japaneserecipeadventures
Hiyashi chuka is my go-to dish as soon as it’s warm enough to stop wearing long sleeves. The cool noodles and the refreshing tang of the vinegar really hit the spot on a hot summer night, and it helps that there’s not a lot of cooking to do, so I’m not sweating buckets by the time I sit down to eat. Hiyashi chuka is a customizable cold noodle dish using the same egg noodles often used in ramen, called “chuka men” (Chinese noodles). Although there are tons of variations (and you’re welcome to try your own), for this Japanese Recipe Adventure, we’ll take a look at the style you’ll most commonly ...
GaijinPot
The first time I tried goya chanpuru, a local favorite in the Okinawa islands, I didn’t know what to make of it. Bitter flavors are not exactly common in the average Brit’s diet! But on a trip to the islands, I tried it and then continued my day in the sun, not giving it much thought. I wasn’t expecting that when summer came around the following year, I wanted to eat goya chanpuru once again. Was it the bitter flavors I was craving for refreshment? Or was it simply the connection to the sun and the south I longed for? Either way, I was delighted to find that goya (bitter melon) was not hard to...
GaijinPot
You probably already know about udon, thick and springy noodles made from wheat flour. You also likely know gyoza, dumplings usually filled with ground meat and vegetables. But have you heard of udon gyoza? In today’s Japanese Recipe Adventure, I’ll show you how to combine both for udon gyoza— crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and incredibly addictive. They’re a delicacy in Takatsuki, Osaka, and after our easy recipe, you’ll be whipping them up in a snap. IngredientsThis makes about 20 udon gyoza. When choosing your udon, it’s easiest to buy refrigerated. If buying frozen, defrost befo...
GaijinPot
As a Brit, I’ve always thought of strawberries as a summer fruit, but it’s hard to tell in Japan. They are grown as early as December and are in season until June. Around this time, the country goes bananas for strawberry treats—especially shortcake. Why shortcake and not strawberry milkshakes or something? There are two theories. Some think a famous baker got the idea from the Americans. Others believe they picked it up from the French. Either way, the baker tweaked strawberry shortcake for the Japanese palate. Do you want to make it yourself, but your tiny Japanese apartment doesn’t have an ...
GaijinPot
For our next Japanese Recipe Adventure, we’re trying chicken katsu (anything breaded and deep-fried). Chicken katsu is possibly the tastiest way to eat chicken breast in my opinion. But people often have issues with chicken breast drying out or cooking unevenly. But have no fear, I’m going to share with you my secrets to delicious, mouth-watering chicken katsu. Even it outTo avoid the dreaded “burnt on the outside, raw in the middle” issue, you need to make sure your chicken is an even thickness throughout. Some people achieve this by cutting the chicken breast into slices at an angle, getting...
GaijinPot
During Japan’s Shogatsu (New Year), there is the tradition of osechi ryori, or, roughly translated, seasonal cuisine. Osechi are like specially prepared holiday bento boxes, which started in the Heian Period (794-1185). The meal-prep is meant to minimize activity in the kitchen during the New Year, giving the gods and everyone else (especially women) some much-deserved rest. The contents of osechi are an encouraging array of foods that represent different hopes and dreams for the coming year. These foods are carefully arranged in stacked boxes called jubako. Each tier offers a course of appeti...
GaijinPot
Gyudon is a rice bowl dish typically covered in marinated sliced onions and beef pieces. The marinade is combined out of everyday seasoning found in Japanese households and can be made quickly. Add some cheese on top (the Sukiya signature), and you’re in calorie heaven. Whenever someone asks me what my favorite Japanese dish is, I tell them it’s the cheese gyudon (rice covered with sliced beef) from Sukiya, and I’m always met with the same amount of disbelief. So out of all the Japanese foods out there, why is gyudon my favorite? First of all, it’s cheap—Japanese fast food. Also, its filling a...
GaijinPot
September and October mark the beginning of autumn in Japan, my favorite season. Then, of course, there’s koyo (autumn leaves) to look forward to, and there’s also the seasonal produce that opens up a whole range of possibilities in the flavor department. So after moving away from the cold noodles and salads of summer towards the warm stews and fragrant autumn sweets, I wanted to try something different. Today on Japanese Recipe Adventures, we’re making the much-adored dorayaki. Sort of like a Japanese pancake, dorayaki is traditionally made up of two pillowy-soft buns wrapped around sweet azu...
GaijinPot
When I first moved to Japan, I thought that Japanese food was complicated and time-consuming to make. Cut to my friend telling me about her signature one-pan dish that only needed a handful of ingredients, and I was sold. Today on Japanese Recipe Adventures, we’ll be making oyakodon, rice topped with onions, fried egg and chicken simmered in a blend of traditional Japanese seasonings. It gets its name from oya (親, parent), ko (子, child) and don (丼, bowl)—literally “parent-and-child donburi.” Pretty dark if you ask me! This is an excellent recipe to have in your arsenal if you want something ta...
GaijinPot
Just as the rainy season hits Japan and we mourn the passing of spring’s blossoms, one upside is the arrival of ume (Japanese plums). They are more closely related to the apricot despite the name and have a bitter, sour taste. Whether unripe or ripe, ume shouldn’t be eaten raw as it may cause a stomachache. After the winter, plum blossoms lose their petals in late February. Nature does its thing, and by mid-May to early June, you can find ume on store shelves. Glass jars, bags of rock sugar and super-sized shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) or “white liquor” will also be strategically arranged...
GaijinPot
閲覧を続けるには、ノアドット株式会社が「プライバシーポリシー」に定める「アクセスデータ」を取得することを含む「nor.利用規約」に同意する必要があります。
「これは何?」という方はこちら