It’s crucial in meal prep and a staple in every Japanese household “Gohan dayo!” my mom yelled from inside the kitchen. I bustled out of my room and began helping set up the table. Grabbing the rice paddle out of the drawer, I opened the rice cooker. The fresh steam escaped the pot, and left […]
Three Healthy and Easy Japanese Dishes You Can Make at Home
How to Make a Full Ichiju-sansai Meal in Less than 30 Minutes Ichiju-sansai is a term used to describe the way traditional Japanese meals are constructed. It literally translates to “one soup, three sides” (or 「一汁三菜」) and is one of the main principles guiding Japanese healthy eating and nutrition. This style of eating allows for […]
How To Make A Healthier Version of Your Favorite Sweet Asian Sauces
Finessing The Foundation to Japanese Seasoning I was making dinner that night, and so I went into the living room to ask my roommate if she wanted me to make enough for her as well. I was thinking teriyaki salmon, with a side of steamed vegetables, rice, and maybe some miso soup. I hadn’t been […]
Buddhist Meditation to Breathe Through Food Anxiety
How To Eat Well During Times of Distress I was feeling anxious and disgusted with myself– I stepped on the scale and found that I had gained 20kg. How did I let this happen? Startled, I opened my eyes and realized it was a dream. I went up to go to the bathroom and looked […]
Otoshibumi: The Art of Naming Japanese Confectionery
“Do you know why it’s called otoshibumi?” I unwrapped the little Japanese cake from its pink-white washi paper, a simple brown and custard-yellow confectionery. It smelled slightly sweet, but like burnt caramel than simple sugar, or a honeyed aroma. I took my small wooden fork and let it sink into the soft, pillowy dessert, and […]
The Taste of Spring, My Fondness for Sakura-mochi
What is Sakura-mochi? Sakura-mochi is a type of wagashi, or Japanese confectionery, made with sweet azuki bean paste wrapped in sticky pink mochi rice and a salted sakura leaf. Unlike traditional wagashi desserts, sakura-mochi has a slightly herbal aroma to it, and the salty-sweetness from the leaves is said to pair well with sake. The […]
Rethinking Food As Nature, Not Diet Science: Japanese Shoku-Iku
What is Shoku-iku? Shoku-iku refers to food and nutrition education in Japan, but it is quite different from the food education you might receive in the United States or other western nations. While western eating guidelines tend to focus on diet science–technical calculations on when to eat, how to eat, and what not to eat–, […]
A Simple Solution to Making Your Meals More Flavorful, Colorful, and Nutritious– What is furikake?
Furikake is a Japanese seasoning, often used on top of rice, cooked vegetables, or fish. It is traditionally made of dried fish (most often bonito), dried seaweed, sesame seeds, salt, and a bit of sugar. Hundreds of different versions exist, including variations using salmon flakes, shiso herbs, dried vegetables, kombu and hijiki seaweed, wasabi, dried […]
Yasuharu Mizuhara and the Spiritual Tradition of Japanese Wagashi Sweets
The World of Plant-Based, Seasonal Desserts Recently I had the opportunity to meet Yasuharu Mizuhara, a 4th-generation owner of a well-known wagashi shop called Seigetsudo. First established in 1907, the shop is now over 100 years old. *Note: Wagashi is a Japanese confectionary. There are many kinds to it, but it tends to be a […]
Easy Japanese Home Cooking for Busy and Tired People
The One-pot That Feeds the Body and Spirit Healthy food is a lot of things, but one thing that I believe we don’t pay enough attention to is the spiritual element of it. Extreme diets, already-prepared delivery meal services, and snacks that tout themselves as healthy are not necessarily “bad” for us, but over time they are […]
