Umami Mart Gift Guide
Japanify

Japanify: Kombu Tsukudani

I am home in Berkeley after taking a week-long road trip through the American southwest with fellow Umamimart writer Anders, bookended by a five-day trip in NYC. I am so excited to be back in my own kitchen that I've stocked...

Japanify

Japanify: Tsukudani (Condiment Crack)

Mottainai is said in Japan when something perfectly usable is abandoned or sent to the trashcan. In the past ten years, Japan has seen a trend in awareness regarding waste and reusing whenever possible. It's ironic that this has become a trend because...

ReCPY

ReCPY: Chicken Sashimi Fest

"HELP! I ate three bites of raw chicken, am I going to get sick?!" "I had chicken for dinner but it was pink. I ate it, but I am worried now. What should I do?" "Warning: FDA strongly advises chicken to be cooked completely before...

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...

Japanify

Japanify: Preparing Kanpyo

Kanpyo is a curious food - shaved calabash gourd. You can buy kanpyo dehydrated in white strips. You must prepare the dehydrated strips and marinate them to get them ready for the most common kanpyo dishes like futomaki rolls...

Japanify

Japanify: Goya (Bitter Melon)

I finally had the guts to buy a goya because there was a half-cut goya on sale for 50 yen at my local supermarket last week. I had always envied my Okinawan friend who could nonchalantly cook up...

Straight to the Source: Ramen Peep Show (Fukuoka)

Over Golden Week I went to Kyushu for some R & R. And when you go to Kyushu, you eat ramen. Hakata is where the original Ippudo and Ichiran are. We decided to go to Ichiran. We arrived at Ichiran (Tenjin location) at 11:50am. Located...

Dream Shop TOMURU (Ishigaki)

I would like to go by the 1992 Vanessa Williams' hit "Save the Best for Last" regarding my reviews for the various eats I experienced during my 5-day trip to Ishigakijima (Okinawa). Ishigakijima is the most beautiful place I have ever been to....