Umami Mart Gift Guide

Hokutei Suisan Fish Market (Saitama)

By Sasha Wizansky On October 21st, chef Kanji Nakatani took a small group of the OPENharvest crew on a trip to the Hokutei Fish Market to visit fish purveyor, Katsuhiro Sato. Apparently, Sato was kicked out of the main local fish market many...

Tuna Head at Tsukiji Fish Market

Look at this tuna head! It was fucking HUGE--I could easily fit my own head into its mouth. Its eyeball was so clear, it looked as though it were still alive, looking deep into my soul, prodding me to try its precious ruby red flesh. Sorry...

Skankynavia

Skankynavia: Icelandic Nammi

As I've written in a post some years ago, Iceland is a nation of candy addicts. Especially if the candy is chocolate mixed with liquorice. It's crazy how much candy the Icelandic people eat - but since there's no fresh ice cream tradition like in Italy...

Cheese du Jour

Cheese du Jour: Formaggio, Boston Style

What does a cheesemonger do on Christmas vacation? If that holiday involves traveling to Boston, then it means paying a first-time visit to South End Formaggio. In my estimation, South End Formaggio and its parent store Formaggio Kitchen (in Cambridge, Mass.) are among the...

Japanify

Japanify: Matsutake (Pine Mushrooms)

Matsutake are to Japan as truffles are to France. They are hard-to-find, fragrant, expensive and coveted. "Matsu" means pine and "take" means mushroom. Matsutake are harvested in the fall, the earliest occurring in September from pine forests in diverse locations around the world...