HyperJapan 2013: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Hyper. Adjective: Obsessively concerned; fanatical; rabid (about a given item, idea or activity). Prefix: a loanword from Greek, usually implying excess or exaggeration. Noun (American, informal): a person who promotes or publicizes events, especially one who uses flamboyant methods. Japan: An island nation in East Asia. An archipelago of 6,582 islands of which the four ... Read more »

Simple Miso Cod with Sesame Pak Choi

Thanks to a sample of Skrei from the Norwegian Seafood Council, we’ve been enjoying more fish, specifically cod, of late. One portion was stir-fried with mirin and chives, another was battered and deep fried and one smaller portion was stretched into a filling fish, leek and egg pie. Next on the list was miso cod. ... Read more »

Japanese Specialities: Amazake & Warabi-Mochi at Bunnosuke-jaya

Not much can beat a sunny day spent wandering from temple to temple in Kyoto’s beautiful Gion and Higashimaya districts. Although we’d recently paused to enjoy freshly made yuba, that didn’t reduce our enthusiasm to find Bunnosuke-jaya, an amazake specialist listed in Diane Durston’s Old Kyoto book. She explains that amazake is a sweet drink ... Read more »

Japanese Kit Kats: Wasabi, Roasted Tea, Rum Raisin, Cherry Blossom & More

Kit Kats are a quintessentially British chocolate snack, originally launched in London and South East England by Rowntree’s back in 1935. They quickly spread around the world and are now a popular sweet in many countries. The iconic “Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat” advertising slogan appeared in 1958, cementing the brand’s identity. Although ... Read more »

Chicken Katsu Curry Rice Recipe

Like quite a few dishes in Japan, katsu originated elsewhere in the world but, as with many so-called yōshoku (Western) foods, the Japanese made it their own. Based on a European breaded cutlet, it was originally called katsuretsu (a phonetic representation of “cutlet”) but was quickly shorted to katsu. Pork (ton)katsu is the most popular ... Read more »

Mitarashi Dango

Mitarashi Dango is a popular snack in Takayama. Sold by larger shops and tiny stalls, available hot or cold, this tasty skewered snack consists of sweet glutinous dumplings made from mochiko (rice flour) and basted in a sweet soy glaze. Miso and green tea versions are available, but the soy glazed one seemed most prevalent ... Read more »