Japanese with ease
| Published: 6th June 2007 20:49 |
The first Japanese restaurant in Britain was an establishment in Barrow-in-Furness. Dating from the early 1900s it was opened to cater to the Japanese seamen standing by the Japanese warships being built in the town. In 2006 there were 370 Japanese restaurants in the UK.
The health benefits of Japanese foods are now starting to be scientifically proved; the very low incidents of cancer, heart disease, obesity and longer life expectancy in Japan certainly merit investigation. There have been two best selling Diet books, (‘The Japan Diet' and ‘Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat') written by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle, based on Japanese recipes and lifestyle.
Japanese food is balanced and wonderfully flavourful. When ever I eat a Japanese dish it feels healthy, vegetables are used not in great quantity but certainly in great verity. Japanese portions are smaller the British ones, but the Japanese tend to have a verity of smaller dishes which makes for an interesting meal.
Japanese food can look intimidating, set out so beautifully and delicately, however it is relatively simple to get good results at home. I regularly make "Sushi" for my husband to take to work for lunch. I am currently addicted to Soya bean and Shiitake stir fry. The Japanese also have the best bar snack food I've ever eaten, forget crisps, try spicy Wasabi Peas, Japanese rice crackers flavoured with seaweed or deep fried Soya beans.
Japanese ingredients can be hard to get a hold of in Croydon, so I use http://www.japanesekitchen.co.uk/ they have a huge range of all things Japanese. They also have product reviews where you can see what other people have to say about the products, helpful when your trying to decide what to buy for the first time.
A brief guide to Japanese Ingredients
Mirin - a seasoning made by a natural process, using only cultured rice (koji) and spring water, with a little sea salt added before bottling. One of the three essential tastes of old Japan, mirin has the unique ability to enhance the natural flavours of foods. Mirin‘s mild sweetness balances soya sauce and is used to enhance sweet as well as savoury sauces.See our recipe for Salmon in Sweet Miso
Sake - Japanese rice wine. Traditionally made only from cultured rice and spring water. Although sake has traditionally been served warm, nowadays most sake is served slightly chilled. I know I'm going to get letter about this but if I had to describe it's flavour it is close to a dry sherry.
Miso - Cultured rice and soya bean puree. Miso can be used instead of salt to flavour dishes and successfully combines with other seasonings including garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, malt syrups, herbs and citrus zest or juice. Miso also makes a wonderful nutritious broth.See our recipe for Miso soup with Turnips
Noodle Udon - a thick, flat, cream-coloured Japanese wheat noodle that becomes soft when cooked. Best used with strong flavours. Soba - a thin, delicate noodle made with buckwheat and wheat flour that has a greyish brown colour and nutty taste. Soba is the favourite noodle of Japan.
Sea Vegetables Nori - the most popular, and probably if you've not eaten it you've at least seen it. Nori is most frequently available in sheet form, for rolling Sushi and should be a rich green colour. Nori has over 40% protein, more than other sea vegetables, and also contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals. See our quick Sushi guide.
Arame - a slightly sweet and delicate flavoured addition to salads or stir fry's. Arame is usually available already cooked and dried it requires soaking for 10 minutes before use. Sprinkle a little into a crisp raw vegetable salad.
Kombu - a Japanese variety of kelp. The thick wide strips of Kombu are commonly used to flavour Japanese soups, noodle broths and stocks. To prepare a basic stock, add one piece of kombu to a litre of water and bring to a simmer. If the kombu is soaked in the water for an hour first it will become tender enough after simmering to slice, season and add to vegetable dishes.
Edamame - Fresh green soya beans. Now available frozen in most supermarkets. The Japanese eat them as a healthy bar snack. They are packed with goodness. Try our tasty Soya bean and Shiitake stir fry.
Tofu - Fermented soya bean curd. Tastes better than it sounds! The two main types are Silken tofu which is delicate and is better served simply in a broth. Firm tofu which is more robust and can be stir fried or deep fried until crispy.
Wasabi - Very strong green Japanese Horseradish. Available in both paste and dried powder form. It does lose it potency on exposure to air. It is very fiery and you only need the tiniest amount. Great as an accompaniment to Sushi or as a contrast to a sweet dish. Try our Chocolate and Wasabi Fudge Cake
Bonito Flakes - Bonito is a type of tuna fish. Once dried, it becomes as hard as wood and keeps indefinitely. Using a tool resembling a carpenter's plane, dried bonito is shaved into flakes that smell strongly of the sea and is used in salads, as a garnish or seasoning for a variety of dishes or to flavour dashi. Bonito is particularly high in Umami, a deep meaty savoury note described as the fifth taste.
Sushi - Ok rule number one it's not all about raw fish, (that is Sashimi). Sushi is basically rice formed into bite size pieces with an accompaniment. The rice used to make Sushi is short grained and glutinous (sticky when cooked). Vinegar is usually added after cooking and it is cooled rapidly, to inhibit bacterial growth. The way most people know Sushi is the California roll, raw salad vegetables, (Pepper, Avocado, Carrot, Cucumber etc) and rice wrapped in Nori and served in slices. Nigiri Sushi which is hand formed sushi, this is usually garnished with whole prawns of thinly sliced raw fish, (Sashimi).
