From Japan with Love

Do you eat persimmons in your country? In Japan, persimmons are one of the most popular autumn fruits. In the countryside, people often receive persimmons from their family trees. I buy them at the supermarket. あなたの国では柿をたべますか？ 日本では柿は秋を代表する果物です。 田舎では家の木になった柿をもらう事も多いです。私はスーパーで買います。 At the supermarket, persimmons are sold like this. スーパーでは柿はこんな風に売られていますよ。 Seedless persimmons種(たね)なし柿(がき) This is a type of persimmon that has no seeds and is very easy to eat. The number next to the price tag indicates the sweetness of the fruit. これは種がないタイプの柿で、とても食べやすいです。 値札の横の数字は果物の甘さを表しています。 In the fruit section of supermarkets, there is sometimes an indication of sweetness like this. This persimmon has a sugar content of 14, so it's sweet. スーパーの果物コーナーにはこのように甘さを示す表示がついている事があります。この柿は糖度14なので、甘いですね🤗 Which softness do you like? あなたはどれくらいの柔らかさが好き？ Persimmons are delicious even if they are a little hard, as long as the skin is orange. Different people have different tastes. 柿は皮がオレンジ色で...

"Itadakimasu" is a word that Japanese people say before eating meal.  The most polite way is to put our hands together as shown in the picture. There is no English equivalent for the word "Itadakimasu". I guess the literal translation would be "I'll take it." The Meaning of "Itadakimasu Ever since I was a little girl, I always used to say it before eating meal, thinking it was a way to express my gratitude. I would like to share with you an episode when I learned the true meaning. It was during a school trip in elementary school. We had steak for dinner. We were overjoyed, not expecting such a feast on a school trip. Just as we were about to say "Itadakimasu" with our hands together, the principal began to speak. Do you know the meaning of "Itadakimasu"? Principal's talk "Itadakimasu" means to take life. The steak you see in front of you now was alive as a cow. But the reason it is here now is to save ...

Have you ever had chicken noodle soup? The Ghibli movie 「Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea」 This chicken ramen is the ramen that Sosuke's mother, Lisa, made for Sosuke and Ponyo on a stormy day. It looks so delicious with Ponyo's favorite egg and ham in it. Ghibli works are good at expressing food. This scene makes me want to eat chicken noodle soup. How to make chicken noodle soup This is ramen, but I personally think of it as a snack. They taste different from regular ramen, and what's more, they're easy to make! When I make a regular bag of instant noodles, I add ham or vegetables, but I like to eat my chicken ramen without adding anything to it. A recipe for chicken noodle soup? Just add hot water and wait 3 minutes. That's it. My recipe is too easy.😂 The reason why the middle of it is slightly indented is to prevent the egg from slipping when you put a raw egg in it, and it is called an egg pocket. In Japan, eggs are collected and distributed using good hygiene prac...

The other day, I introduced Japanese dumplings (gyouza) available at supermarkets and restaurants. 🔶 We love Japanese dumplings (gyouza). Making gyoza at home is a lot of fun and creates an event-like atmosphere. Furthermore, by being creative with the ingredients you put inside, you can enjoy a variety of flavors. Yesterday I made Japanese dumplings (gyouza), taking pictures to give to the blog. Here are a few examples.😉 If you have trouble wrapping it, you can do it this way.👍 I arranged them neatly in a frying pan. One of the best things about gyoza is that we can change the ingredients to make our own. The other day, my friends and I tried to find new ingredients for gyoza. Seafood and cheese were delicious, and when we added bananas and chocolate, it became a dessert.😉 By the way... I noticed it while writing the article. Recipes are much, much easier to understand in a video than in a blog.😅 Video Recipe Site In Japan, video recipe sites are very popular. It's fun to jus...

Summer is in full swing in Japan. Some people lose their appetite due to the heat, some get sick due to the air conditioner, and some do not get enough sleep In Japan, such symptoms peculiar to summer are called "夏バテ(natsu bate)". A variety of products to combat the summer heat are on sale. This time, I'd like to introduce you to the snack corner. Salty and sour snacks are popular in summer. To replenish salt When you sweat a lot, the salt in your body is released along with the water. It is said that if you want to hydrate effectively, it is better to take a little salt and sugar together than to drink only water. For this reason, the candy section is lined with products that are designed to replenish salt. Candy is convenient because it is easy to carry around when you go out. Some come in tablet form. However, please be careful not to take in too much salt.😉 Salty sweets 塩スイーツ Speaking of salt... Since around 2008, "salt" has ...

There are many kinds of gyoza in the world, but in Japan, gyoza means pan-fried dumplings. Pan-fried dumplings ＝焼き餃子(yaki-gyouza) Japanese dumplings has a lot of garlic in it. I think there are few Japanese people who don't like gyoza. At least, there are none around me. The charm of Japanese gyoza is that it contains lots of garlic, chives and other savory vegetables! The thin and crispy skin is also another characteristic of Japanese gyoza. That's delicious, but be careful of the smell from your mouth the next day. So many people in jobs where they meet people and women refrain from eating them. I used to eat gyoza only on Fridays or Saturdays. But lately I have been eating them anytime I want. Why? It's because we all wear masks and they don't smell.😁 Dumplings bought at the supermarket  Bake-only frozen dumplings are a busy person's best friend!  I looked up what kind of dumplings we could buy at the supermarket. The left side of the photo is from U...

I had matcha green tea soba that my friend sent me for lunch. What is soba? Soba are noodles made from buckwheat flour. Cold soba is eaten by dipping it in a sauce. Cold soba noodles, which are easy to make, are great on a hot day. I keep a few different kinds of soba in stock. How to cook Here's what it looks like inside the bag I usually eat about two batches per person, but This time I will make only one bunch. The back of the bag has instructions on how to make it. Be sure to check the boiling time, as it varies each items. Boil time this time is 3 minutes. Okay! Adjust the boiling time to your liking. I usually shorten it by about 30 seconds. Boil them in plenty of water. I spread them out to prevent them from sticking. When they're done boiling, rinse them quickly in ice water, drain, and they're ready to go! Make the dipping sauce I use instant dipping sauce. The number in yellow marker is important. This is the type that I...

I'm just chilling with a glass of homemade perilla(しそshiso) juice. It is sweet with a slight sourness that is refreshing.😉 We can buy the red perilla at super market in summer. perilla: しそshiso 📝Recipe 1.Boil the perilla and strain it. 2.Add the sugar. 3.Add a little citric acid or apple cider vinegar.

 Today, the Midsummer Day of the Ox is the day that the Japanese people eat eel. The slightly sweet sauce is mainly a mixture of soy sauce, sake and sugar. It's really tasty. But it became expensive due to overfishing. Nowadays it’s a luxurious treat. Eel contains lots of vitamins. A, B1, B2, D and especially E. Rich in calcium, protein and high-quality minerals, too. It’s been considered as one of the most nutritious food. Eating eel on the Midsummer day of the ox is supposedly boosts  one's stamina against the sweltering summer in Japan!!

 I always stock this tofu in the refrigerator. The texture of it is smooth. However most of the time we use soy sauce with tofu, it goes well with salt or even simply on its own. When you come to Japan, please try it. I am strongly recommended it. 冷蔵庫にはいつもこの豆腐をストックしています。舌触りがなめらかなんです。 豆腐には醤油を使う事が多いですが、これは塩にも合うし、何もつけなくても美味しいです。 日本に来ることがあれば、ぜひ試してみてね。強くオススメします。

Chirashi-zusi  is a kind of sushi that looks a little like a rice salad. What is the chirashi-zusi  Vinegared rice is spread out in a dish, and different kinds of seafood or other ingredients are mixed in or placed on top of the rice.  As usual, we have to prepare many ingredients befor making it. It's also bothersome to make the vinegared rice when we are busy. Easy way In those cases, we use it for making Chirashi-zusi easily. In this package, there are cooked ingredients and powder vinegar. So the only thing we have to do is cook the rice and mix in the ingredients. You can add the toppings as you like. My favorite toppings are the fried eggs, sashimis and snow peas. Use red, green, and yellow ingredients for a beautiful presentation. Avocado is also goes well with Chirashi-zusi. For flavorless ingredients, soak them in a little soy sauce and eat them. I want you to try it! It's fun. ちらし寿司はライスサラダみたいな寿司です。 酢飯に魚介類や他の具材を混ぜたり、乗せたりして盛りつけます。 たくさんの具材や酢飯を用意しなくてはなら...