This is an adaptation of our friend Russell Moore's King Trumpet Mushroom Parcel recipe in his book This is Camino. I remember the thrill of having these parcels served at the restaurant. They arrive at your table in a little parchment pouch, which you untie...
When the coronovirus hit, it was winter 2020. In the sake world, rice is already planted and harvested by the time winter rolls around. The last step is to use all of that rice for sake-making. But with the coronovirus, orders for sake...
In preparation for the Sake Gumi Magnificent Miyagi theme, I've been sipping on dry and clean sakes from Miyagi all month. It's been a year since I visited the prefecture, and I've been reminiscing on the times I had there by looking at...
Ever since shelter in place came into effect, I have been diving head first into two indulgences: K-dramas and sweets, often at the same time. It took me a few tries with the K-dramas. I got about three episodes into Let's...
With the fires and virus raging, I spent all last weekend in my kitchen with the windows shut tight and the air filter blasting. Making this Pork Belly Kakuni recipe from our friends at The Japanese Pantry was the perfect weekend...
Kohi zeri (coffee jelly) is a common dessert in Japan. You can find it everywhere - prepackaged at the conbini, at craft coffee shops like Maldive in Shimokitazawa, heck you can even get one fresh off the plane at Royal Coffee Shop...
Every few months or so, I get a message or comment about how all of the photos I style have the chopsticks facing the "wrong way" and that it's "not truly Japanese." I usually reply simply by saying that I am left-handed. But I think the...
My signature dish for a BBQ has always been Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice balls). It's usually something no one else is bringing, and everyone loves them, from the out of towner in-laws to the cousin's anti-social tween. My mom taught me how to make onigiri. I...
Before we sold alcohol at Umami Mart, we had a pretty extensive shrub collection. After we started to see more shrub lineups at other stores, we decided to pare down our shrub offerings – I still love shrub and consume it often. I crave the tartness of the...
Lately, amazake (sweet non-alcoholic sake) has been on our minds. It all started on March 1, when we celebrated Girl's Day at Umami Mart and Den Sake was kind enough to make us a batch of amazake for the second year in a...
If you are stuck in a home with no rice cooker, or are caring for a loved one who doesn't have one, I hope this how-to will help you rice-lovers to cope with your rice-related anxieties. I learned how to make rice on...
A few weeks ago, Kayoko and I were invited to our friend Mariko's house. Along with her partner, two twin boys, and Frenchie, their house was warm, inviting, and lively. I always find it restoring and inspiring to visit friend's houses and eat together....
My two favorite desserts are pie and anmitsu. The word is a mashup of two of its main ingredients anko (red bean paste) and mitsu (syrup). Although I can access good pie in Oakland, there is literally no place I can get anmitsu. Every...
Making candied citrus peels sounds easy enough (it's just sugar and citrus peel afterall), but it take a little bit of trial and error to get the texture just right. The first time I tried to make these, they were too moist and it ended...
Both sencha and hojicha are common teas that you will come across everywhere in Japan. Unlike matcha or gyokuro (shaded green tea), sencha and hojicha are every day teas, poured into cups all day in homes and offices. Sencha vs. Hojicha Sencha, is often simply...
Growing up in Cupertino, mugi-cha (barley tea) is something my mom would always have on the ready, in the fridge. After a long bike ride around the neighborhood with friends, mugi-cha on ice was a thirst quencher that signaled the summer. Mugi-cha has a roasted, nutty,...
This month at Umami Mart, we are waking up to spring. That means many of the things that inspire us this month come from things that make us bright-eyed and bushy tailed. No we aren't referencing Easter... but we are celebrating green tea and cherry blossoms. The brewer...
Often times, you will see green and red yuzu koshos side by side at Japanese markets, and even here at Umami Mart. We get asked all the time "What's the difference between the red and green yuzu kosho?" The
It's always a relief to get through the holidays. As a retail store owner, it is our busiest time and there is little time to cook at home or contemplate what to eat. Now that we are a few weeks into 2018, I've had more...
If you know me, you know I'm all about abbrevs. Life's too short (L.T.S.) - so whether it's S.G. (Sake Gumi), U.M. (Umami Mart) or B.B. (Berkeley Bowl), I'll refer to things in every day life with its abbreviation. In addition to it...
