Glossary - Japanese cuisine

• 30/07/2008 - 00:00
• Author: Inuchan
• Japanese Cooking
• 1 Comments
• Read in IT

Have you ever asked yourself what all those ingredients used in Japanese cooking are? Today I'd like to present to you a little list to help you better understand what goes into this fine cooking!

Let's start!

 

 

Rice vinegar:

Very light vinegar made from rice. It's sweet and delicate.

 

Daikon:

Big white root often used in Japanese cuisine. As decoration it's used grated or in thin slices, but can also be marinated in a mix of soy sauce and sugar. You can find it fresh or pre-packed and ready to be used.

 

Dashi:

Basic broth of Japanese cooking. It's made of weed and dessiccated bonito fish and is available pre-packed, grated, in grains, or in flakes to which you only need to add hot water.
(Note: The bonito is a big mackerel, about the size of a little tuna. It's a very tasty fish.)

 

Mirin:

Mirin is a kind of light Sakè with little alcohol content. It's a cooking wine made from rice, which adds a sweet taste to sauces, grilled dishes and glazes.

 

Miso:

It's a paste made of fermented soy beans and is very important in the Japanese diet. It's available in various forms such as brown, yellow, red and white. Each is different in taste and consistency. It's used in soups, sauces, and in marinated dishes.

 

Nori:

I think you all know this! It's the famous essiccated seaweed and is used very often in Japanese cuisine as well as in Korean cooking. It's found in leaves and in soft slices, even toasted. By toasting it on a flame you'll revive and intensify its taste.

 

Hot bean paste:

Also called chili bean paste, it's another ingredient often used in Korean cuisine. It's made of chili pepper, soy beans, garlic and various other flavourings. The pre-packed paste is very hot, so use it with caution! =P

 

Sesame powder and marinated seaweed:

A mix made of thinly minced nori, toasted sesame seeds and salt. You can use it on pasta, salads, and eggs.

 

Sakè:

Who doesn't know this one? It's the cooking and table wine made of rice and is much stronger than mirin. Plenty of alcohol content, here!

 

Soy Sauce (Japanese):

The original name is shoshoyu, and it's lighter than the chinese soy sauce. It's a naturaly fermented sauce and must be kept refrigerated.

 

Tonkatsu sauce:

Very tasty sauce, similar to barbecue and made of tomatoes, apples, Japanese Worcester sauce and mustard. The best accompaniment is with breaded pork.

 

Sansho:

A delicious spice uniquely found in China and Japan. It's used sprinkled on meats to flavour them.

 

Sesame seeds:

White and black sesame seeds are commonly used in Japanese and Korean cuisine. Pulpy and rich of flavour, you can find them already toasted and grinded before use.

 

Shichimi Togarashi:

Also called "seven flavours chili pepper", it's a condiment made of seven spices. Shichimi is used often to flavour soups, white meat, pasta and rice based dishes.

 

Soba:
It's a kind of pasta made of buckwheat. It's found fresh in the best shops specialised in asiatic products. Used mainly in dishes like ramen and yakisoba.

 

Tofu:

Tofu is a soy beans paste, usually found in hard blocks or in softer ones. Tofu absorbs the flavours of the other spices and sauces. It's also rich in proteins.

 

Wasabi:

Very hot paste made of the root of the wasabi plant. It's extremely hot, so NEVER go overboard with it! Just a pinch and your soup becomes very hot! Available as powder or paste, it's green coloured.

 

 

Ginger  in brine:

Ginger is a pink or red root. It can be marinaded in brine, cut in thin slices, and is used in rice dishes and as decoration. It has a very bitter flavour.

 

 

That's all! I hope It was usefull in helping familiarize yourself to some ingredients, often essentials, of Japanese cuisine.

Happy cooking!