Questions on Japanese ingredients

[sanrensho]

The manufacturers is Riken Vitamin. The variety you have is Hana Gozen--Shiro Miso (label on the front of the package).

[Hiroyuki]

Here is the English-language official website of Riken:

http://www.rike-vita.co.jp/int/

I searched for that product through the Japanese-language official website of the company, but I couldn't find it.

[piazzola]

薄力小麦粉.

Translators don't give me the right term, so could anyone here that speaks japanesen help me with this baking term please

I am not too sure but it is used to weaken strong flour or bread flour

Thanks

[sanrensho]

薄力小麦粉.

Translators don't give me the right term, so could anyone here that speaks japanesen help me with this baking term please

I am not too sure but it is used to weaken strong flour or bread flour

Thanks

←

Weak or low protein flour. I'm not sure what the proteign content of Japanese flours is, but I can dig it up later.

[torakris]

I previously posted this in the Pan-ya (bread store) thread

Flour in Japan

There are three main types of flour you will see for sale in the local Japanese supermarket

強力粉(kyourikiko) protein 11.5 - 13.5% bread flour,used pretty much only for bread making

中力粉(chuurikiko) protein 8.5 - 10.5% this is the flour to make udon (this can be a little harder to find)

薄力粉(hakurikiko) protein 7.0 - 8.5% cake flour, used mostly for okashi (snacks) okonomiyaki & tempura

In addition to those there are 3 that are pretty much used only professionally

saikyourikiko protein 13.5% plus very strong bread flour

junkyourikiko protein 10.5 - 11.5% for making french breads and Chinese noodles (ramen etc)

futsukyourikiko this is pretty much the same as the above one

[piazzola]

Thank you torakris and sanrensho

That explanation will suffice me I for now until I hit another unkown form

BTW Do you know where I can get a good online translator?

Thank you

[Kiem Hwa]

I go here usually: It doesnt translate all terms but is pretty good.

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/jwb/wwwjdic?9T

When I imported 薄力小麦粉, I got the following results:

薄力粉 【はくりきこ】 (n) wheat flour of low viscosity; weak flour

小麦粉 【こむぎこ】 (n) wheat flour

[piazzola]

I have also found this website for translations http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/

[Hector]

I like my natto with some minced scallions an egg yolk and a a small handful of  katsuo bushi (bonito flakes) thrown in.

I can't imagine how anyone can say the words "Like" (as in the meaning 'take liking to something'" and "Natto" in the same sentence!

[melonpan]

I like my natto with some minced scallions an egg yolk and a a small handful of  katsuo bushi (bonito flakes) thrown in.

I can't imagine how anyone can say the words "Like" (as in the meaning 'take liking to something'" and "Natto" in the same sentence!

can you imagine anyone saying "like" and "lutefisk" in the same sentence?

[Hector]

I like my natto with some minced scallions an egg yolk and a a small handful of  katsuo bushi (bonito flakes) thrown in.

I can't imagine how anyone can say the words "Like" (as in the meaning 'take liking to something'" and "Natto" in the same sentence!

can you imagine anyone saying "like" and "lutefisk" in the same sentence?

←

Off course yes! ok. sorry for my ignorance..

[Hiroyuki]

I like my natto with some minced scallions an egg yolk and a a small handful of  katsuo bushi (bonito flakes) thrown in.

I can't imagine how anyone can say the words "Like" (as in the meaning 'take liking to something'" and "Natto" in the same sentence!

can you imagine anyone saying "like" and "lutefisk" in the same sentence?

←

Off course yes! ok. sorry for my ignorance..

←

I'm sure that there are many Kansai (Western Japan) people who readily agree with you on your comment about natto, but in Kanto (Eastern Japan), I guess you should keep your mouth shut.

[Robinjw13]

Well, I know there is a China forum and an India forum but I really am curious to know just how much the Safflower plant (Carthamnus tinctorius) is used in Japan. I saw a reference to the cooking oil in this thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...820&hl=benibana

So how widely is the oil used and what do the Japanese like or not like about it?

And whilst we are on this (unusual?) subject, are the bright yellow & red flowers used in Japan for garnish, or perhaps for colouring food or to make a tea? Then what about the young shoots, are these ever seen in vegetable markets?

[helenjp]

Used as oil, and from ancient times as a dyestuff - for fabric, and in cosmetics. I believe it is used medicinally in traditional medicine, but not to a great extent.

One of Genji's less elegant ladies was known as "Safflower", in reference to her red nose!

Safflower oil is regarded as nutritious, I forget the exact reasons. I suspect that it's history as a cooking oil in Japan is not as long as rapeseed oil though.

The plant is not native to Japan, but was one of the earliest to come from China - it has been cultivated since the Nara period.

[Hiroyuki]

Benihana oil is touted as healthy, but it's so expensive I've never bought it myself. It is popular as o-chugen (mid-summer) and o-seibo (year-end) gifts. I have received several cans of benihana oil from my mother before, but I can't tell any difference from regular salad oil.

I myself have never seen the flowers used for garnish. Benihana plantation is quite popular in Yamagata prefecture. In fact, benihana is the prefectural flower (kenka) of that prefecture. Dishes and foodstuffs using the flowers and leaves seem to be quite popular there, such as benihana men (noodles), benihana zuke (pickles), and benihana cha (tea).

I found this site, which contains prize-winning dishes using benihana (Japanese only).

To view those dishes, I recommend that you scroll down and click the pfd adobe icon or the photo of pages next to １～２ページ (pages 1-2) and so on, rather than clicking the 創作紅花料理レシピ集（全ページ)..., which appears at the lower right corner when you first access the site. Somehow, this link doesn't work for me.

Then what about the young shoots, are these ever seen in vegetable markets?

Not that I know of. Maybe in Yamagata...,

Edited to add:

Oh, Helen, I didn't know you were here too. I was one minute late this time.

Edited March 18, 2006 by Hiroyuki (log)

[helenjp]

I was one minute late

Your name was already on screen when I opened this topic, so I typed really fast...

[Robinjw13]

Hiroyuki you're a star! That is an exciting revelation (to me, anyway ) to see benihana's use in Yamagata. It will take a while to digest that pdf - main link works but takes about 5 minutes to load the full document.

Safflower oil is nutritionally similar to olive oil, being high in vitamin E and having the highest ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids of any oil available. Polyunsaturated fats are associated with lowering of blood cholesterol.

The main fatty acids are the doubly unsaturated linoleic acid (70%) and the triply unsaturated linolenic acid (10%). Among the thousands of varieties of Carthamnus tinctorius grown across the globe, the proportions of linoleic and oleic acid vary considerably. High oleic safflower oils are very stable on heating, and do not give off smoke or smell during frying. In India, non-spiny forms of the plant have been developed to make it easier to pick the flowers (maybe current 'red' flowers are in fact blood-stained?)

[Hiroyuki]

main link works but takes about 5 minutes to load the full document.

←

How can you wait for 5 minutes in front of a computer...

[peony]

I cant read nor understand Japanese...so I am not sure what are these known as

These were given to me when I was in Japan.

I don't even know how to prepare them before cooking, let alone cook these.

So can some kind souls help me to identify these and tell me how to cook them ?

[GTO]

Hmmm...It looks rather like blocks of Polenta don't you think?

From the packaging, it looks to me like you fry it in the same way you would tofu...I'm just assuming, I can't speak or read Japanese either.

[JasonTrue]

The first item is Korean-style mochi (glutinous rice cake) called ddeok bok gi (my transliteration might be off); they're usually cooked with Korean-style salty red pepper flakes and other ingredients such as kimchi, "odeng" (a kind of fish cake a little similar to satsuma-age), even pork. It's sort of braised.

You might also be able to incorporate the Korean style mochi into a soup, which is similar to a Japanese dish called ozouni, but I forgot the Korean word (maybe it's just ddeok guk). Usually that soup is using a crosswise-sliced version of the ddeok.

The second item is koya-doufu, freeze-dried tofu. To use, soak in hot water for a few minutes to rehydrate. My girlfriendonce substituted koya-doufu in place of fish cakes called hanpen when making a kind of sweet omelet called datemaki tamago for new year (see http://blog.jagaimo.com/archive/2006/01/02/2124.aspx).

Sometimes it's just used in a simmered vegetable dish like nimono (see http://www.flickr.com/photos/mac_vegetarian/262966108/ ) made with Japanese soup stock, salt, mirin, and soy sauce. You could add things like carrots, small taro potatoes (satoimo), etc. brought to a slow simmer, and season gently to taste.

Edited November 9, 2006 by JasonTrue (log)

[SheenaGreena]

the first package is used to make a popular korean street food known as ddeok bok gi. I'll try to find a recipe for you. its basically lots of gochu jang and sometimes I even see korean ladies ladle fish cake soup broth into it. You of course don't have to do that at home. Its cooked and mixed with strips of fish cake and sometimes hard boiled eggs or deep fried mandoo stuffed with rice.

or if you want, you can thaw out the rice cakes and then pan fry them until they get crispy on the outside and just eat them plain. I do that as a quick snack. Or you can steam them and eat them plain as is. If you are going to make korean rice cake soup, I would opt for the oval shapes as opposed to the logs.

again, I'll try to find a recipe for you

found it: ddeok bok gi recipe

if you n eed help with the ingredients, just ask

Edited November 9, 2006 by SheenaGreena (log)

[Hiroyuki]

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!

[peony]

thanks people for the quick reply......

both packets are in the dried form....

so, for the mochi, how do I rehydrate the rice sticks ? soak in water for a few hours or boil them ?

[SheenaGreena]

you soak the rice cakes in water until pliable. I am assuming for about an hour or until they get soft. Be careful, because they can get "over soaked". If this happens, you will see cracks in them or they will not have a chewy consistency when you cook them.