Have you heard of dashi? Or Bonito flakes? Both of these are born from Katsuobushi an essential ingredient used to create the infamous umami flavor in much of Japanese cuisine. Katsuobushi is dried and fermented skipjack tuna usually shaved into flakes. Like so many things in Japan, katsuobushi is deeply rooted in history, culture, and tradition.
Find the best advice from local experts! This month we asked our beloved, adventurous guides Jennifer, Haruka and Ryuichi what are their favorite Autumn foods and why?
From our Expat Series— “The first time I travelled to Japan was in 2007. Although I was familiar with the culture and the scenery thanks to Japanese animation, manga and generally speaking, thanks to Japanese pop culture, I must tell I was in shock during my first days in Tokyo! I come from a relatively small French town, so the vastness of Tokyo, the tall buildings, the super urban sceneries surprised me.”
The historic wholesale market has moved to new swanky (but sadly, institutional looking diggs) but there is still so much to see and do at the old outer market and surrounding neighborhood. You really need to keep this on your must-see list.
One of the biggest and most popular activities in Autumn is to go “Koyo” (Viewing Fall-foliage). Koyo refers to the phenomenon of changing autumn colors, mainly when it occurs to the leaves of deciduous broadleaf trees before the leaves fall to the ground. Much like Cherry Blossom trees, the momiji trees are the most famous for Koyo viewing for their vibrant red color.
Want to take a day trip out side of Tokyo? Discover great advice from our passionate guides and local experts in this new series “Ask Our Guides”!
Being an Expat Japan foreigner I have found that this is an amazing country also for its peculiar and sometimes crazy culture and rules. Visiting Japan is a trip among contrasts, opposite cultures and a lot of ancient habits. Don’t judge Japan or ask “why”, just take it as it comes!
Check out this awesome vlog of one of our most popular Tokyo food tours! So much good food and fun. Follow the adventures of TelevisionOfNomads and see for yourself.
The markets and neighborhood around Tsujiji are among my favorite places in Tokyo. Visiting stalls, having the freshest sushi in the world, browsing terrific kitchen tools, finding the perfect handmade sushi chef’s knife, eating mochi, drinking green tea– the area has no end of experiences to enjoy.
About the size of a tangerine, the truly unique flavor of yuzu is commonly described as a mashup of Meyer lemon, mandarin orange and grapefruit. The most common way of using fresh yuzu is usually thinly julienned slivers of the brilliant yellow zest to garnish Japanese cuisine or accent noodle or hot pot dishes.