Food
Kishimen is a traditional flat udon noodle widely enjoyed in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. Known for its broad and flat shape, Kishimen offers a distinct texture and slurping experience compared to regular udon. It is a beloved dish that represents Nagoya's food culture, cherished by both locals and visitors alike. In this article, we explore the unique characteristics and deep flavors of Kishimen. The Unique Shape and Texture of Kishimen One of the most distinguishing features of Kishimen is its broad and flat shape. Unlike regular udon, Kishimen has a larger surface area, allowing the broth and dashi to cling ...
Amazake is a traditional Japanese drink with a naturally sweet, creamy taste and a gentle warmth. Despite its name—literally “sweet sake”—amazake is often alcohol-free and enjoyed by children and adults alike. What Is Amazake? Amazake is a fermented rice drink whose texture ranges from smooth and silky to thick and grainy depending on the recipe. It is usually served warm in winter and is considered one of Japan’s oldest comfort drinks, with roots traced back to the Nara period. Two Types: Koji Amazake vs. Sake Lees Amazake Koji Amazake Made by fermenting steamed rice with rice koji (麹), a ...
Let’s be honest Japan is known throughout the world for its use of cutting-edge technology to make everyday life easier. In fact, there are hundreds of products in Japan with the sole purpose of increasing strength and alleviating suffering in the sweltering days of a Japanese summer, yet none work as well as unagi (the Anguilla Japonica freshwater eel). This historical food remedy is crunchy and sweet on the outside while remaining succulent and soft on the inside. Unagi is served throughout the year but the peak consumption is during the summer months in most major cities. What is ...
Walk into almost any Japanese convenience store and you will notice something unusual in the drinks section: rows of tiny brown glass bottles with gold caps. At first glance they look more like medicine than something you would casually pick up and drink.These bottles are Japan's traditional nutritional drinks. Long before large cans of Monster or Red Bull became a fixture of modern life, Japanese workers were relying on these small tonic-style drinks to fight fatigue and push through long workdays.Today they still hold their ground alongside modern energy drinks, representing two distinct generations of how people in Japan recharge. ...
While you might think of Japan as a nation of rice, you'd be surprised by the utter ubiquity of bakeries in the country. Bread has taken a long time to rise here, but the results are remarkably appetizing! So let’s begin by looking briefly at the history of bread in Japan. Bread In Japan A Brief History Bread first came to Japan through Portuguese traders and missionaries in the mid-16th century. However, Christianity was banned in the early 17th century, and any toehold bread had made went with it. But the name stuck, the Japanese word for bread in ...
Shojin-ryori is Japan’s traditional Buddhist cuisine, created for monks and based on non-violence, balance, and mindfulness. It avoids meat, fish, and pungent ingredients, using vegetables, tofu, and simple seasonings instead. Many of its dishes quietly shaped everyday Japanese home cooking, so understanding shojin-ryori also reveals the roots of Japanese food culture. What Is Shojin-Ryori? Shojin-ryori is a plant-based Buddhist cuisine in Japan that focuses on purity, harmony, and appreciation for all life. It developed in Zen temples as the daily food of monks and is closely connected to spiritual practice rather than luxury or entertainment. Its foundations include: Non-violence ...
Most "wasabi" served around the world — and often even in Japan — is not freshly grated real wasabi.What many people recognize as wasabi is usually a horseradish-based paste made to imitate the sharp heat and green color of Japan's native wasabi plant. But this does not mean everyday wasabi is simply fake or wrong. In Japan, freshly grated hon-wasabi and convenient tube wasabi exist side by side because they serve different purposes.Fresh wasabi shows the craft side of Japanese food culture: timing, aroma, restraint, and careful pairing with ingredients. Tube wasabi shows the practical side: affordability, convenience, and everyday ...
Katsuobushi is made through a multi-stage process of boiling, repeated smoking, drying, and mold-based fermentation over several months. This process removes moisture, breaks down fats, and concentrates umami compounds such as inosinate, resulting in an extremely hard ingredient optimized for flavor extraction. Katsuobushi is one of the most unusual foods in the world — a piece of fish so thoroughly transformed that it must be shaved like wood.This transformation is no accident. It is the result of a carefully controlled process involving boiling, smoking, drying, and fermentation carried out over several months. Along the way, mold is deliberately introduced — ...
To many visitors, tamago kake gohan can be surprising. It is a bowl of hot rice topped with raw egg, usually seasoned with soy sauce and mixed together before eating. The ingredients are simple, but the idea of eating raw egg over rice can feel unfamiliar — especially for readers from countries where raw eggs are typically avoided. In Japan, however, tamago kake gohan is a familiar comfort food. It is quick, warm, inexpensive, and deeply tied to the everyday role of rice in Japanese meals. The dish works because several parts of Japanese food culture come ...
When the Japanese summer arrives — humid, hot, and relentless — there’s one drink that never fails to cool people down: iced coffee. Known in Japan as “aisu kōhī” (アイスコーヒー), this chilled version of coffee has been loved for over a century, becoming a symbol of summer itself. A Long History of Chilled Coffee Iced coffee isn’t a modern invention. In fact, Japan has been enjoying it since the Taishō era (around the 1920s), when coffeehouses began serving it with gum syrup and milk. At that time, drinking cold beverages like iced tea was already common, so it was ...
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