EAT IN ASIA / DESTINATIONS / Japan
Colorful morning and night markets; street food stalls; local vendors; ice cream sold from a bicycle; grilled food from in front of the owner's house - that is what makes local street food so unique. Add to it local flavors and freshness and you will get a perfect mix.
Koyasan is famous not only for monasteries but also for sweets. And that was also the place where we had enough time to visit local shops with wagashi. Sophisticated in their design, beautiful and colorful.
Do you want to make a traditional shoujin ryouri dish at home? It is not so difficult to make a delicious Goma Dofu! To prepare it you need only a couple of ingredients.
What is tofu made of? Everyone would say that from soybeans. And that’s true. However, soy is not the only one! Try a traditional dish from Zen Buddhist monks' cuisine!
Walking around streets of Yokohama and spending some time at the Tokyo Bay was a nice relax and let us experience a local life. That was also the first time we saw so many vending machines in one place.
Eaten in Japan as a relish, by children like a candy, added to almost every meal, soaked in alcohol or drinks – umeboshi is everywhere. And there is plentiful of reasons, why it is so.
In my previous post I was writing about Japanese sweets, that are basing mainly on Azuki beans. Today, I want to show you and explain some other local wagashi, that we had during our stay. And that time, don’t worry, ‘anko’ won’t be dominant! ;)
Stuffed steamed rice wrapped in a nori leaf - a healthy snack, that was always eaten with curiosity. What would the next bite reveal?
Being in Japan and not eating the original Japanese tofu would be impossible for me. Without any doubt you can get tofu at yours, but that’s not the same thing. Soft, hard and freeze-dried...
When I think about Sapporo, I think about Winter Olympics in 1972. And there is much more to do and see than only a ski jump. One of the towns that are close to Sapporo is Otaru. A nice, little town, with great buildings, some remaining historical architecture and brewery!
Have you ever heard about gyoza? About Japanese dumplings with a delicious finely chopped stuffing? So what is that exactly?
When I think about the Japanese cuisine, what comes to my mind is rice, seaweeds, sushi and of course mushrooms. Plenty of different mushrooms, served in different ways, with different flavors and textures.
You know it very well, and probably like it even more. But how does it look like in Japan? Where to buy it? Where to eat? When to eat? And what is in it? Fish? Vegetables? Something else?
Japanese traditional cuisine bases on rice and miso soup. Apart from that, noodles as udon or soba are also popular and often eaten cold or hot with seaweeds or seasonal ingredients. Fish and seafood are served grilled, raw or in a famous tempura. All kind of sushi and sashimi is highly available in all stores, fresh, cooled and full of flavor. Even seasoned rice wrapped in seaweeds – onigiri, tastes different. Japan is also a country where you can find superfood. Nutrient-rich natto, seaweeds, mushrooms and green tea are only some examples of them. Being in Japan, you cannot also miss a traditional tea ceremony, that’s a combination of tradition and modern times.