Anyone living in or even visiting Japan will likely have come across a certain ghastly, grey, gelatinous substance. In most cases, local people are at a loss to answer the questions that inevitably follow. An enigma of the food world, konnyaku is either loved or ...

The California roll is responsible for popularizing the consumption of sushi in North America. Originally developed by a Japanese chef in Canada, it contains cucumber, avocado and crab stick wrapped in an inside-out sushi roll, meaning the seaweed is on the inside. It has since become ...

Japan is renowned for its exceptional food culture and Tokyo is the nation's culinary crown jewel. The capital has been awarded more Michelin stars that any other city in the world for 10 years. Traditional cuisine and fine dining have made Japan's food world ...

What is it about Australian cafes that has Tokyo so excited? Is it the relaxed atmosphere, the service or the fresh flavors? Perhaps it's the high-quality produce and the commitment to crafting exceptional cups of coffee? Or maybe it's the attraction of Australia's laidback ...

Long before Western chain restaurants entered Japan, the nation was nourishing its population with food served fast. Soba noodles — cheap, nutritious, served quickly and slurped just as speedily (while standing) — are one of Japan's original fast foods and continue to rival burger ...

Sake in Japan is undergoing an image makeover. It's desperately trying to become one of the cool kids again. Currently the second-lowest consumed alcoholic beverage in the country — whiskey and brandy being the lowest — sake only has a 6.8 percent market share ...

Sake and whiskey might be the international pinups of the Japanese alcohol world, but beer is the local favorite. It is by far the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the country, making up 31 percent of all alcohol consumed yearly in Japan, according to ...

Known for its white sand beaches and tropical climate, Japan's southernmost prefecture, Okinawa, also possesses a confused culinary identity. It's a fusion of Western tastes and local ingredients that will have visitors questioning where they've landed. Okinawa was occupied by the U.S. for 27 years, ...

Autumn's silvery little fish, the sanma, has arrived. To officially mark the beginning of the season, the annual Meguro Sanma Festival — which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year — was held last weekend in Tokyo, where sanma were grilled and offered to ...

The natural wine movement is spreading. Everywhere I look in Tokyo, neighborhood wine bars and small bistros are introducing all-natural wine lists. I'm starting to wonder, why does natural wine fit so organically into the city? Japanese consumers were early adopters of natural wine, developing ...