A Reading & Watching List for Japanese Cuisine

This list serves a a great starting point for anyone interested in exploring the history of, system behind, or preparation of Japanese cuisine. A perfect blend of written and visual sources, some casual, others academic, this collection covers many bases--so feel free to jump in and learn more about this fascinating food culture... Read More

The Gifts of Gifu: An Interview

My friend Erika Urushiyama, or, Erika-san, as I normally address her, hails from the verdantly green Gifu prefecture, located in the center of the Japanese mainland. Known for its quaint recreations of ancient farming villages, Gifu has always served as a picturesque home for Japanese agriculture and food history. I spoke to her over Skype... Read More

Mrs. Hashimoto’s Curry Rice

Mrs. Hashimoto carried her age in her hands, each fold a year, each crease a line of crops. They reminded me of my own grandmother’s hands, gnarled by time, balls of coal collapsing into diamond. Her quick and falsetto cackle, of the entirely benevolent kind, referenced my mother’s, an auditory reminder to keep a cheery disposition at your side like a gun. I found home in her, which was strange, given that I was halfway around the globe—stranded in the middle of an ocean of green earth and distant birdsong. Read More

A National Staple: Miso Soup

  Omnipresent on every Japanese tablespace, miso soup plays the fetching roles of breakfast nourishment, lunch accompaniment, and dinner appetizer. Highlighting the culinary powerhouse that is fermented soybean paste, aka miso, miso soup supports almost every Japanese meal like a gastronomically–inclined Atlas. Read More