Salt and sugar help the world go ‘round. These two essential nutrients are what give sakura mochi its popular appeal. Rest assured: you are supposed to eat the leaf!
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Have you ever been so hungry that you could eat a cow? Well, yakiniku has the answer! It’s all the glory of a backyard BBQ with none of the inconveniences like shopping, preparing the meat, cleaning up, or mosquitoes! Yakiniku is both simple and delicious…
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Just northeast of Ueno Park and next to Nippori Station on the Yamanote Line, Yanaka is as quaint as it is urban. From the quiet side streets around the famous Himalayan Cedar to the bustling market of Yanaka Ginza, then over to the austere temples and serene cemeteries, and down to the avante garde art houses, Yanaka is a vibrant neighborhood with a deep history.
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While mochi is enjoyed year-round, it is particularly popular during the New Year’s holiday when families come together. This is important, because the traditional method of making mochi takes time and a lot of helping hands…
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As an English teacher in rural Japan, one of my favorite “culture” lessons was teaching my first-year students the shocking truth about Christmas in my home country: we don’t devour KFC for Christmas dinner. I’ll bet that most of you reading this find it odd that I would have to clarify such a thing. But for more than 3 million families in Japan, Christmas and Kentucky Fried Chicken go together like Coca Cola and Santa.
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Let’s get this straight—yaki-imo is not your grandma’s butter-and-sour-cream, heart-attack-inducing, cholesterol bomb. Unlike traditional baked potatoes in the West that do everything to mask the bland flavor of your standard potato, yaki-imo is a call to simplicity, and the beauty it reveals….
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Kyoto is a city that is famous for its rich and historic culture. But the beauty of culture is that it is never fixed. Innovation and exploration, defining qualities of Kyoto Brewing Company, are at the center of a cultural revolution maintaining Kyoto’s relevance in our modern world.
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The peaks of northern Kyoto are crisscrossed with roads and trails that wind through valleys and over mountain passes to Fukui Prefecture and the Japan Sea. Since at least the Heian Period (794-1185), the mountain passes have connected the imperial capital to the port of Obama City, which was a hub for marine goods. The Saba Kaido (kaido 街道 usually translates to “old road”) that connected these ancient areas…
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Generally considered to be the most savory river fish in Japan, ayu is a staple food at the many festivals and barbecues throughout the summer months.
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Every summer, a purple monster comes down from the mountains to wreak havoc on frugivores’ wallets throughout the land. This giant’s name is Kyoho (巨峰ぶどう kyoho budo) and it’s a grape of epic proportions.
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