Like this post? Help us by sharing it! It’s late, you’re tempted to watch another episode of your favourite TV series and a snack would be the cherry-on-top to your night in. But how to find a place that can give you exactly what you’re craving? Maybe you want a sandwich. Maybe you want ice […]
Food & Drink
Paper screens – Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! In a slight departure from the world of literature, we’d like to bring you some inspiration from the screen that provides a humbling insight into the life of a true Japanese artisan, and the shokunin kishitsu, the dedicated spirit of the craftsman, that he embodies. Jiro Dreams of Sushi – A film […]
Exploring Japanese wine in the Kōfu Basin
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Kashioyama Daizenji Temple (Grape Temple)
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The origin of Japanese wine is still open for debate… Recently, evidence of ancient grape fermentation has been used by those who support an early origin story. The Jōmon people who inhabited the Japanese archipelago from 14,000 BCE to 1000 BCE are said to have used fermentation […]
The exemplary craftsmanship of a kaiseki meal
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! If you’ve been to Japan, you may have eaten a kaiseki meal. You definitely wouldn’t forget it, that’s for sure. Simply put, a kaiseki meal is a traditional Japanese multi-course feast for both the eyes and the stomach. With sometimes up to a dozen or more courses, […]
Shojin-ryori: Cuisine of spiritual progression
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Sumptuous Shojin-ryori meal served at Fumonin Temple, Mt Koya
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! I know it sounds bizarre, but some of my first impressions of Japan are of vegetables. There’s a scene in Hiyao Miyazaki’s animated classic My Neighbor Totoro in which two little girls, having recently moved out to the country, explore a neighbouring granny’s garden in the early summertime. They chill fresh-picked tomatoes and cucumbers in a running stream, then crunch […]
Tempura: the quintessential Japanese, Portuguese dish
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Tempura is a light, crispy, and delectable Japanese classic that you can make at home with just a few ingredients! But first, a quick lesson on its origins. This culinary staple originated in Japan’s famed Edo period. The Tokugawa Shogunate had the country in Sakoku lockdown for, give or take, 220 years. However, Japan wasn’t completely closed off. Among the Portuguese, Dutch and […]
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Tempura is a light, crispy, and delectable Japanese classic that you can make at home with just a few ingredients! But first, a quick lesson on its origins. This culinary staple originated in Japan’s famed Edo period. The Tokugawa Shogunate had the country in Sakoku lockdown for, give or take, 220 years. However, Japan wasn’t completely closed off. Among the Portuguese, Dutch and […]