Hiroyuki

Traditional?? 1. Yakiimo (baked potatoes) 2. Daigaku imo (deep-fried and then coated with syrup and dotted with black sesame seeds, a little hard to make). 3. Fukashi imo (steamed potatoes) 4. Imo ten (potato tempura) Have you checked out this thread?

I took some photos of the oden section and the kamaboko and other surimi products section of a local supermarket today, if anyone is interested. Oden section: Kamaboko and other surimi products section: Usual sights for me and others living in Japan. For those living overseas, do you have any questions?

Learning new things everyday! Today I have learned that: 1. The dish SheenaGreena and DG referred to is called toppogi or toppoki (トッポギ or トッポキ) in Japanese. This dish has become popluar even in Japan since the TV drama called "Fuyu no Sonata" (don't know the original title) became a big hit in Japan. (I didn't watch the drama.) 2. Korean rice cake is made from nonglutinous, ordinary rice, not glutinous rice. 3. The Japanese seem not to know the proper way of using Korean rice cake. All the recipes for toppogi that I found simply say to put the rice cake sticks in the pot or wash them with water before putting in the pot.

I have had only a standard type of Choya before, the left top one on this page. It is good enough, but I find it way too sweet for my taste. I asked my wife what she thought of that sake-based umeshu, as compared with Choya, and she replied, "It's more drinkable." The sake-based umeshu has an alcohol content of 11 to 12% (requires refrigeration after it's opened), whereas that standard Choya has 14%. My mother used to make umeshu, using "white liquor". If I remember correctly, it had such an acute sourness that I didn't want to drink it. I guess drinking apricot liqueur doesn't make you Pavlov's dog, right? Just thinking of umeshu (and umeboshi! ) can make your mouth water.

Pure mint oil, which is transparent, has a variety of uses, as you may know, such as putting a few drops in the bath tub for relaxation purposes, making mint tea, and deodorizing shoes. Those small bottles that I posted upthread, which contain unrefined, black mint oil, are "display" purposes only. In the past, hakka tou (Japanese mint candy) was made by using locally produced mint oil. The former president of the sweet shop brought the bottles from somewhere and showed them to me. I was impressed, of course! It is a dream of that sweet shop to make hakka tou using locally produced mint oil some day.

Thanks for your reply. For those of you who haven't tried it, I highly recommend it because it's tasty and healthy. Once you get the taste of it, you will become like Pavlov's dog. You will find yourself salivating when you think of it or just hear the word, like I am now.

Thanks for your reply, and yes definitely. Sweet mochi remains soft due to the addition of sugar, which retains moisture. I think Korean mochi is hard to come by in my rural area, but I'll look around the next time I go shopping.

I've never had Korean mochi before. I'm curious to know if this is necessary when you make a nabe (one-pot dish).

Myojo (Thailand) does. ← Do you (SuzySushi and snowangel) mean "after the cooking"? ← Well, at the end of the cooking process (which takes 3 minutes max). I usually stir in the seasonings just before I remove the pan from the heat. ← Thanks for your clarification. I add such "fragrant oil" to a bowl of ramen as a final touch. If I remember correctly, the instructions on the package specified so. (I really don't eat much instant ramen these days.)

Myojo (Thailand) does. ← Do you (SuzySushi and snowangel) mean "after the cooking"?

Ah, kouya doufu... Also known as shimi doufu and kouri doufu. That sponge-like texture! Making me cringe when I chew it... But it's probably only me. It's a favorite of my father's. You can simply put it in miso soup, or you can make a simmered dish with it, as Jason suggested. Rehydrate it first, of course. Good luck!

I tested it back in winter and it's about neutral. But I think it's just bad soil structure and lacking good organic matter, so I'll dig plenty in this winter. ← Dig? Why don't you post some photos of your garden here so Helen, gautam, and other knowledgeable people can give you some good advise? Have you ever thought of making a raised bed?

OK, guys, I will report on the committee's conclusions in February next year.

Thank you for your compliment , but one correction: It was a lunch not a dinner. (I really felt guilty for eating out alone... ) *** These are Shinkou (新興 in Kanji) pears. I bought them today for 198 yen a piece. They were about 9.5 cm in diameter, a little bit smaller than Niitaka. I had long assumed that this variety was a relative of Niitaka (新高), but I was wrong! from here. It is a mutant of Nijjuseiki! Edited to add: We had one of them after supper and found it wasn't sweet at all!! I must make a complaint to the producer.

Interesting. I find "white liquor" to have strong funky flavours, so I usually use a smooth vodka instead. But sake? I've always assumed that umeshu (or any kind of fruit liqueur) requires a spirit with a high alcohol content. As in hard liquor. Isn't that necessary to prevent the ume from going off while steeping, and to ensure that the finished product will have a long shelf life? How long does umeshu made with sake keep? Does it require refrigeration? Will the flavours develop as it ages, like regular umeshu? ← Good question again, smallworld! Under Japan's Liquor Tax Law, it is illegal for an individual to make a fruit liqueur with a spirit with a proof less than 20. Sake breweries make umeshu using their genshu (raw sake), which is probably higher than regular sake in alcohol content. Thank you for asking me about the shelf life. I checked at the label of my umeshu bottle, and found it requires refrigeration after it's opened! A 1.8-liter bottle can never fit in my fridge, but I think my wife can consume it quickly enough.

The other day, I noticed there were no threads on umeshu in this forum, so I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread on it when I bought a bottle of it. Umeshu is often erroneously referred to as plum wine, but it is actually plum liqueur. It is usually considered women's beverage, especially middle-aged women's, because of its sweetness. Conventionally, home-made umeshu is made with what is called "white liquor" (a kind of ko-rui (cheaper type) shochu), but there are an increasing number of Japanese who make it with otsu-rui shochu and sake (rice wine), and there are an increasing number of breweries that make shochu- and sake-based umeshu. This is an example of sake-based umeshu, which I bought today. It was a gift for my wife, but I tasted it too. It was mild, smooth, and not too sweet. My wife liked it, too. Have you ever tried this Japanese liqueur?

I bought one 1.8-liter bottle (2,625 yen)! It was supposed to be a gift for my wife, but I tasted it too. Mild, smooth, and not too sweet! I don't think I can ever go back to choya!

You mean ekiben? They are beautiful and interesting to look at, but I usually don't buy them because they are rather expensive even by Japanese standards and konbini (convenience store) bentos are much cheaper. In Japan, ekiben fairs are quite popular, often held at department stores.

I've been VERY curious about this particular comment of yours. What variety or brand of rice does your mother usually buy then..., in the United States??

Even if you select not to do SFG, you will find the recommended plant spacings very helpful. But I'm sure that the purpose of cultivating mint plants here in the Edo period and later was to get "hakka oil". Check out my Niigata thread; Hakka Tou (Japanese mint candy) is a specialty of the former Shiozawa town.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced the plan on November 2, and according to news shows, their true intention seems to promote the imports of Japanese products. Anyway, according to Yomiuri Shimbun's webpage, the committee is scheduled to study (1) Definition of Japanese cuisine, (2) Target countries and cities, (3) Ratio of the use of ingredients produced in Japan, and (4) Specific standards for cooking methods and customer service techniques, and draw conclusions by February of next year.

Thank you for your report. Someone posted some pictures in his blog.

Thanks for the instructions. Spring rolls (haru maki) are quite popular in Japan, too. I didn't realize that they could be that simple. Japanese spring rolls usually contain bamboo shoots and cellophane noodles besides vegetables and ground meat, and are rather cumbersome to make. My wife makes them only once or twice a year. Thanks to your recipe, I think I can make them more often.

I have learned a great deal about mint for a few days, now I'm sure that I'm more knowledgeable about it than most local people here. One important thing that I have learned is that it's impossible to determine the variety that was cultivated here in the Edo period. (It's doubtful that mint grew wild here.) Another important thing that I have learned is that according to a book on the history of the former Shiozawa town, the variety with reddish stems and roundish leaves was considered of high quality, which probably means that it had the highest menthol content. I'll look around to find such a variety. Thank you very much, Helen, for your cooperation in this matter!!

I had instant ramen in my teens and twenties, now I just don't want to have it. Nissin Chicken Ramen is virtually the only brand I buy occassionally because you don't need a pot to cook it.