Announcement of Kyushu with Hiroko 2019: Now it is the time to announce the Kyushu with Hiroko November 3-14, 2019. This is the second Kyushu tour to be offered and conducted by Hiroko; It is designed expressly to accommodate those who expressed interest in the 2018 tour, but because of scheduling issues could not join, and for those who have not previously been acquainted with this unique travel, educational and thoroughly enjoyable experience. The 2018 tour is fully...
Read MorePlease Taste True Flavor of Me!
“Don’t call me ‘fish flakes’, Don’t call me ‘bonito flakes’. Please understand me better! Please shave me into flakes from a solid block of katsuobushi and taste the true flavor of me.” Well, if I were katsuobushi, I would be screaming at you like that. Recently my friend Chef David, brought to my kitchen a katsuobushi (block of dried and smoked skipjack tuna). David obtained it 3 months ago on his trip to Makurazaki-town – the town famous for katsuobushi in Kagoshima...
Read MoreSeason of Fish for Katsuobushi; Katsuo!
You know fish flakes which we use in the Japanese kitchen to prepare slight smoky, umami rich dashi (Japanese fish stock). This fish flakes is made from a fish, called skipjack tuna. In Japan we catch young, less oily skipjack tuna during spring time and process it to make katsuobushi, a hard woodlike block of dried fish (photo). To become this product fish is filleted, boned, steamed, smoked, dried in the sun and mold is applied. Molding does many things – remove...
Read MoreThis gorgeous Katsuo (skipjack tuna)!
This gorgeous katsuo (skipjack tuna) comes from Blue Moon Seafood who operate their own fishing boat set up a retail stand every Wednesday here at the farmers market held in Union Square. Locals know that they carry the best fish in the town. The fisherman, Alex Villani, moors his fish boat at Mattituck Inlet in Long Island. He goes out to the sea around 3:30am and moves to a point about 4 miles from the shore where he throws his nets to snare the local seasonal fish. Porgy...
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