ingredients– tag –

Green beans (”ingen”) are said to have been brought to Japan from China during the Edo period by Ingen Zenji, the Buddhist monk who introduced the culture of ”sencha” tea to Japan. In fact, the vegetable itself is believed to h...

Sakura shrimp are a spring delicacy in Japan, known for their beautiful pink color and rich, aromatic flavor. They are quite rare outside Japan, which makes them a special seasonal ingredient even within Japan. What makes them even more ...

Seri, or Japanese water dropwort, is one of Japan’s traditional “Seven Spring Herbs.” Known for its refreshing herbal aroma and pleasantly crisp texture, it has long been enjoyed as a seasonal vegetable from the cold days of winter into ...

Clams are one of the most familiar and representative bivalves in Japanese cuisine. It is said that the word ”hamaguri” comes from “hama” (beach) and “kuri” (chestnut), as their shape and color resemble chestnuts. They thrive in shallow,...

If you think miso is just “that paste for miso soup,” you’re not alone. But once you start learning about it, miso opens up a surprisingly deep and fascinating world. In this article, we’ll explore how diverse miso really is, why it...

Fukinoto is one of the very first wild vegetables that tells us spring has arrived in Japan. When the ground is still cold, sometimes even covered with snow, these small buds push their way up and quietly signal a change in the season. J...

I still remember going chestnut picking when I was a kid. They were probably wild mountain chestnuts—small ones wrapped in spiky burrs that hurt when you touched them. I used to nudge the burrs open with my shoe and pick the nuts out car...

When you think of beef, what Japanese washoku dish comes to mind? Many of you might say “sukiyaki.” Interestingly, sukiyaki is not a traditional Japanese dish – it came about during the Meiji period. Back then, it was called "gyunabe" or...

Matsutake mushrooms are one of the true tastes for the upcoming season in Japan, much-loved for their unique fragrance. For many Japanese, it’s a wonderful aroma, but because smell preferences can be a cultural thing, I’ve heard some peo...

As a child, I spent every summer vacation visiting different places across Japan with my family. My parents took us along on trips to discover new ingredients. One of these trips landed me in Shodoshima, the smallest island in the countr...