We traveled to Hateruma Island, Okinawa — the most remote island in the Japanese archipelago — to witness firsthand how Japan's most prized brown sugar is harvested and processed.
Author Elizabeth Andoh explores ichijū sansai — Japan's humble "One + Three" meal philosophy — and shares a versatile miso dengaku sauce recipe that keeps for a month.
We traveled to Rishiri Island in far northern Japan to witness the konbu harvest firsthand — joining local fishermen, visiting the processing facility, and learning how Uneno-san ages Rishiri konbu for at least three years in Kyoto.
Author Elizabeth Andoh explores ichimotsu zenshoku — the washoku principle of using food fully — with a complete Glory of Turnip menu using every part of the plant.
Author Elizabeth Andoh introduces washoku — Japan's indigenous food culture built on harmony of 5 colors, 5 tastes and 5 ways — and shares how practicing kansha can elevate everyday cooking.
A firsthand look at the nori harvest on Japan's Ariake Sea — from farming and harvesting to processing and auction, and the challenges facing this ancient tradition.
Nancy Singleton Hachisu shares the artisanal Japanese ingredients she selected for Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook, with notes on each producer and the recipes they appear in.
A firsthand account of visiting Rausu in northeast Hokkaido to witness the extraordinary 23-step process of harvesting and processing premium Rausu konbu.
In April 2022, Greg and Chris returned to Japan for the first time in 2½ years — visiting producers from Tokyo to Shikoku, reconnecting with old friends, and rediscovering the magic of Japan post-pandemic.
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...
A behind-the-scenes look at Matoba Suisan in Makurazaki, Kagoshima — one of Japan's finest artisanal katsuobushi producers, crafting smoked and fermented skipjack tuna by hand since 1975.
Beyond the food — Greg and Chris visit an artisan knife maker in Sakai, witness binchotan charcoal making in Wakayama, and experience tea ceremony with Yoko Sensei and Takehiro Wada of Wadaman.
Not all konbu are the same. Explore the differences between Rishiri, Rausu, and Ma konbu through blind dashi tastings — aroma, taste, texture, and finish — and start developing your konbu palate.
Greg and Chris share their favorite travel memories from Japan — izakaya crawls in Tokyo, fugu dinners with Wadaman, konbu school with Doi-san in Osaka, and fresh tuna in Wakayama.
Greg and Chris visit Takehisa's dried shiitake farm in the mountains of Kyushu — picking mushrooms from oak logs in the forest, grilling them over an open fire with the Yamaguchi family, and discovering what makes Japanese dried shiitake so extraordinary.
Greg Dunmore shares the story of his first encounter with nagashi somen — chilled Japanese noodles served on a bamboo waterslide — and why somen is the perfect summer dish.
Greg and Chris were invited to Konbu Doi master Doi-san's Osaka apartment for a one-night-only all-konbu dinner — a magical evening of food, history, and the extraordinary power of konbu.
Japanese pantry ingredients aren’t just for Japanese cooking. Greg explores how soy sauce, miso, and konbu dashi can enhance any cuisine — from Italian to California-Japanese and beyond.
Chris and Greg visit Horikawaya Nomura in Gobo City, Wakayama — one of Japan's oldest soy sauce breweries, still using wood fires, a 150-year-old iron pot, and cedar barrels up to 170 years old to craft extraordinary artisanal shoyu.
Chris and Greg visit Iio Jozo in Miyazu — a 120-year-old rice vinegar brewery that makes its own sake from pesticide-free rice and ages its vinegar for a full year, producing one of the most extraordinary rice vinegars in Japan.
Japanese cedar barrels aren’t just vessels — they’re home to the beneficial bacteria that define each soy sauce’s unique character. Greg explains why the bacteria inside the barrels matter more than the barrels themselves.
