REPOST: 8 Japanese dishes for beginners

If you are new to Japanese dishes, this Huffington Post article shares eight mouthwatering recipes recommended for the beginners.
 

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Fried cheeseburgers served with a thousand island dressing at Bamboo Izakaya.

What do you think of fermented soybeans (natto), firefly squid with pickled wasabi, chicken bones (nankotsu) and hearts, arugula salad with dried baby fish topped with a poached egg, and sea eel with soy and lemon? Probably not much or unappealing if you're not too familiar with Japanese food.

But if like me, you love experimenting and trying new foods, taking a trip to Japan should be on your list of places to visit. Japan is the epicenter, heaven on earth for food porn. Not only do they have an endless variety of ingredients and dishes, everything seems to taste better too. From their pasta (always al dente), breads (deep fried curry buns), convenience store food (a David Chang favorite), and even canned drinks (muscat grape juice with peeled grapes inside), the Japanese food industry caters to a culture ingrained in quality ingredients, balance and perfect execution. Going to Japan without diving head first into their culinary world is like going to Paris and do an entire trip without wine, while hanging out at Starbucks and eating Mc Donald's.

So when I take you to a Japanese restaurant and say 'wanna try the arugula salad with dried baby fish topped with a poached egg?', what I mean is 'do you wanna try the best arugula salad you'll ever have?'

Nothing is gained from living in fear and I've discovered some terrific dishes by initially eating them out of respect, so as not to offend a relative, friend, or chef. Working my way up to enjoying a bowl of fermented soybeans was a challenge. I must admit I wasn't a natto fan until I got used to the taste. Slimy, stinky fermented soybeans is about as disgusting as it gets, but I can firmly say that I now I love and crave natto. Thus, I completely understand why some people cringe at the thought of stepping outside their comfort zone, and risk biting into something so vile they might go into traumatic shock. But let's face it; it doesn't happen very often and you could be missing out on some really good stuff by only sticking to what you know.

Japanese cuisine has a lot of wonderful flavors and textures to offer, and by no means are they all intimidating. A lot of it is simple, delicious and familiar to what you're used to eating.

I asked chef Toshio Sakamaki, executive chef at Bamboo Izakaya, to share 8 dishes taken from his menu he thinks will seduce even the pickiest of eaters.

8 Japanese dishes to try (for beginners)

1. Goma chicken salad

Cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, tomatoes and shredded chicken tossed in sesame dressing.

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2. Gyoza

Lightly fried pork dumplings with soy chili dipping sauce.

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3. Tori nanban

Deep fried marinated chicken served with tartare sauce.

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4. Yosenabe (hot pot)

Healthy and savory hot pot of salmon, prawns, clams, and tofu in soy dashi broth.

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5. Kinoko kami tsutsumi

Assorted steamed Japanese mushrooms with truffle and ponzu sauce.

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6. Kushiyaki (yakitori)

Assortment of grilled skewered meats, seafood and vegetables. A Japanese classic!

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7. Kalbi

Sake soy marinated kalbi ribs (beef shortribs).

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8. Ebi cream croquettes 

Deep fried shrimp croquettes in creamy bechamel sauce, served with a tomato salsa. An absolute must try!!

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Bamboo Izakaya is located at 1541 Ocean Avenue, Suite 120, Santa Monica, California, 90410. Photography: Ben Conley

JC Uni-tec is the premier distributor of a specialized line of kitchen equipment in the United States. Visit this Facebook page for more updates.

REPOST: Kyoto Cuisine

This article from Bento.com features the art of authentic Kyoto cuisine

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An elegant banquet for a nobleman, a tea master's meticulous repast, the bare sustenance of a Zen priest, morsels to whet the appetite of a carousing samurai, simple fare for the working man - Kyo-ryori, or Kyoto cuisine, is an intriguing blend of a thousand years of history with as many exotic ingredients, from fresh fern greens to pickled herring to yuba.

Yuba is perhaps the quintessential Kyoto ingredient. Skimmed from open vats of steaming soy milk, yuba is served fresh with a light sauce, or dried in strips or rolls to be used later in soups and a variety of inventive ways. Almost pure protein, yuba is an important ingredient in Zen vegetarian cooking (as is fu, its glutinous wheat counterpart). The flavor is subtle, and indescribable; the texture, delicate. Yuba is a backdrop against which other ingredients play - the blank space that defines the culinary lines, a master's touch to a cuisine that is truly an art.

Image Source: Kyoto-Wel.com

The fusuma door slides open ... s-s-s-h-u-s-h. A maid kneels outside, bows, apologizes for the intrusion. You are seated on a pillow in a tatami room overlooking a garden. The sound of water trickling into a stone basin outside has helped to wash away the day's frustrations.

You have been sitting here, sipping the green tea, eating the small sweet that has gently awakened your appetite, exactly as it was intended. The first lacquered try of morsels appears just in time.

Kaiseki promises you'll never be bored. The meal you are served depends on the precise time of year. The best chefs guarantee their guests will never receive the same meal twice. In Kyoto, a meal is to be savored by more than the palate.

There is atmosphere in which to lavish, scenery to enjoy. There are gilt-edged bowls and inlaid-lacquer boxes whose craftsmanship, design, and color may also be imbibed. There are aromas brought one at a time to tantalize an appetite for the dish that follows.

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Kaiseki was designed to please emperors. It was refined and perfected by tea masters with a preference for simplicity and meticulous attention to the seasons. The Chinese characters (懐石）refer to the heated stones carried to bed inside the folds of the kimono of Zen monks, just enough to take the chill from their bellies. In the later centuries, kaiseki, written with less aesthetic characters (会席), became hors d'oeuvres served with sake for the merchant class out for a night of pleasure in the geisha houses of Gion.

No matter what the occasion, Kyoto-style kaiseki places importance on seasonal ingredients, whose flavor is to be enhanced gently, never to be overwhelmed by heavy spices or elaborate sauces. It is intended to be served graciously, enjoyed leisurely, and appreciated attentively. (Today, a kaiseki meal can be extremely costly, but it is an experience that does not have to be missed. For a person on a limited budget, a kaiseki bento, the "box lunch" supreme, will provide a delightful sampler of this magnificent cuisine.)

But Kyoto was more than aristocrats and playboys. The vast majority of people were farmers, shopkeepers, and craftsmen who never got near a kaiseki meal. Kyoto was a landlocked city, a two-day trek over the mountains to the sea. Fish had to be salted or pickled to be carried that far on foot by peddlers. Even vegetables had to be pickled to save them from perishing in the hot, sticky summers.

Image Source: KyotoFoodie.com

The people's cuisine of Kyoto was far from exotic. A bowl of barley rice, a few pickled vegetables, a bowl of miso soup - a bite of fish when times were good - and a cup of the plainest tea; humble fare, often vegetarian, as much of the population was Buddhist.

Shojin-ryori, Zen-style cooking, served in temples and vegetarian restaurants today, turned the simple sustenance of Buddhist priests - vegetables, rice, and soybeans - into a creative and interesting cuisine that is apparent in every aspect of Japanese cooking.

The cuisine that the painstaking monks evolved explored every imaginable use of its simple ingredients, especially of soybeans - a hundred ways to serve miso, soy sauce, tofu, and yuba, all rich in protein.

The same attention to visual beauty that other forms of Kyo-ryori possess is found in shojin-ryori, though not to such a lavish degree. Nothing should be wasted, and rather than costly porcelain, the monks each had their own stack of bowls, one fitting inside the other, wiped clean by the monk himself when the meal had been thankfully consumed.

The dimensions of Kyoto cuisine reflect the seasons and sensibilities of all the townspeople - from priest to bon vivant, from nobility to peasants.

JC Unitec is one of the major distributors of Japanese kitchen equipment in the United States. Its Facebook page offers more information about the company, its services, and other updates on Japanese cuisines.

Cooking the Japanese way: Things to keep in mind

Japanese cuisine is characterized by simple dishes. This easy and austere approach to cooking is governed by the belief that products of the earth and sea should be utilized in a manner wherein natural forms and flavors are minimally altered, or not at all.

The Japanese also use fresh produce and incorporate simple cooking methods. While Japanese cooking itself is marked by simplicity, the presentation is nevertheless elaborate and meticulous. This is because they believe that good food should not only appeal to the taste buds, but also to the mind and the eye.

What are the important considerations when cooking Japanese food?

Image credit: ediblyasian.info

To begin with, Japanese cuisine consists of mix-and-match food items. It is often marked by contrasting flavors. For instance, a sharp tasting sunomono dish might be served with teriyaki, a broiled food with a sweet sauce. Or a crunchy tsukemono is paired with nebemono brimming with seafood and vegetables. While salt dominates other cuisines, soy sauce is the staple seasoning in Japanese cooking. Other ingredients include sake, ginger, Japanese mustard, mitsuba, and nori.

Image credit: bronmarshall.com

Another staple in Japanese cooking is rice. Rice is called goha in Japanese. For the modern Japanese, rice cookers are used to ensure that this vital part of the meal is perfectly cooked. Although rice is an important element, the Japanese also regard noodles as their main source of carbohydrates. Another mainstay in Japanese dining are soybean products, including miso, a soybean paste used in soup, and < i>tofu, a firm and custard-like substance made from soy.

Soup is also a must in cooking, and it is included every Japanese meal. Typically, soup or osumashi is served before the meal, and is delicately flavored but can be complemented with different garnishes.

Image credit: nytimes.com

Another characteristic of Japanese cuisine are the nabemono dishes. These dishes are composed of meat and vegetables in a pot. Typically, nebemono dishes are cooked in the table through a pot heated over a charcoal or gas burner.

JC Uni-tec is a premier distributor of Japanese kitchen equipment useful in creating meticulous and delicate Japanese dishes. Visit this site to get tips and insights on Japanese cooking and cuisine.