Programs

English language culinary arts programs in Tokyo, Japan

Japan has re-opened its borders to independent travelers.  A Taste of Culture is offering customized workshops for visitors and residents who wish to participate in cookery programs. Details here.

No matter where you reside, I hope you will continue to pursue your interest in Japan and its food culture at KITCHEN CULTURE and the coordinated kitchen projects at Kitchen Culture COOKING CLUB. For cooking at home with detailed instructions in several themes, shop our LESSONS.

Elizabeth Andoh
March 15, 2024

Custom Programs

If you wish to book a Hands-On Cooking workshop (up to 4 people) or Tasting-Demo Lunch (up to 8 people), please click through for details and to fill in a request form.

A Taste of Culture will follow-up by e-mail.

I hope I will have the pleasure of cooking with you (and your friends, family or colleagues) in my Tokyo kitchen in the not too distant future.

(Photo: © Jethro TAN taken during program)

Kitchen Culture Cooking Club

Kitchen Culture Cooking Club is a Facebook group for sharing ideas and kitchen projects related to Japan’s culinary culture.

You don’t need to be Japanese, or live in Japan, to enjoy and benefit from Japan’s kitchen wisdom. The Kitchen Culture Cooking Club encourages and supports all those who want to explore and practice washoku and kansha in their own kitchens. 

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!!

CLS and RKN (Chicago)

Praise for
A Taste of Culture

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. 

Martha Leche (USA)

During our many visits to Japan, I took several cooking classes (in Tokyo and Kyoto), both with Japanese home cooks and professional chefs. But finally I planned a special trip with the main purpose to be able to participate in one of Andoh-sensei’s “Intensive 3-day Workshops” and luckily found what I had been looking for all these years: excellent preparation as well as exceptional course material, intensive but highly structured content, learning not only the “what” but also the “why”, a “taste of (Japanese) culture” in its literal sense and in her home, access to a wealth of information even after the workshop, and so much more. Therefore, I was more than happy to come back with my son for a “private class + market tour” as well as for her excellent “tsukémono” workshop – we are forever grateful for the great experience and hospitality. A real “highlight” worth at least one special trip!

Fred Schneidereit (Germany)

Program Catalog (taught in recent years)

Japanese menus reflect the seasons and classes at A Taste of Culture do likewise. Here is a taste of some of the programs taught in recent years. Click through the links for more details.

Autumn Glory – 2 day intensive
Tsukémono – Japanese pickling
Hanami Bento – flower-viewing picnic lunch
Summer Survival: Cold Noodles

Private Market Tours with YUKARI SAKAMOTO

Chef, sommelier, shochu advisor and Food Sake Tokyo author Yukari Sakamoto offers a variety of market tour options including Toyosu fish market, depachika, and supermarkets.

To find out more, visit her site foodsaketokyo.com.

Follow her on Twitter @YukariSakamoto.