Dear friends, colleagues and those who have expressed an interest in the FOOD & CULTURE of Japan:
In Japan, hand-held, flat fans called uchiwa have been creating cooling breezes for millennia.
In addition to being practical tools in the kitchen for fanning rice when making sushi and for fanning cooking fires when broiling over hot coals, uchiwa can become a fashion statement when coordinated with yukata summer weight kimono, especially when worn by festival-goers.
Uchiwa -themed tabletop accessories such as chopstick rests hint at cool breezes when setting the summertime table.
Uchiwa can also become advertisements passed out on street corners to shoppers in hot weather.
And, pardon the pun, uchiwa become sports fan merchandise. Uchiwa are especially popular among sumo-wrestler and baseball-player fans in Japan.
UCHIWA fans are an important kitchen tool, used to cool freshly cooked rice as it is seasoned with slightly sweet vinegar when making sushi meshi rice.
A Taste of Culture
A Taste of Culture offers custom workshops for visitors and residents who wish to learn about Japanese home-style cooking and prepare it for themselves. DETAILS here.
Regardless of where you reside, I hope you remain interested in Japan and its food culture.
For inspiration and instruction in preparing Japanese food for yourself and others, visit KITCHEN CULTURE. To explore and practice Japan’s washoku wisdom in your own kitchen, visit Kitchen PROJECTS.
Tomatoes in Japan
Originating in Mesoamerica about 7,000 years ago, tomatoes arrived in Japan early in the Edo period (1603-1868) having traveled the globe and being domesticated along the way. The first tomato plants in Japan were considered an ornamental — they were not cultivated for culinary purposes until the Meiji period (1868-1912).
HIYA YAKKO 冷奴
Chilled Cubes of Tofu with Condiments
This tofu dish is nourishing and refreshing in the heat of the summer. Hiya means “chilled” while yakko refers to “cube-shaped” items.
WASHOKU ESSENTIALS is a bi-monthly column in the Japan Times.
Most recently about nanban-zuke batter-fried fish “marinated in the style of the southern barbarians.”
essays & recipes are posted to The Japanese Pantry, an online store dedicated to making quality artisanal Japanese ingredients available to cooks in the United States. My latest contribution, Part Three, is Miso-Slathered Broiled Tofu Enjoy!
器 UTSUWA:
Vessels used to serve Food & Drink
Culinary Historians of New York hosted an online webinar with Elizabeth Andoh on October 22, 2025. To listen, and download printed materials related to the presentation, click on the image here
Episode 341 (Sept 10, 2024) is about the language used to describe food textures … mouthfeel is often the most challenging element when trying new foods.
Prefer video-based learning? Join me on CRAFTSY
Comments