Japanese Fruit: Hyuganatsu Miyazaki Omiyage Hyuga-no-Kaori Yokan

Itadakimono from NoRecipes: The hyuganatsu is a very mysterious citrus from southern Japan that apparently just appeared in 1820. I became acquainted and enchanted with this fruit this spring thanks to a business associate that is originally from Miyazaki. The taste is uniquely sour and very fragrant. The white pith between the flesh and peel is very thick and is…
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Depachika: Sanma-zushi

Aozakana season is upon us here in Japan. Aozakana literally means ‘blue fish’. Aozakana isn’t a species but a category. Aozakana are varieties like mackerel (saba), saury (sanma), sardine (iwashi) and so on. The backs of these fish are blue in color and in the autumn and winter they are particularly fatty and oily. Japanese say, abura ga notteiru (脂がのっている).…
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Tsukemono: Kiku Kabura (Chrysanthemum Turnip)

Autumn is chrysanthemum season in Japan and the flower which has literally countless form, shape and color variations makes numerous appearances in Japanese cuisine, both as decoration and as symbol. This meibutsu tsukmono is from Kamekura a shinise in Kameoka, a small and quaint town west of Kyoto. Kamekura is perhaps best known for its senmaizuke, a Kyoto winter favorite…
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Dinner at Yoshikawa Ryokan: Tempura Kakiage O-chazuke

The other day I was fortunate enough to be invited for a wonderful tempura kaiseki dinner by some new friends from San Francisco at one of Kyoto’s most famous ryokan inns: Yoshikawa Ryokan. While Yoshikawa Ryokan is a fine place to stay, it is perhaps more famous for its tempura cuisine. Many Kyotoites go there just for tempura dinner. Now,…
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