Back in the 1990s to early 2000s, my sister worked as a chef in the kitchen of the Toraya Cafe in New York City, the sole North American branch of a famous wagashi (traditional Japanese confections) maker that has been in business since the ...
The price of fresh vegetables this winter is much higher than usual. That's why this edition of Japanese Kitchen features a classic, daikon-based seasonal recipe that will help your yen go further.
These days, having chicken for Christmas dinner is quite commonplace in Japan, whether it's made at home or carried there in a paper bucket. But chicken doesn't have that long a history as an everyday food source. Until the Meiji Era (1868-1912), when Western poultry ...
Persimmons come in three types, but amagaki is of most use in the kitchen.
The cookware that has made the biggest comeback in recent years can be traced back to prehistoric times: the donabe, a lidded, heatproof earthenware pot with a matching vented lid.
The sanma (Pacific saury) that's caught at this time of year is rich with heart-healthy oils, and is considered a quintessential autumn delicacy in Japan. But unlike other fall delicacies such as matsutake mushrooms, sanma has traditionally been considered affordable. This national favorite is in ...
A frequently overlooked aspect of kitchens in general is the importance of storage. In fact, most of the space in a kitchen is given over to the storage of utensils and equipment as well as the food itself. Japanese kitchens have some unique features in ...
With cooler weather around the corner, our thoughts turn away from cold noodles and salads to autumn comfort foods like nimono, simmered dishes in a broth, usually a classic seaweed and dried fish-based dashi. One of the most comforting nimono is simmered kabocha squash, a ...
A typical modern Japanese kitchen is equipped with all sorts of appliances for actually cooking the food, as in applying heat to it. While most of these items will be fairly familiar, there are some differences from typical North American or European kitchens that may ...
The nukazuke method of pickling vegetables in a fermented rice bran bed called a nukadoko was developed in the 17th century. Since vegetables pickled in a nukadoko absorb Vitamin B1 from the rice bran, they helped to prevent beriberi, an illness stemming from a ...
