Did You Know - Ebi (Shrimp) Edition

What Are The Different Types Of Shrimp Used In Japanese Cuisine?

Sakura-ebi

• This translucent pink shrimp translates to “spring-season shrimp,” and it’s caught in the Suruga Bay of the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan. It can be shipped fresh to NYC but only around May, as it is very seasonal. “Sakura-ebi can only be served raw when it is super fresh,” adds Kousaka. “It just does not last fresh for a long period.” So just how is it usually prepared? Saito lists dried or fried kaki-age (fritter) as the two most common preparations.

Shiro-ebi

• Imagine a whiter, smaller, slimier version of ama-ebi and you’re envisioning shiro-ebi. The tiniest of all the species on this list — a single piece of sushi or sashimi contains multiple little shrimps — shiro-ebi “has been very popular among Americans recently,” reports Kousaka, who uses ones sent over from the Toyama prefecture of Japan. “Even when they are shipped frozen (with a special technique), they never get too liquid-y, which is a unique feature compared to other shrimp eaten raw.” Even more impressive? Each of the miniature shrimps is “cleaned piece by piece by hand before being shipped to the U.S.” Talk about exhaustive labor!

Complete list (FoodRepublic.com)

Did You Know - Japanese Whiskey Edition

Here's Why You Should Care About Japanese Whisky

[I]n short, Japanese whisky is heavily influenced by Scotch, as the original distiller, Masataka Taketsuru, studied the craft in Scotland, and the malt for Japanese whiskies are often brought in from Scotland. It maintains similar traits, particularly the preference to blend varieties for singular tastes, though it’s often lighter, with subtler tones.

Most of the varieties you see in the US are made by distilleries run by Suntory and Nikka, though there are new challengers to the throne. Regardless of origin, it’s often sipped in highball form, with a bit of ice and sparkling water (unlike Scotch’s preferred pairing of a few drops of water, or Tennessee whiskey’s pairing with some fuckin’ Hank Jr.). This mellows it even more and allows a longer time to explore the nuances of the spirit. It’s so popular, in fact, that canned highballs are popular in Japan . . . . . and Japanese-style highballs are showing up on in-the-know cocktail menus across the US

The Yamazaki

• 12 is the flagship of the Suntory label, and an exemplary taste of Japanese whisky. It was the first to hit the market in the US 30 years ago, but nowadays it’s hard to find, and the prices have risen accordingly. Still, it’s a lovely whisky: full of pear, apple, honeysuckle, and light oak.

Yamazaki Sherry Cask

• Hey big spender! The Yamazaki sherry cask is beautiful thing to behold, and even made Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2013 as the “Best Whisky in the World”. Good luck finding any from that year. The 2016 was released as the beginning of the year with a price tag of $300, but you’d be lucky to find any bottles of it for less than a grand. If you really, really need to show off, this is what you’re going to be getting. Despite the hype, it really is that good. Complex, rich, layered, with a finish that never stops, the Sherry Cask is a transcendental experience. Though, we’re sure at least a part of that is just justification for purchasing an $80 shot of whisky. 

Complete list (Thrillist.com)

Some Of These Items Are Not 'Sushi'

(Facebook.com)

3 Significant Differents

Breaking Down The Differences Between Ramen And Pho

Use our flavorful guide to give your friends a clue of how to spot the differences at first glance, and they’ll be slurping like pros in no time. 

• Noodles
• Broth
• Toppings and Preparation

(FoodBeast.com)

I Hate To Say, But I Try It

Meet Onigirazu, The Japanese Sandwich You Will Soon Be Craving

Cue the onigirazu. A layer of rice and whatever pleases the soul are wrapped in seaweed into a flat square and sliced in half. Popular fillings include the aforementioned tonkatsu, ham, egg and cheese, tuna salad, caprese salads and more.

According to the Boston Globe, the origin of the rice ball sandwich can be traced back to a manga (Japanese comic) series from the mid-1980s called Cooking Papa.

(FoodRepublic.com)  

I Look Forward To Eating Here

Your First Look Inside Morimoto 

The Iron Chef is ready to debut his first Las Vegas restaurant

(Vegas.Eater.com)

Did You Know - Shrimp Edition

What Are The Different Types Of Shrimp Used In Japanese Cuisine?

Ama-ebi

Translating to “sweet shrimp,” ama-ebi has a bit of a slimy texture and is commonly served raw and butterflied as sashimi (as well as sushi); it’s somewhat common to see it listed on the menus of fairly upscale Japanese restaurants. Its taste is very sweet, and chef Saito singles out ama-ebi from Hokkaido in Japan as his go-to, while chef Kousaka prefers using the delicacy found in Maine, calling it “super fresh and so clear that it’s almost transparent.” He does admit, however, that the availability of the state’s ama-ebi has decreased in the past half-decade and that it’s become more rare these days.

Complete list (FoodRepublic.com)

Did You Know - Japanese Food Edition

5 Burning Questions About Japanese Food, Answered

3. What is shiso and how is it used?

• To answer the question straightforwardly, it’s Japanese mint. The refreshing herb is used extensively in several kinds of Japanese cuisine. Here are a few places you may have seen it while dining out.

4. What are the different types of fish eggs in Japanese cuisine?

• Masago. Tobiko. Ikura. What are these three types of eggs, and what are the differences in their size, color and taste? And how is each best used in Japanese dishes?

Complete list (FoodRepublic.com)  

Did You Know - Fish Eggs Edition

What Are The Different Types Of Fish Eggs In Japanese Cuisine?

Tobiko (flying fish roe)

• Perhaps the most recognized among the different varieties is tobiko, flying fish roe. Ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 millimeters in size, the naturally red-orange eggs have a mild smoky or salty taste, with a note of sweetness and an especially crunchy texture. Tobiko can be infused with other natural ingredients to change its color and flavor. Common variations include squid ink to make it black, yuzu to make it yellow, beet to make it red and wasabi to make it green. In addition to adorning maki rolls (such as California), tobiko is often eaten as sushi or sashimi, where it can be served in a cucumber cup or avocado half.

Masago (smelt roe)

• Often confused with tobiko by the untrained eye, masago consists of eggs from the capelin, a fish in the smelt family. Masago is similarly colored to tobiko, but the eggs are visibly smaller and the mouthfeel somewhat different — masago is not as pleasantly crunchy. The taste is similar, though masago can be slightly more bitter. Sushi restaurants have been known to substitute masago for tobiko, sometimes trying to pass off the former as the latter. Why? “Tobiko is a lot more expensive,” explains Masashi Ito, head chef of New York’s Sushi Zo, currently one of the city’s hottest restaurants. He adds that both “masago and tobiko are mostly used for decoration” in high-end sushi restaurants. You won’t find too many upscale places serving these pieces on their own.

Ikura (salmon roe)

• Ikura is notably larger than both tobiko and masago, and its appearance can accurately be described as “small orange balls.” It is gooey in texture and quite delicate — handle an egg with a little too much force and you risk puncturing it and spilling briny, slightly sweet liquid. Chef Ito receives his ikura frozen from Alaska and cures it with salt to preserve it. He serves the delicacy fresh, however, when it is in season in May and June. Ikura is most often consumed while wrapped in crisp seaweed on top of sushi rice, though it can also be enjoyed as sashimi and is the only one of these three types of roe to have a culinary presence outside of Japanese cuisine. Salmon roe can be substituted in lieu of more traditional — and extravagantly expensive — black “caviar,” and it is served with blinis and sour cream in several countries, including the U.S.

(FoodRepublic.com)

The Next Asian Food Craze Will Be

Karaage chicken will make you give up the Colonel for good

Korean fried chicken has taken the culinary world by storm, knocking that secret-spiced Kentucky version off its 'Merica-centric pedestal.

But there's another batch of crispy chicken goodness in town that puts the K in KFC — we're talking Japanese chicken karaage. Luckily for us, there's literally no such thing as too much variety when it comes to delicious fried chicken, am I right?

Chicken karaage differs from its brethren in a couple of ways.

First, boneless chicken is generally used, which leads to less time picking around gnarly bones and more time chowing down.

Second, a secret technique to getting super-crispy karaage is to coat the meat in potato starch rather than in wheat flour.

The general method for making chicken karaage goes like this: Marinate chunks of boneless chicken (thigh meat and leg meat stay nice and juicy) in soy sauce, ginger and garlic, then dredge in potato starch, and deep-fry.

(Yahoo.com)