Tezu is a very weak vinegar solution made from water, rice vinegar and salt. It is used when making sticky items such as sushi, mochi or omusubi. In making sushi, it is used to wipe the insides of the rice bowl (Sushi-oke) before starting, to dip your fingers into whenever they start to get sticky…
Japanese Food
Tofu
Tofu © Denzil GreenTofu is a fresh coagulated curd product made from soy beans. To make Tofu, soy beans are soaked for up to 8 hours in water. Then they are ground in the water (making soy milk, basically), and the mixture is heated until it reaches 212 F (100 C.) It is then let…
Tofu Dishes
Tofu Dishes have been seen in the West as being just for vegetarians and vegans. In Asia, it’s very different: not only are tofu dishes not seen as a vegetarian thing, in fact, many of the dishes also have meat in them as well as tofu. Many in the West eat tofu in Asian restaurants,…
Tokyo King Melons
Tokyo King Melons are grown to be gift melons in Japan. They will be about 7 to 8 inches (17 to 20 cm) wide, and weigh 3 to 4 pounds (1.3 to 1.8 kg.) They are slightly oval, and have green skin covered in netting. Inside, they have sweet, juicy, bright white flesh. The melons…
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu is a Japanese breaded, boneless pork cutlet deep-fried in oil. The exterior comes out very crunchy; inside it is very soft and moist. The cutlet will be ½ to ¾ inches (1 to 2 cm) thick. In a restaurant, you get to specify what grade of pork cutlet you want. The best is considered…
Trefoil
Trefoil is a perennial herb with a flavour between parsley and celery (some think fresh coriander or angelica.) It is evergreen in places where the winter is mild, and grows 1 to 3 feet tall (30 cm to 1 metre.) It blossoms with very tiny star-shaped flowers. The stems and leaves are used as an…
Tsuki-Mi Soba
Tsuki-Mi Soba is a variation of the Japanese buckwheat noodle dish, kake soba noodles. The noodles served with a raw egg on top in the middle. The egg becomes slightly poached from the heat of the broth in the bowl.
Twentieth Century Pears
Twentieth Century Pears are medium-sized Asian Pears with a mild fragrance. The skin is yellow, sometimes yellowish-green and has a clear semi-gloss to it, with no mottling or russetting. The flesh is white, very juicy and very sweet, with just a bit of off-setting tartness. Some feel that the taste is even better when the…
Uchiwa
An uchiwa is round paddle-shaped paper fan used in Japan for fanning rice to be used for sushi.
Udon Noodles
Udon Noodles © Denzil Green Udon Noodles are Japanese noodles made from all wheat flour, though some new speciality ones for the “health food” market are a mixture of rice and wheat flours. They are cream-coloured, and about the same width (4 to 6 mm wide) and length as linguine noodles, but thicker. In fact,…
Ume
Ume are Japanese plums that are smaller and less sweet than European ones. They are more like an apricot, though often called a plum. The Ume tree grows 15 to 30 feet high (5 to 10 metres.) It has jagged-edged leaves up to 4 ½ inches (11 ½ cm) long and 3 inches (7 ½…
Ume Shoyu
Ume Shoyu is a condiment sauce made from 1 pickled plum (Umeboshi), 2 tablespoon soy sauce and a dash of sake.
Umeboshi Paste
Umeboshi Paste is a Japanese red paste made from puréed Umeboshi (pickled apricots.) It can be bought in tubes or bottles. To make your own, just mash Umeboshi. Cooking Tips When using Umeboshi Paste, bear in mind that it is very salty so hold back on other salt. Language Notes Often called in English “Umeboshi…
Umeshu
Umeshu is a yellowish, Japanese liqueur made from the Japanese plums called “Ume.” It has a very smooth, but slightly sweet and sour taste. To make it, green, unripened Ume are macerated in shochu alcohol. The alcohol level is around 35%. It is sometimes sold in green-hued glass jars, with a few Ume plums in…
Usu
Usu are large Japanese mortars about the size of a medium barrel used to pound cooked sticky rice in preparation for making mochi.
Usu-Zukuri
Usu-Zukuri is a Japanese term that means “thinly-sliced.” It’s used in reference to fish cut paper-thin. The fish used will be a white fish. If the fish is specified, the name of the fish will appear along with this term. For instance, halibut (which is “hirame” in Japanese) would be “Hirame Usu-Zukuri.” Otherwise on a…
Usucha Tea
Usucha is a thin, weak tea made from the powdery tea called Matcha in Japanese. The Matcha used is made from leaves from tea bushes that are under 30 years old. The powder is traditionally stored in a container made of lacquerware called a “natsume.” There is a ceremony around how you drink it. It…
Wagarashi
Wagarashi is a very sharp tasting Japanese mustard made from brown mustard seed (Brassica juncea.) English mustard uses brown mustard seed and white, so it approaches Wagarashi in heat; the mild American-style yellow mustard uses just white mustard seed. It is used as a seasoning, often served on the side in small quantities for you…
Wagashi
Wagashi is a generic name for Japanese sweets. In making and appreciating Japanese sweets, much attention is paid to shape, texture and colour. Ingredients commonly used include rice flour, anko (adzuki bean paste), and sugar. Most Wagashi are anko, and much depends on the quality of that paste. It’s a Western myth that Japanese sweets…
Wagyu Beef
Wagyu is the name of a breed of cattle in Japan. They are a very docile breed, originally bred for field work. More than 85% (2004 numbers) of the cattle raised in Japan are Black Wagyu. The strain called “The Tattori Black Wagyu” is the most prized. Despite marketing claims, the breed has really only…
Warabi
Warabi is a fern that grows wild in Japan and elsewhere in the world, such as Hawaii. The plant can grow up to 27 ½ inches (70 cm) tall and 15 ¾ inches (40 cm) wide. Its young, unopened leaves are harvested in the early spring. They are then soaked overnight, then blanched before using…
Warabi Starch
Warabi Starch is a very light-coloured powder made from the roots of Warabi ferns. The ferns need to be at least 1 or 2 years old before they are harvested. The roots are ground to a powder, which is then put into a water solution, and filtered. The powder is then dried for 1 ½…
Wasabi
Wasabi is a small perennial green plant that grows in the wild along streams. It is a member of the watercress family. It will grow about 18 inches (45 cm) tall. It is harvested for its root, which is green inside, after at least two years of growth. It is also cultivated, usually in water….
Wasabi Peas
Wasabi Peas © Denzil Green Wasabi Peas are a Japanese snack food, consisting of crunchy peas covered with a spicy coating. They are meant to be eaten out of hand. They are made from peas at the fully mature stage, known as Marrowfat Peas in English. The peas are roasted, then coated in oil and…