What is Mochi? Mochi is a Japanese rice cake, seen generally in the form of a little, round cake which could be eaten with condiments like soy sauce, grated daikon, or seaweed. As a confection, it also could be eaten with kinako (roasted soy bean flour) or anko (azuki bean paste). Traditionally, pounding steamed glutinous rice in a large mortar makes mochi, called “usu”, with a wooden mallet called “kine”. Mochi tsuki is the Japanese term for the traditional style way of beating the steamed glutinous rice to make mochi. The tacky mounds of rice are made from mochigome, a sweet and sticky rice, distinct from the steamed rice daily eaten. Contents: Mochi History How to cook and eat Mochi? […]
Contents: What is Sushi Rice? Tips For Perfect Sushi Rice Let’s Cook Sushi Rice at Home! Easy Breezy Sushi Rice Seasonings What is Sushi Rice? Sushi rice comes with all sushi dishes such as nigiri, maki sushi (sushi rolls), and chirashi sushi, but it is not just steamed rice. Did you notice that rice used in a sushi restaurant has a specific texture and a slight sweetness to it? The perfect balance between texture and sweetness brings out the flavor of the neta, which is the item placed on the top of the rice. Don’t be scared, making sushi rice is not too much of a hassle, just add a little seasoning and there you go, you have the perfect […]
In Japan, amazake (hot sweet sake) is sometimes served during the New Year’s visit to a shrine or the Girls’ Festival in March. Contents: Sweet Hot Drink, Amazake How to cook Amazake? Recommended Amazake Products Sweet Hot Drink, Amazake Many of Japanese remember drinking a cup of hot amazake on a cold day around a bonfire, and feeling energy welling up inside us. Surprisingly, however, amazake is a seasonal word for summer. During the Edo era there were merchants who hawked amazake as a nutritional supplement during summer to people who were prone to exhaustion or lost their appetite due to the intense heat. Amazake contains 20% or more of glucose and is a rich source of the vitamins so […]
Onigiri is a rice ball which is both a comfort food and a to-go meal in Japan. It is a simple, light and savory food made from steamed rice with a filling inside and usually wrapped with nori (dried seaweed). You can fill an onigiri with anything, but the most common fillings in Japan are umeboshi (salted plum), kombu (seasoned kelp), and sake (grilled salmon). The rice used in onigiri is typically Japonica short rice, a short white grained rice. Contents: What is Onigiri (Rice Balls)? Variation of Onigiri (Onigiri Fillings) 10 Most Popular Onigiri Fillings Let’s Make Onigiri! (Onigiri Recipe) How to Wrap Onigiri Umeboshi Onigiri and Shiozake (Salted Salmon) Onigiri Recipe Tenmusu (Shrimp Tempura Onigiri) Recipe What is […]
What is Donburi (Rice Bowl)? Donburi is the Japanese word for a serving bowl, often slightly bigger than a regular rice bowl. Donburi also refers to the meal itself, which is rice topped with seasoned dishes in a donburi bowl. For example, a beef bowl, gyu-don (donburi is often shortened to “don”) is a common dish both in and out of Japan, thanks to fast food chains. Historically, donburi is a relatively new dish created by a tempura restaurant in Tokyo. In 1837, the first tempura donburi was served at the restaurant Sansada in Asakusa, Tokyo. Until then, all dishes were served on separate plates, which was time consuming for busy working class merchants in Tokyo. At first, donburi was […]
Let’s try Japanese Rice Recipes! Takikomi gohan (flavored rice) is a wholesome fare that offers both nutrients and umami (savoriness). Here are several takikomi gohan recipes that can be easily prepared in a rice-cooker! Chicken Gomoku Okowa Recipe Takikomi Gohan with Chestnut and Pork Recipe Asari Clam Gohan Recipe Curry Takikomi Gohan Recipe Takikomi Gohan with Octopus and Daikon Recipe Salmon Takikomi Gohan Recipe Chicken Gomoku Okowa Recipe (glutinous rice with mixed ingredients) Ingredients (Serves 3-4) 2 cups mochi-gome (glutinous rice) 1 chicken thigh 1/4 burdock 1/2 carrot 2 shiitake mushrooms 1/2 deep-fried tofu ● Seasonings 1 Tbsp. sake 1 Tbsp. soy [sauce] 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. mirin 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 tsp. wafu dashi Cooking Directions Wash […]
Since ancient times, Japan has been known as “The Land of Abundant Rice”. Contents Autumn, the Season for Shinmai (newly harvested rice) What is Organic Rice? Nijiya Organic Rice Organic Brown Rice How to Prepare Organic Brown Rice? Leading an Organic Lifestyle The 3 Key Steps to Cooking Delicious Rice Useful Tips- Organic brown rice made quick and simple How to Cook a Hearty 5-Grain Rice Autumn, the Season for Shinmai (newly harvested rice) As the autumn season approaches and rice begins to form their heads, the people of Japan celebrate to express their joy and gratitude for the year’s successful harvest. Field crops such as rice, in other words agriculture, lies at the foundation of Japanese society; therefore, a […]
