Sharing favorite finds from across the archipelago
Winter in Japan means mikan season! Thanks to Courtney for a mouth-watering recipe this month. I'm off to the kitchen! "Everyone is getting sick," said my Japanese coworker. "You should eat a mikan." He hands me this small orange then promptly shows me how to dig your thumb into the top center and begin peeling... Continue Reading →
Courtney cooks up a tasty shiso salad in this month's Washoku Wednesday column! Shiso, or perilla, is an herb that is often used in Japanese cuisine but isn’t well known in the western world. There are two varieties, green and (red) purple, but the uses are very different. Green is added to dishes, salads and more.... Continue Reading →
(I don't drink sake, but I do love mixing it with what Courtney describes below as the "trinity of ingredients" for my dishes. Read on for some good ideas!) You’re probably thinking sake, or Japanese rice wine, is a really odd selection for a traditional Japanese food segment but sake is used to create many... Continue Reading →
Food blogger Courtney has a great tutorial for us this week on a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine! EDIT: And an apology to both Courtney and all the UJ readers ... somehow, I thought TODAY was Wednesday. But hey - you get your food post a day early this month! 🙂 Again, I am amazed that... Continue Reading →
Food blogger Courtney shares a fantastic recipe for yuzu-flavored pickles today - I know what I'm making this weekend! Tsukemono, or Japanese pickles, took awhile to win me over. I would usually push them aside from my curry or rice not wanting them to impart their flavor on anything I was eating. I’m not a... Continue Reading →
Courtney serves up some dishes with mirin this week. Now I know how to use up the bottle I have in my kitchen! Mirin is a staple in most Japanese kitchens. It is a light yellow, low-alcohol rice wine that is used to sweeten dishes. Originally it was served as an alcoholic drink (contains approximately 14% alcohol),... Continue Reading →
If you’ve visited Japan, you have more than likely run into Japanese mayonnaise. More specifically, Kewpie mayonnaise, as they have 70% of the market and is THE brand most people think of when looking for Japanese mayo. Kewpie is easily recognizable by the plain bottle with the red lid and packaging that includes a (slightly... Continue Reading →
When I first arrived to Japan years ago, my friends took me to a chain restaurant where udon (wheat) noodles were made behind glass windows in the front of the store. I had only eaten dried udon before and I just couldn't get over how delicious these these noodles were in comparison. Fresh udon is super... Continue Reading →
(It's been a few months but my favorite food blogger Courtney is back! Glad to have her posting again here on Uncovering Japan!) I can’t believe we’re getting ready to ring in 2016! This past year has zoomed by for me, and was particularly exciting/exhausting as we made the move back to Japan in late... Continue Reading →
Soba has become quite the dinnertime staple in the Uncover Japan household. I can't wait to try out Courtney's recipe below! Soba, or buckwheat noodles, are popular throughout Japan and served hot or cold. Many soba dishes are served daily as inexpensive food found at train stations, but some dishes are seasonal or for special... Continue Reading →
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