Sakura! Cherry blossoms!

Now, the whole population in Japan waits for the Sakura no Hana to bloom! The weather forecasts on TV announce cherry blossom forecasts along with daily weather forecasts. This helps people plan a special trip to enjoy the flowers at distant locations and arrange picnics under the Sakura no Hana at their favorite neighborhood parks and gardens.

Japan celebrates the end and beginning of the school year during this festive time. No one in Japan can pass this season without having Sakura-mochi, a sweet azuki bean paste stuffed pounded sticky rice cake wrapped in salt-pickled cherry blossom leaves.

Immersion Kyushu Tour

My annual Immersion Kyushu tour runs November 12-23 this year. Join me to experience Japan inside out.

The space is limited to 9 attendees. Sign up quickly!

Here are some past attendees' reviews of the tour:

"Hiroko, thank you very much for an amazing tour. I appreciate the tour's overall planning, attention to detail, variety of activities, and your infinite knowledge of Japanese things. It was a lot of fun! All the hotels were different and fabulous."

"This trip exceeded all of our expectations! We most enjoyed going to the mountainous and rural areas of Kyushu. We were happy to be where most tourists don’t go. You introduced us not only to great Japanese cuisine in so many forms but also to the Japanese people and their culture. It was a bonus to hike and be close to nature on many of our outings. Immersion Kyushu was a trip of a lifetime!"

"Visiting the volcanoes and the historic (built in 620) temple were memorable."

"Having a Fucha-ryori, a temple vegetarian meal, at the historical and venerable Kofukuji temple in Nagasaki was an exquisite experience."

"Unlike other tours with other operators, your tour includes all meals and is all-inclusive, so there are few add-on costs."

How to Make Dashi Stock

After the hard-working six weeks of the Japanese Cuisine Studies—The Japanese Concentration Program—at the Culinary Institute of America, the students left for Japan and are touring the country to enrich their Japanese studies. I am recharging my battery. I can't wait to see them in my class on April 1st.

During the first six weeks of the Japanese Cuisine study, the students made dashi stock—a Japanese stock made of water, kombu (kelp), and katsuobushi (shaved bonito fish flakes)—from scratch in class every day. They soon realized that dashi stock is integral to Japanese dish preparations, both casual and formal. 

Miso soup, Nikujaga (simmered beef and potato), Oyakodon (chicken and egg on top of rice), Dashimaki tamago (rolled Japanese omelet), Suimono (formal Japanese soup), Chawanmushi (savory egg custard), Udon and Soba (noodle dishes) and Takikomi gohan (rice cooked with other ingredients). 

So, I've written dashi stock tips and recipes for home cooks and professional chefs and added it to my website. Once you know how to make dashi stock in your kitchen, preparing Japanese dishes is simple and easy.

Let’s cook and enjoy more Japanese meals at home!
Itadakimasu and Gochisosama!