Archive for the ‘Nakagyo-ku (中京区)’ CategoryPlaces to foodie in Nakagyo-ku. The Nakagyo ward of Kyoto, Nakagyo-ku (中京区), in Japanese.
Meet the ‘Demon Roll’ sushi for the day before spring -- Kyoto-style. This makizushi is a very original, fascinating and extremely beautiful variation of the eho-maki (lucky direction roll) makizushi that is eaten by custom in Japan on Setsubun, February 3rd, the day before spring begins. Setsubun has some wonderful customs and they all seem to be food related.
Two years ...
A wagashi confection that was created in 1699 by Toraya is a beautiful and unmistakable expression of a mid-winter plum blossom. It is called Shimokobai 霜紅梅, or red plum blossom with frost. This confection, created centuries ago, expresses something that I can only clearly recall seeing once: fruit blossoms in snow.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="580" caption="Toraya 'Shimokobai' Tea Ceremony Confection"][/caption]
While it ...
Japanese make hard candy with some novel indigenous ingredients and flavors that often sound culinarily dubious but actually taste quite good. This is one, shoyu ame, or soy sauce candy. It is made by a shinise shoyu producer that still makes handcrafted soy sauce the heart of the ancient city, just a few minutes walk from the Gosho Imperial Palace. ...
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, I ...
Kana-ami: Traditional Japanese Handmade Metal Cooking Utensils and Kitchenware (京の金網細工 辻和金網店)
Scoop soft tofu from boiling water, strain tea, roast sesame seeds, grill vegetables and fish over an open flame -- all with beautiful, handmade traditional Kyoto metal utensils.
