Sticky, pungent, bold
Marmite of Japanese food
love it or hate it
Haiku 45
The Kokoro Files: Akiko Katayama
From chefs to bartenders, Japanese food and drink has touched the lives of many people. It’s been a catalyst for changing lives and bringing new conversations to culinary communities across the globe.
For Akiko Katayama, promoting Japanese cuisine has become a life-long pursuit and Yamato Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing her about her experiences. A tenured food writer, host of the Japan Eats! Podcast and representative of the New York Culinary Academy, Akiko is a leading expert in the world of Japanese food and beverages.
Read on to learn about how she became a food journalist, what it means to judge top-ranking chefs and how the story of Japanese cuisine continues to evolve.
Get Your Fresh Wasabi Fix With The Wasabi Company
Across the world, there’s been an explosion of interest in Japanese ingredients, with chefs and bartenders infusing things like sake, dashi, miso and shochu into their culinary creations. Fresh wasabi is another ingredient that’s become highly prized, especially when you consider that much of the stuff that comes in mass-produced paste form is probably horseradish or mustard.
Pound for pound, wasabi is arguably the most expensive vegetable on the planet because of how it’s produced and the demand for getting hands on the genuine article. Down in the South-East of England, The Wasabi Company has made a name for itself by growing fresh wasabi and championing it across the globe.
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Shoryu Piri Piri Tonkotsu Kit Review: Ramen As Good As You’ll Find In Any Restaurant
During lockdown, hospitality venues have needed to get creative in order to keep moving forward and this has led to the rise of DIY meal kits that recreate the quality of the food you would find in a restaurant.
A venue I’ve seriously missed being open in the UK is Shoryu, as it’s where I’ve been able to get my ramen fix for years and slurp many good bowls of heart-warming broth. The next best thing to eating ramen at Shoryu was to order one of their meal kits, so I dived into the awesome Piri Piri Tonkotsu pack.
Sake Kasu Cheese Scones Recipe
Incorporating Japanese ingredients into your cooking is a sure-fire way to elevate a dish, adding a whole new world of flavours. In particular, sake is an exceptional ingredient, working as a liquid to thicken up a sauce, braise food and include some oomph in a Japan-inspired meal.
Have you ever considered using sake kasu in a recipe? During the pressing stage in sake production, solid lees are separated from the mash and work as their own unique product. This sake kasu embodies the Japanese philosophy of not leaving behind any waste and can be put to good use in your cooking.
With that in mind, here is my sake kasu cheese scone recipe that’s super easy and really brings on some delicious flavours!
Wasabi Macaroni And Cheese With Nori Dressing Recipe
Japanese ingredients are incredibly versatile, working with a number of dishes to draw out certain flavour profiles and an ingredient that I’ve enjoyed experimenting with recently is wasabi.
Pairing this spicy Japanese staple with one of my favourite comfort foods seemed like a no brainer. So, let me introduce my wasabi macaroni and cheese recipe with nori seaweed.
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Techno-Japonisme And Dystopian Aesthetics: How Japanese Culture Influenced The World Of Cyberpunk 2077
Japan has influenced the creation of many forms of literature, with one of the most distinctive being cyberpunk. Tropes of this sci-fi subgenre include advanced, dystopian cities, corrupt mega corporations, oppressed outsiders fighting to bring down the machine and Japanese aesthetics front and centre.
This kind of techno-japonisme is a major influence in Cyberpunk 2077, painting Japanese culture with a sense of otherness that makes it both frightening and exotic. Let’s dive deeper to understand how Japanese culture has shaped the world of Cyberpunk 2077.
Sate Your Hunger For Japanese Food Knowledge With The Awesome Japan Eats! Podcast
When Japanese food comes to mind, ideas immediately form. Sushi, ramen, katsu curry, yakitori. Meals that have taken the world by storm and can be found in some form or another just about anywhere these days. Yet there is so much more to explore and the depth to be found in Japanese food is truly extraordinary.
If you have a hunger to learn more about the beauty, history and flavours of Japanese food, then it’s time to add a new podcast to your list. Japan Eats!, hosted by Akiko Katayama, dives deep into the exciting world of Japanese cuisine.
Continue reading “Sate Your Hunger For Japanese Food Knowledge With The Awesome Japan Eats! Podcast”
Becoming A Sake Sommelier In Lockdown
When people look back on being in lockdown, there’s going to be a lot of conflicting emotions. From my perspective, one of the positive things is being able to have more time to pursue interests and new goals. When I look back on lockdown, it’ll be with the knowledge that I used that time to become a certified sake sommelier.
Japanese sake was the kind of hobby that took me completely by surprise. It made its home inside my head and took me down a rabbit hole that led to a certification that fills me with pride and enjoyment for the future. Here’s what it’s like to become a sake sommelier during lockdown.
Chuko Yokka Koji Awamori Review: A Complex And Earthy Spirit Perfect For Whisky Drinkers
The world of Japanese spirits is truly fascinating, as it taps into centuries of tradition, culture and craftsmanship. Awamori channels all of those aspects into liquid form, as unique as Okinawa.
All of the awamori distilleries in Okinawa are passionate about sharing their products and one of the most innovative brands is Chuko, who’ve created the awesome Yokka Koji awamori. I was recently able to get my hands on a bottle of the stuff and it blew me away.
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