Questions on Japanese ingredients

[sanrensho]

I just got Harumi Kurihara's two English-language books. In them she occasionally calls for "Chinese soup paste," described as a mixture of pork and chicken bases.

Is this a Japanese product or Chinese? Are there brands that are better than others?

I've used this before in Japan. AFAIK, it is a Chinese-inspired Japanese product. I seem to recall that it was discussed before on Egullet, Torakris would know.

EDITED: I found the thread.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=32606&st=20

Edited August 12, 2008 by sanrensho (log)

[Priscilla]

Thank you, Sanrensho... I will look for that this week at the Japanese market.

From Melonpan's post #21 in the link you provided it sounds like it could be what Harumi is specifying.

[sanrensho]

Thank you, Sanrensho... I will look for that this week at the Japanese market.

From Melonpan's post #21 in the link you provided it sounds like it could be what Harumi is specifying.

←

I'm 99% sure it is what she is specifying. These stock bases come in (large) tins and are not a powder. They tend to be pricey as Torakris mentioned in the other thread, but they last a long time. I suppose you could also freeze portions if there are concerns about spoilage.

[Priscilla]

I am not sure a soup base would be something I would use -- not that, mind, I am above using instant dashi -- but I want to take a look and weigh its necessity.

Thanks for the pointers!

[MoGa]

This isn't quite an 'ingredient' (although I'm sure it can be bought ready made in Japan) but I'd like some help identifying what I hope is a well known dish.

My husband said there is a way of seasoning/sweetening miso to be eaten with cucumber, perhaps as a dressing. He initially remembered the name, then it disappeared... he can't recall it again.

Anyone know what he had in mind? Even better, anyone have any recipe ideas?

Many thanks!

[Hiroyuki]

Morokyuu もろきゅう?

It's moromi miso plus kyuuri (cucumber). Thus, moro-kyuu.

Images of moromi miso.

I simply have cucumbers with regular red miso, not moromi miso.

[MoGa]

Morokyuu もろきゅう?

It's moromi miso plus kyuuri (cucumber).  Thus, moro-kyuu.

Images of moromi miso.

I simply have cucumbers with regular red miso, not moromi miso.

←

Aha! That's definitely it!! Thanks very much Hiroyuki!

And that's now opened a whole new line of investigation for me. I hadn't been aware of moromi miso or hishio 醤 (ひしお) miso (are they the same?) until just now.

Is moromi miso naturally quite sweet?

[Hiroyuki]

I did some googling and found that moromi miso is also called hishio miso and name miso.

I don't think moromi miso is quite sweet. It may be slightly sweet (not all moromi miso are the same), and is less salty than regular miso.

[torakris]

I really like moromi miso, I buy it about once a year as a little bit can go a long way. I use the leftovers as a filling for onigiri and it also works as a great "dip" for hashouga (young ginger stems).

[helenjp]

I bought moromi miso about a year ago, and was surprised at how very sweet it was (lots of mizu-ame, was the impression I had). I don't remember moromi-miso I have had in the past being THAT sweet, so please don't give up on it if you happen to encounter a very sickly version.

[nakji]

I bought a bag of rather large white beans from the market the other day to make a Jaime Oliver recipe that called for lima beans. The beans are flat, white, and - er - bean-shaped. What did I buy, and what can I use them for? I'm especially interested in ways they can be substituted into European or Middle Eastern dishes.

[Hiroyuki]

Shirohana mame (or shiro ingen)??

http://www.kenkoutuuhan.com/siroingen_ad1.html

Simply simmered and seasoned with sugar, I guess.

[nakji]

Yes, that's the bean in question. Mine didn't cost that much, though! 700 yen for 500 g, actually. Are there any savoury applications for this bean in Japanese cooking?

[Hiroyuki]

Sorry, I don't know of any. Do searches with keywords "白花豆　レシピ" and you will get a lot of recipes.

I have found one for you.

Rice porridge with shirohana mame:

http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/OutputMain.asp?KeyNo=15161

[helenjp]

Well...I like to make the chicken sofrito out of Claudia Roden's Middle Eastern Cooking book (not at all like an Italian Sofrito - this is lemony yellow chicken simmered gently under a fine coating of oil). When I've done that, I pull out the chicken and use the broth to cook yellow hardboiled eggs and naga-negi (for bento). And finally, I simmer those white beans in it, and either freeze them until my family have forgotten about yellow food for a while, or serve them with lemon juice and olive oil (whatever else takes your fancy).

They also make excellent white bean an - even easier to make than the regular sort, because there is more bean than skin.

Mame-gohan is good with all kinds of dried beans too, and pale beans like shirobana or tenaki etc. mean that you can use the liquor to cook the rice in. Ditto for miso soup and using the bean liquor instead of dashi. I like juicy greens like komatsuna stalks or rapolini with beans in miso soup.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On ‎6‎/‎18‎/‎2003 at 5:13 AM, torakris said:

about mentsuyu:

there are many different kinds and often sold in different strengths

ストレート　　straight type --used straight from the bottle, no need for diluting

二倍　 nibai , or twice the strength of staight

三倍 sanbai, or three times the strength of straight

there may be more but theses are the ones I am most familiar with, normally I just add water to taste (I like it a lot stronger then normal!)

My favorite (and probably the most popular in Japan ) is にんべんのつゆの素 (Ninben no tsuyu no moto) very noticable with its orange label, this is a 3 bai type.

 

I am aware @torakris has not logged on for a while, but perhaps someone else can help?

 

Inspired by this luncheon posted by @Duvel I purchased a bottle of what I hope is the right kind of tsuyu:

http://amzn.com/B01BO9MLZ2

 

The label does not have dilution information but it does have the sanbai symbol shown above, presumably indicating triple strength.  Could anyone suggest dilution ratios for use as a soup base or as a dipping sauce?  I particularly would like to try the walnut sauce for soba from Duvel's lunch.

 

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I am aware @torakris has not logged on for a while, but perhaps someone else can help?

@helenjp still posts. Perhaps she can make a suggestion.  

[helenjp]

Yes, it's triple-strength concentrate.
To dip, add 2- parts water. To make a noodle soup, add 5-6 parts water. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

13 hours ago, helenjp said:

Yes, it's triple-strength concentrate.
To dip, add 2- parts water. To make a noodle soup, add 5-6 parts water. 

 

Thanks!