Sunday, November 9, 2008

Nabe (steam pot) Part 1!!!

SUKIYAKI Nabe :)
Suki yaki is a Japanese Traditional hot pot (Nabe in Japanese) served with
sliced of meat, tofu, mashroom, spring onion, carrot, shirataki (konyaku noodle), and othe
vegitable if you want more. 
Interesting thing is that pieces of food are dipped into a raw egg before you eat them. 
Those food are boiled inside of hot pot with soy sauce based soup. 
the sauce is traditionally cooked with soy sauce, a lot of sugar, and salt. 
I love the sauce because it tastes sweet and perfectly matches with raw egg. 
Here is an image of Sukiyaki Nabe.


Sukiyaki is generally eaten in winter season because it is hot dish. 
Japanese people often eat Sukiyaki at year-end parties because it is easy to cook and many people can eat at the same time together. 

One more interesting thing is that Japanese comedian who has a really tight budget like to cook Sukiyaki nabe because it is of course easy to cook and cheap. 


My family eat Sukiyaki at my grandparents house on December 31st every year.
Try it now!!!

All pictures are from Google 

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Castella or Kasutera


Castella or Kasutera (in Japanese) is Japanese traditional snack
made of Egg, Sugar, flour, and starch syrup. 
It shapes rectangle. Color is yellow and dark brown on top of the castella.
Now, Nagasaki is the most famous city known as making tasty Castella in Japan. 
When I went to Nagasaki to eat castella, I was really surprised because 
the taste there and Japan are totally different. Castella in Nagasaki is more expensive
and not sweet that much. It is a little bit expensive as snack, but I definitely recommend
you to buy castella in Nagasaki!!!!




I would like to talk about a history of Castella.
In 16th century, when Portuguese reached to Japan, they broght many different kinds of thing that Japan did not have that time. Castella was in part of those things.
Sailor in Japan ate castella because it is easy to carry and healthy. 
Now, there are different color and taste Castella in Japan. (image above)

All pictures are from Google

Whats Doraemon's favorite Food???


Answer is DORAYAKI!!!
Dorayaki is a famous Japanese Snack originated in long time ago.
Dorayaki is made from Anko(sweet red bean paste) and Honey pancake. 
Dorayaki has been know by Japanese for long time and they love Dorayaki.
I would like to post pictures of Dorayaki.
What does Dorayaki looks like? It shapes circle and sweet red bean paste in side of the pancakes.
We use two pancakes and paste red been jam between them. 
What does Dorayaki taste like? It is sweet but its not too sweet.
Pancake tastes not sweet but smell a little bit Honey.  However, Red bean paste is really sweet
so when you eat pancakes and red bean, it match perfectly. 
Dorayaki have been loved by Japanese people because it is tasty and healthy too.
When I was child, I ate Dorayaki as snack because my mother thinks Dorayaki is healthy. 
One of the most famous and popular Japanese anime "Doraemon" uses Dorayaki as Doraemon's favorite
snack. 


because of the popular, we have Doraemon Dorayaki as product which have been loved by
many children. 
When you go to Japan, or find Dorayaki in United State, please try it!!!
I hope you live Dorayaki:)

All pictures are from Google

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Seven-herb Kayu

Today, I would like to introduce Japanese Traditional festival food called SEVEN-HERB KAYU.
This is Long standing Japanese Traditional Food that most of Japanese eat this every January 7th.
Frankly to say, This food includes seven different types of herb and rice gruel. 
I have eaten this every year since I was born because my mother is a person who always strict to follow Japanese
traditional events. I like it because it is really tasty and healthy. I definitely recommend all of you to eat this as diet food.


I would like to explain those seven herb.
Seri (Water dropwort)
Nazuna (Shepher's purse)
Gogyo(CudWeed)
Hakobera(Chickweed)
Suzuna(Turnip)
Suzushiro (radish)
Hotokenoza(Nipplewort)
These seven different herb are in rice gruel little by each. 
You do not want to put them a lot in rice because you want to eat it with just smell of herb. 
We do not put spice that much. Taste should be really simple so We do not put much seasoning. 
Japanese eat seven-herb kayo on every January 7th because they think that seven of the first month is really important day and need to keep up with healthy and peace days though a year ahead. 
It is a true that some Japanese do not follow this traditional event anymore because
they do not think it is important event anymore. 
However, I am still doing this event and I wont stop it because
this traditional Japanese food is really important to be handed down to posterity. 
there are many different ways to eat this kayu depending on person.
I like to eat this with egg and soy sauce. 

all pictures from Google

Sunday, October 5, 2008

OYAKO-DON

What does Oyako-Don stand for?
Oyako-don is Japanese Chiken bowl.
Oya means parents and ko means child in Japanese.
Don means bowl. Therefore, oyako-don made from chicken and Egg.
Oyako-don is popular and traditional Japanese food.
However, Only Japanese restaurant have this in La.
So if you have a chance to go Japanese restaurant, ask them
if they have Oyako-don or not.
Oyako-don is made from chicken, egg, and green onion.
Taste is soy sauce and sugar.
Oyako-don has been loved by Japanese for a long time, because
it is really easy to cook and healthy food.

Let's try to cook Oyako-don!!!

YAKITORI



I would like to talk about Yakitori today.
Yakitori is Japanese type of skewered chicken.
People use piece
of chicken which is skewered on babmoo skewer.
And it is barbecued o
ver charcoal. We usually eat it with tare sauce
wich is made by soy sauce and sugar.
I recommed you to eat Yakitori on your dinner time with cold beer.



Now, there are a lot of different type of Yakitori in Japan and even in America.
People use n
ot only a piece of Chicken, but also use different part of chicken.
They are chicken heart, liver, skin, chickenmeatball, chicken wing, tail, tangue, etc...


This image of yakitori shows different part of yakitori, such as,
chicken wing, tail, liver, chickenmeatball, and heart.
I also can recomment people to each yakitori with LEMON or SALT.
Depending on parts of chicken, you can eath with Lemon or Salt.

As a conclusion, I will tell you a good yakitori restaurant in La.
1. FURAIBO
2068 Sawtelle Blvd. West Los Angeles
2, SHINSENGUMI
18517 S. Western Ave. Gardena

All pictures are from Google

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Japanese Ramen




As you know, Ramen is one of popular Japanese food in California nowadays.
I hope many people like Japanes ramen.
Rame is one of my favorite food because Ramen is really easy to cook and tasty.
My father is really good at cooking his own ramen and I love those because it is tasty and healthy.
There are many different types of ramen depending on locations in Japan.

First thing that you can recognize the differences is soup.
We have miso, soy sourse, salt, pork based soup, etc...
Second thing to know the differences is noodle.
Depending on restaurants, they have their own noodle, such as, thick, thin, straight, curvy, and crinkly.
All spice and other ingredient are totally different in each restaurant.

There are a lot of ramen restaurants in Japan so I definitely recommend those who are interested in eating different types of ramen in Japan to go with your friends and order some to tast them!!!