How to Make Hoshigaki (Japanese Dried Persimmons)

Persimmons are delicious, but dried persimmons are divine. Totally divine!! Let me qualify that though. There are small, hard, dried out dried persimmons (in Japan they are ‘Made in China’) and then there are big, plump, soft, wet, sticky, gooey dried persimmons — sounds decidedly sexy and they are! These high-quality dried persimmons are very caramelly in taste that brings…
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Kyoto Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review

Say hello to my favorite tofu brand: Otokomae Tofu. Otokomae Tofu is a Kyoto company, new and successful, but not an old and established shinise. It is now a well-known brand throughout the country even with some distribution abroad, but it is a very un-Kyoto company. While Otokomae Tofu may be un-Kyoto, I think that it breathes some needed…
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Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan ‘Instant’ Miso Soup

Kyoto Quality Instant Miso Soup: Honda Miso Honten is a shinise miso producer and dealer that has been in business in Kyoto for about 170 years. Honda Miso is located just west side of the Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace. The Honda Miso retail store occupies a very beautiful old Kyoto machiya townhouse with a full selection of their long loved…
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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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