Foods to fill your suitcase with

[torakris]

For the short term and long term visitor, what would/do you take back to your home country from Japan?

I wouldn't leave without some jars of yuzu koshou!

[helenjp]

Hatcho miso

Freeze-dried koji for making regular miso

[SuzySushi]

It's been a while since I've been to Japan, so I don't know the full range of everything that's available now, but definitely some yatsuhashi senbei (both fresh and dried) and various local pickles. A friend recently brought me some ao-shiso pickles from Kyoto that were wonderful!

[torakris]

I also would be sure to include a couple bottle of a nice ponzu, if all you have ever tasted in the aji-pon then you are in for a treat. The yuzu ones are by far my favorite.

the ponzu thread

[AmyDaniel]

Hmmmm...I'd bring back some "real" mirin, as discussed here. Can't seem to find it in New York; maybe it'll take some hunting, like for sujiko.

[fenyx66]

I would bring back a bottle of Nihonshu from the Ryujin Nihonshu brewery in Tatebayashi-shi, Gunma (it's really nice and inexpensive sake) And maybe an assortment of Yakiniku sauces, I'm not sure I can get those in the states. When I go home to visit for Christmas, I will discover what I miss the most and keep a record of it.

[Akiko]

dried sweet potato , freshly shaved bonito (it makes such a difference), a few bottles of great soy sauce (we just don't get the selection outside of japan), meltykiss (which I had a really hard time finding on my last trip, has this gone off the market?), Hoba miso... I could easily pack a suitcase or two of food stuff if I could get away with the weight limit!

[Hest88]

Green tea Kit Kat.

[Jason Perlow]

Artisinal shoyu would be top on my list.

[Kiem Hwa]

Chu-hi

This is like a carbonated plum wine... but with more flavors...so yummy!!!!

I dont think its being exported to the US yet, though I hear its going to Shanghai.

[JasonTrue]

Look very carefully on that hoshi-imo packaging that you buy very carefully at an omiyage-ya-san when you visit some small town, and there's a good chance it's made in China.

Not that there's anything wrong with that... but I'm finding this quite often when I am being offered "local specialties" in Japan.

dried sweet potato 

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[yakiniku]

I would bring back ... maybe an assortment of Yakiniku sauces, I'm not sure I can get those in the states.  When I go home to visit for Christmas, I will discover what I miss the most and keep a record of it.

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I've gotten Yakiniku sauces in Mitsuwa grocery store in San Jose. I think they have other stores in other locations, like LA and New Jersey.

The Yakiniku sauce is exactly the same kind my friend used to use in Tokyo. She was going to load up a suitcase with it but luckily we found it in the market here!

[yakiniku]

meltykiss (which I had a really hard time finding on my last trip, has this gone off the market?),

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Meltykiss is seasonal, and goes on and off the market, but I forget which season--I think it's a winter chocolate.

[aprilmei]

Apologies if this topic has been covered; I did search the Japan forum.

My cousin is living in Tokyo and is coming to visit me in Hong Kong. She's going to bring food treats such as strawberries, mochi, rice crackers and prawn crackers. What else should I ask for? We don't have customs regulations in Hong Kong (well, they're not really enforced) so she's able to bring all kinds of produce, fresh meats and seafood and even live plants - but I'd like to make it easy on her and ask for things that won't require an ice chest.

Any suggestions on special ingredients that are hard to find outside Japan? I'm interested in yuzu products because that's one thing I can't find here - what's the best form to buy it in, other than fresh? Are there bottled yuzu sauces that actually taste of yuzu? And I'm interested in other products such as special Japanese salts, sugars, flavourings etc.

She doesn't mind filling her suitcase with stuff for me because I expect she'll return to Japan with her bags filled with new clothes.

thanks in advance.

[JasonTrue]

Send her to "Mura-kara-machi-kara-kan" in Yuurakucho with no particular instructions, and see what happens. It's a regional food specialty shop, featuring gifts from all over Japan.

There is usually good yuzu juice there (made without salt or preservatives). There is also a Hokkaido specialty foods shop across the way, and a Okinawan specialty shop a short walk away from there.

Similarly interesting shops can be found near the South Exit of Shinjuku station, but Yurakucho is kind of a mecca of packaged specialty foods.

My blog has a picture from our hotel bed with some of the stuff we bought in March (and some other more detailed photos on this page.

It's now a pilgrimage stop for me.

[Hiroyuki]

Bottled yuzu juice is available from almost all supermarkets, I think. Be sure to tell her that you want 100% yuzu juice.

As for sugar, why not ask for wasanbon?

[torakris]

As I said in my very first post I would ask for some yuzu koshou. If you like sweets ask her to look for the newest flavors in kit kats, hi-chu, etc.

[balomi]

The last time I was in Japan, the hotel I stayed in in Kyoto had complimentary tea bags in the room. Included was powdered ume tea.

Next year, I will be in Kobe for two days. Will I be able to find it in stores there? Is it called ume cha?

[torakris]

You should have no trouble finding it in a department store basement, even most supermarkets by me carry at least one type.

Here are some samples of packaging to look for.

beware of that last one, Tougarashi umecha and it contains chile peppers.

[Hiroyuki]

I'm familiar with ume kobu (or kombu) cha, but not ume cha.

[balomi]

I'm familiar with ume kobu (or kombu) cha, but not ume cha.

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I live near Seattle and ume kobu cha is available, but it has sugar in it. I prefer the unsugared ume kobu cha. The plain ume cha that I had in Kyoto though is what I crave.