Kyoto Foodie: Where and what to eat in Kyoto

Kyoto Sake: Learning to Make Hannari Brand Umeshu in Fushimi - part 2 (北川本家はんなり梅酒)

Hannari Brand Umeshu: The tastes of Kyoto are subtle and refined, this umeshu was designed to be hannari, or delicate. In addition to classic umeshu, there are four imaginatively ‘Kyoto’ flavored versions; cinnamon, yuzu, green tea and shiso.

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Kyoto Sake: Learning to Make Umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur) in Fushimi - part 1

Umeshu: Japanese plums, called ume (梅) are mainly used to flavor alcohol and vinegar and to make the incredible umeboshi, pickled plum. In early summer, it is popular to make ume flavored alcohol, called umeshu (梅酒) at home, but we were fortunate [...]

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Learning to Make Soba Dashi at Honke Owariya

We were privileged to visit one of our favorite Kyoto restaurants, Honke Owariya that is among the oldest restaurants in the world, and learn how to make their incredibly delicious ‘dashi‘ broth for soba noodles. Having about 540 years of experience to draw upon is a fantastically delicious [...]

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Sakura Hiyashi Udon Tsukemen (さくら冷やしうどんつけめん)

The sakura zensen, or ‘Cherry Blossom Front’ is moving up Japan from south to north and is now passing through the center of the country where Kyoto is located. The delicate sakura blossoms don’t last long though, just a few days. It has already begun ‘raining’ cherry petals here and tomorrow [...]

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Buri-zanmai Series: Buri Daikon (Fatty Yellowtail Head Simmered with Daikon Radish) ぶり大根

Buri-zanmai Series (Part 2): Winter is the time for buri, or yellowtail. The meat is laden with oil and rich flavor. Here we make a classic, Buri Daikon.

Buri-daikon is a much loved winter dish in Japan. It combines chopped yellowtail (buri) heads with daikon [...]

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Buri-zanmai: Buri Sashimi and Shiso Donburi (ぶり刺身丼)

Buri-zanmai Series (Part 3): Winter is the time for buri, or yellowtail. The meat is laden with oil and rich flavor. Here we make a quick and simple rice dish, Buri Sashimi and Shiso Donburi.
Buri Sashimi and Shiso Donburi:
Donburi is a popular ‘rice bowl’ dish in Japan. Here we [...]

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Wagashi Series: Ryuen Rakuseki and Maccha Rakuseki (柳苑: 楽石・抹茶楽石)

Ryuen specializes in a simple and elegant wagashi that combines a center of candied kuri (chestnut) embedded in koshian (sweet azuki bean paste) with a coating of sugar and kuzu (arrow root starch), some with the addition of sugary green tea powder (maccha).
Ryuen’s wagashi is decidedly [...]

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Wagashi Series: Sentaro Rice Flour Kasutera, Soba and Wheat Manju (仙太郎)

Sentaro’s kasutera (Castella sponge cake) is a real treat! It’s sophisticated in flavor, caramelly and very mochi-mochi (soft and chewy). Sentaro’s manju, both soba (buckwheat) and wheat are excellent and unique.

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Sake: Learning to Make Sake at Kitagawa Honke Sake Brewery in Fushimi - Part 5

Fushimi, Kyoto still has some beautiful places and offers a glimpse into what Fushimi must have been like before industrialization. I took my camera around the neighborhood and visited Okinaya, a small shop run by Kitagawa Honke. Okinaya sells Kitagawa’s Tomio [...]

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Buri-zanmai Series: Buri Kama Shioyaki (Salt-grilled Fatty Yellowtail Collar)

Buri-zanmai Series (Part 1): Winter is the time for buri, or yellowtail. The meat is laden with oil and rich flavor. Here we make Buri Kama Shioyaki.
Buri Kama Shioyaki:
Kama is the ‘collar’ of a fish, the area between the gill cover and the pectoral fin. This area [...]

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