Tag Archives: Japanese Gastronomy

Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, sushi, 寿司

Sushi & Sashimi: The Basics 4/2: Sushi Presentation-Rolls (updated & amended)

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SUSHI-ROLL-2-SIZES
Futo-Maki/Large sushi roll with normal size nori-maki for comparison

I stopped counting the number of complaints I received about the so-called sushi rolls they serve in other countries. “Gross”, “Impossible to finish”, “Nothing to do with sushi”, and so forth.
This is like any “ethnic” food served outside its country of origin: some unscrupulous restaurateurs/businessmen catch on the fad and immediately serve “authentic” cuisine to gullible/unknowing customers.
But soon or later, thanks to better and faster global communications, the same customers will realize their mistake and stop patronizing such establishments.
The problem is that very often they are left with no decent sushi restaurant to visit.
About time to learn to make these famous rolls and enjoy them at home or parties until that great real sushi restaurant comes to town!
Here are some examples of sushi rolls to help you with your own crations!

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California Roll by Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City

-Sushi do not have all to be of the”California Roll” type.
Below are typical examples of “futo maki/large maki” with the seaweed/nori outside.

SUSHI-ROLL-HOME-TYPE-1
Home-type futo-maki/large sushi roll 1

SUSHI-ROLL-HOME-TYPE-2
Home-type futo-maki/large sushi roll 2

They can be larger of course, but there is limit to size.
Below are great examples of what can be achieved with large types:

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Futo maki roll: (Large) Rainbow Roll at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

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Pirikara Hotate Futo maki/large spicy scallops roll at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

SUSHI-ROLL-TONKATSU
Tonkatsu sushi roll

Nori-maki style rolls are probably the easiest to make, serve and eat.
And there are so many possibilities as you can devise them with a single ingredient!

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Negi-toro nori maki sushi roll at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

vegan-sushi3
Kanpyo maki/dried gourd shavings roll

Making “decoration rolls” for the family can be great fun!
Look below for some examples:

SUSHI-ROLL-DECORATION

SUSHI-ROLL-DECORATION-2

Another type of roll very popular in Japanese restaurants and homes is te-maki/手巻き, literally hand-roll.
They have the advantage that you can choose your own ingredients at will!

TE-MAKI-ZUSHI-HOMESTYLE
Home-style te-maki plate!

TE-MAKI-2
Te-maki set served at a sushi restaurant.
Can you recognize the ingredients?

TE-MAKI-3
How about this one, also served in a sushi restaurant! Looks very healthy!

TE-MAKI-1
Japanese home-style te-maki made with cheese, shiso and canned tuna!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
With a Glass,
Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Bento, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, 弁当

Shizuoka Ekiben/Railway Station Bento: Fuji No Mikaku

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Ekiben/Railway Bento Boxes are many, even in Shizuoka City (don’t worry I will soon investigate other cities!) and this stimulates a healthy competition not only in ingredients and taste but also in design!

So this particular ekiben called “Fuji no Mikaku/不二の味覚/The only taste of its kind” came as a triangular box!

The wrap made for some beautiful design!

A small “tongue” helps you open the box. The latter is very light and easily disposable.

Tokaiken Co. went as far as providing a menu card inside! Makes for a cute souvenir!

As usual a translucent sheet of hard paper protected the food!

Alright, what do we have here?

Chahan Sakuraebi Chirashi/Rice steamed in tea and decorated with fried Cherry Shrimps.

From bottom up, left top right:
Jelly for dessert
Nibutaniku/simmered pork with bits of yuzu/lime
A small bottle of wasabi miso sauce
Jyako Iri Tamagoyaki/japanese omelette with sardine whiting
Shiitake mushroom, sweet konbu/seaweed, carrot, peas in the pod, kabocha and bamboo shoot.

For a better view of the tamagoyaki!

And for a better view of the tamagoyaki’s companions!

The miso sauce was delicious!

Top corner from bottom up:
Tofu Hamburuger (no meat, all vegestables with some seaweed)
Renkon Hasami Age/Deep-fried lotus root sandwich
Kuro Hanpen no Tenpura/sardine fish paste (a Shizuoka specialty) fried as tempura

For a better view of the last two with their fresh lettuce!

Very healthy and perfect balance!

To be continued!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
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Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sushi

Sushi & Sashimi: The Basics 4/1: Sushi Presentations (updated & amended)

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SUSHIK-09-08-31-7
Sushi Millefeuille at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

Sushi does come ito many guises and shapes (and colours).
Too many people think it is only all nigiri and rolls.
Any chef worthy of his/her name will prove you otherwise!

Alright, then. What do they have to offer?

SUSHIK-09-08-31-9
Magurozuke/Marinated tuna (Akami/lean part) Nigiri at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

NIGIRI/NIGIRIZUSHI:

Nigiri/握り literally means “grip/grasp/press” in Japanese.
The shari/シャリ is made by scooping the right amount of sushi rice in one hand (usually the left hand) and making a “ball” of it. Actually it is more oblong than round. Size varies with the chef and restaurant, but an experienced chef is capable to reproducing such a ball to the same exact amount of grains. They say it takes seven years to become a master at making shari!
The next step, but not always, is to smear a little wasabi on top of the rice ball and then top it with an ingredient of your choice. Finally the chef will press it around the top of the shari before depositing it on a plate (or on a bamboo leaf) or on small wooden plate in front of the customer.
In some cases the wasabi will be placed in the from of a small ball on top of the neta/ネタ (topping) as on anago/アナゴ (conger eel).
All kinds of neta/toppings can be wrapped around the top.

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Sakura Nigiri/Horsemeat Nigiri at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City

More ingredients will be added as seasoning on top of the topping such as grated ginger and chopped leeks (see above),

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Pickled Japanese plum/umeboshi/梅干 as above (on op of boiled mitsuba/trefoil at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City)

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Grated lime zest as above (on top of pickled/marinated daikon at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City),

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Grated daikon and chili pepper as above (on top of aburi sanma/lightly grilled mackerel pike)

ANAGO-SUSHI

Or tare/sauce as above(on top of anago/アナゴ)

TAMAGO-NIGIRI

A strip of dried seaweed/nori/海苔 can be used to secure the neta as with tamagoyaki/卵焼き above.

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The same strip of nori can circled around a really round shari as above (thinly cut ika/烏賊/squid arranged into a tsuru/鶴/crane shape)

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Boiled trefoil/Mitsuba and fresh cucmber/Kyuuri Gunkan at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City

GUNKAN/GUNKAN SUSHI:

When a wider strip of nori is wrapped around a shari to prevent the topping to fall over, it is called a gunkan/軍艦/mothership.

UMIBUDOGUNKAN
Umibudo/Sea Grapes Gunkan

It is also useful to emphasize the neta as above,

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or it can be designed as purposefully overflowing as above (ikura/salmon roe gunkan)!

ST-VALENTINE-SUSHI

What about this tiny St-Valentine Gunkan?

For more gunkan fun go HERE!

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Chirashizushi served in Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

CHIRASHIZUSHI:

Chirashizusi/散らし寿司 means “decoration Sushi”.
It is very popular in homes where large quantities can prepared for the family and still designed as to please the eye.

MILLEFEUILLE-EX

Millefeuille sushi served in Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

Millefeuille is anaother typ of chirashizushi! Very easy to make and so impressive! (use a baking circle!)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
With a Glass,
Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

藤枝市, 農業, Fujieda City, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, 杉井酒造

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Yaoyorazu Yamahai Junmai/Homarefuji Rice

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There are now 19 out of 28 breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture producing brews made with locally-grown sakamai/sake rice.
Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City has been experimenting with Shizuoka-grown Homarefuji/誉富士 rice right from the very beginning.
Now, they have come up for the last couple of years with a traditional brew that a lot of other breweries avoid because of its difficulty: Yamahai/山廃!

It does have a peculiar name: Yaorazu/八百萬 that even Japanese have a hard time to read! It is an allusion to a Shinto Shrine whose history dates back to the 8th Century!

Sugii Brewery: Yaoyorazu Yamahai Junmai Homarefuji Rice/杉井酒造ー八百萬山廃純米誉富士

Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to 70%
Dryness: +6
Acidity: 2.3 (vry high for Shizuoka!)
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in Novemwber 2010

Clarity: Very clear
Color: faint yellow hue (normal for Yamahai)
Aroma: Light, sweetish. Custard, banana, macadamia nuts
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack.
Complex: dry oranges, almonds.
Turns a little sweetish later to make a quick dry comeback.
Disappears quickly for a yamahai.
Alcohol pepping up later.
Changes little with food.

Overall: More distinguished than expected for a yamahai.
A sake designed for food? Very probably as I found it in many izakayas in Fujieda City.
Strong and solid sake.
Perfect for food, especially that in izakaya.
Can be enjoyed slowly at home with a snack!

Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, sushi

Sushi & Sashimi: The Basics 4/4: Sushi Presentations-Te-Mari Zushi (updated and amended)

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Te-Mari Sushi made by the Missus for my bento!

A comment by my new friend Sissy at With a Glass convinced me it was time to re-publish explanations of the techniques behind a very enjoyable form of sushi, namely Te-Mari Sushi/手まり寿司!

Te-Mari Sushi was apparently made poular in Kyoto first where gastronomy is more “feminine” than in any other part of Japan. It is very easy to make, present and carry around.
It is more welcome when you realize people in Kyoto have more socializing to do than anywhere else, including eating and drinking. Making portions smaller and more artistic are a necessity there!
Actually Te-Mari Sushi can be made in any size and may include any ingredients, be it for omnivores, adults, ladies, children, vegetarian or vegans!

TECHNIQUE:

The technique is simple enough: having prepared the sushi rice, take a piece of cellophane paper and first put the tane/topping outer surface down, then place some rice over it. Close the cellphane paper by twisting it and press the sushi into a ball (“mari”) in your hand (“te”)! Unwrap it, place it on a plate, tray or in a box and add some more topping if neceassary!

Look at the demonstration pics below for better understanding!
In that case the rice ball is made first inside a piece of cellophane and wrapped again with the toppings!

Tai/Seabream

Ebi/boiled shrimp

Smoked Salmon

Pickled fish

SUGGESTIONS & SAMPLES:

Below are suggestions and samples for Te-Mari Sushi.
Frankly speaking, varaiations are endless. Have good fun!

For a tea party?

For a Lady’s bento?

For a Gentleman’s bento?

For a special occasion?

For a European/American style party?

For Ladies only?

Sweet te-mari for Children!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
With a Glass,
Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

野菜, 野菜亭, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Seaweed, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Vegan’s Paradise in Shizuoka: Yasaitei!

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Service: Very friendly and attentive
Facilities: Very clean overall. Superb toilets.
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Great choice of local & Japanese vegetables. Kansai-style oden. All traditional ladies staff in tradtional izakaya. Good wines, shochu and sake List.

Spring is a boon for an izakaya like Yasaitei which specializes in vegetable cuisine (although you can get anything from fish to meat). Although I’m not, it is always great fun to ask for vegan or vegetarian dishes to Ms. Aki Suzuki/鈴木朋, chef at Yasaitei.

As vegetables are only seasonal, it is a good idea to sit at the counter and have a good look at them:

I will let you guess them out (mind you, it is not too difficult!)!

Enormous, aren’t they?

Local, fresh and big!

While I was teasing Aki San I was brought my snack with my first drink.

This seaweed is called “mekabu/和布蕪”. It is found in the shape of balls in the nearby sea and has to be chopped first before serving it with some ponzu and sesame seeds. It is said to be extremely healthy, full of nutrients and especially beneficial to humans! After all, seaweed is the vegetable of the ocean!

As for my drink I chose a rice shochu, brewed by Hana no Mai Brewery in Hamamatsu City, called Acho no Tsubome.
Incidentally, this shochu is vegan! And the art so cute!

I was not here for a full dinner but for a quick snack before going back to work.
So Aki san fried shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes and plenty of Spring cabbage in peperocino style and served them decorated with local fresh cress.

For such cuisine Aki San will use only absolutely top-class Italian virgin olive oil and a minimum of seasoning, mainly salt, pepper and chili so as to preserve the true taste of the vegetables.
Let me show you some closer shots for a better look!

From the top.

From the top, a little bit closer.

A side view.

And another.

Although she cooks all kinds of dishes, including omnivore, Aki San will be glad to oblige and devise strictly vegan or vegetarian dishes for you and even a full meal if requested at least a day in advance!

YASAITEI/野菜亭
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended
Seating: 6 at counter + 12 at tables
Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

野菜, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural products as Appetizers: Aquavite!

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First appetizer from the side.

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive. Top-class Italian wines. Private room for~8 people.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at counter!

You don’t need to go for the whole course to sample Shizuoka agricultural products at your favorite restaurant.
If it is a good enough restaurant, especially in Japan and Shizuoka, a great chef will be more than happy to serve you a few appetizers of his own with the drinks you have pordered. True to say, you do need to build a special relation with the chef, but that is one reason why you visit the restaurant, isn’t it?

First appetizer from the top.

Last night I did visit Aquavite in Shizuoka City where I asked the chef, Masaru Aoki/青木勝 to concoct a few tidbits as I was having a late break from work.
I did have quite a few but I will introuce the best two of the evening!

The first appetizer “from the back”.

The first appetizer consisted of a scallop lightly fried in olive oil to keep it half raw inside. It was topped with a piece of fried lotus root/renkon from Asabata, shizuoka City and decorated with shavings of home-made karasumi/カラスミ/botarga in Italian or boutargue in French, a Shizuoka specialty of the dried mullet roe.
The salad spinach came from Nagomi Organic Farm in Fujinomiya City.

The second appetizer.

The second offering of the evening was not all from Shizuoka Prefecture but it was certainly worth a second and third look!

The Little Summer Tomatoes came from the Shizen No Chikara Farm in Shizuoka City and were fried in olive oil just long enough to extract their sweetness.

The fresh shiitake mushrooms had been sent by a friend of Masaru’s from Nagano Prefecture.

The topping/decoration was created with finely chopped Italian raw ham fried to a crisp!
The whole needed little seasoning, what with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the ham, finely balanced with the juicy shiitake mushrooms!

This promises to be the beginning of a neverending story!

AQUAVITE
Address: 420-0034 Shizuoka Shi, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg. 3F
Tel. & fax: 054-2740777
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00 18:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
With a Glass
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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sake, shochu and sushi

葱, 農業, Gastronomy, Leeks, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

Japanese Vegetables 6: Leeks

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negi-1

Leeks, or “negi/葱” in Japanese, are an almost universal vegetable.
It is used in cuisine at restaurants and homes on all continents and have been recognized for ages as very beneficial plant.

Recent research has demonstrated that they are an effective cure against colds in particular, not only for humans, but for many animals, too.
Some people do not appreciate them because of their pungent smell and taste, but this can be taken care of with a couple of simple steps.

Back home in France, we boil the central part of fat leeks and eat them under the name of “poor man’s asparaguses”!

FACTS:
-Season: leeks can be bought all year round, but the best season is from November to February in the Northern Hemisphere.

-Analytic data (as per 100g):

Energy: 28 kcal
Water: 91.7 g
Carbohydrates: 7.2 g

Inorganic qualities:
Potassium: 180 mg
Calcium: 31 mg
Manganese: 0.10 mg
Phosphorus: 26 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Zinc: 0.3 mg

Vitamins:
B1: 0.04 mg
B2: 0.04 mg
B6: 0.11 mg
C: 11 mg
Folic acid: 56 microg.

Dietary fibers: 2.2 g

TIPS:
-Fatter specimens will have more taste.
-Choose specimens with a “wet” bottom cut.
-If you use large specimens raw in salads, first cut 5~8 cm long sections, then cut them thin lengthwise and leave them some time in clean cold water. The pungency will greatly diminish.
-To chop leeks for cooking, cut them first in 5~10 cm sections, then cut them thin lengthwise, and only then, chop them crosswise.

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with Judas’ Ear Mushrooms, or sardine, or mackerel, or seaweed, holps lower blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, and prevents blood vessels hardening.

-Combined with umeboshi/Japanese pickled plums, or Japanese sake, or ginger, or shiso/perilla, helps prevent and cure colds, combats ageing and helps recovery from diseases.

-Combined with onion, or cucumber, or garlic, or Judas’ Ear mushrooms, helps blood flow and combats blood clotting.

-Combined with seaweed/wakame, or sweet potato, or lotus root, helps combat constipation and obesity.

VARIETIES:
There are innemurable varieties in the World, but I will introduce here the main varieties encountered in Japan:

negi-senju
“Senju”
The most common and popular variety. Also called “Nefukanegi”

negi-hakata-manno-negi
“Hakata Manno”:
A choice specimen raised in Kyushu Island

negi-hime
“Me” or “Hime”:
Could be called leek sprouts,too.
Eaten raw in salads, sushi, finger foods.

negi-ito-negi
“Ito” or Thread Leek, used in the same way as “Me/Hime”.

negi-kositsu-negi
“Koshizu”, another common and popular variety.

negi-kujo-futo-negi
“Kujo-Futo”:
A choice specimen originting from Kyoto.

negi-kujo-hoso1
“Kujo Hoso”. Same as above, but a lot thinner.

negi-riiki
“Riiki”
A short fat specimen popular for “nabe” and soups.

negi-shimonita-negi
“Shimonita”.
A fat variety with a short stem and long leaves. Popular with soups and “nabe” (Japanese-style pot-au-feu)


“Sakutonosama Negi”
A variety of the above. Turne sweet upon beig cooked.

“Aka Negi”
Red Leeks in Japanese, soft with little pungency. Considered as a delicacy.


“Wakegi”
Spring onion, a cross between onion and leek. Very popular in salad and as sesaoning.


“Asatsuki”
Chives


“Miyanegi”
From Tochigi Prefecture. Fat and short, their scent and taste are different. Turn sweet with frost.


“Sendai magari Negi”
From Miyagi Prefecture. These leeks bend naturally as they grow!


“Kannon Negi”
From Hiroshima City.


‘Hirokko”
From Yamagata and Akita Prefectures. Very popular cooked with eggs or meat.

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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茶, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tea

Green Tea: Shizuoka First Auctions in 2011

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Tea growers are early-risers!
Since Marufuku Tea Factory (Shizuoka City) in the person of Ms. Asami Itoh/伊藤麻美 had kindly invited me to attend and interview at the official first day of the new tea auctions (officially) held today (April 25th) I found myself the only European (journalist) present at the early hour of 6:30 a.m.!

The event was held at the simply named Shizuoka Tea Building whose premises, inside and outside, were already crowded to the limit!

More than a participant was glad to buy and grab some breakfast/brunch (Japanese-style!)!

Another even bigger project called CHA 88 (coming report!) took the opportunity to advertise itself!

This event held by the whole of Shizuoka Prefecture was inaugurated on the 23rd!

One could enjoy the sight and demonstration of tea massage by an expert!

As a special guest I was wearing a cap with Marufuku Tea Factory written on it (the only journalist offered the privilege that day!)!

All the names of the union member tea companies for an easy check!

A map describing the diffrent tea producing regions of Shizuoka Prefecture!

And plenty of explanations on the different tea varieties!

The official “tea Ladies” of the day! Pretty, aren’t they?

Even the “big guns” had come early: Shizuoka Governor Kawakatsu!

And the new 49-year old Shizuoka City Mayor Tanabe!

This was before the “official speeches”. People got very serious then!

As for the press, TV and other journalists, this was open war! I can’t say I was impressed with their manners… And people think that the Japanese are the epitome of politeness…

The auction room was divided into regions/territories (in Japanese parlance!) for good order!

Now for real business:
The blue caps are for individual sellers, the yellow ones for buyers and the green ones for the JA and other big government-controlled farm cooperatives.

Hard bargaining!

Checking the samples and their price tags!

A sample of fairly good tea.

17,000 yen a kg. Quite high for a cooperative in Fuji City!

All transactioins and bargaining done with old-fashioned abacus/”soroban” in Japanese. A very practical system, actually!


Marufuku Tea Factory’s Tea Master seemed pretty happy with business!

There are some great pictures to be taken at such an event!

Note: This year’s tea is of a very good standard as opposite to last year’s disappointing crops!

Next report will be in the tea-fields picking up the Ichiban Cha (First leaves of the year)!

Marufuku Tea Factory
420-0006 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu, Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010
Mobile: 090-3250-4188

CHA-O (Director, Ms. Asami Itoh)
420-0006 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 94
Tel: 054-253-8421
Fax: 054-253-8413
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
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Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tomato, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Cold Pasta Salad With Shizuoka-grown Ameera Tomatoes

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Cooking is so easy when you have the right and superlative ingredients within your hand’s reach!

Japan, and especially Shizuoka prefecture, is renown for producing all kinds of succulent varieties of tomatoes.
The Missus came back home with a batch of Ameera (meaning “sweet” in local dialect) tomatoes grown in the Western part of Shizuoka Prefecture. They are the size of large plum tomatoes and are very firm and sweet. You could actually eat them as fruit!

The weather having turned mild (it will soon be hot), cold pasta salad becomes a favorite!

The Missus prepared some Spaghettini and let them cool down while she boiled some broad beans and peas in the pods.
The latter once cooked (but still firm), she peeled the broad beans and cut the peas in the pod in halves at a slant.
She sliced the tomatoes and fried them a little in olive oil.
Once everyhing had cooled down to the same temperature, she tosssed the lot (including the tomato juices) with cold basil pesto based sauce and some pepper.
Nothing else! The fresh and natural combination of sweetness and light saltiness with basil was just perfect!

Easy, yes. Great ingredients, yes!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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Chicken, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Sugii Brewery, Tourism, vegetables

Soba Restaurant: Soba Sake Kawakatsu

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Service: Friendly
Equipment: traditional. Clean. Beautiful toilets
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Very fresh ingredients. Most ingredients not only local but sef-grown or self-raised! Local sake and shochu!
no-smoking-logoentirely non-smoking!

Mototsugu Kawabe/河辺基次, after graduating from the celebrated Kyoto University decided to go back to its roots and help with his parents’ soba shop in Fujieda City. But he did so with a remarkable difference!

Mototsugu and his parents.

First of all, like many young people of his generation, he decided to go “local” as much as possible.

Choose you cup for your sake!

But he went one and two steps ahead: The soba served at the their restaurant are all made with buckwheat he grows himself in Fujieda City!

Yamahai Junmai by Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City!

He also grows most of the vegetables used at their restaurant and all the chicken served there comes from an average of 240 Ikkoku Shamo Chickens, a very valauble species in the whole of Japan, as they also specialize in chicken served with their soba and also in yakitori. He must be a rarity not only in Shizuoka Prefecture but in the whole of Japan for taking the pains of using so many local ingredients!

Japanese and expats alike will grow fond of the place for its traditional Japanese atmosphere!

A bottle bag from Sugii Brewery, Fujieda City! Soba Sake Kawakatsu serves no les than 6 of their brews!

I’m sure you will get tempted to take the bottle out and ask it to be filled!

As it was my first (and certainly not the last!) visit, I knew what to ask for: Ikkokoku Shamo (Chicken) eiro (chicken in stock with large leeks) Soba!

The soba are made with 100% own buckwheat!

One dips his/her soba in the broth and eats the leeks and chicken in between!

The dashi Tamago Yaki/出し卵焼き is made with the eggs of the same chickens!

Beautiful both in looks and taste!
I know quite a few expat friends who would travel all the way for it!

The restaurant serves not only 6 different sake from Sugii Brewery in Fujieda but also 3 different shochu from the same brewery!
The above shochu was made with buckwheat grown by Mr. Kawabe!

Kawakatsu Buckwheat shochu private label bottle!

蕎麦酒　/sobashyu means buckwheat shochu!

An to appreciate and finish my shochu. a beautiful plate of “okamisan no nuka zuke”/vegetables pickled in rice bran by his Mother!

Next time, see you there for dinner!

Sake Soba Kawakatsu
426-0034, Fujieda Shi, Eki mae, 1-8-4
Tel./Fax: 054-645-1770
Business hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Mondays, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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野菜, 観光, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Soba, Soba Restaurant, Tourism

Soba Restaurant: Soba No Mi

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Service: Friendly
Equipment: a bit old but clean
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Very fresh ingredients. Old-fashioned atmosphere
no-smoking-logoentirely non-smoking!

It’s been some time that a lot of friends have advised me to pay a visit to Soba No Mi, one of the most-established soba restaurants in Shizuoka City.
I finally managed to find some time on this afternoon lunch to check on the establishment!

It is a bit small in spite of the large entrance, but it certainly looks authentic!

I love the sober-looking nore/entrance curtain!

Another large noren inside makes for a clever partition between the guests sitting at tables (12) and those sitting on the tatami at the front of the establishment (~8).

The menu was larger than expected, and I chose a favorite I can find in all soba restaurants worth their name: Momioroshi Soba and Tempura.
Notice that all soba are over 95% buckwheat, a pretty high level by any standards!

For lunch (except on Sundays) you will be offered an additional small bowl of rice mixed with buckwheat seeds. Tasty! Of course you will also be served some o-shinko/Japanese pickles.

I do have a rule of the thumb for any soba restaurant worth reporting on: they must at least serve one local sake!
After all, in Edo times people drank sake at soba restaurants!

Masu Ichi, Junmai Ginjyo by Masu Ichi Brewery in Shizuoka City!

The buckwheat noodles were served with colorful buckwheat sprouts/hime soba, and dry seaweed, finely chopped thin leeks, and plenty of momijioroshi/grated daikon mixed with chili pepper.

The tempura consisted of beautifully fresh kogomi/Ostrich fern (sansai/mountain vegetable) and succulent shrimps!
I ate the tempura as it is first (it doesn’t need any seasoning) with the rice. Later I poured the soba sauce into the soba and mixed it with the seaweed, chopped leeks and momijioroshi. I finished my meal by pouring some soba dashi (stock soup) into the leftover soup to drink the lot as a beautiful soup!

Definitely worth a second trip!

Soba No Mi
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Kawabe Cho, 2-2-3
Tel.: 054-251-8000
Business hours: 11:00~21:00 (or until soba are exhausted)
Closed on Tuesdays and third Wednesdays
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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農業, French Cuisine, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Tourism

French Cuisine: Shizuoka Products at Hana Hana!

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Service: Very friendly. Slow food
Facilities: Very clean all over. Enormous beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Classical French/Italian Cuisine of very good value. Good list of wines and Japanese sake. Great lunches!
Non smoking at lunch!
Map

I’ve always been a fan of Hana Hana for the simple reason that they serve top-class French food with an Italian accent at very reasonable prices and in a very casual and friendly atmosphere.
Their lunches are a particularly bargain!

You can either choose from 3 set menus (plates) for up to 1,860 yen (20 US$) or choose three dishes out of a carte menu for 3,000 yen (35 US$).

I chose the latter, although the cold cauliflower cream and consomme jelly were offered for free with that particular menu!

The Missus chose the very generous top plate, but I did have to help her finish it!

As for my “first dish”, I opted for the “country salad” which features local vegetables surrounded with duck, pork pate and fried pork! Lucky I was particularly hungry!

Now, the “second dish” was a Shizuoka Classic: Madai Wasabi Yaki/真鯛山葵焼き/that is grouper caught in Suruga Bay grilled/sauteed with wasabi!
This is a must-try for any visitor to our city!

It naturally came with its small pot of warm and soft wasabi dressing!

Shizuoka Groupers and vegetables are the pick of Japan!

Even the mango pudding dessert had a Shizuoka touch with the strawberries!

The strawberries seemed very comfortable between the two mounds of mango pudding…

〒420-0037Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado-cho, 1- 3-12
静岡県静岡市葵区人宿町１丁目３−１２
Tel.: 054-221-0087 ‎
Business hours: 11:30~15:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

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Uncategorized

New York Loves Japan!

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Announcement by John Gautner

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
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野菜, 観光, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, seafood, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, vegetables

Japanese Izakaya: Shizuoka Local Products at Bu Ichi!

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Service: Very friendly and easy-going
Equipment: Very clean overall. Spacious and beautiful toilets
Prices: reasonable to slightly expensive, but very good value!
Strong points: Extensive use of local land and sea products. Great sake and drinks in general!
Map

I just cannot remember how long I have been a fan of Bu Ichi. It is the kind of establishment I always keep in my mind as a reference.
Why is that?
Simply because its Oyakata/Chef, Mr. Takeshi Satoh, attaches so much importance on obtaining the best products locally, be it from the land or the sea.

Not only food is chosen with an extra care but the sake (mostly local), the shochu and even the wine have been selected to pay full tribute to the essentially Japanese gastronomy served in a very friendly atmosphere.

There will always be a small detail to make you realize you are patronizing a true Japanese izakaya of a different level!

Since most of the food is local, you will not find anything fresher.
To cut a long story short, the other day I simply asked Mr. Satoh to serve me local food only, be it sashimi or vegetables.
Here is what we were served:

All the seafood came from the Suruga Bay!

Octopus/Tako/蛸, Hanadai (also called Chidai)/kind of grouper/とだい, both from Mochimune/用宗.

Isaki/Chicken Grunt/イサキ, from Sagara/相良.

For a better view of the hanadai (front)!

Don’t miss Bu Ichi’s tempura!
Fukinotou/ふきのとう/Giant butterbur and Na no Hana/菜の花/Rapeseed flower, both form upstream Abe River, Shizuoka City.

For a better view!

“Shizuoka Yasai No Moriawase Sarada, Wafu Goma Dressing”/静岡野菜の盛り合わせ和風胡麻ドレッシング/Shizuoka Vegetables Salad, with a Japanese-style sesame dressing!

From a different angle.
There were no less than 10 kinds of vegetables, all from Shizuoka City!

We finished that particular (light) dinner with a typical Japanese soup: Wakatake No Suimono/若竹の吸い物/a delicious light broth containing young bamboo sprouts for upstream Abe River in Shizuoka City!

We did accompany this dinner with a couple of great local Shizuoka Sake. Actually I’m planning to survey their whole range but that is for another report! LOL

Bu-Ichi/武市
Chef/Owner: Takeshi Satoh/佐藤武史
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-10, Dai 2 Matsunaga Bldg. 2F
Tel.: 054-2521166
Business hours: 17;30~22:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations advisable
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Please check the new postings at:
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