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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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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Japanese Persimmon Shibugaki

Japanese Persimmon Shibugaki (渋柿) Japanese Persimmon Shibugaki (渋柿)
Autumn is persimmon time in Japan. The shibugaki is an astringent persimmon that can be enjoyed only when it is very ripe, or has been blet. I like to spoon the soft, dripping flesh out like ice cream from a paper cup.…
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