roe Archaeological evidence dating back at least 5,000 years shows that the early inhabitants of the Tohoku – the Jomon peoples—fished for salmon. The ancient coastline is...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Oct 2, 2019 | Autumn, Kitchen Culture, Tabletop
There are 4 parts to a dobin: the pot in which morsels of food are placed (these typically have a handle hooked into place), a saucer, a lid for the pot, and a small choko cup that sits perched on top. The flavorful broth produced during steam-poaching is drunk from...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Sep 22, 2019 | Autumn, Kitchen Culture, Spring
Top row from left: kuro goma (black sesame), kuromai (black rice), umé (plum), shiro adzuki (white beans). Bottom row, from left: kinako (toasted soy flour), ao nori (green sea herb) zunda (édamamé fresh green soybeans), adzuki (red beans). Special Seasonal...
