The day we spent cooking with Elizabeth brought Japanese culture to life for us in ways only sharing time in the kitchen can do. When we arrived, Elizabeth and her gracious husband Atsunori, welcomed us into their home…the perfect place to learn more about traditional Japanese cooking. We tasted, compared, cooked and learned about Japanese ingredients all against a backdrop of gaining new understanding of the philosophy of balance and harmony that underpins the Japanese meal. Nature, local seasonal ingredients, presentation and, of course, taste all combine to create Washoku in Elizabeth’s kitchen. One word to describe the entire experience: Oishii!!

It seems anyone who has flown over a country in daylight can be a food writer/expert these days. Elizabeth Andoh is the real deal.  I have lived and traveled in Japan extensively for nearly 30 years, but it was Elizabeth, with her encyclopedic knowledge of Japanese cuisine, faithfulness to Washoku practices, and attention to detail, that made all the cultural puzzle pieces fit together for me.  She has the unique ability to explain Japanese cuisine and culture in English in a way a Japanese person would. Expertise like hers is rare and a treasure.