Sunday 27 January 2013

BASIC JAPANESE COOKING INGREDIENTS PART II

This post is a continuation of my first post on Basic Japanese Ingredients and gives a brief description of an extended list of basic ingredients used in Japanese home cooking. All these ingredients can be found in either Asian markets or large supermarkets. From my experience Asian supermarkets tend to be cheaper compared to supermarkets.

NORI - ROASTED SEAWEED
These roasted seaweed sheets are well known for wrapping sushi rolls. They can be shredded and sprinkled over dishes before serving. This type of seaweed is relatively easy to find and not expensive.


WAKAME - TYPE OF SEAWEED
Wakame is often added to Japanese miso soup and Japanese style salads. Be careful how much wakame you add to a dish as these tiny dry pieces of seaweed expand once they are added to water. 



HIJIKI - TYPE OF SEAWEED
Hijiki goes well with vegetables in a Japanese style stir-fry. It's important to soak the dried seaweed in water before adding to any dishes.

KOMBU - TYPE OF SEAWEED
This seaweed is used along with bonito fish flakes to make Japanese homemade fish stock called dashi.


KATSUOBUSHI - BONITO FISH FLAKES
Katsuobushi is used along with kombu seaweed to make Japanese homemade fish stock. It goes well with fresh tofu and soy sauce. Depending on where you live it can be difficult to get and a little expensive. I get it in my local Asian supermarket.


TOFU - PREFERABLY GM FREE
Tofu is made from fermented soya beans. It's low in calaroies yet high in protein and calcium. Try to buy tofu in an Asian store as the quality and the taste of the tofu tend to be much better. Fresh tofu can be eaten cold straight from the fridge or added to hot dishes. 




PANKO - JAPANESE BREAD CRUMBS
The biggest difference between panko and standard breadcrumbs is that panko doesn't contain the crust of the bread and the breadcrumbs are bigger in panko. Seemingly panko absorbs less oil than standard breadcrumbs! Panko is used for dishes such as Japanese style croquettes and tonkatsu.


ROASTED SESAME SEEDS
These are often sprinkled over dishes before serving.


NANAMI TOGARASHI - JAPANESE SEVEN SPICES
This spice mix includes chilli, orange peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, seaweed, Japanese pepper and ginger. It's often added to Japanese dishes to add a little kick and extra taste to the dish. 

 


SESAME OIL
Used to flavour Japanese Chinese style dishes such as fried rice


SHISO LEAF
A type of herb that is used in Japanese cooking. It can be difficult to find in supermarkets outside of Japan however if you can get shiso leaf seeds then you can grow your own!

WASABI - JAPANESE HORSERADISH
This is the green coloured mustard that is served with sushi. The wasabi root looks like a ginger root and can be hard to find. 

UDON NOODLES
A type of thick wheat flour noodle. Udon is usually served in a clear lightly seasoned soup with other ingredients.
 

RAMEN NOODLES
This is a wheat noodle used for Japanese Chinese style dishes including "Ramen" which is a tasty and very popular noodle soup. 


SOBA NOODLES
This is a thin brown buckwheat noodle which tends to be eaten cold during the summer months and hot during the colder times of year. 






4 comments:

  1. Hi Fiona, thanks for the post, really good!
    Could you recommend a brand (or show the packet) for the bonito flakes? I think quality for this is particularly important (and salt content as well)? About the wakame, how can I use it in salads? Sprinkled, or needs to be cooked (or re-hydrated)?
    Thanks for bringing a little bit of Japan to Dublin :)

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  2. Thanks for the great feedback. It's always good to hear from people reading my blog ;0)

    Unfortunately, there is a limited selection of dried bonito flakes in Dublin. I get mine in the Asian Market on Drury St in Dublin in a clear small bag with just a white label on it which doesn't give a supplier name or added ingredients! If you're lucky enough to find them somewhere else please let me know!

    I soak dried wakame in water for about 10 minutes before adding to salads.

    What's your favourite Japanese dish to cook at home?


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  3. Thanks Fiona!
    I really enjoy the posts, and the pictures help me identify the products on the Asian Market shelves! There is a basic selection of products (same brands I buy in the Asia Market) on my local Superquinn in Blanchardstown, and pricewise it's not too bad I think...
    I could not claim to cook Japanese food as such, but I get a lot of ideas and inspirations to try similar things at home... I usually make soba salads, teriaki chicken or salmon, simply cooked sushi rice, and a very nice steamed brocolli with a soy, rice vinegar, sugar and wasabi dressing :) I once tried to make sushi at home and it was very tasty! Hard work though, and I got a bit stuck with the fillings...
    Keep posting, I'm certainly following!
    Liana

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  4. Great to hear your following my blog. You should like my facebook page to get weekly updates on my posts (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fionas-Japanese-Cooking/372050292872425).

    Sounds like you're really enjoying Japanese cooking at home. Superquinn in Lucan also have a fairly good Japanese/Asian section. They sell the Japanese Shinode rice that I like to use.

    If you found the sushi maki roll a bit of a challenge, you should try the temaki hand roll as it's much easier to make and faster! I love making these at home.
    http://fionasjapanesecooking.blogspot.com/2013/02/temaki-sushi-hand-rolls.html

    Keep me posted on your Japanese cooking adventures!

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