Kitchen Culture
Tasty tidbits from the old-fashioned Japanese kitchen
Kagami Mochi
At New Years’ time, the Japanese decorate their homes with a special display called KAGAMI MOCHI. There are many regional variations on the theme but typically two large rounds of omochi rice taffy are stacked with a daidai 橙 (bitter orange) on top. The arrangement is...
Symbolic Pine
Because pine trees are hardy evergreens, they are a symbol of longevity and resilience in Japanese culture. As such they are a key motif used at New Year’s. Various foods are configured to evoke the image of pine needles (matsuba 松葉 ) and pine cones (matsukasa 松笠 )....
Katsura Muki, gossamer thin peels
Daikon radish is peeled into long, seemingly impossibly thin ribbons in a cut known as katsura muki. The skill needed to produce these peels is the most basic requirement in any Japanese professional kitchen. It typically takes months (if not years) of daily practice...
Tsutsumu… wrapping, enveloping
Written with calligraphy for “bath” (furo 風呂) and “spread out” (shiki 敷) the word is rather curious for a piece of cloth. It seems the origins hark back to the Muromachi Period (1336-1573 AD) when Daimyo lords would spread out a cloth in which to wrap their clothing...
