Uni
Other Names
sea urchin, urchin roe
Description
Uni (pronounced OO-nee, “OO” as in food) is the Japanese name for sea urchin and refers to the bright orange reproductive organs contained inside the spiny shell. The pieces vary in size from under an inch to 3″ long and the color can vary from pale yellow to dark golden orange. [...]
Kombu
Other Names
dashima, dasima, haidai, kelp
Description
Kombu is a type of thick flat seaweed cultivated in the northern waters of Japan. Although it may sound like a plant, seaweed is technically classified as a type of algae. Kombu comes in many forms making it a versatile ingredient with uses ranging from soup stocks to wrappers and [...]
Niboshi
Other Names
iriko, myulchi, dried baby sardines, dried baby anchovies
Description
Niboshi are baby sardines (anchovies by some translations) that have been boiled once then dried. They vary in size from about 1.5″ (pictured below right) to over 3″(pictured below left) long with the smaller ones having a milder flavour. They’re used in both Korean and Japanese cooking [...]
Udon
Other Names
inaniwa udon, kishimen, sanuki udon, okinawa soba, udong
Description
Udon is one of the 3 most common Japanese noodles. While there are many regional differences in thickness and texture, it is almost always made with wheat flour. As with any type of pasta, fresh udon is the best, but they also come frozen as well as [...]
Katsuobushi
Other Names
kezuribushi, kezurikatsuo, hanakatsuo, shaved skipjack, shaved bonito
Description
This is a basic ingredient in the Japanese kitchen made from dried bonito (skipjack tuna) which is a fish prized for its high concentration of umami compounds. By drying it, the level of umami is further concentrated, making katsuobushi a core component of most Japanese stocks (dashi).
What’s [...]
-
Subscribe
