You've smelled them in or around your neighborhood. They turn bright yellow in November and December and are usually clustered in groups along streets or in parks. They are ginkgo trees. Ginkgo trees put on quite a show, but they can...
One thing California and Japan have in common is the abundance of bright orange Fuyu persimmons when November hits. Persimmon or kaki, in Japanese, are...
In an effort to demystify Japanese cooking, today's Japanify post is a first in a series I will call "Japanify Ingredients." I've drawn inspiration from some questions I've received from friends, for example: "I bought rice vinegar to make sushi one time,...
Still on a quest to find excellent tan tan men in the Bay Area. Tan tan men is ramen with ground beef and cilantro, in a spicy hot soup-- I used to eat it all the time in Tokyo. Here's a bowl I had last...
Hi everyone, Kayoko here, filling in for Yoko's column today. Yoko has set the bar quite high for tips, techniques and recipes on Japanese cooking, so I really thought hard about what I would be writing about. I browsed through all my Japanese cookbooks and...
Ankimo, or monkfish liver, when steamed, is considered a delicacy in Japan. The creamy texture is not unlike a fine pate. Ankimo is to be eaten in tiny bites and is an excellent accompaniment to sake or shochu. The first time I...
A butsudan is a shrine memorializing dead relatives in homes of Japanese Buddhists. Although I am not Buddhist, this butsudan set up that I received from my Buddhist grandma is hands-down one of the best things someone has given...
My in-laws visited from Tokyo last week. I think my mother-in-law thinks that there are no Japanese products available in the states and brought us half a suitcase-full of food. Poor, unfortunate Americans. Turns out that half of the stuff she brought...
One of my favorite spots since moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area is the Tomales Bay Oyster Company. I read about the TBOC on Umamimart while I was still living in Tokyo. It was a long...
Cutting a block of raw fish was intimidating for the longest time for me. I know for a fact that I am still not doing it like the pros because 1) I don't cut with a sashimi knife and...
My mom used to pack rice balls for me as an elementary school kid for lunch way before the sushi craze swept the nation and way before there were sightings of Alice Waters toting around onigiri. Having these balls of...
A step-by-step guide and video to how to wash rice properly in the Japanese style.
Lake Tahoe is a bit of a nightmare during the height of the summer. The lake is a dream but South Lake Tahoe is swarming with slot machine hungry tourists from both sides of the border (California and Nevada). We...
Learn the difference between Japanese seaweed – nori, iwanori, wakame, and kombu.
For those who are curious to eat more responsibly in the seafood arena, mackerel is an ideal option. For the rest of us who don't care about being responsible, mackerel is also an ideal option because of its salty-savoriness that's addictive and a...
I love sardines - canned or fresh. My addiction started as a child when my mother would serve sardines from a can with a dab of kewpie mayonnaise. Packed with protein and fun to eat, they are also better for big blue because...
This was originally supposed to read "Octopus, Shrimp Avocado Salad with Kewpie-Wasabi Dressing," but the octopus part did not happen. After reading a recent string of octopus posts on Umamimart including Tokyo JUNKtion: Corpse Candy, ¡Viva España!,
Learn how, why, and when to use tamari soy sauce instead of shoyu. Includes a recipe!
When the heat rolls in, laziness comes in the form of "I don't want to cook." Maybe it's also an instinctual thing where I am unconsciously preparing for a fire or earthquake which is more likely to happen in the hot summer months...
Quite possibly the only herb in the mint family that the Japanese will not associate with toothpaste is shiso. Shiso, or sometimes referred to as perilla, Japanese basil or beefsteak plant is often found as a garnish in Japanese cuisine....
