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 ...

Cooking rice, the staple grain of the Japanese diet for hundreds of years, used to be a laborious process. A dedicated heavy cast iron or earthenware pot placed on a wood-burning stove called a kamado was used for the purpose, and managing the heat ...

It's not certain exactly when tofu was introduced to Japan. One theory holds that it was brought over from China by the great Buddhist priest and scholar Kukai, also known as Kobo Taishi (734-835) in the early ninth century during the early Heian Period ...

A home kitchen in Japan is typically filled with all kinds of electronic gadgets. Yet there are some food preparation tools that are so useful that they have remained the same, and in steady use, for hundreds of years. In addition to a set ...

If a Japanese dish bears the name chūka, meaning Chinese, chances are it's not really Chinese at all, but a Japanese invention with Chinese-inspired flavors. Such is the case with hiyashi chūka, a cold noodle dish that is a popular summertime fixture. While there are ...

Japanese kitchen knives have a worldwide reputation for excellent quality and artistic beauty. The trouble is, there's so much mythology and romance surrounding them, not to mention a bewilderingly wide range of prices and types, that it can be difficult to make a choice. The ...

Hachijū-hachi-ya, the 88th day after risshun, the first day of spring, falls on May 2 in most years. It's the day that marks the beginning of the new tea harvest season, according to tradition. The nation's actual tea-harvesting season begins a little earlier, starting with ...