• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Essence of Japan

Essence of Japan

stories & recipes related to Japanese cooking

  • About
  • Cooking Classes
  • Travel with Yoko
  • Recipe / Blog
    • Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Small Plate
    • Main
    • Dessert & Drink
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
    • Food and Culture
  • Contact
  • All Recipes
  • Basics
  • Breakfast
  • Small Plate
  • Main
  • Dessert & Drink
  • Food and Culture

yokosakai

I am originally from Japan and have been living in the US for about 20 years. Over the past 20 years I have traveled to many different parts of the world, seen different cultures, and tasted all kinds of interesting food. In between I studied anthropology, art and interior design.

I currently live outside Boston and I teach cooking in continuing education programs and at home. I also take on freelance interior design projects.

I hope you enjoy the blog!

Yoko

Japanese Meal

Japanese cuisine — notable for its simplicity of flavors — still does. “Our food is understated, simple. Our idea of sophisticated is beautiful-looking food with fresh, clean flavor,” And lots …

Read moreJapanese Meal

Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise

If you have never heard of Kewpie mayonnaise, it is the brand name for Japanese mayonnaise by Ajinomoto.  As you might imagine, there is a cute drawing of a Kewpie …

Read moreJapanese Kewpie Mayonnaise

Sweet Mochi Topping

Please watch the video for the instructions. Ingredients:Mochiko 1/2C (glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour)Sugar 1/4C sugarWater 1/3CCornstarch

Read moreSweet Mochi Topping

Natto and How To Eat It

Natto is a fermented soybean, and it is traditional and staple of Japanese food.  Compared to tempeh which is another fermented soybean originated in Indonesia, Natto is wet and slimy, …

Read moreNatto and How To Eat It

Wagashi

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery typically made from seasonal plant ingredients such as azuki bean, pumpkin and sweet potatoes.  Since wagashi has strong tied with seasons, the menu changes …

Read moreWagashi

Hippari Udon

Hippari Udon which means, pulled udon, is a regional specialty from Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku Japan.  Nobody knows where the name actually came from, but some people think it came …

Read moreHippari Udon

Tonkatsu sauce

Tonkatsu sauce is Japanese sauce that used for tonkatsu which is Japanese style fried breaded pork cutlets and for other fried foods mainly.  The taste is somewhere between Worcestershire sauce …

Read moreTonkatsu sauce

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is a deep fried breaded pork, and is a Japanese invention obviously with strong influence of European cuisine.  Now you are wondering what the different between tonkatsu and pork …

Read moreTonkatsu

Daikon Takikomi Gohan

Takikomi gohan, or aji gohan as it is sometimes known, is seasoned steamed rice with a few other ingredients added for flavor. The added ingredients are typically various vegetables, but …

Read moreDaikon Takikomi Gohan

Fried Tuna with Sweet Soy Sauce

When I was in Japan this summer, I bought an “ekiben” for my 2 hours train trip. Ekiben is a shortened word for eki bento, which means train station (eki) …

Read moreFried Tuna with Sweet Soy Sauce

Japanese Fried or Baked Chicken

Kara-age is a Japanese cooking method that is used typically for chicken or fish. The chicken or fish is marinated in a soy sauce based marinade with ginger and garlic, …

Read moreJapanese Fried or Baked Chicken

Japanese Potato Salad

There are so many varieties of potato salad in the world.  Every country and often every home has its own unique recipe, and it’s all good.   Japan is not …

Read moreJapanese Potato Salad

Tamagoyaki

Tamagoyaki means grilled egg in translation, and is a type of Japanese omelette.  There are different types of tamagoyaki depending on the additional ingredients for different purposes or occasions, and …

Read moreTamagoyaki

Japanese Candied Chestnuts

When chestnut season comes around Thanksgiving, I make my first kuri-no-shibukawani (candied chestnuts) for the season, and I make the second one for a traditional Japanese New Year’s day meal. …

Read moreJapanese Candied Chestnuts

Hijiki

Hijiki is a wild sea vegetable that is an important ingredient for Japanese cuisine.  It is a good source of fiber, calcium, and iron. The main cultivation season is from …

Read moreHijiki

Otoshi buta

Otoshi buta is a Japanese “drop lid” typically made from wood, although nowadays silicon, plastic, and other materials are also used.  “Drop lid” means it is small enough so that …

Read moreOtoshi buta

Trader Joe’s Japanese fried Rice

Trader Joe’s sells Japanese Fried Rice in the frozen section.  Normally I am a bit skeptical about any American-made Japanese products, but I was surprised by this one.  Not just …

Read moreTrader Joe’s Japanese fried Rice

Roasted Soy Beans

Today is Setsubun (the literal meaning is seasonal division) which is the day before the beginning of Spring under the Japanese lunar calendar.  It is the day to chase away …

Read moreRoasted Soy Beans

Yaki Onigiri

Onigiri means rice ball, and yaki onigiri means grilled rice ball.  All onigiri are very tasty and are considered a comfort food by most Japanese people.  And, yaki onigiri are …

Read moreYaki Onigiri

Soy Marinated Horseradish

The first time I ate fresh horseradish was in the spring of the year I started living in Hokkaido, northernmost prefecture because it only grows in cold climates. My cousin …

Read moreSoy Marinated Horseradish

Doyo no Ushino Hi – Unagi Day –

Today is a Eel Day in Japan.  It is the day you eat unagi to boost your endurance to get through a very hot summer since people believe unagi is a …

Read moreDoyo no Ushino Hi – Unagi Day –

Zakkoku Mai 2

I have introduced zakkoku mai a while ago in this blog so please check the post if you don’t know what it is.  Basically zakkoku means all the grain except …

Read moreZakkoku Mai 2

Soy Marinated Egg Yolk

Here is a recipe for the simplest and the tastiest way of preparing egg yolks.  Just put it in a small container, pour some soy sauce and let it marinate …

Read moreSoy Marinated Egg Yolk

Zakkoku Mai

Zakkoku means whole grains, and mai means rice in Japanese. In Japan, people really love to eat white rice, and it is a very important part of our cuisine. But …

Read moreZakkoku Mai
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Next

Essence of Japan

info@essenceofjapan.net

Nagoya JAPAN
Boston USA

Recent Posts

Search

Copyright © 2023 · Essence of Japan · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme