Genuine Japanese ingredients and seasonings
> Bonito flakes
Bonito flakes are a product of the bonito, which is boiled then dried and grated into short, thick flakes. The flakes are used to make dashi broths.
> Gohan (rice)
The staple diet in Japan is rice. It is eaten at all times of the day and in a wide range of varieties. Japanese boiled white rice is sticky so that it can be easily eaten with chopsticks. Mochi rice is slightly coarser and stickier than normal Japanese rice. It is pressed into rice cakes which are called Omochi.
> Komezu
This is a very mild Japanese rice vinegar. It is an essential for sushi but is also popular in dressings and sauces. Rice vinegar has many interesting properties. It stimulates the appetite, softens the bitter taste of hot roots, acts as a preservative and protects against the discolouration of food.
> Menrui (noodles)
Japanese noodles come in many varieties but the most popular types of noodles in Japan are Soba, Udon, Somen and Harusame.
> Mirin
Mirin is a sweet rice wine used only for cooking. It lends a sweet, fine aroma to boiled and grilled dishes.
> Miso
Miso is concentrated soya extract and forms the basis of miso soups. Miso soup is very popular in Japan and is eaten at every meal.
> Nori
Nori are sheets of a soft seaweed dried in a roasting process. It is also used to add special flavour to fried and meat dishes and soups and is an essential ingredient in many sushi dishes. There are many other different types of seaweed apart from Nori which are used in Japanese cooking, such as Wakame, Hijiki and Konbu.
> Shoyu
Shoyu is the name for Japanese soy sauce. Like Kikkoman soy sauce, it is usually made from the four pure ingredients of soybeans, wheat, water and salt. In Japan, it has the same status as a condiment that salt and pepper have in the western world.
> Tofu
Tofu is produced from soybeans and has hardly any flavour of its own. It easily absorbs the flavours of the other ingredients in the dish. Tofu is very popular in vegetarian dishes as a substitute for meat due to its high protein content.
> Wasabi
Wasabi is a special seasoning unique to Japanese cuisine. The wasabi root is peeled and grated for the seasoning of many different dishes. Wasabi is difficult to buy in fresh form and is expensive so it is most often used as a paste or powder. It should be used sparingly as it has an intensely hot flavour.
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