Japanese cuisine is widely known across the globe. Sushi, ramen, and gyoza are terms most of us are well-acquainted with. Yet Japan’s culinary culture is much larger. In Japanese cuisine from miso to matcha, author Inge Rylant gives the curious reader a crash course in Japanese food lingo.
Inge Rylant, a Belgian illustrator, first travelled to Japan some ten years ago. At that time, she knew little about Japanese gastronomy and the few things she thought she knew were merely assumptions and clichés. A decade later, Rylant lives part-time in the country and has had the chance to get to know the culinary gem that is Japan. Yet the more she learns, the more she understands how limited most people’s knowledge on the subject is.
Combining her illustrating talent with her love for Japan and its food, she wrote Japanese cuisine from miso to matcha, a culinary journey in 150 tips. Aside from 150 food-and-drink-related words, Inge has also included several recipes with easy-to-find ingredients, perfect to try at home before moving over to some more specialised preparations.
The booklet is not just easy on the eye thanks to the many colourful illustrations but also the perfect companion for those who will be travelling to Japan, those who like to shop the most niche ingredients at their local Asian grocery store, or those who are just curious about the delicacies Japanese cuisine has to offer. We’ve selected five new-to-us terms, for the 145 others we happily refer you towards Japanese cuisine from miso to matcha.
1. Yuzu
“An aromatic citrus fruit that ripens in the autumn, yuzu is one of the most iconic Japanese flavours. All of the fruit can be used: the juice adds brightness to dishes, while the pungent peel is also eaten, often sliced into thin strips. Yuzuponzu is a zesty dipping sauce made from yuzu, soy sauce and vinegar. Sometimes the hollowed-out fruit is used as a serving bowl. And the winter solstice yuzu bath has been a tradition since the Edo period (1603-1868). Floating in the hot water, the fruits steep and spread their aroma, moisturising the skin and relaxing the mind.”
2. Ayu
Ayu (“sweetfish”) is a small fish found in rivers; it is caught in summer, when its meat is the juiciest and when it has developed a sweet, watermelon-like scent. The traditional way of eating aye is shioyaki: the fish is salted, mounted on wooden skewers and grilled over a charcoal fire. After grilling, you can eat the whole fish, although many people leave the head and tail. It’s a popular fish at summer festivals.
3. Anmitsu
“Anmitsu is a colourful and refreshing dessert especially popular during the hot summer months. It is cubes of kanten (agar-agar jelly) combined with ank (sweet red bean paste), mochi, beans and pieces of peach, tangerine, kiwi or other fruits, then topped with a rich brown sugar syrup. Some restaurants and tea houses serve variations with ice cream or whipped cream.”
4. Genmaicha
“With genmaicha (green tea with puffed rice), also referred to as “popcorn tea”, the tea leaves are mixed with toasted or puffed rice grains. Originally, the rice was used as filler to create a lower-cost tea that poorer people could afford. But today, genmaicha is widely appreciated for its lightly nutty taste and mild character.”
5. Kurīmu Sōda
“Cream soda, actually a sort of melon soda ice cream float, originated in Japan in the 1970s. It is served in a tall, transparent glass and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a neon-red maraschino cherry. The drink itself is melon syrup and soda water, and is bright green. The brightness of the colours makes it seem very artificial, but it is a surprisingly delicious drink. Besides the classic green cream soda, in some kissaten (traditional coffee houses) you can also try equally blue, red or yellow varieties of this nostalgic drink.”
Japanese cuisine from miso to matcha, a culinary journey in 150 tips by Inge Rylant, is now available for €21,99.
