Blog » vegetarian

Learn the difference between Japanese seaweed – nori, iwanori, wakame, and kombu.

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....

Find out more about okara, or tofu lees, aka soy pulp. What it is, how to use it, and okara recipes.

This monochromatic sunomono salad may look humble, but it packs a sweet and sour punch. It tastes somewhat reminiscent to the cucumber salad that comes with Thai satay skewers. Although sunomono is eaten more like...

Nothing compares to short grain rice in Japan. Find out more about Haku-mai, Gen-mai, and Haiga-mai including taste, use, and nutritional value.

The idea of a salad at many Japanese restaurants in America is some iceberg lettuce, julliened carrots and a cherry tomato (if your lucky) - topped with a creamy, sesame dressing. I can say that I am sometimes a fan...

Last month, I took a relaxing trip to Pt. Reyes with one of the best books I have read this year, the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (The Girl with...

Step-by-step recipe and instructions on how to make your own dashi at home.

A step-by-step recipe guide to ferment your own soybeans and make natto at home.

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...

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...

My new thing is to mix two kinds of rice, hakumai (short-grain white rice) and genmai (brown rice). I used to alternate between brown and white depending on the day, but found brown rice alone to be...