FoodDrink
Tired of snow drifts and winter chills? Look no further than your local grocery store for vegetables with the brightest and freshest flavors harkening to the arrival of spring in Japan! Read on for our five picks for the best veggies of the season. 1. Japanese butterburWhen I first heard of fuki (Japanese butterbur) in a Japanese children’s song, I had never heard of it before—let alone eaten it! But, to pass on this native vegetable in spring would be to miss a traditional star of Japanese spring cuisine! Cultivated in Japan since the Heian period, many modern-day varieties in the store are f...
Savvy Tokyo
Soba; a delicious, healthy alternative to ramen. A relatively easy-to-make dish, soba (蕎麦, そば) noodles are one of the most famous traditional foods found in Japan. Archaeological evidence shows that buckwheat has been cultivated in Japan since the Jomon Period (about 10,000 years ago). In the simplest terms, soba is made from finely ground buckwheat mixed with water into a dough, cut into long, thin noodles, then boiled. It’s essentially the same process as making pasta. Soba is then served with tsuyu(つゆ), a soup base made from dried bonito and kombu kelp dashi (stock) and soy sauce, and other...
Savvy Tokyo
This little powder not only packs a punch in the spiciness department, but is on fire in the nutritional stakes, too! Shichimi togarashi (commonly known as shichimi) is translated as “seven spice powder” and includes ground red chilli peppers, Szechuan peppers, citrus peel, sesame seeds (white and black), ginger and nori, all combined into an amazing seasoning powder blend of complementary tastes. Some variations may also include a mixture of hemp seeds, poppy seeds, garlic or shiso. Health benefitsShichimi was invented by a Japanese herbal medicine expert in the Edo period, with the intention...
Savvy Tokyo
If you love rosemary and mint, read on to learn all about Japan’s indigenous herbs whose captivating aromas and tastes have been commonly used in Japanese cooking and traditional medicine. With shiso, yomogi, kuromoji and mitsuba in your pantry, you’ll have an all-natural arsenal to battle aches and pains and winter colds, all while indulging in aromatherapy! Western herbs are well known for their health and relaxation benefits. Who among us hasn’t had a cup of peppermint tea to calm down, massaged in a lavender cream before bed or basked in the comforting aroma of rosemary-baked vegetables? J...
Savvy Tokyo
Savvy Tokyo
Winter doesn’t have to mean meat and potatoes! Get to know Japan’s delicious seasonal vegetable picks for the chilliest time of year. Money can be tight after the holiday season. When the days of fun and feasting have faded, January often brings a period of reflection and saving for the new year ahead. Happily, your food budget doesn’t have to break the bank with expensive imports (looking at you, pricey Chilean blueberries!). Alongside the leaner meat and fish choices that often get switched in as we double down on our New Year’s resolutions, why not fill up your plate with affordable and hea...
Savvy Tokyo
They’re pretty, they’re delicious and they’re symbolic. With Christmas now behind us, you can see the whole of Japan getting ready for New Year’s, and that involves taking out the kotatsu(table and blanket over an electric heater), securing the omochi (pounded rice cakes) and getting ready to cook osechi ryori — Japan’s traditional food served during the New Year’s holidays. While we see it everywhere, how much do we actually know about osechi? Osechi ryori, said to have begunin the Heian era (from 794), is a set of small, traditional dishes served in beautiful three- or four-layered lacquer b...
Savvy Tokyo
Move over cookies! Unlike in many western nations, where Christmas cakes must share their holiday crown with a wealth of other sweets, from candy canes to gingerbread cookies, in Japan, cake reigns supreme. Discover the delicious history of the Japanese Christmas Cake below! Beautiful layers of white cream adorning a fluffy cake with plump strawberries atop—this has long been the image of Japanese Christmas confectionary. But, did you know that Christmas cakes were only first sold in Japan in 1910? And that the ubiquitousichigo shotokeki (strawberry shortcake) only hit the shelves of this coun...
Savvy Tokyo
In Japan, the citrus fruit yuzu brings a burst of brightness that cuts through the longest night of the year: the winter solstice. Although the daylight fades earlier and earlier each day as we get deeper into winter, when the sunshine-yellow yuzu (Japanese citrus) hits the supermarket shelves, it’s hard not to get excited. Its cheery color, energizing scent and immune-boosting properties make yuzu the natural choice to remedy a variety of winter woes. Traditionally, the winter solstice is celebrated by taking a yuzu-steeped bath that perfumes the entire room with an invigorating aroma—a pract...
Savvy Tokyo
Savvy Tokyo
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