Japan

Daikon

A large white radish,crisp,juicy,and refreshing.Available year-round,daikon becomes sweeter during the cold season. The flavor differs slightly depending on the part of the root used. The upper part is sweeter and without bitterness, typically used for daikon oroshi (peeled and grated daikon), which accompanies deep-fried foods such as tempura and grilled oily fish and meat. The top part is also used in salads. The bottom half of the root has a mild and pleasant bitter taste. It is usually simmered until soft enough to be broken with chopsticks. Simmered daikon (furofuki daikon) is served very hot, with a flavored miso sauce.

Futo-Maki

Big, oversized sushi rolls.

Hakusai

Chinese cabbage about ten inches in length and six inches across the base.The lower parts of the leaves are white and quite thick. The upper parts are light green, thin and wrinkled. Hakusai does not have a strong flavor, making it a very good match with rich flavored stocks. When cooked for only a short amount of time it has a crisp texture.

Nira

Chinese chives,also calledgarlicchives,fortheirmixedflavorofgarlicandchives.These chives have long (up to 16 inches), flat, thin, dark green leaves. When quickly stir-fried, they become bright green and crisp in texture, with a garlicky flavor.

Aburage

Deep-fried tofu pouch. Before being deep-fried, the tofu is cut into thin sheets.

Katsuobushi

Dried bonito fish flakes. Bonito is a type of tuna, which is a member of the mackerel family, and one of the most important fish in Japanese cuisine. To make katsuobushi the tuna is filleted, boned, boiled, smoked, and dried in the sun to make a hard, woodlike block with a concentrated, rich, and smoky flavor. A special tool is used to flake the extremely hard chunks. Bonito shavings form the base for many Japanese sauces and stocks (such as dashi, made with bonito and seaweed). The flakes are frequently sprinkled over boiled or steamed vegetables and into soups.

Hanakatsuo

Dried bonito, shaved or flaked.

Japan Green Teas

First brought to Japan from China in the ninth century by Buddhist Monks, tea has become the beverage of choice in all of Japan. Tea may be divided into three groups, according to how the leaves are processed: unfermented, partially fermented, or fully fer- mented. Japanese tea is an unfermented type, also called green tea. In Japan, fresh-picked tea leaves are steamed, quickly cooled, and rolled by hand or machine while hot air blows them dry. This process helps to preserve the leaves' maximum flavor, to be released only when the tea is brewed.

Kishimen

Flat wheat noodles similar to fettuccini, with a distinctive chewy bite. They are also served both hot and cold.

Karashi

Generalwordformustard;wa-garashiistheexpressionforJapanesemustard,whichis hotter than Western mustard. Wa-garashi has a dark yellow color and a pleasant bitter flavor. Colman's English mustard can be a substitute.

Wasabi

Japanese horseradish, pale green in color with a delicate aroma; milder tasting than Western horseradish. Wasabi is similar to horseradish in its taste and culinary function but is unrelated. Wasabi grows in the water while horseradish grows in soil. Like ginger, wasabi has antiseptic properties, so it has traditionally been served with sushi and sashimi dishes. Wasabi also helps to promote digestion. Fresh wasabi root should be grated just before consumption; however, fresh is hard to obtain outside of Japan. Powdered or paste wasabi is more pungent than freshly grated root, and it is also less fragrant and flavorful. The paste form of wasabi, neriwasabi, comes in a tube ready to serve. Powdered wasabi, konawasabi, is a mixture of wasabi and horseradish powder; frequently mustard powder is added to increase the pungency and an artificial green color is added to simulate real wasabi.

Hocho

Japanese knives. Most Japanese knives are made for cutting fish and green leafy veg- etables only. They are thin-bladed knives not intended to cut root vegetables, winter squash, carrots, or anything else that might chip the blade. Except for nakkiri bocho and bunka bocho, only one side of the Japanese blade is ground to form the cutting edge, which is straight, not curved. These characteristics give Japanese knives a cleaner, quicker cut.

Menrui

Japanesenoodles,madefromwheatandbuckwheatflours,andmung-beanandpotato starch. In Japan, rice flour is not used to make noodles.

Shiitake

Large meaty mushrooms with a distinctive, appealing "woody-fruity" flavor and a spongy, chewy texture, which allows it to partner with stronger flavors like beef, pork, and soy sauce.

Chukasoba

Literally, "Chinese-style soba noodles." They are a type of wheat noodle that contains no buckwheat flour, mixed with water and a naturally obtained alkaline agent called kansui. The kansui provides the noodles with their distinctive elasticity. These noo- dles are creamy yellow (although they contain no eggs), curly, and resilient in texture. They are served hot, with a richly flavored broth made from chicken and pork bones. The most famous dish made from these noodles and broth is ramen.

Naganegi

Literally, "long onion." These are nonbulbing onions 12-16 inches long and 1 inch at the base. Both the white and green parts are used in cooking. The white stem has a strong onion flavor when eaten raw, but becomes very mild and sweet when cooked. It is typically grilled or used in simmered dishes.

Mitsuba

Literally, "three leaves," often translated as "trefoil." This member of the parsley family has a flavor somewhere between sorrel and celery. Used in soups, eggs, custards, hot stews, and salads.

Haigamai

Partially polished white rice.

Fugu

Puffer fish, considered a delicacy, though its innards and blood contain the extremely poisonous neurotoxin tetrodotoxin. In Japan only licensed fugu chefs are allowed to prepare fugu.

Sashimi

Raw fish fillets.

Beni shoga

Red pickled ginger. Bonito Tuna, also known as skipjack tuna. Buta Pork. Chutoro The belly area of the tuna.

Komezu

Rice vinegar. A light and mild-tasting Japanese vinegar. An essential ingredient for making sushi rice and sunomono (vinegary salads). It has a lower acid level than Western vinegars. Vinegar is also known for its antibacterial properties and this is one reason komezu is often used in Japanese dishes that include raw fish, seafood, or meat.

Goma

Sesame seeds, found in two colors: white and black. White sesame seeds contain more oil than black seeds and are used to produce sesame oil. Black sesame seeds have a stronger, nuttier flavor than the white variety. Sesame seeds are sold untoasted, toasted, toasted and roughly ground, and toasted and ground to a smooth paste, with a little oil from the seeds floating on top. Japanese sesame paste is similar to Middle Eastern tahini.

Shishitogarashi

Small green pepper, literally "Chinese lion pepper." A 3-inch-long pepper resembling a miniature Chinese lion head. This pepper has been hybridized to remove most of the heat; it is a uniquely Japanese pepper variety. Shishitogarashi peppers are best when stir-fried or deep-fried. When not available, substitute green bell peppers.

Tofu

Soybean curd. This soft, cheeselike food is made by curdling fresh hot soy milk with a coagulant. Traditionally, the curdling agent used to make tofu is nigari, a compound found in natural ocean water, or calcium sulfate, a naturally occurring mineral. The curds then are generally pressed into a solid block.

Satsuma-Imo

Sweet potato. Originally from Central and South America, sweet potatoes were introduced by Spanish conquistadors to the Philippines; from there they reached China. They were introduced to Japan from China in the seventeenth century. The Japanese produce a very sweet and creamy sweet potato, with a bright, reddish purple skin. The meat is creamy white when uncooked and a bright yellow when cooked. North American sweet potatoes are less sweet and creamy; when cooked they are more watery. Yams may be the best substitute.

Hiratake

The Japanese name for oyster mushrooms. This mushroom looks, smells, and tastes like oysters,

Azuki beans

Tiny, reddish, purplish dried beans, cooked to a sweetened paste and used in a variety of ways; often used in Japanese sweets.

Silken tofu

is a Japanese-style tofu, with a mild, light, delicate taste. Unlike other types of tofu, the water is not pressed out of it, nor is it strained. A slightly different process that results in a creamy, custardlike product makes silken tofu higher in water content, so it does not hold its shape as well as firm tofu. Silken tofu works well in pureed or blended dishes and soups. In Japan, silken tofu is enjoyed "as is," with a touch of soy sauce and topped with chopped scallions.

Maitake Mushrooms

popular in Japanese cuisine. They have a wonderful taste, crisp texture, and excellent aroma. Appearing to be a clump of small suspicious-looking fronds or petals, the maitake mushroom is firm and fleshy. Its aroma is somewhat similar to that of the oyster mushroom. Entirely edible, the flavor is mild and deliciously pleasant.

Usukuchi

shoyu, light-colored soy sauce, is produced by not roasting the wheat as much, and more salt is added to slow the fermentation. The resulting shoyu is lighter in color, less flavorful, and has a slightly higher salt content, about 19 percent. Usukuchi shoyu is used in recipes where a refined color and weak flavor are required.

Harusame Potato

starch noodles, slender and transparent, as thin and straight as angel-hair pasta.

Ichiban Dashi

"First fish stock." This stock extracts the best flavor and nutrients from the kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flake). A very short cooking time prevents the stock from becoming strongly flavored or yellowish.

Kaiware

(Daikon Sprouts) These have a pleasantly bitter, refreshing taste and are eaten raw. Used in salads, rolled sushi, or as a condiment for sashimi or noodle dishes.

Shoyu

(see Soy Sauce) Shungiku Chrysanthemum leaves. These leaves are cultivated to be edible. They are slightly

Bunashimeji

. A firm-textured cultivated mushroom that is suitable for Japanese, Chinese, and Western-style cooking

Kome Rice

. More than 300 varieties of rice are grown in Japan. Japanese cuisine typically uses short-grain types that, when cooked, are faintly sweet and slightly sticky. Rice is the most important crop and has been cultivated by the Japanese for over 2000 years and it was once used as a currency. The Japanese word for cooked rice (gohan) also has the general meaning of "meal" and the literal meaning of breakfast (asagohan) is "morning rice."

Miso

A fermented soybean paste made from a starter culture that includes either steamed rice or barley mixed with cooked beans and salt. When the beans ferment the taste is somewhat meaty or mushroom-like, with a texture of nut butters, but is not oily. Miso is used in a variety of ways: to flavor soups or stews, in marinades, and spread on items before cooking. The different types of grains used in production process yield three different kinds of miso: komemiso is made of rice and soybeans, mugimiso of barley and soybeans, and mamemiso nearly entirely of soybeans. The lighter-colored misos, called "white miso"(shiro miso), are made from soybeans. They are sweeter, milder, and more delicate than the darker misos. The darker- colored misos (aka miso) are made from red adzuki beans (aka means "red" in Japanese). It has a richer, saltier taste because it is allowed to ferment longer. Aka miso is a specialty of Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. Kuro miso is a dark, almost black miso that is strong tasting and usually aged the longest. Hinsu miso is yellow miso that is readily available. Mugi miso is made with all barley and no soybeans, usually a medium brown color. All miso is nutrient dense and high in protein, containing live enzymes that aid in digestion.

Mirin

A golden yellow, sweet, rich-textured rice wine with an alcohol content of about 14 percent. When used in cooking, it is frequently heated to cook off the alcohol before other flavoring ingredients are added. This technique is called nikirimirin. Mirin contributes a rich flavor and an attractive, glossy brown appearance.

Deba bocho

A heavy-duty knife, similar to the chef's knife, with a thicker blade and a pointed

Panko

Japanese bread crumbs that are extremely crunchy. Okara A by-product of the tofu making process, It is like a moist, white, crumbly sawdust. It

Kyuri

Japanese cucumber. This is a slender and long cucumber, about 8 inches, with a bumpy skin that is thick and dark green. Kyuri is very crispy to the bite, with very few seeds.

Akatogarashi

Japanese dried red chile pepper, one of the hottest chile varieties in the world. It is sold in a powdered form, called ichimi togarashi.

Nasu

Japanese eggplant. A distinctive eggplant variety, it is short—about 4-5 inches-and slender. Less seedy than other eggplant varieties, it becomes very creamy when cooked. Egg- plant is pickled, stir-fried, deep-fried, steamed, grilled, or simmered.

Nakkiri bocho

Knives specifically for vegetables. The name derives from its function: na refers to "vegetable" and giri means "cut."

Aji-no-moto

Monosodium glutamate (MSG). Atsuage Regularorfirmtofu,deep-frieduntiltheoutsideiscrispandgoldenbrown;theinside

Wakame

One of the most popular sea vegetables in the Japanese diet.

Gari

Pickled ginger (pink or white) served with sushi.

Sato-Imo

Taro is the root of a perennial plant that is found everywhere in tropical Asia. The shape varies from small and round to long and sticklike, with a snow-white flesh. It has no distinctive flavor, but has a pleasant, soft texture. Taro is traditionally simmered in a flavored broth, stewed with proteins, or added to soups. Taro will absorb the flavor it is cooked with. Taro must be washed, peeled, and parboiled before final preparation.

Umami

The elusive fifth flavor, translated from Japanese as "delicious," "savory," or "brothy." It refers to a synergy of intricate, balanced flavors. Umami is a taste that occurs when foods with glutamate (like MSG) are eaten.

Soba

These noodles, which were first called sobakiri, are now simply called soba. They are linguine-sized noodles that are hearty, healthy, and served both hot and cold. The quality of the soba noodle is dependent on how much other starchy material, such as wheat flour or yam flour, has been added to the buckwheat flour. Buckwheat, which is not a grain, lacks the gluten needed to form dough. A 100-percent buckwheat flour noodle would lack the "bite" of good pasta. Soba noodles are a regional food. The cooler the climate, the more fragrant and rich-tasting the buckwheat.

Somen

and Hiyamugi Thin wheat noodles. Somen are as thin as vermicelli, and hiyamugi are slightly thicker than somen. Both are summertime noodles, usually served cold, with a dipping sauce.

Kinoko Mushrooms

, literally meaning "child of a tree." Various mushrooms are used in Japanese cuisine. Some of the most popular ones are introduced below.

Kaki Persimmon

, native to China and cultivated in Japan for centuries. Both sweet and astrin- gent varieties are grown in Japan. Sweet kaki contains chemicals called tannins that produce the astringency in unripe persimmons. The ripening process inactivates the tannins, so the astringency disappears. These sweet varieties have a round and slightly flattened shape. As- tringent kaki, which is shaped like an acorn, becomes less astringent when the fruit becomes very soft and mushy.

Shiso Herb

,amemberofthemintfamily,tastingofcuminandcinnamon.Theleavesareused to wrap sushi and as a garnish for sashimi.

Shoga Ginger

. One of the oldest seasonings in Japan. It has a pleasant, sharp bite and fragrant bouquet, said to stimulate the appetite. Ginger suppresses undesirable odors from other foods. It is an important condiment for sashimi and sushi because of its antiseptic properties.

Enokitake

. Pale yellow mushrooms with long, slender stems and tiny caps, both of which are edible. Enokitake mushrooms have a faint but distinctive flavor: raw they have a pleasant, crisp bite; blanched they have a chewy texture.

Moyashi Bean sprouts

. Sprouts grown from many different kinds of legume seeds—soybeans, mung beans, azuki beans, alfalfa, peas, and lentils—are generally known as moyashi. Japanese cuisine predominantly uses soybean sprouts, which have yellow heads and thick, snow-white stems. Mung bean sprouts have small green heads and thinner, longer stems and have become more commonplace. Neither soybean nor mung bean sprouts have a distinctive flavor; they are used more for their crisp texture. Bean sprouts are used in soups, stir-fries, and simmered preparations. Generally they are added at the very last preparation step.

Niban Dashi

A "second fish stock" prepared by simmering the kelp and dried bonito flakes used in preparing ichiban dashi in the same volume of fresh water. It will have a less refined flavor and a cloudy appearance, but is still good in everyday miso soups and simmered dishes where strong-flavored condiments or ingredients are incorporated.

Mizuna

A member of the mustard family, it grows in bunches of thin, snow-white stalks with light green leaves. Each leaf is about the size of an arugula leaf, but is deeply serrated. One of the few indigenous vegetables of Japan, mizuna means "water greens" because it is grown in fields that are shallowly flooded with water. May be pickled, eaten raw in salads, stir-fried, simmered, and used in hot-pot dishes.

Yuzu

A tangerine-size variety of citron (citrus fruit), with a thick, bumpy rind. Like a lemon, yuzu is valued for both its juice and its rind, which has a pleasant tart and bitter flavor. Substitute lime or lemon rind and equal parts lime, orange, and grapefruit juice for yuzu juice.

Fukin

A thin, rectangular cotton cloth, 12 to 16 inches in length and 10 inches in width. Like cheesecloth, a fukin is used for a variety of purposes, including wrapping and forming cooked rice into shapes, lining a colander to strain stock, and squeezing excess water from tofu. A larger version of this is daifukin.

Kombu

Adarkgreenlongthickseavegetablefromthekelpfamily.UsedfrequentlyinJapanese cooking, it is an essential ingredient of dashi. Never wash or rinse before using. The speckled surface of the kelp is just natural salts and minerals, resulting in great flavor. Kombu contains significant amounts of glutamic acid, the basis of monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Burka bocho

All-purpose knives. Deba bocho A heavy knife with a sharp tip, used for fish.

Ginnan Gingkonuts.

Asiancooksliketouseginnanindessertsandstir-fries.They'reavailable fresh (in the fall), canned, or dried in Asian markets. To prepare fresh nuts, remove the soft pale yellow nutmeat from the hard shell. Simmer the nuts in salted boiling water. The meat will turn a bright green color. Drain and peel off the skins; refresh under cold water. Ginnan are used in stir-fry, deep-fried, or added to simmered or steamed dishes or soups. Canned nuts have already been shelled, skinned, and boiled, but they're mealier than fresh nuts. Rinse them before using. Substitute blanched almonds or pine nuts.

Kabocha

Awintersquashshapedlikeapumpkin,sixtoseveninchesindiameter,withathick, tough, dark green skin. It has a deep orange flesh; when cooked it becomes very sweet and creamy. As with other winter squash it is a versatile vegetable. Substitute pumpkin or butter nut squash.

Takenoko

Bamboo shoots. It is a member of the grass family. Bamboo shoots are young, new canes that are harvested for food before they are two weeks old or one-foot tall. Bamboo shoots are crisp and tender, comparable to asparagus, with a flavor similar to corn. However, fresh bamboo shoots are very difficult to find. Fresh shoots need to be peeled and cooked before using. Raw shoots are bitter tasting and hard to digest.

Dashi

Basic Japanese stock made with kombu and katsuoboshi. Ebi Cooked shrimp. Ami Ebi shrimp is prepared by "curing" the shrimp in a mixture of citrus

Nori

Dried or roasted seaweed. Nori seaweed grows around bamboo stakes placed under water. When harvested it is washed, laid out in thin sheets, and dried. The best quality nori seaweed is glossy black-purple. It is typically toasted before using, which improves flavor and texture. To toast, simply pass the sheet of nori several inches over the heat until it turns from dark green to an even darker green. It only takes a few seconds to toast both sides. In Japan it is eaten for breakfast with a little soup and rice. Nori has two sides: one shinier than the other. When using to make makizushi (sushi rolls), roll them with the shiny side facing out.

Donabe

Earthenware pot with lid, used directly for stovetop cooking (on a gas stove) or at the dinner table with a portable stove. It should not be used in an oven. Often used for sukiyaki, oden, and shabu shabu.

Edamame

Green soybeans.

Ryokuto

Harusame Mung bean noodles, clear, thin, wrinkled starch noodles.

Seihakumai

Highly polished white rice, the most common type. In addition to ordinary table rice, short-grain mochigome, glutinous rice or sweet rice, is popular.

Matsutake

Highly priced gourmet mushrooms that grow only in red pine forests. The mushrooms have a firm, chewy texture, and a spicy, clean smell and taste.

Kamaboko

Imitation crab meat, used in California rolls and other maki. Kanten (Agar-Agar) When kanten is cooked with liquid and cooled, it forms a gel that is very

Sake

Rice wine. The premiere Japanese alcoholic drink. Sake is often used in marinades for meat and fish to soften them as well as to mask their smell. In cooking, it is often used to add body and flavor to various dashi (soup stocks) and sauces, or to make nimono (simmered dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes).

Goma Abura

Sesame oil. Introduced to Japan by China during the eighth century. There are two types of sesame oil, one made with toasted seeds and the other with raw seeds. Sesame oil made with toasted seeds has a golden brown color and a rich, nutty flavor. It is the preferred type used in Japan. Sesame oil made with raw seeds is clear and milder in flavor. Japanese have also adopted a chile-flavored sesame oil, called rayu.

Udon

The most popular of the wheat noodles. They are a thick, long, cream-colored, noodle that may be served hot or cold.

Sushi

The term is actually sweetened, pickled rice. Raw fish (sashimi) wrapped together with a portion of sushi rice is sold as "sushi." Sushi is the term for the special rice; in Japanese it is modified to zushi when coupled with modifiers that describe the different styles.

Renkon

This is the root of the lotus or water lily plant, hasu. The root grows in sausage-like links and has longitudinal tubular channels, usually ten. When cut crosswise, the root has an attractive flowerlike pattern. Mild flavored when raw; when briefly cooked, it has a pleasant crunchy texture.

Soy Sauce

Three types of soy sauce are used in Japanese cooking, which differ in color, flavor, and degree of saltiness.

Genmai

Unpolished brown rice.

Ryuba

Used to cut fish. Ryuba means "willow blade cutting edge." Sashimi bocho Long, thin blade a bit more than an inch wide. Used to cut filleted fish for

Hangiri

Wooden sushi tub usually made of cypress wood, in the shape of a large circular plate with high sides. The large surface area cools the rice quickly, and the wood absorbs excess moisture. Used to mix rice with sugar and vinegar to make sushi rice.

Hamachi

Young yellowtail tuna, or amberjack.

Firm tofu

is dense and solid and holds up well in stir-fry dishes, soups, or on the grill—anywhere you want the tofu to maintain its shape. Firm tofu also is higher in protein, fat, and calcium than other forms of tofu.

Ko ̄ya-dofu

is freeze-dried tofu, which comes in flat, creamy white squares. When soaked in warm water it absorbs a large amount of liquid and takes on a slightly spongy texture. It has a mild but distinctive flavor. Reconstituted dried tofu has no resemblance to fresh tofu.

Tamari

is made nearly entirely from soybeans, and only a small amount of water is added to the fermenting mixture. Tamari is thicker, with a dark brown color, rich in bean flavor and about as salty as regular shoyu. Tamari is preferred as a condiment or flavor enhancer rather than a basic cooking ingredient. Follow these key points when cooking with shoyu: cook it only for a short time. Brief cooking preserves its natural fragrance, flavor, and color. Because of its high salt content, it should be added toward the end of the cooking process. In stir-frying, shoyu is added at the end of the cooking.

Yaki-dofu

is tofu that has been grilled on both sides over charcoal, producing a firm texture.

Koikuchi

shoyu, or simply shoyu, means brewed with wheat. It has a dark brown color, rich flavor, and complex aroma, with a salt content around 17 to 18 percent. Used in all types of preparations, it gives foods a dark brown color and rich flavor.

Shichimi-To

̄garashi A Japanese spice mixture made from seven spices. Shichimi means "seven flavors." It is not the same as Chinese five-spice mixture. The ingredients and proportions used will vary but usually include red pepper flakes, ground roasted orange or mandarin peel, yellow (aka white) sesame seed, black sesame seed or black hemp seeds or poppy seeds, sansho (Japanese pepper also known as Szechuan peppercorns), dark green dried seaweed flakes (nori), rapeseed, or chipi (dried mikan peel).