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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The main clue as to when potatoes first entered Japan comes from its name in Japanese, jaga-imo. When the tubers, which originate in the Americas, were first introduced to the port city of Nagasaki in 1598, they were brought in by Dutch traders from Djajakarta ...
The love of seafood has deep roots in Japan, and it can be interesting to trace these back in history. Where fish are concerned, long before tuna was king, Japanese sought out tai. Although there are more than 200 species of fish that take the ...
The typical Japanese home kitchen has an array of condiments that reflect a wide variety of influences. There are soy sauce and miso of course, as well as the ever-popular ketchup and mayonnaise, and bottles of a dark, brown condiment that are collectively just called ...
The shelves of Japan's convenience stores change with the seasons, but winter brings a particularly unusual addition: stainless steel food warmers installed next to the checkout counter containing oden, a stew of tofu, boiled eggs, daikon, fish cakes and other ingredients simmered in a ...
Late last December I went to a Tokyo branch of my favorite butcher shop, Ningyocho Imahan, to buy some meat to make a roast beef for my family's New Year's meal. When I arrived I was surprised to discover an hourlong wait to order. ...
New-harvest rice, known as shinmai, is the culinary star of autumn in Japan. But there's another grain that is just as eagerly anticipated at this time of year in many parts of the country: shinsoba, new-harvest buckwheat. There are two yearly crops of buckwheat in ...
Fresh chestnuts are one of the few things in Japan that are truly seasonal and not available year-round like so many other food products these days. Chestnuts (kuri in Japanese) have been consumed here since prehistoric times. Charred chestnuts that are more than 9,000 ...
Stir-frying, often thought to be a part of all East and Southeast Asian cuisines, has a fairly short history in Japan. The method of rapidly cooking chopped food in oil over a hot fire was first introduced to the country by Chinese immigrants in ...
The heat and humidity of August doesn't help a waning appetite. Spicy food does, though, and in Japan "spicy" means curry. The most popular form of curry in Japan is karē raisu, a dish that's known around the world as Japanese curry — a thick ...
