Japanese cooking is well within your reach and ability. So much in the world of cooking is spun to sound more challenging than it really is. The kind of simple. everyday meal preparation I prefer is forgiving, and the flavors, manageable. Japanese cooking has given the world the sixth taste of umami- a mysterious, savory, addicting flavor found in countless broths and protein dishes and incorporated into many cuisines. It originates from fermented vegetables as well as shiitake mushrooms and dried fish.
If that made you take a step back: keep in mind the taste behind many dishes you find irresistible may in fact be these seemingly off-putting ingredients. For instance, the sour zing in pad thai comes from splashes of (very pungent) fish sauce. Our tastebuds are curious things. If you would like to add some umami to your life, there are certain ingredients you can use at home to satisfy your craving. It's a comforting, nourishing flavor that you will turn to again and again. The ingredients that make it possible can be found at a variety of grocery stores, but definitely at Hana Market in Washington, DC. The price tags are insignificant for how long they last and the punch of flavor they add to any dish.
Miso paste
Miso, of the ever-popular miso soup, is made from fermented soybeans to form a sticky paste. Packed with gut-friendly bacteria, miso soup is a major comfort food for me. I use instant packets but there's nothing like scooping miso paste from the container and slowly dissolving it into hot water, making it as salty and flavorful as I feel like. It comes in a variety of options. You will see red miso and white miso being two common ones. However, my favorite is miso-dashi because it includes dashi stock which makes it extra flavorful. If I am hungry for a late night snack I will make a miso broth (miso + hot water) and then add a scoop of rice. You can also add things like dried seaweed, thinly sliced shittake, or cubed tofu if you like.
Instant Dashi
Dashi is a broth made of dried fish and dried kelp, and sometimes also shittake. Dashi stock is the base for countless Japanese recipes. On its own, the flavor is subtle, only to be brought out by the vegetables and proteins you add. Hon-Dashi is a popular brand of instant dashi and that is the best place to start. It is sold for about $4 or so, and it can be easily mixed into hot water. Dashi is regarded as the most important flavor in Japanese cooking. If you fall in love with it, you can start developing your own dashi mixture by individually selecting the combination dried seaweed, mushrooms, and fish you like best.
Kosho
Kosho is made of fermented chiles, citrus zest, and salt. Kosho is sold in a small bottle and has a texture similar to that of a relish or finely grated onion. The flavor, however, has diverse uses. It is often added to pasta sauces, chicken, pestos, cashew butter, sashimi...really anything that you want to give a bit of a kick. (You can add it to your dashi stock!) It sounds pretty unbelievable, so I'm linking this list of recipes to put into perspective how helpful this little jar will be in your cooking adventures.
Furikake (a bonus!)
Take a bowl of plain white or brown rice and turn into a full blown, satisfying dish with a few shakes of furikake. This costs about $3-5 a bottle and comes in sour, sweet, and sinus-clearing wasabi flavors. It adds a minor crunch to your rice by way of sesame seeds and dried seaweed. It quickly becomes addicting and I have found myself craving rice just to enjoy the furikake flavor.
There are many free, accessible avenues to venture down if you would like to learn more about Japanese cooking. The greatest recommendation I can offer is the NHK Japanese Food website. You can also download the NHK (Japanese state run news channel) for free and watch Dining with the Chef and other Japanese cooking classes. Fun fact: Max and I got to sit in on a live recorded episode of Dining with the Chef! I never did find it online, but maybe one day I will.
Locally, the Japan-America Society offers Japanese cooking classes a few times per year. You get way more for your money than the class costs and the benefit of hands on learning.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post and that you give some Japanese dishes a try. I am not a food blogger but I am someone who loves to cook and bake. I spend a lot of my free time reading recipes, thinking of meal plans, and trying to cook. At the very least, I hope you will consider a visit Hana Market for some snacks and treats! It's well worth it and great to support our local Japanese market.
wishing you joy on your journey,
kristen
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