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...
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...
When the days become shorter and the air crisper, it's time to bring out my donabe from the depths of my kitchen cupboards. I give it a good dusting-off and wash, then let it sit in the sun to dry. Once this ritual is...
As soon as daylight savings ends, my body tells me: feed me sweet potatoes. They are comforting, filling, and full in vitamin A and C to help combat colds during the flu season (I also get a flu shot every year). In the...
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...
I've been on a bit of a lentils kick and I'm afraid I will turn into a life-sized lentil by the time I complete this blog post (I am shoveling lentils in my mouth as I write this). I love how you can make a nutritious meal...
Step-by-step directions to make Kasuzuke Salmon, a Japanese dish of salmon tails marinated in sake kasu, miso, mirin, and shio koji.
Highlights from the Umami Mart class at Preserved in Oakland. Students learned how to make their own shio koji, and to use it in marinades and dressings.
Last February, I went to Jicca in Tokyo and had this seemingly unassuming dish. I've mainly had raw nagaimo (Chinese yam) julienned or grated in all its gooey glory. But at Jicca, it was seasoned with some serious magic. Lightly grilling this nagaimo brought out a...
A step-by-step recipe on how to make Japanese curry WITHOUT using pre-made, boxed roux.
Making miso is actually very easy. All you need are soybeans, salt, and koji. Here is a step-by-step guide to making miso at home.
Easy step-by-step instructions on how to make your own Japanese cooking sake, or mirin, at home.
I met a wonderful couple on Instagram, who I visited on my last trip to Japan. When they cook, they always use local ingredients prepared with such care and style. I look forward to their dinner picture everyday and I often...
In life, I'm all about making mistakes. The important thing is to just try everything! I was always the person to ask all the stupid questions in class; I've never had much of a fear of failure or looking dumb in public....
Duck has always been a bird I've been meaning to explore. Its rich, luscious fat always makes me feel like I'm indulging in something reserved for a special occasion. I always dream about the duck fat potato chips that Hopscotch in Oakland fries up...
Ebi Chili is the best example of a dish that has been Japanified. It was originally created in the 1950s by a Chinese immigrant in Japan, taking cues from Sichuan-style cooking. It's a shrimp dish that has a little spice and a little sweetness, perfect...
Doubanjiang has been called "the soul of Sichuan cooking." A spicy bean paste most recognizable in Sichuan cuisine, doubanjiang is also a popular ingredient for Japanese home cooking, called tobanjan. I use doubanjiang quite often in my cooking for sauces, and I was curious...
Trends in Japan changes as often as Taylor Swift changes boyfriends. It's like, wasn't she dating the Kennedy kid and even bought a house across from his in order to be close to him? Next minute, she is shacking up with one of the bad...
After I posted salt koji recipe a couple of weeks ago, I found out koji is literally a miracle condiments. This is the easiest thing to make, as long as you can find koji (usually at the Japanese grocery store), and the result is...
