Tonoya Yo: Japan's fermentation fundamentals, made modern
Chef, brewmaster and hotelier Yotaro Sasaki takes locally grown Tono rice and traditional fermented fare to new culinary heights.
Hakko Department: Set meals showcase the breadth of Japan’s fermented foods
It’s easy to take Japan’s wealth of fermented foods for granted. Hakko Department puts them front and center.
‘Koji Alchemy’: Fermentation enthusiasts are making mold magic
“Koji Alchemy” delves into the significance of kōji — Japan’s semiofficial “national mold” — and demystifies making and cooking with it at home.
One man’s journey to perfect homemade nattō
During Week 1 of stay-at-home orders in Chicago, I ordered beer from a local craft brewery. By Week 9, I was making nattō (fermented soybeans) at home.
The fermentation power of kōji, Japanese food's secret ingredient
If Japanese food culture were pared down to its fundamental elements, the ingredient that might embodies them best is kome kōji (rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae).
Preserving the Japanese Way: A guide to traditional fermentation and culture in Japan
Nancy Singleton Hachisu, a local slow food advocate and writer for The Japan Times, has released her newest cookbook, "Preserving the Japanese Way," which follows the winning formula of her first book, "Japanese Farm Food." Preserving the Japanese, by ...
Searching Kyoto for the holy grail of Japanese rice vinegar
Akihiro Iio, now in his late 30s, is the fifth generation of his family to run Iio Jozo, a venerable vinegar house outside of Kyoto. Using locally grown rice, the Iio family has been producing vinegar in Kyoto for more than 120 years, and ...
