Food
Hokkaido resort offering vibrant bounty of gelato lookalikes…made of potato
Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew…why not throw ’em in a cone while you’re at it? In fact, that’s just what Hokkaido’s Hoshino Resort Tomamu (home of the outdoor ice bath) is planning in the form of their “potato salad gelato” bites to entice potato lovers to visit this fall. From… Read
A low-prep recipe for a delicious regional snack made from sweet potato
At first glance, *oni-manju *(鬼まんじゅう)* seems like an odd choice for the name of a simple dish featuring the star ingredient of sweet potato. After all, oni means “demon/ogre” and manju is a kind of Japanese confection. However, it’s actually a familiar and beloved sweet treat in the Tokai region of Japan, southwest of Tokyo, that was… Read
Gluten-free 'sobako' cheesecake is new taste sensation
Gluten-free cheesecake isn't anything new. The secret is all in the crust. You can make it with gluten-free graham crackers or make a crust from scratch with any kind of gluten-free flour. There are many choices there: amaranth, corn and rice just to name a few. However, not all grains… Read
How to turn Cup Noodle instant ramen into delicious Osaka-style dumplings
Not that we ever really needed an excuse to eat instant ramen, but the coronavirus has given us a pretty compelling reason to up our intake as we have more meals at home. When eating noodles from a cup, one of our go-to brands is naturally Cup Noodles, but recently we learned of… Read
Spicefull summer for a healthier life: Easy retort authentic Indian curry at home
Tis the season for curry. Japanese households are said to eat curry once a week on average. “Curry rice” is one of the ultimate comfort foods and every family has their own “mum’s curry” or their favorite curry roux. But not so many Japanese cook on a full scale using… Read
Vegan Japanese barbecue 'meat' is now a thing
Yakiniku, or Japanese barbecue, is a popular meal option when you're visiting Japan. Literally meaning "grilled meat," it's also the most unlikely dish you'd typically associate with a vegan menu. But now, thanks to Next Meats Co Ltd, a Japanese company developing and commercializing meat analogue products (currently plant-based) as a… Read
This sushi is actually cake that fools the eyes
For sweets fans in Japan, it’s not enough for a dessert to be exquisitely delicious, it also has to be captivatingly beautiful. For instance, while fresh fruit and rich cream are always nice together, they’re better still when arranged to look like fashionable flower sandwiches. But you know what’s even more… Read
Cup Noodle celebrates selling over 100 billion units with special 'Japanese slang' packaging
Nissin Cup Noodles: the pantry staple of every Japanese kitchen. They’re cheap, tasty, and quick, and with a myriad of delightful flavors, some mysterious and some very straight forward, it’s no wonder that they’ve sold over 100 billion units since their humble beginnings in 1971. In celebration of this remarkable number, Nissin is releasing special Cup Noodle… Read
How to enjoy eating in Japan as a vegan
Some might say it is nearly impossible to live or travel as a vegan in Japan, but is it? Rachael Lucas volunteers for Is it vegan? (Japan) and is a founding member of Vegan Consumer Japan. She tackles for our readers the three biggest challenges as a vegan in Japan,… Read
Japanese sake brewed to pair with cocoa cigarettes
Back in April, a new smoking law came into effect across Japan, prohibiting indoor smoking at schools, hospitals and offices. In restaurants, smoking is now only permitted inside designated rooms with adequate ventilation and at small establishments that meet certain conditions, so a lot of smokers have had to stub out their cigarettes… Read
