Japanese cuisine emphasizes the use of seasonal ingredients. We call ingredients in season “Shun” . In Japan seasonal ingredients are not limited to just vegetables, which may be the case here in America. We love to enjoy seasonal seafood harvested in different parts of Japanese water. I, however, admit that the consumer’s awareness of seasonal seafood has been changing. Today most of...
Read MoreRamps are in – sakari season has arrived
Long waited freshly harvested ramps have finally arrived at our neighbor Union Square Farmers Market this Saturday. Ramps are wild onion which has pleasant garlic aroma and taste. Ramps disappear from the market in a month or so, so I will be sautéing it (I used tonight the miso sauce which will be introduced in my upcoming book, Hiroko’s American Kitchen), deep-frying it (tempura) and simmering it in the next four weeks. Here is the last part of shun story. Nagori is...
Read MoreBack to Shun story
Shun: The Peak of Flavor – From Hiroko’s American Kitchen Let me go back and continue to Shun story. After Hashiri, the season called Sakari follows. “Sakari describes food items that are at the very pinnacle of their season. They are larger, meatier, mightier, and more flavorful and nutritionally superior than at any other time of year. They are also bountiful, and therefore more economical.” I am waiting for lamps….which has not yet entered...
Read MoreShad and Shad roe and continuation of Shun
When I moved to New York City the selection of fish at local fish monger disappointed me. I craved for extremely fresh fish (for cooking purpose), oily fish (sardine, mackerel, herring), locally caught fish and whole fish. In my second year in NYC at the beginning of May I was introduced to Shad. It was a flavorful fish with pleasant oiliness (but not as flavorful as my dear sardine or mackerel), and I quickly fell love with it. The season of Shad in the city lasted only...
Read MoreShun and Burdock gobo
Suddenly in the past couple of days in NYC we are enjoying (with a big ?; we did not have a real cold usual winter) spring like weather. Some people are already switching sweater and coat to tank top and summer dress. Now I am eagerly waiting for lamps at our local Union Square farmers market. Lamps has become my shun favorite at early spring after moving to NYC 13 years ago. Here is a part of shun description, an excerpt from my upcoming book, Hiroko’s American...
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