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和食 Washoku: Japanese Recipes
和食 Washoku: Japanese Recipes
和食 Washoku: Japanese Recipes
Ebook134 pages29 minutes

和食 Washoku: Japanese Recipes

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A collection of traditional Japanese recipes from the author's time in Japan.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 10, 2018
ISBN9780463434888
和食 Washoku: Japanese Recipes

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    Book preview

    和食 Washoku - Toshiki Yoshida

    和食 WASHOKU: Japanese Recipes

    Ramen and the Japanese Art of Mandibular Maintenance

    By Toshiki Yoshida

    和食 WASHOKU

    Traditional Japanese food is collectively known as washoku. Washoku is written in Japanese characters as 和食. The first character, 和 (wa), means both Japan and harmony, and the second character 食 (shoku) means food. In 2013, , in recognition of customs passed down in Japan for thousands of years, washoku was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. As the name implies, washoku blends ingredients in a harmonious fashion.

    Washoku has several main characteristics.

    SEASONALITY: Japan has four distinct seasons, and the dishes served in washoku reflect that, using ingredients and produce suitable to the season.

    INGREDIENTS: At the heart of a washoku meal is rice, the country’s most important staple, accompanied by fish, seafood, and seaweed. As Japan is an island nation and seafood is central to the traditional Japanese diet.

    BALANCE: Traditional Japanese cuisine focuses on balance, with preparation techniques that aim to draw out the natural flavors of ingredients rather than masking them in heavy sauces.

    AESTHETICS: Washoku is not only about the food’s ingredients and taste, it’s also about the visual beauty of the meal, the colours and arrangement of the ingredients, and the tableware and serving style.

    COMMON JAPANESE COOKING INGREDIENTS:

    There are a number of common Japanese food ingredients that repeat in recipes throughout this book. Their names and English translations are listed below:

    daikon(Japanese radish)

    dashi(Japanese soup stock)

    sake(Japanese rice wine)

    mirin(a type of sweet rice wine)

    miso(fermented soybean paste)

    nori(dried sheets of seaweed)

    shiso(perilla leaves)

    wakame(seaweed/algae)

    tofu(bean curd)

    kinome (Japanese herb. from the Japanese Prickly Ash tree)

    panko(bread crumbs)

    renkon(lotus root)

    mitsuba(trefoil leaves)

    konbu(kelp)

    gobo(burdock root)

    bonito(fish flavouring)

    konbu(kelp)

    konyakku(devil’s root)

    ponzu(citrusy soy sauce)

    mitsuba(wild parsley)

    yuzu(a kind of citrus fruit)

    taro(tropical root plant)

    UMESHU

    (Green Plum Liqueur)

    1 kg. green plums (ume)

    1 kg. rock sugar (korizato)

    1.8 litre bottleshochu(white liquor)

    1 large screw top glass container

    Rinse plums in cold water, discarding any stems or leaves; soak in cold water for one hour or overnight (this extracts the harshness). Drain and dry thoroughly. Prick surface of plums with a small wooden pick or fork. Place plums in the glass container, add the sugar, pour in the shochu and screw lid on.

    Store in a cold, dark place for three to five months and wait. The plums may remain in the liquor and can either be served separately or in a glass of umeshu or not at all.

    TEMAKI SUSHI

    (Hand-rolled sushi)

    1/2 cup short-grain rice

    1 cup water

    3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

    filling

    nori(dried sheets of seaweed)

    bamboo roller

    FILLING:

    The Japanese usually use raw or cooked fish, cucumbers, or dried gourd strips for fillings. Fast food places are getting creative however, adding things like boiled corn, canned

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