Stories

In April 2022 Greg and Chris traveled to Japan for the first time in 2 ½ years. They spent a week together traveling from Tokyo to Shikoku and many places in between. Chris also spent an additional week traveling in...

For me, katsuobushi has always been synonymous with the flavors of Japan. There is no substitute for it. Over the years as my Japanese cuisine knowledge has expanded, I have come to understand and taste the differences between the various...

In the Autumn of 2016, we ventured down to the southern tip of Kyushu in Kagoshima prefecture with one purpose in mind, finding the best katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna). Our journey led us to Matoba Suisan in the port town of...

It’s not always about the food… Periodically when we travel to Japan, we sometimes visit artisans that do not make food items. Incredible things still often just fall into our laps. Knife Maker in Sakai Chris and I have been...

The first important thing you need to know is that not all konbu are the same.  We sell 3 different varieties: Rishiri, Rausu and Ma konbu which are thought of as the top konbu for dashi making. All are very...

We have a map in our warehouse showing the locations of all of our producers. It sits near our desks, so we can’t help but to look at it every day. It is a nice reminder of our journeys up...

Early in my culinary career, I remember shiitake mushrooms being the first “exotic” mushroom I had experienced.  It was not until my externship (at a fine dining restaurant in San Francisco) during culinary school, that I fell in love with...

I cannot remember whether it was 2008 or 2009 when I was first properly introduced to summertime somen noodles.  Oddly enough, it was not in Japan but in San Francisco at a Joy of Sake event held at the St....

Chris and I sent an email to Doi-san before one of our trips to Japan asking if we could spend some time with him to discuss business, but more importantly, konbu.  We wanted to learn everything possible about Konbu Doi. ...

It is both surprising and unsurprising how many people think our products are just meant for Japanese food. Why is it surprising? Many people are not familiar with working with Japanese food products, so the natural thought process is that...

Our first day in Japan is always a whirlwind…we take a redeye that leaves SFO at about 1am and gets into Tokyo’s Haneda airport at just before 5am. After a quick shower at the airport ($10 for 30 minutes!), udon...

It’s not easy to get to Iio Jozo, but it’s definitely worth the trip. And now that I think about it, that’s a metaphor for how the company operates. They don’t take the easy way out…everything they do is hard...