Japanese Vegetables

Can all types of mushrooms be used in Japanese cuisine?

by


All types of mushrooms can be used in Japanese cuisine it depends a bit on the dish.

In Japan there are 7 different kinds of mushrooms; Shiitake, Maitake, Matsutake, Shimeji, King oyster, Nameko and Enoki mushrooms.

In Denmark, we can buy Shiitake, Shimeji, King oyster and Enoki mushrooms in specialty stores and supermarkets during the year.

Shiitake mushrooms are known for their unique aromas and intense flavors. It is a sponge used in all types of dishes in Japanese cuisine.

Shimeji and Enoki mushrooms can be used in several different ways. You will often find this type of mushroom in miso soups or in classic Japanese stews.

King oyster or oyster hats are a meaty mushroom which is well suited for e.g. yakitori spyd. It is also a mushroom that is suitable for other tasty dishes.

If you cannot get any of the above mushrooms do not despair. Try to use local tasty mushrooms.

Read more about Japanese noodle Soup course for beginners
Read more about Traditional Japanese food course for beginners

_
Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Which pumpkin do the Japanese prefer to eat?

by

In recent years, pumpkins have become more and more popular.
Halloween is an American tradition which a number of years ago found its way to Denmark. Cutting orange pumpkins has gradually also becomes a tradition in Denmark.

Because of Halloween, more and more people want to eat pumpkins. Today there are many different kinds of pumpkins and have found their way to the Danish supermarkets.

Most people are familiar with the orange pumpkin called Hokkaido, which is available in all supermarkets. It was once cultivated in Japan, from which the name originates. Today it is grown outside Japan.

This dark green pumpkin which I got know when travelling in Japan, is available in Denmark, but only at few supermarket.

It’s called Kabocha.

In Japan, it is eaten in many different ways in traditional Japanese cuisine.
I tasted it for the first time in Japan in 2004. I got it for lunch where there was a piece in a bento box. I also ate it in the evening at the home of one of my teachers in Tokyo.

It is a pumpkin type that I have learned to like a lot the Japanese way.

Read more about Japanese noodle soup course for beginners, where noodle soups are made with Japanese ingredients and ingredients in the same way as, Japanese restaurants in Tokyo.

_
Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What Japanese raw material is in season right now?

by

In Japan, Japanese chefs prefer to use raw materials that are in season when they cook food. In Tokyo, Japanese dishes often contain ingredients that most people outside of Japan do not know like Chinese horse radish.

Chinese horse radish is a very popular raw material in Japanese cuisine.
In Tokyo, Chinese horse radish is used in various ways. Chinese horse radish is a raw material that is often pickled and eaten as a garnish. There are many restaurants that grate chinese horse radish and eat it as topping on various classic Japanese dishes.

In most Asian supermarket you can buy Chinese horse radish all year. Horse radish is a winter vegetable which is harvested during winter months.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

_
Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.