Kitchen Culture
Tasty tidbits from the old-fashioned Japanese kitchen
ODEN Part TWO
おでん ODEN Various ingredients find their way into the belly-warming stew known as oden. Most versions include myriad sausage-like items made from surimi (fish and seafood ground to a paste). Some of these are deep-fried while others are boiled, roasted, grilled or...
ODEN Part ONE (Vegan & Vegetarian Options)
おでん Oden Various ingredients find their way into the belly-warming stew known as oden. Most versions include myriad sausage-like items made from surimi (fish and seafood ground to a paste). There are, however, lots of options for those who prefer plant-based items...
Tazukuri Fish Brittle & Glazed Walnuts
田作り tazukuri ごまめ gomamé The names of many Japanese dishes employ word play; this is especially true of traditional holiday foods such as TAZUKURI. Written with calligraphy meaning “tilled fields” the fish brittle is a New Year delicacy that symbolizes fertility and...
Mochi Tsuki
Pounding Rice Taffy 餅つき MOCHI TSUKI MOCHI TSUKI... steamed mochi-gomé rice is pounded into a sticky, taffy-like mass. As the year comes to a close and preparations to welcome the new year are underway, communities throughout Japan organize rice-pounding events called...
Smashed Burdock
Tataki Gobō叩き牛蒡 Smashed Burdock Root This dish takes its rather alarming name from the thwacking sound emitted when burdock root is tenderized with a blunt, heavy tool. In the traditional Japanese kitchen, this would have been a surikogi, the wooden pestle used in...
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January 2021
The Japanese have a fondness for ranking things; lists known as BANZUKÉ. What do most Japanese crave after the New Year holidays? Ranking # 1: Nabémono hot pots... by far the most popular is ODEN.