Questions tagged [japanese-cuisine]

Questions with this tag should be about traditional ingredients, preparations or dishes from Japan - such as sushi, sashimi or mochi. Questions about common Japanese ingredients, but which aren't about a specific Japanese dish, should not use this tag.

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Taiyaki mold with electric coil stove top?

Examples online of people cooking Taiyaki usually involve a gas range or grill. Would a metal mold work on a electric coil stovetop?
Victor Feagins's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
339 views

When does mirin need refrigeration?

I've been trying to discover when mirin needs to be refrigerated. Unopened bottles aren't kept cold, but after opening answers seem to diverge. I've read that traditional mirin is 14% alcohol by ...
user3486184's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
294 views

Can a Japanese bread knife be used to cut hard crust bread?

I have heard that Japanese knifes should not be used to cut hard things like bones, etc. I recently bought a Japanese bread knife (Mcusta Zanmai - Damascus), and now I am scared of using my Japanese ...
Diego F Medina's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
3k views

Japan Pufferfish preparation technique training

Where can I find resources on how the Japanese chefs are trained to prepare pufferfish delicacy safely? I understand their standard requires a written and practical exam. I've tried searching for ...
Nederealm's user avatar
  • 223
0 votes
0 answers
252 views

How do I know if my homemade natto is successful? Smells like ammonia

If my natto smells like ammonia is it bad/safe to eat? It has strings and bubbles when I mix it, but is a bit soggy. I think I left too much liquid in after the boiling.
user103543's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
192 views

Why my fresh udon take so long to cook?

I made fresh udon recently with 2:1 of flour and water ratio. rest it for 30 minutes before knead it with foot (folding and flatenvit by foot about 4-5 times), then rest it again for 2 hour before ...
Airisen's user avatar
  • 31
5 votes
1 answer
172 views

Can you make red bean paste from bean flour?

I was having a conversation with someone about making a dessert from red bean paste and they mentioned the process being arduous because they had to cook the beans for two hours, and then mash them. I ...
Gimmick's user avatar
  • 53
8 votes
2 answers
204 views

Can we use probiotic medicine for bacillus subtilis culture?

I am from India and we do not get Natto (Japanese dish) starter for making Natto. I found that it contains mostly Bacillus subtilis, so I was wondering: can I mix the Bacillus subtilis strains ...
Srijib Mandal's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
545 views

What is the correct way to use fermented (and unfermented) soybean paste?

One easy way to make boiled or stir-fried vegetables more exciting is to drizzle soy sauce and sesame oil. To diversify the flavor, and while still taking inspiration from Korean and Japanese kitchens,...
Sam7919's user avatar
  • 717
2 votes
1 answer
715 views

How to tell if natto is correctly fermented?

I have tried making natto at home. It has not obviously gone wrong, but it tastes nothing like the bought stuff. Is there an objective way to tell if it has fermented properly, rather than having ...
User65535's user avatar
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14 votes
3 answers
4k views

What is the relationship (if any) between natto and miso paste?

Just curious. I believe they both come from fermenting of soybeans. So are those completely different processes or is natto simply an earlier product of the same fermenting?
NotAName's user avatar
  • 241
1 vote
1 answer
134 views

What are the ingredients used in this issen yoshoku video?

Hello everyone :) I'm looking for help to identify the ingredients that go into the preparation in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWRZUa2wAZE This appears to be a type of okonomiyaki, ...
John Donne's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
109 views

Milk bread problem

Is there a way to reduce a certain amount of milk to replace it with water while still maintaining the richness in milk bread? Milk is getting majorly expensive and I saw online someone using at least ...
Ben 's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
0 answers
563 views

troubleshooting katsu(Japanese schnitzel) breading falling off

I tried to make pork/beef katsu. My recipe is pork loin/shoulder/steak pat dry season & hammer dredge into flour dip into egg + cream/milk mixture dredge into panko let it rest in fridge to ...
Fermat's Little Student's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
274 views

What replacement makes a good training material for shaping Japanese tea-ceremony sweets?

Many Wagashi are made from a mix of rice flour, Shiroan (white bean paste), sugar, and other ingredients. Of those Namagashi are among the most beautiful, shaped as little art pieces and then served ...
Trish's user avatar
  • 258
6 votes
1 answer
749 views

White texture on natto

I'm making a first time natto in natto/black garlic pot. So I go by the recipe. First soak beans for 24 h then steam to be softer. Put natto starter inside a small amount of water and mix it with ...
Romantheone's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
802 views

Culinary purpose of frying pan foil sheet for cooking fish? (not wrapped in foil)

I came across some videos about how to cook mackerel (Chef Saito's Saikyo-zuke with Spanish Mackerel [Japanese Cooking] - Dining with the Chef) and several of them recommended the use of a "fish ...
Kardo Paska's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why is vinegar not applied to rice used for onigiri like rice for sushi?

So sushi and onigiri (rice balls) are similar to a naive eye to me wherein there's some shaped rice. Sushi usually gets some vinegar for taste and to help it stick to my understanding. Yet onigiri ...
user1821961's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can I mix food grade lye (sodium hydroxide) with water to make kansui?

I have food grade lye (sodium hydroxide) from pretzel making and I want to make chewy noodles, either ramen or Chinese noodles. Many of these recipes call for lye water or kansui. I have found many ...
2cents's user avatar
  • 752
1 vote
1 answer
984 views

Substitute Hon Dashi for Bonito

I understand that the ingredients are not even nearly the same If making a bonito dashi, grams-for-grams, how much Hon Dashi granules to substitute for bonito flakes? This could partly be worked out ...
pleasePassTheCheese's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
294 views

Is Shochu an acceptable alternative to Awamori?

Some recipes I was looking at (Okinawan) use Awamori, but I can't find it. I can find various forms of Japanese vodka (Shochu), and sake. Would Shochu be the closest to Awamori? EDIT: Was looking at ...
erotavlas's user avatar
  • 461
1 vote
1 answer
98 views

What's a fast way to make Furikake from Katsobushi used in making dashi

Making dashi uses about 10g of dried Katsobushi that ends up soaked. Then soaked Katsobushi is then removed and tastes well. How can the soaked Katsobushi be reused? The tricky part is that Katsobushi ...
Spyros K's user avatar
  • 216
3 votes
1 answer
687 views

What are the slimy bubbles in soaked kombu?

I have made dashi a couple of times now, starting soaking kombu in water. And always I found these little bubbles on the leaves, containing white slime: I have never worried about them much and ...
phipsgabler's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
111 views

Sushi rolls keep getting thin

I'm learning how to make sushi and the last problem I always get now is that my rolls end up getting too thin. I follow the guides I found on the internet to split the seaweed in half and put the ...
Lucas Fiorini's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

If the supermarket farmed salmon says "Not for raw consumption" on the label, can I still use it to make sushi?

I have done my homework and read several reputable sources on this (e.g. this). The consensus on sushi-grade fish seems to be There is no real "sushi grade". It is a myth. Follow certain ...
Eddie Kal's user avatar
  • 433
13 votes
2 answers
3k views

Where did the apples in Japanese Curry come from?

Japanese curry (カレー, karē) is its own distinct style, made with a roux base, mild curry powder, and grated apples or apple puree. It also has a well-documented origin, having been introduced by ...
FuzzyChef's user avatar
  • 63.8k
1 vote
4 answers
421 views

What's the minimal set of cookware for Chinese, Japanese foods on an electric induction cook-top?

My grandparents fears food sticking to pans the most. They love, but never attended cooking school for, Chinese and Japanese cuisines. For their current pan probably can't be seasoned or repaired, ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
140 views

Can you concoct Kombu with Dulse (Palmaria palmata)?

I followed Nami's YouTube video starting at 1:37 for Kombu Dashi, but I substituted Nova Scotian Dulse. The resulting mixture tasted like water and had no flavor. What did I miff? If Palmaria palmata ...
user avatar
-3 votes
2 answers
442 views

Can you handmake sushi with regular chives or scallions?

What species of vegetable is this? Chive? Scallion? Japan has luxury fruits and vegetables. Do you need premium scallion? Doesn't raw regular chive or scallion taste too intense? I stumbled on this ...
user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
257 views

How can I tell if katsuobushi is made from bonito or the real deal?

I feel like this is another "real wasabi or not" conundrum. Essential to Japanese cuisine, especially indispensable in dashi, katsuobushi is not cheap in Japan or in the U.S. But how can I tell if a ...
Eddie Kal's user avatar
  • 433
1 vote
1 answer
210 views

Cooking rice on a fire pit vs gas burner

It is widely believed in East Asia that cooking rice on a fire pit, with firewood as fuel, allows one to make the most tasty rice. Both Cantonese pot rice and Japanese kamameshi, for example, call for ...
xuq01's user avatar
  • 509
1 vote
1 answer
284 views

How to use rehydrated Kombu after making Dashi?

To prepare a Miso Soup the first step is the preparation of the Dashi. The Dashi will most certainly contain Kombu. Can the rehydrated Kombu be used in the Miso? What kind of preparation does the ...
Spyros K's user avatar
  • 216
9 votes
1 answer
2k views

Are the stems of rehydrated dried Shiitake usable?

The stems of the rehydrated Shiitake mushrooms are tough, even after rehydration. In the recipes that I checked it was advised to cut and throw the stems and keep the head of the mushroom. I want ...
Spyros K's user avatar
  • 216
3 votes
2 answers
4k views

Is risotto or paella rice a better substitute for my Japanese dish?

My supermarket has stopped stocking Japanese ingredients, just as I decided to make a Katsu Curry for my dinner party tonight! I have Paella rice and Risotto rice (Arborio) - both by Sainsbury's and ...
Gamora's user avatar
  • 722
3 votes
0 answers
153 views

I'm Making Shio Koji - I Have Questions About The Process

So I'm fascinated by what I have read about the myriad culinary possibilities at my fingertips using shio koji. Bought some good rice koji (IseSo Miyako Koji) and have started two similar mixtures ...
Stephen Eure's user avatar
  • 2,439
4 votes
1 answer
684 views

Refreezing Nagaimo

I know refreezing anything is unadvised and will result in a loss of quality. With that in mind, will refreezing the grated pulp of Nagaimo (Japanese mountain yam) result in a disastrous Okinomiyaki (...
user239139's user avatar
29 votes
2 answers
9k views

What exactly is "Japanese" Salt and Pepper?

On a recent trip to Kyoto, I was eating at a Beef Katsu restaurant and one of the spices they made available for seasoning was described as "Japanese salt and pepper". The spice blend was mostly ...
ChaseMedallion's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
765 views

Can swamp eels be used for unagi like American or Japanese eels?

So, at my local fishmarket, there is both live and frozen yellow swamp eel. I was not able to find very much on texture, flavor, or otherwise, so I was wondering if any of you have had much experience ...
GeneralChef's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Ways to Make Matcha Powder Less Bitter in Baking?

I want to use Matcha powder in some baking recipes (cake, macaroons, cheesecake, etc), and while I think it tastes fine many others have told me that it is too bitter. So I was wondering if anyone ...
Jordan Vanort's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
6k views

What is the bright red ingredient in Japanese chicken curry katsu?

I have had chicken curry katsu at different restaurants in different countries, and there is always a diced bright red ingredient, the color of a tomato, put on like a garnish. Some told me it was a ...
Village's user avatar
  • 1,939
15 votes
3 answers
6k views

Olive oil in Japanese cooking

I recently ventured a bit outside my usual European cooking and started making recipes from a "westernized" Japanese cookbook I was gifted. Some recipes for salads call for "vegetable oil" in the ...
John Doe's user avatar
  • 3,623
4 votes
1 answer
169 views

Japanese Ingredient question

I have a recipe I received several years ago from a sushi class I took for spicy tuna rolls. There is two ingredients I can't find when I search the web. They are: KOBASHI and TOBIASHI. Any idea what ...
Christopher's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
742 views

Equipment: Intense candle for nabemono. What is it?

I went to a Japanese Nabemono (Chankonabe?) place, in Tokyo. The meal was basically a hot pot. But instead of the typical small candle or small methanol pot/gel I've seen used elsewhere, they had a ...
Jeffrey's user avatar
  • 450
0 votes
2 answers
172 views

Acceptance of sweet rice dishes in Japan [closed]

My father once told me a story about some Japanese guests coming over to Europe. On their stay here they were once served a sweet rice dish. The guests were so shocked that rice would be served this ...
And's user avatar
  • 103
2 votes
2 answers
4k views

Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake - How to stop collapsing?

I've recently found videos about Japanese "Cotton" Sponge Cake. (Possibly also called a 'Jiggly Cake'?) I've never had it, but I figured it looked good, so why not try it? All of the videos I have ...
Van's user avatar
  • 475
6 votes
1 answer
450 views

How to make safe sushi

I'd always assumed that if you start with safe fish (appropriately stored/frozen), stay with "normal" fish (i.e. don't try to prepare poisonous puffer fish at home), and follow normal food hygiene ...
Johnny's user avatar
  • 163
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Does natto really need to be fermented at body temperature?

I want to make natto, and recipes say that it should be fermented at ~38°C/100°F. My oven doesn't have a bread proving or defrost setting, and previous experiments with just the oven light on haven't ...
z0r's user avatar
  • 213
5 votes
2 answers
558 views

Ratios for making Dashi from Kombu and Katsuobushi

Im trying to figure out the correct balance between kombu and katsuobushi when making dashi. I have read here that the perfect ratio between the glutamate in kombu and inosinate in the katsuobushi is ...
JCoder23's user avatar
  • 151
2 votes
0 answers
229 views

What are traditional sushi rolls originating from Japan? [closed]

I'm curious if there are an established traditional sushi rolls from Japan. I came across an article that says there are 86 different types of sushi rolls: https://www.bleepingworld.com/different-...
Strawberry Farmer's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
607 views

All fried rice recipes seem to have the same toned down interpretation

I have been trying to recreate the fried rice from a restaurant that I loved before moving. They were a Japanese steak house (called the Iron Chef), the type that cooks in front of you, and they made ...
J.Doe's user avatar
  • 257