Ingredients
I have written these recipes so you can create the authentic flavor of home-style Japanese dishes using ingredients available, for the most part, in supermarkets. Since this book is focused on popular, everyday Japanese cooking, exotic ingredients are not essential. You will discover that many of these contemporary, family-friendly dishes are simply interesting uses of familiar foods, rather than combinations of exotic ingredients. And since many are based on Japanese adaptations from other cuisines, I think they are particularly accessible. If you have trouble finding any of the ingredients, check the Sources section (see recipe) for online possibilities.
BAMBOO SHOOTS Crunchy and mild in flavor, boiled bamboo shoots appear in soups, stir-fries, and more and are sold canned or in plastic packs, whole and sliced. If whole, cone-shaped shoots, they can easily be sliced for most recipes. Rinse under running cold water before using.
BENI SHOGA See Ginger.
CABBAGE Regular green cabbage (cabegi) is used in many modern Japanese dishes. To use, remove and discard the outer layer of leaves and cut as directed in individual recipes. When a recipe calls for shredded cabbage, if you can find it, the angel hair cabbage sold in bags in the supermarket is an excellent timesaver. See also Napa Cabbage.
CHILI BEAN PASTE See Sauces.
CORNSTARCH Katakuriko, originally made from the root of the dogtooth violet and now made from the considerably less exotic Irish potato, is a thickener for cooked sauces. Cornstarch is a good substitute. It is mixed with water in varying ratios, depending on the dish, and then added near the end of cooking. Always stir the mixture again briefly just before using and add it slowly, stirring it into the dish until the desired consistency is achieved. Cornstarch is also a good coating for meat or chicken for deep-frying (see Toriniku Kara-age, see recipe), yielding crispy results.
CUCUMBER The cucumber (kyuri) grown in Japan has dense flesh, thin skin, and few seeds. You can use English or hothouse cucumbers in its place and leave the skin on.
DAIKON This long (10 to 20 inches), creamy white, fat, mild and crisp radish is a common ingredient in all types of Japanese dishes. It is eaten raw, pickled, and simmered in soups and braises.
Choose firm daikon with smooth, unwrinkled skin. Peel before using. Grated daikon is used in dipping sauces for noodles and tempura and other fried foods (it is believed to aid in digestion) and is served with certain types of grilled fish. To grate, use any fine-rasp grater or an oroshi (see recipe). Grated daikon releases a lot of water, which you must squeeze out by hand before serving. Red radishes have a sharper flavor than daikon, but they can be peeled and used if daikon is unavailable.
DASHI At the heart of many Japanese recipes, dashi is stock made from dried bonito flakes or dried anchovies or sardines. Many types of dashi exist, but for the most part, the modern Japanese home cook uses dashi-no-moto, instant dashi in powder, granule, or tea-bag form. Dashi-no-moto is available in Asian markets and by mail order, but you can also buy it at many Western markets. There are also instant granules marketed under the name hondashi, which is usually a soup base made from bonito flakes and kombu, a type of kelp.
I recommend that you use any basic katsuo (bonito) dashi. All types of instant dashi keep well—like chicken bouillon—and only a small amount is used for each recipe, so if you cannot pick it up easily at a local store, mail order a supply to have on hand. It is essential for making authentic-tasting miso soup and many other recipes and is the one Japanese ingredient that I encourage you to seek out. I have tried to substitute chicken broth for dashi where possible, but in the recipes where dashi still appears, you can use canned chicken or vegetable broth in its place, but the results will not be as authentic.
EDAMAME These fresh soybeans in fuzzy green pods are a popular snack food, especially as an accompaniment to beer or sake. Eat the beans only, of course, by forcing them from the pod with your lips directly into your mouth. Although I don’t call for them in any recipe, edamame are easy to prepare (cook the frozen ones according to the package directions and boil the fresh ones in generously salted water for about 10 minutes).
EGGPLANT The best type to use is the long, slender, deep purple Japanese eggplant, although long, lavender Chinese eggplants are fine, too. Both have denser flesh and far fewer seeds than larger varieties.
Choose firm, unblemished eggplants with no discoloration or soft spots. If you must use a large globe eggplant, slice it into rounds or sticks, and discard the section with the most seeds, which could make dishes look dark and unappealing.
My recipes often call for frying the eggplant in oil first by itself and then cooking it in a sauce, which creates a soft texture and a rich taste. It is best not to fry eggplants straight from the refrigerator because cold eggplants soak up more oil than room- temperature eggplants.
GINGER Fresh ginger (shoga) is easily found in most supermarkets. Look for creamy, smooth yellow or tan skin.
Most of my recipes call for grated ginger or ginger juice. Grated or minced ginger is sometimes available in convenient jars, which must be stored in the refrigerator after opening. To grate your own ginger, peel away the thin skin with a paring knife or vegetable peeler and then run the flesh across a fine-rasp grater, either a Japanese oroshi (see recipe) or a handheld Western grater. Always cut a piece about an inch longer than you need to avoid nicking your fingers on the sharp rasps. Grating ginger can be a chore, but you usually need only a small amount, so it is done fairly quickly. To extract ginger juice, you don’t need to peel the ginger. Simply grate it and then squeeze the pulp in your hand to release the juice. A three-inch piece of fresh ginger yields about 2 teaspoons juice.
When making soups with meat, a Japanese cook often slips a large slice of unpeeled ginger into the broth to reduce the “meaty” smell that would otherwise fill the typically small Japanese kitchen.
Beni shoga (pickled ginger): Bright pink, sharp-flavored, vinegary matchsticks of marinated ginger, it is sometimes stocked in the refrigerated Asian section of Western markets (with the dumpling wrappers and tofu). Do not mistake beni shoga for gari, the pale marinated ginger served with sushi.
Beni shoga is used in small amounts—no more than a teaspoon or two—to garnish Hiyashi Chuka (see recipe), Yakisoba (see recipe), and in some types of ramen. The vinegary ginger provides a nice contrast to the richness. It is also sometimes mixed into the batter for Okonomiyaki (see recipe) and Takoyaki (see recipe).
GOMA DARE See Sauces.
GREEN ONION Green onions (negi) are used extensively in Japanese cooking. Though similar in flavor to the green onions found in Western markets, the Japanese negi is closer in size to a thin leek. Western green onions are a perfect substitute—I have used them for the recipes in this book. In most cases, you will use the white part and all but the very top of the green parts. Usually I wash the onion, peel off and discard the outer layer, slice the onion in half lengthwise, and then mince or thinly slice it crosswise.
HOT CHILI OIL See Oils.
ICHIMI TOGARASHI See Shichimi togarashi and lchimi togarashi.
KABOCHA PUMPKIN This round, heavy gourd, known as both a pumpkin and a squash, has green-and-white mottled skin, dense orange flesh, and a sweet full flavor. Because the skin is very hard, you will need to use a large, heavy knife to cut the squash into chunks. When cooked, the skin is completely edible, so my recipes call for removing the stem and seeds, but not peeling the pumpkin.
KARASHI This Chinese-style hot yellow mustard powder (karashi) is easy to find. Most powdered mustards are mixed in a ratio of 2 teaspoons mustard powder to 1 tablespoon water, but check the package for directions. This condiment is served in a little dab to accompany tonkatsu or other fried dishes or for mixing with Hiyashi Chuka (see recipe). It’s pretty hot, so taste it before you start mixing it in.
MAYONNAISE Mayonnaise is mixed with other ingredients in some recipes in this book, including the pumpkin korokke (croquettes; see recipe) and the crispy meat patties (see recipe). When used in this way, the mayonnaise helps maintain juiciness and adds richness without the actual taste of mayonnaise. However, Japanese do love to use mayonnaise in salads and as a condiment. Japanese mayonnaise has a particular flavor, more acidic than the eggy richness of its European or Western counterparts. You can either buy Japanese mayonnaise online (I like Kewpie brand; my husband always brings home several squeeze bottles from his trips to Japan) or use regular mayonnaise.
MEATS I have included many modern, Western-inspired recipes in this book that use a good deal more meat than you might expect for Japanese food. Meat is, of course, widely available and regularly used in Japanese cooking today, but because it typically is only one element of the dish, rather than the focus, it is often ground or very thinly sliced.
Some of my chicken recipes call for ground chicken. I use dark meat only, as it contributes good flavor and succulence. Sometimes it is difficult to find ground chicken, but Asian markets almost always have it. You can grind your own in a food processor, using boneless, skinless thighs (or ask your butcher to do it). For other recipes, I have specified boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat.
I also use a lot of ground pork in my recipes. It is rich tasting and juicy, lends itself well to some of the spicier dishes, and provides an extra flavor element when mixed with ground beef. If you can’t find ground pork, ask your butcher to grind pork tenderloin or pork loin for you or grind your own in a food processor.
In addition, many of the soups and stir-fries call for a tender, fatty pork cut known as baraniku, literally “belly meat.” This is not easy to find outside of Japan except in Japanese, Korean, or Chinese markets. As an alternative, I have used thick-cut bacon in many recipes. You can also use boneless pork shoulder: freeze it partially for an hour or so, and use a sharp knife and some muscle power to almost shave it.
Japanese cattle, grain-fed, massaged beer drinkers that they are, produce some of the most delectable, delicately rich, beefy-tasting meat in the world. I do not cook with that and neither will you. When I call for beef I typically want you to use rib eye or sirloin that is usually sliced paper-thin, which is something most butchers probably won’t do for you unless they are both very nice and very patient. To do it at home, cut the steak into two pieces and put them in the freezer for an hour, or until they are almost frozen. Then, with a very sharp knife, almost shave the beef for several of the recipes in this book, such as Hayashi Raisu (see recipe) and Gyudon (see recipe). Ground beef (not the leanest) is used for dishes like Menchi Katsu (see recipe).
MIRIN This sweetened rice wine (sweet cooking sake) is an essential Japanese flavoring. It imparts sweetness and good glazing properties to teriyaki sauce, is frequently added to simmered dishes, and is often used in place of sugar because it contributes a more complex sweetness. Sauces that include mirin are heated before using to cook off the alcohol taste and concentrate the flavor. I use a regular mirin made by Takara that has an alcohol content of about 12 percent. Other types of mirin include naturally brewed hon mirin, or “true mirin,” which has a slightly higher alcohol content, and aji mirin, which is seasoned and is fine if that’s what you can find.
MISO Japanese are passionate about this national food. There are many, many different types, but basically miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, salt, rice or barley, and a starter culture.
If you can find different types (often named after the town where they were first made), try them to decide which type tastes best to you. Miso ranges from very light yellow, known as shiro-miso (shiro means “white”) to a deep, rich brick-red brown, known as aka-miso (aka means “red”), with many variations in between. My family likes golden yellow Shinshu miso (named after my husband’s home region). Most people just starting to eat miso favor shiro-miso, which is mild and almost sweet and is also the type most widely available outside of Asian markets. Although miso is high in sodium, it contains a lot of protein and nutrients and is considered a health food.
NAPA CABBAGE This elongated, pale green, ruffly leaved cabbage, known as hakusai in Japanese and sometimes called Chinese cabbage, has a milder taste than the green cabbage commonly used in Western cuisine. Remove any damaged outer leaves and then chop the cabbage for adding to stir-fries, gyoza fillings, simmered dishes, or soups. The Japanese never eat Napa cabbage raw, though it is a popular vegetable for pickling. I can find Napa cabbage at my usual market, but if you can’t find it, use green cabbage (see Cabbage) or savoy cabbage.
NOODLES There is a huge variety of noodles in Japan, only some of which you will find at your local market. Japanese soba, udon, and ramen are all easily found outside of Japan.
There is no substitute for light brown soba noodles, made from a mix of buckwheat and wheat flours, especially when making cold soba (see recipe). They have a nutty flavor and a firm texture and taste best when cooked al dente, drained, and rinsed in cold water immediately after cooking.
Popular at Japanese restaurants outside of Japan, thick, white udon noodles, made from wheat flour, are used in soups; added to hearty one-pot dishes such as nabeyaki udon, a rich, hot soup-stew with chicken, shrimp tempura, and vegetables; and sometimes eaten cold with a dipping sauce.
Best known as a quick, cheap dinner for college students and others, ramen has taken the world by storm. The thin, yellow wheat noodles are served both in broth and stir-fried. You can also eat them cold in Hiyashi Chuka (see recipe). Believe it or not, for some of my ramen recipes, including Miso Corn Bata Ramen (see recipe) and Shohei no Butaniku to Goma Ramen (see recipe), if you must, you can use packaged instant ramen noodles (not the cup style) and just discard the flavor packet. Don’t overcook them, as they will become mushy.
NORI Nori (also known as laver, a type of seaweed) is sold as plain pressed sheets and also toasted sheets (yakinori). The thin sheets of dark green (almost black) dried seaweed come in various grades and shapes, from squares to shreds to rectangles that are perfectly sized for wrapping around a rice ball (see Onigiri, see recipe). Nori is used for sushi, crumbled over rice, and shredded over cold noodle dishes, hot noodle soups, and even spaghetti.
Aonori (literally “blue nori”), a different type of seaweed, is sold dried and already crushed into small flakes, usually in a packet or a shaker. It has a very fresh marine aroma and, despite the translation, is medium green in color. It is sprinkled on dishes such as Okonomiyaki (see recipe).
OILS In most recipes, I have specified canola oil or other neutral vegetable oil. By neutral I mean bland, so you might use safflower, corn, or another oil that has little or no flavor. I use canola oil for stir-frying as well as deep-frying because it gets hot without smoking, and it has no taste.
Toasted sesame oil (goma abura) is used in many Japanese recipes that have been adopted from the Chinese kitchen. It is primarily a seasoning oil, rather than a cooking oil. Rancidity can be a problem, so check the bottle for a sell-by date (not all bottles have them), and buy from markets with a high turnover. Once opened, store sesame oil in a cool, dark, dry place. Look for one hundred percent pure sesame oil. I use either Kadoya or Maruhon (Japanese brands).
Hot chili oil (rayu) is a popular condiment made by adding small red chili peppers to a neutral vegetable oil. It’s great for jazzing up Chinese-inspired dishes like Ebi no Chiri So-su (see recipe), Mapo Dofu (see recipe) and ramen (see recipe). Many supermarkets carry chili oil.
OKONOMIYAKI SAUCE See Sauces.
PANKO Also called Japanese bread crumbs or honey-wheat bread crumbs, these light-colored, nearly flat shards of flaked wheat flour are used for many of the deep-fried recipes in this book, including Tonkatsu (see recipe), Ebi Furai (see recipe), and various korokke (croquettes). In fact, most fried foods in Japan, other than tempura, which uses a batter, are coated with panko, resulting in a light and very crispy coating. Panko is readily available in plastic bags in the Asian or international foods section of supermarkets and is quite inexpensive. I usually repackage it in a freezer bag and store it in my freezer so I always have some on hand.
RAMEN NOODLES See Noodles.
RICE I could go on at length about the importance of rice to the Japanese diet and culture, about its history, the customs surrounding it, and the many different types available in Japan. But instead, I will simply say that nearly every Japanese home-style meal includes a bowl of rice. In the West, the rice you want is usually labeled Japanese or short grain. Never buy sweet rice, sometimes called glutinous rice, which is used mainly for mochi (rice cakes) and various other confections, or converted white rice, which lacks the proper texture.
Short-grain rice is stickier than long grain, which makes it easier to eat with chopsticks, and it can be found at almost any grocery. Short-grain brown rice, which still has the whole bran intact (“polishing” the bran from brown rice creates white rice), is available but is not popular in Japanese home kitchens because its strong taste and chewy texture interfere with other dishes. When I’m calling my family to the table at dinnertime, I always shout “Gohan desu yo!” which means “It’s rice!” (For details on how to cook a good pot of rice, including the need to rinse, rinse, rinse, see recipe.)
RICE VINEGAR Milder than distilled white vinegar or white or red wine vinegar, rice vinegar (komezu) is the most common vinegar used in Japanese cooking. It is available at most markets, but be careful to buy plain rice vinegar, not sushi vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar.
It is a necessary ingredient in salad dressings and sauces, and it is also used for pickling and for preventing certain foods, such as apples and potatoes, from turning brown due to oxidation. My friends Hiroshi and lkko each drink a tiny cup of komezu daily for their health because they believe it makes the blood strong.
SAKE Sake is for drinking and for cooking and is one of the key Japanese flavorings, along with soy sauce, mirin, dashi, and sugar. For cooking purposes, any inexpensive brand will do. It can even do for drinking, warmed in your microwave for about a minute. As with fine wines, there is a whole world of fine sake that I am not going to get into here. Just know that for cooking, the most basic sake will be fine, so buy the big bottle—it’s inexpensive and keeps well in the pantry (no refrigeration necessary).
SESAME OIL See Oils.
SESAME SEEDS I use white sesame seeds. Black ones have a stronger sesame taste and are more visually exciting, but all the recipes in this book work fine with white. When buying sesame seeds, look for airtight packages and refrigerate the seeds in an airtight container after opening.
You will want to toast your sesame seeds; even if you have purchased seeds labeled roasted, they still need to be toasted to bring out the best flavor. To toast, heat a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sesame seeds and heat, shaking the pan often to move the seeds around in it, until the seeds are golden and are releasing a heady sesame aroma, after only 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately pour the toasted seeds onto a plate to cool, as they can go quickly from nicely toasted to irretrievably burned.
SHICHIMI TOGARASHI & ICHIMI TOGARASHI Shichimi means “seven flavors,” and togarashi means “hot red pepper.” Shichimi togarashi is a traditional spice mix made up of seven different peppers and other seasonings. Sometimes called seven-spice powder in English and also known as nanami in Japanese, it is great sprinkled into soups and on noodles, tempura, fried chicken, and more. Experiment—it’s not too spicy but definitely adds a nice little kick. You can find it at well-stocked supermarkets, at Asian groceries, and online. lchimi means “one spice,” so ichimi togarashi is simply finely ground hot red pepper. If you like spicy, this is the one for you.
SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS These mushrooms have been traditionally cultivated on the logs of the shii tree, hence the name (take means “mushroom”). They are meaty and dark brown with a strong mushroomy aroma and a smoky taste. Most of my recipes call for discarding the stems. You can buy the mushrooms fresh or dried (the dried ones have a stronger flavor). To reconstitute them, put them in very hot water for about 30 minutes or until softened, drain (you can save the soaking water for flavoring a soup base), blot dry with paper towels, remove and discard the stems, and then cut as directed in individual recipes for fresh mushrooms.
SOBA NOODLES See Noodles.
SOY SAUCE The most often used of all Japanese flavorings, soy sauce evokes much national pride. Naturally brewed from fermented soybeans, the sauce has a rich, yeasty, salty, deep flavor. Beware that there are pretenders to soy sauce out there that are not soy sauce at all, but rather chemical flavorings. I keep a large bottle of regular soy sauce in the refrigerator at all times. Kikkoman is a leading brand internationally and is widely available. Other types are sold, such as a lighter-colored soy sauce that some cooks use because it appears more attractive in certain dishes, as well as low-sodium and dark soy sauces. I use only regular soy sauce for the recipes in this book.
SUKIYAKI SAUCE See Sauces.
TERIYAKI SAUCE See Sauces.
TOFU In Japan, fresh tofu, immersed in water, is sold at local tofu shops, and it has a clean, taste and soft, almost creamy texture. The tofu available in the United States is reasonably good and inexpensive. In three basic types—firm, medium, and soft (silken, sometimes labeled kinugoshi)—tofu is sold in shelf-stable boxes that need to be drained and then refrigerated after opening or in plastic tubs that are refrigerated at the market. The tofu is usually, though not always, in a single large block, and the packages typically weigh 14 or 16 ounces. Always check the sell-by date on tofu packages. Once opened, tofu does not keep well and takes on the flavor of whatever is around it, so store it immersed in cold water in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator, away from anything with a strong smell, for no more than a couple of days, changing the water daily.
TOMATO KETCHUP See Sauces.
TONKATSU SAUCE See Sauces.
TSUYU See Sauces.
TURNIP Small, white, mild-tasting Japanese turnips (kabu) are used for pickling and for adding to soups and stews. Since Western turnips are usually larger than the golf ball–size specimens stocked in Japanese markets, buy the smallest, blemish-free turnips available, and store them in a cool, dark place, if you can, because they become soggy if stored in the refrigerator for very long.
UDON NOODLES See Noodles.
WASABl This pungent green horseradish—no relation to Western horseradish—is a traditional condiment for sushi and is used in dipping sauces for noodles. It is available as a paste in tubes or as a powder in small cans. Once you open a tube, you must refrigerate it. To mix the powder, follow the package directions, which usually call for stirring together a small amount of the powder with a small amount of tepid water and letting it sit for a couple of minutes to allow the flavor to bloom. Be careful when you eat wasabi—a little dab packs a powerful punch.
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE See Sauces.
YAKISOBA SAUCE See Sauces.
Sources
ONLINE
HMart - Owned by a Korean company, these large, clean Asian supermarkets with locations in a number of states will have everything you need. You can also order online.
Mitsuwa - With locations in California and New Jersey, this is a full-service Japanese supermarket. No online ordering.
Nijiya - This full-service Japanese supermarket has an online store (a little hard to navigate), and locations in California, New York, and Hawaii.
99 Ranch - A chain of large, clean Chinese supermarkets, you can get everything you need here. Online ordering is available, and locations are in California, Washington, Nevada, and Texas.
Marukai - Their online shop is tokyocentral.com and store locations are in Southern California.
Wegmans, Whole Foods, King Soopers, Safeway, Kings, HEB, and Central Markets are among many regional and national supermarkets that carry a good variety of Japanese bottled sauces and packaged noodles, as well as tofu. Availability in these stores will vary by location.