Dear food knowledge

When I am living in Germany as a student or a working adult, I am often asked by my friends and colleagues, "Can you make some Japanese food?"

At that time, many people are probably wondering what kind of Japanese food they will be pleased with.
We will answer these questions here.

Japanese food that makes you happy when made in Germany and ingredients that are preferred

We will explain Japanese food that is popular in Europe and Germany, and whose ingredients are available at local supermarkets and Japanese food stores.

It is especially useful for those who don't want to make mistakes when inviting friends and colleagues to a Japanese food party.

Standard of standard, sushi

The most asked question by Germans and foreigners is undoubtedly, "Can you make sushi?"

The most well-known and popular Japanese food overseas is sushi, and in many cases this is the first question asked.

To be honest, making nigiri sushi is not impossible, but it is very difficult for amateurs.

Therefore, it can be said that sushi rolls are suitable for serving others.
So, here I will explain with the idea of ​​making sushi rolls in mind.

The main ingredients of sushi rolls are rice, vinegar, seaweed, seafood, vegetables and seasonings.
Rice and vinegar are often sold in supermarkets in Germany, and if you don't need Japanese rice or ready-made sushi vinegar, you can easily get by, but if you are particular about it, you can buy it at a Japanese food store. need to do it.

Of course, instead of sushi vinegar, you have the option of purchasing sushi-no-ko from a Japanese food store.

Nori is not available in small German supermarkets, so it can be purchased at large supermarkets.

Seafood can be purchased at supermarkets if it is salmon, but there are also shops that carry frozen shrimp and shellfish for other options.
However, tuna and white fish are rarely handled, and there is a problem that it is doubtful whether they can be eaten raw.

Vegetables such as lettuce and cucumber are common, but luckily in Germany you can buy these ingredients at supermarkets.

As for other seasonings, soy sauce is gradually gaining citizenship in German and European supermarkets, and the number of stores that carry it is increasing, so it is not so difficult to find it.

However, they do not have sashimi soy sauce, so if you need it, including wasabi, you will need to purchase it from a Japanese food store.

Also, mayonnaise can be bought at supermarkets, so it's not a problem, but be aware that mayonnaise tastes different from Japanese mayonnaise.

Popular as a healthy food, miso soup

Miso soup is a popular Japanese food, especially among health-conscious people.

It's not a staple food, but if you serve it with other Japanese foods or serve it as a light meal, it will make people happy.

The main ingredients needed to make miso soup are miso, vegetables, dashi stock, and others (tofu, etc.).



Miso is not readily available in German supermarkets, but BIO supermarkets may carry it.
However, if you are particular about miso, or if you want to choose red or white, you will need to purchase it at a Japanese food store.

I think that what you want to put in vegetables is different depending on the person, but for example, you can basically buy carrots, potatoes, onions, eggplants, etc. at any supermarket in Germany, but supermarkets that carry green onions are more expensive Please note that there are few.

Dashi is only sold at Japanese food stores, so if you absolutely need it, look for it there.

I think there are various other things you want to add, such as tofu, wakame seaweed, and fried tofu. must be purchased at a Japanese grocery store.

By the way, some supermarkets sell instant miso soup, so if that's enough for you, you can look for it at supermarkets or Japanese food stores.

Popular seasoning, teriyaki sauce

It may come as a surprise to some, but there are quite a few people overseas who like Japanese teriyaki.

Teriyaki sauce is one of the most common ingredients in Japan, probably because it suits the tastes of Germans and Europeans.
Also, teriyaki sauce can be easily made at home if you have the ingredients.

All you need is soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake, and sugar.
As I explained in the sushi part, soy sauce is not only available in Japanese food stores, but also in supermarkets in Germany and other European countries, and it is relatively easy to prepare.

However, mirin and cooking sake are rarely available in German supermarkets, so you need to buy them at a Japanese food store.

Sugar is available at any supermarket, so there is no problem.

Extra, fried rice

It's not exactly Japanese food, but there are times when people from overseas say they want to try it, and when I served it, they were happy to serve fried rice.

It can be eaten at Chinese restaurants and Vietnamese restaurants, and it is a popular dish that can be eaten at restaurants and at home because it is relatively easy to obtain ingredients even in Germany and it is not difficult to make.
Thanks to the fact that it can be eaten at restaurants, it is also known to Germans, and is an easy and recommended dish.

The main ingredients are vegetables, rice, eggs and seasonings.
As for vegetables, carrots, onions, etc. are easy to gather, as are other Japanese food ingredients.

Cold rice may be used in many cases, but it is possible to prepare it by the method described in other Japanese foods, and even indica rice is often sold in supermarkets in Europe. You can align them without any problem.

As for seasonings, you can buy salt and pepper anywhere, but some people may want to add seasonings such as chicken stock powder to make it even more delicious.

In that case, Ajinomoto is sometimes available at supermarkets, but other ingredients like chicken stock soup may not be available at small supermarkets, so you can buy it at large supermarkets, Japanese food stores, and Asian stores. Let's go to the shops.

summary

The above is a commentary on Japanese food that will make you happy if you make it in Germany.

It's quite common for a friend or colleague to say, "Well, I'm going to visit this weekend, so can you make it for me?"

In such a case, I hope that you will refer to this article in particular and think about what you can buy and where you can make it in time.

If you don't have a Japanese grocery store in your neighborhood, or if you want to be ready to respond to sudden requests at any time, online shops are extremely convenient.

Our company is also based in Germany and handles various Japanese food ingredients and seasonings such as soy sauce, mirin, and sushi in our online shop .

Shipping within Germany is free for purchases over 50 euros, so please take a look.

I think that there are many opportunities for Japanese people who have moved to Germany to have meals with German people.

In addition to eating at restaurants, you may also invite friends to your home and serve them Japanese food.

However, as you know, it is also true that there are some differences between German and Japanese diets.

Even if you go to great lengths to serve the food, it would be a shame if the other person didn't like it and was happy with it.
To prevent this from happening, it is very important to understand the likes and dislikes of German food.

So this time, we will look at German likes and dislikes of Japanese food.

What kind of Japanese food do Germans like or dislike?

There are many things that Japanese people think are delicious, but German people don't think so.

There are various reasons for this, such as differences in eating habits between Germans and Japanese, and unaccustomed eating because there is no similar food around us in the first place.

Here are some specific examples of Japanese food that you may or may not like.

natto

For many Japanese, natto is probably the most easily imagined Japanese food that foreigners like and dislike.

Even if you look around German ingredients, you can hardly find anything similar to natto.

You can find Asian ingredients and seasonings, including Japanese food, in most supermarkets, but there are very few shops that carry natto.

With its unique smell, sticky texture, and stringy appearance, it is a very strange ingredient to Germans, and many people are puzzled by its uniqueness.

We Japanese are used to eating it, so it may not feel like it, but some Germans don't know how to eat it.

octopus

This is also a familiar ingredient in Japan, but although there are regional differences in Europe, it is not so common in Germany.

In countries along the Mediterranean coast such as Spain and Italy, there is a traditional custom of eating octopus.

In the first place, there is a history that people have been reluctant to eat octopus for religious reasons.
It is well known that the British despised octopuses, calling them "devilfish".

One of the reasons for this is said to be the precepts of Judaism, which became the origin of Christianity.
According to Jewish law, eating octopuses and squid that do not have fins or scales is prohibited.

In addition to such a historical background, it is said that people have come to avoid eating octopus because of its appearance.

Recently, sushi has become common in Germany, and Germans have more opportunities to eat raw fish. There are still many people. 

Anko

Anko is one of the most popular Japanese sweets in Japan, but many Germans don't like it.

The reason for this seems to be the unique sweetness of red bean paste.

Of course there are sweet things like cakes and chocolates in Germany, but the sweetness of red bean paste seems to be too sweet for Germans.

In the first place, it seems that Germans are surprised to eat sweet boiled beans, and it seems that such a rarity has become a Japanese sweet that divides likes and dislikes.

Large plate dishes, hot pot dishes

For Japanese people, it is a common sight to share a large plate of food with others, or to eat hot pot dishes together in the winter. There is no custom of sharing and eating at a restaurant, and it is common to own your own plate.

In Japan, it's normal for a plate to come out when you eat at a restaurant, but in Germany, it's almost unheard of unless the waiter asks for it.

I think it depends on the restaurant, but it seems that if you ask for a plate, you may get confused or get a bad look.

There are more and more Japanese and Asian restaurants in Germany, so of course there are people who don't mind sharing, but there are still many people who are reluctant to do so.

I think it is necessary to pay attention to these cultural differences when dining with Germans or when inviting them to your home.

rice with egg

In Japan, it is a standard menu that is delicious with soy sauce added, but this is also a favorite or disliked for Germans.

In the first place, raw eggs are prone to salmonella food poisoning, and in order to eat them safely, they must be thoroughly washed.

Compared to other countries, Japan has a more thorough hygiene management of eggs, so even if you eat raw eggs, it is rare for you to get sick. There are very few countries that manage to make it safe to eat.

Of course, there are dishes and alcoholic beverages that use raw eggs in Europe, but it is common to cook them thoroughly over a fire, so I am wary that raw eggs may not be hygienic. It seems that there are many Germans.

Shirasu

I think there are many people who enjoy Shirasu with rice.
In Japan, raw shirasu-don can be eaten in Kamakura, and is very famous.

However, some Germans find the sight of large amounts of whitebait on rice to be disgusting.
It seems strange to Germans who are not accustomed to eating the whole fish because they don't like the fact that there are so many small eyes of whitebait on the rice.

As I touched on when I talked about octopus, in Europe it was not customary to eat raw fish.

Japanese sushi and sashimi are gradually becoming popular in Germany, but there are still many unfamiliar foods.

If you live in Europe, you may often find yourself wanting to eat Japanese food.

Do you know what ingredients you can find at the supermarket?

So this time, I would like to explain about Japanese food ingredients that you can buy at supermarkets and shops in Europe.

Ingredients for Japanese food that you can buy at supermarkets and shops in Europe

We will introduce the basic ingredients used in Japanese food that are necessary when making various Japanese dishes.

Especially if you are planning to move to Europe, knowing foods that are easy to obtain will help you decide what to prioritize and bring from Japan when you move.

Basic sashisuseno "se", soy sauce: Obtaining difficulty ☆

Soy sauce is required to prepare most Japanese dishes.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of supermarkets in Europe that have small corners for Asian ingredients.

So it's becoming relatively easy to get your hands on soy sauce.
Kikkoman's bottle type soy sauce is placed in a nearby supermarket.

However, the options are limited, so if you want variety and a range of sizes, we recommend using Japanese food stores or online shops.
There is a high possibility that both light and dark soy sauce are available, and not only that, but also sashimi soy sauce.
You will find the type of soy sauce that you need.

Useful for binders and fried foods, Bread crumbs: Difficulty of obtaining: ☆ ☆

Bread crumbs are necessary when making hamburgers, pork cutlets, etc.
You can substitute it by shaving hard or dry bread, but it takes time and often does not shave cleanly.

Therefore, you may want bread crumbs that are sold in bags.

Depending on the store, it is possible to buy bread crumbs at the supermarket, but to put it the other way around, it is not everywhere.
If you can't find it at a nearby store, there is a high probability that you can find bread crumbs at a Japanese food store or an Asian store.
Larger supermarkets often carry it.

By the way, flour, which is also necessary for frying, is sold at supermarkets in Europe.
They are often bundled together in powder form and are easy to find.
However, it depends on the store whether they have all kinds of flour, medium flour, and strong flour, so you need to be careful.

When making sushi at home, wasabi: Obtaining difficulty ☆☆

Wasabi is rarely used, but it's something you'll crave when making sushi at home.

When I live in Europe, I sometimes have local friends and colleagues who want to try sushi, so I have a sushi party at home.
In fact, the popularity of wasabi is increasing, with people from overseas saying they want to try wasabi.

Some European supermarkets have recently started selling wasabi.
Whether wasabi is used as a spice in creative dishes and rankings, or because Japanese food is becoming more popular, it is sometimes put together with the above-mentioned soy sauce in the Asian food section.

Dashi and Miso Necessary for Various Japanese Foods: Obtaining Difficulty ☆☆

In Europe, it is very difficult to obtain dashi from katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and kombu (kelp).

Also, it is basically impossible to buy dashi soup at supermarkets in Europe, so these are not sold at all.

Dashi-related ingredients must be purchased at Japanese food stores, Asian shops, or online.

In these places, you can find a wide variety of dashi soup stocks.
However, there are cases where granule-type or packed dashi is available at large supermarkets.
With this, you don't have to use ingredients that are hard to get in Europe to make the dashi stock, and you can complete the dish in a short amount of time.

Besides miso soup, of course it is necessary as a base for Japanese food, and it can also be used as a base for mixed rice.

Of course, miso is required to make miso soup.
This miso is also hard to find in European supermarkets, except for large supermarkets.

In addition, there is an increasing number of BIO-affiliated shops that sell health-conscious foods in Europe that sell miso as a healthy food.

As for the size, they are rarely sold in packs of the size commonly seen in Japan, so they are sold in smaller packs and bags.
If you don't need a large amount, or if you're looking for a small size for traveling or at a friend's house, you can find it at BIO stores.

Lastly, I would like to introduce some foods that you can buy anywhere in Japan, but are surprisingly difficult to buy in Europe.

Furikake to accompany white rice: Difficulty of obtaining: ☆☆☆

When you eat rice, you may feel lonely with only white rice.

In such a case, the rice will be dramatically delicious just by adding furikake.
Furikake is usually sprinkled over rice, but there are many other ways to use it, such as adding hot water to turn it into ochazuke.

In Europe, where rice is not a staple food, and in countries where japonica rice is not as sticky as it is dry, furikake is not a familiar dish.

Unfortunately, furikake is not readily available in European supermarkets, and can be purchased at Japanese food stores.

If you don't have a Japanese food store in your living area, or if you don't want to bother, you can also look for it from the online shop.

lastly

What did you think about the Japanese ingredients and foods that you can buy in European shops?

For those who have lived abroad, it is important to know that living in Japan and moving to Europe for the first time makes decisions about what can and cannot be bought. This is a confusing point.

Small condiments such as furikake don't take up space in the bag, so we recommend you bring a few of your favorite items.

On the other hand, liquids such as soy sauce are heavy and bulky, so it is convenient to procure locally.
Our Germany-based online shop also carries soy sauce, mirin, and various other Japanese foodstuffs, ranging from table-sized to commercial use.

When Japanese people move to Germany, there are many things to do, such as procedures, commuting to work or school, and purchasing and organizing necessary items for living. Among them, one of the points that should not be forgotten is Japan's food procurement route.

When Japanese people move to Germany, they generally think about what kind of Japanese foods and ingredients to bring and take as much as possible, but it can be a big burden to bring liquids and heavy items. .

Unfortunately, no matter how much Japanese food you bring with you, it will eventually run out, and eventually you will need to procure ingredients locally.

This time, we will take a look at where Japanese people buy Japanese ingredients in Germany.

Where can you buy Japanese food in Germany? Japanese food procurement route

If you're staying in Germany for a short period of time, you don't have to think too much about ingredients, but for Japanese people who stay for a long time, food is one of the most important points in their lives.

In particular, Japanese people who live for more than half a year or a year spare no effort to buy Japanese food locally.

So where can Japanese people buy ingredients in the first place?
This is pretty much a pattern no matter where you live in Germany.
This is because the procurement routes for ingredients are inevitably limited.

1 : Local supermarket

Some Japanese foods are also available at supermarkets.

Small supermarkets do not carry foreign ingredients, but medium-sized supermarkets have an Asian section, where some Chinese and Japanese ingredients are placed.

In Japan, sushi roll sets (including japonica rice), gari, sushi vinegar for sushi, and soy sauce are the staples, and depending on the location, miso and teriyaki sauce may also be available.

However, you can't expect more handling than that except for large supermarkets, and the number of handling is basically not many.
Even when it comes to soy sauce, many places only sell Kikkoman's basic soy sauce and often don't carry other types of soy sauce.
Also, the price is often relatively high, and the point is that small bottles of soy sauce, in particular, are not economically viable for regular purchases.

2 : Japanese food store

After all, Japanese food stores have the largest variety of Japanese ingredients.

In areas where many Japanese live, such as Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Berlin, you can access Japanese food stores.
Japanese families are looking for ingredients because they have many ingredients from Japanese food manufacturers, seasonings that are familiar to Japanese people, rice, miso, and Japanese sweets. Stability is excellent for

However, to put it the other way around, Japanese food stores are limited to areas where many Japanese live, big cities, and so on.
Also, due to the high quality of the food, the price of ingredients imported from Japan can be relatively high.

3 : Korean food store

South Korea is smaller than Japan and has a population of over 50 million people.

If the population is small, the number of Koreans living in Europe will naturally decrease, but many people are actively going abroad, and depending on the country or city, there are as many Koreans as there are Japanese. Sometimes there are.

In places where Koreans have expanded, Korean food stores and wholesalers of food ingredients have appeared in the area accordingly, and Japanese food ingredients are also sold.

In some countries, there are more Korean food stores than Japanese food stores, and there are also Korean food stores in places where there are no Japanese food stores.

There are similarities and differences between Japanese and Korean food.
The common point is that Japonica rice is the staple food and soy sauce is used, but the difference is that Korea has a lot of meat dishes and spicy food is preferred.
There are also similarities, such as large-sized japonica rice and soy sauce, udon, soba, curry roux, seaweed, and some seasonings such as wasabi, which are easy to handle.

In addition, instant noodles are a very familiar food to the common people in South Korea, but there is a tendency to prefer spicy food, and Korean instant noodles are basically all spicy, and Japanese instant noodles are handled. etc. is inevitably limited.

I can't say anything about the price, but Korean products tend to be the center of handling, and Japanese ingredients are sometimes set a little higher than Korean ingredients.

4 : Other Asian shops

Korean food stores are often expanding in urban areas, but there is still a limit.

Korean food stores are a relatively new Asian food store in Europe, and there are many traditional Chinese food stores and other Asian food stores in Germany and Europe.

Asian shops can be found not only in urban areas, but also in regional cities, and even people living in rural areas can easily access them.

There are overwhelmingly more stores than Japanese or Korean food stores, and there are large stores and Asian wholesalers in the whole area, so you can get various large and small products, foods, and ingredients. increase.

There are not only Chinese shops, but also Asian shops such as Vietnamese, and there are a wide variety of products that are completely unfamiliar to Japanese people and ingredients that we do not know the purpose of use.

There are relatively many Japanese foods, but among them, there are foods, sweets, and snacks produced in Asian countries by manufacturers you have never seen or heard of, so it's like a bit of a treasure hunt. element comes out.

The price is not very high, and in many cases it is cheaper than Korean or Japanese food stores. Other cases can also occur.

The best way to avoid mistakes here is to buy foods and seasonings that you know.

5 : Online shop

Online shops are a great way to access Japanese food ingredients, even if you live in the countryside or find it difficult to visit a physical store.

Our online shop also handles a variety of Japanese food ingredients, so you can shop without worrying about time or place.
In addition, if you spend 50 euros or more at our company, we can deliver free shipping within Germany. No need to worry about time and effort.

We have a wide range of products from general household use to commercial use, so please check it out and use it as a help for your home dining table.

People who come to Europe as expatriates, people who find a job locally, people who get a working holiday visa, people who come to study or do research, people who come with their husbands or wives, or people who marry their European lovers. Japanese people from various backgrounds live in various countries in Europe, such as those who come to immigrate and, of course, those who come to Europe on vacation.

Food is a problem that every Japanese living in Europe worries about. The eating habits of Japanese living abroad are very different from those of Europeans.

However, due to this difference in eating habits, it is often the case that you cannot find the ingredients you used to buy in Japan even when you go to your local supermarket. Also, it is not uncommon to find the same ingredients, but when you buy them, the taste is completely different from that of Japan. Let's take a look at the hard-to-find ingredients and things with different tastes that Japanese people face in Europe.

Difficulty in procuring ingredients for many Japanese overseas

The number of Japanese residents in each country and the degree of expansion of Japanese companies vary from country to country. Compared to other European countries, the UK, Germany, and France have a relatively large number of Japanese companies operating in them, and as many Japanese people live there, it is easy to access Japanese foods.

On the other hand, as you go to Eastern Europe, the number of Japanese residents will decrease, and the demand for Japanese food will decrease, so the amount handled will decrease and the difficulty of procurement will increase. There are similar foods in Chinese and Korean brands, but this time I will exclude them and talk about Japanese brand foods.

Hon mirin and cooking sake

Hard-to-find condiments that are surprisingly hard to come by are hon-mirin and cooking sake, which are often used in making Japanese food. You can find mirin-style seasonings in Asian shops and Japanese food stores, but you won't find hon mirin very often.

There is a reason for this, since Hon mirin and cooking sake contain alcohol. Both hon mirin and cooking sake have an alcohol content of around 14% and are taxed.

Also, depending on the country, there are regulations on the sale of food containing alcohol, and it is necessary to obtain a separate permit to sell alcohol. For example, in Sweden, beverages with an alcohol content of 3.5% or more cannot be sold in supermarkets, and products with alcohol content of 3.5% or more can only be sold at a state-run store called Systembolaget . However, Systembolaget is a shop that sells liquor for drinking, so it does not handle food for cooking.

In this way, depending on the country, it is difficult for retailers to sell hon mirin and cooking sake due to the influence of regulations, and the liquor tax is imposed, so the price is also high, making it difficult for retailers to sell.

On the other hand, mirin-style seasonings have an alcohol content of less than 1% , so they are not subject to liquor tax and are inexpensive, making them easy to handle in European supermarkets.

Bonito

It is commonly used as an accompaniment to tofu and okonomiyaki, or as a soup stock.Katsuobushi is a standard ingredient in rice balls, and katsuobushi is a familiar product that is treasured by Japanese people, but it is also difficult to obtain in Europe. .

Those of you who have been to or lived in Europe may have noticed that you never see katsuobushi, but why is there no katsuobushi in Europe in the first place?

Katsuobushi contains a carcinogenic substance called "benzopyrene," which adheres to katsuobushi during the production process and exceeds the EU standards. Japanese people may be surprised and wonder if katsuobushi, which they have been eating for many years, is bad for their health.

Katsuobushi is available in some parts of Europe, but the foods sold are products that meet EU standards. Katsuobushi is such a complicated matter, but there is one interesting incident in the story of katsuobushi in the EU .

Expo Milano 2015 was held in Italy. Japan saw the Milan Expo as a great opportunity to promote Japanese food in Italy and Europe, and aimed to promote Japanese food on a large scale. However, katsuobushi will be caught in the food import regulations introduced above. Therefore, the Japanese government negotiated with the EU and others, and was granted a special exception that it could only be used as a special measure for consumption within the Milan Expo site.

For Japanese people, katsuobushi is one of the basic seasonings that can be bought at any supermarket, but katsuobushi, which is indispensable for making dashi, is a food that Japan and the EU are moving together nationally.

sliced ​​or minced meat

Sliced ​​and shredded meat is a popular ingredient for Japanese people who appears in various dishes for those who cook, such as ginger-grilled pork, gyudon, and stir-fried dishes.

However, in fact, meat cut like this is rarely seen in European supermarkets. In Europe, when we talk about meat, we tend to think of it as steak, stewed dishes, or minced meat such as hamburgers and meatballs, and there are no dishes that use sliced ​​or shredded meat.

Supermarkets and butchers have slicers, so if you ask the clerk, you may be able to get sliced ​​meat. In some cases, the meat is not sliced ​​or shredded as intended, and pork is not mixed with Muslim halal meat (is the meat made in an Islamic certified manner?).

If you go to a store that sells Japanese ingredients or an Asian shop, you can buy it, but there are different difficulties than the ones introduced above.

Mirin and katsuobushi can be purchased online as long as they are available, but the difficult part about meat is that both thinly sliced ​​and shredded meat are fresh foods, so they cannot be purchased online.

If you can't buy it in your living area, it's very troublesome, but you can only buy a home slicer and cut the meat yourself.

pickles

Pickles go very well with rice, but in Europe, the staple food is potatoes and bread, so Japanese pickles are hard to find.

You can still find takuan and gari for sushi, but pickled cucumbers and shibazuke are much more difficult to find.

In addition, there are many types of pickles, from major pickles to those that are not widely distributed in certain regions, but it is rare to find such local pickles in Europe.

For example, Takana-zuke is a relatively popular pickle in Kyushu. Takana pickles are familiar to Japanese people because they are topped with pork bone ramen and other dishes, but for those from Kyushu, it is one of the pickles that they usually eat. However, takana pickles are hard to find in Europe, as they are only available in some places such as London.

Pickles are so-called " acquired taste " foods in English. In other words, it becomes a food that you get accustomed to eating and feel delicious, and it is rare for foreigners to feel that it is delicious immediately after eating it for the first time.

Since it is the kind of food that you gradually come to like after eating it a few times, you can hardly expect demand from Chinese and Koreans. is.

There are many people who eat Japanese food often when they were in Japan, but find it difficult to eat it overseas.

And among them, there are quite a few people who miss miso soup.
Sometimes it's difficult to make miso soup overseas because you don't have the time to make it yourself or you can't find all the ingredients.
Therefore, many people bring instant miso soup from Japan instead of making it themselves.

So, in this article, I wrote about my experience with instant miso soup, so I hope it will be helpful for those who are wondering whether to bring instant miso soup from Japan or looking for it locally.

I will explain the difference between Japanese and European instant miso soup

In fact, some overseas supermarkets sell miso and instant miso soup.
In most cases, the instant miso soup sold there is not made in Japan, and it tastes different from the Japanese ones.

From now on, I will explain what is the difference between these two, focusing on the impressions of actually trying them. (Please note that this is just my personal opinion)

About the difference in taste

Here, I will explain the instant miso soup that the author sold at a nearby supermarket as an example.

This is the instant miso soup that I actually purchased, and the price was around 4 euros for 4 pieces.
Compared to the price in Japan, it feels expensive.

The one I bought was tofu, but there are also wakame seaweed and kimchi.
By the way, kimchi is included in the lineup because it says PRODUCT OF KOREA, so it's probably because it's made in Korea.

Regarding the most important taste, to put it bluntly, there is a sense of incongruity and it does not suit Japanese tastes.
I don't recommend it unless you're really hungry for miso soup, or you don't care about the taste and just want to drink miso soup.

light taste

The reason is that the taste of miso is light in the first place.
When I put it in my mouth, it smelled and tasted like miso, but it wasn't miso I know.

I will explain the ingredients later, but this product was listed as kelp extract.
Of course, there is a possibility that kombu extract means kombu dashi, but it seems that extract and dashi are different in extraction method and ingredients, so it would be better to consider them separately.
If the kombu extract was mixed well with the miso, it would have tasted even better, but unfortunately, it felt like it was falling apart.
It even feels that the kelp extract has a stronger claim than the flavor of miso.

And the peculiar "instant ugliness" came out strongly.
There is a slight tingling sensation in the throat when drinking.
This feeling is not what many people are looking for in miso soup.

In conclusion, if you want to drink it, you can drink it, but it's not at the level where you go out of your way to drink it, and this discomfort makes 4 euros feel expensive.

Appearance and other impressions

If you look at this photo, you will immediately understand the impression of this instant miso soup other than the taste. (I put it in a mug because I don't have a bowl for soup locally)

My first impression was that the packaging was different.
The only thing that is the same is the light shade of miso soup.
First of all, tofu was in this state even though it was written as "tofu".
It looked like dregs such as soybeans in miso.

Wakame is relatively decent, but it will fall apart just by hitting your tongue.
It seems that the package does not contain anything that looks like a green onion.

Also, the reason why the color is light as a whole like the package is that it hardly melts even if you pour hot water on it.
Normally, just pouring hot water over it will loosen it a little, and if you stir it, it will mix well.

In the first place, the contents of miso soup will sink to the bottom if it is not touched for a while, but there was a problem before that.
I could see that it remained solid even when boiling water was poured over it, and it never melted even after mixing and mixing.

The above photo was taken at the moment when the flow almost stopped after stirring vigorously for a while, so it was about 10 seconds after I stopped stirring.
Unfortunately, the contents just spin around and sink when it stops.
Even if it sinks, the main body that fell apart is sinking.
So it doesn't look like miso soup.

As for the packaging, if you are a person like me who buys without looking at the product carefully, you may mistake it for instant tofu and buy it.
I bought it with the intention of adding instant tofu to my miso soup, but I can't deny my disappointment.

It's just that I'm not careful enough about this, but since only tofu is Japanese, if I didn't think about it, someone might make a similar mistake.
If you think you are not careful enough, please be careful when you see this series or similar type products.

Ingredients

I think some people are wondering what is included in this instant miso soup, so I will briefly introduce it.

Miso 57% (soybeans, wheat flour, wheat grains, umami seasoning E621, alcohol, koji), corn syrup, tofu 5% (water, soybeans), gochujang, kelp extract, onion, garlic, dried seaweed, umami seasoning E621, E635

The first thing I thought when I saw this was that the gochujang was the cause of the slight spiciness.
Perhaps this should be regarded as Korean-style miso soup.

lastly

This is my impression of the instant miso soup I bought overseas.
It is better to buy Japanese instant miso soup than to get this quality at this price locally.

Undoubtedly, Japanese instant miso soup is generally rated higher.
If you don't have a Japanese grocery store in your neighborhood but you can't be satisfied with instant miso, or if you want to drink it every day and just bring in instant miso and you want to buy miso, then online shops are very convenient.

Our German-based online shop also carries soy sauce, mirin, and various Japanese food ingredients ranging from table-sized to commercial use, so please take a look.

When living away from Japan, there are times when you really want to eat Japanese food.

However, even if you try to eat what you like at a local Japanese restaurant, it is often expensive or there is no menu in the first place.
This article is especially recommended for those of you who want to solve the problem by cooking yourself.

Introducing Japanese food that is easy to make in Germany

From now on, I will explain Japanese food and familiar dishes that can be cooked relatively easily when making Japanese food in Germany.

There are parts that can be used as a reference when cooking in countries other than Germany, so I would appreciate it if you could read it to the end.

curry

First of all, there are many people who like it from children to adults, and it is an excellent curry that can be made ahead of time.
The main ingredients used in curry, such as onions, carrots, potatoes, and meat, can be purchased at any supermarket in Germany.

Just because these are German vegetables doesn't mean they taste much different from Japanese vegetables, and it doesn't matter.
Curry roux is hard to find in supermarkets, but you can basically buy it at Japanese food stores, so it's a good idea to go look for it at your nearest store.

Also, British-style curry powder is sold in the spice section of supermarkets, and if you use it, you can make something similar to Japanese curry, so if you don't have a Japanese grocery store nearby, try it. Isn't it good to see it?

Fried rice

Fried rice is not exactly a Japanese food, but it is introduced here as a familiar dish.
All basic ingredients such as vegetables and eggs can be purchased at German supermarkets.

Some people may want to make more authentic fried rice.
German supermarkets don't sell the ingredients for chicken stock and the paste for Chinese food that are used in that case, so I recommend looking for a Japanese food store.

Okonomiyaki

If you want to make okonomiyaki in Germany, you can get all the ingredients at the supermarket except for the okonomiyaki sauce.

The basic ingredients are flour, eggs, cabbage, zucchini or potatoes (substitute for yam), bouillon (substitute for Japanese-style dashi), and add pork or bacon, potato chips instead of fried balls, etc., to your liking. Isn't it easier than you think?

And the must-haves are mayonnaise, green laver, and bonito flakes.

Of course, you can buy mayonnaise in German supermarkets, but Japanese mayonnaise and German mayonnaise taste quite different, and you can't buy green laver and bonito flakes.
So when you buy your favorite sauce at a Japanese food store, it's a good idea to look for it together.

In addition, many Japanese food stores sell okonomiyaki powder, so if you are particular about that, it would be a good idea to buy this as well.

Stir-fried eggplant and minced meat with miso

This dish is easy to make and delicious, and above all, it goes well with rice.
Of course, you can buy eggplant and minced meat in German supermarkets.

When adding ginger, some supermarkets sell ginger itself.

Miso is not often sold in supermarkets, but you can buy it at Japanese food stores.
Sake and mirin are basically not sold at supermarkets, so you need to go to a Japanese food store, but white wine can be substituted for sake, so why not try it?

Oyakodon

I think there are many people who love oyakodon and want to eat it even when they are abroad.

Main ingredients such as chicken, onions, and eggs are easily available at supermarkets.
As with eggplant and minced meat stir-fried in miso, mirin is rarely available at most Japanese grocery stores, but you can substitute with sake and sugar.
That said, sake is only available at Japanese food stores, so in the end, you either buy it at a Japanese food store or don't use it in the first place.

And the handling of soy sauce is increasing considerably even in German supermarkets.
So it's probably possible to buy it at a nearby supermarket, so please look for it.

Pork cutlet

In Germany, there is a German-style cutlet called schnitzel, but there is no tonkatsu sauce here, and I think some people want to eat Japanese tonkatsu.

The pork used for tonkatsu should be the same meat used for schnitzel.
However, unlike Japan, tenderloin is often not available or available in small quantities, so loin is the main ingredient.
Flour and eggs are prepared at supermarkets, but bread crumbs may not be available depending on the supermarket.
In that case, you can use shavings of hard or dry bread.
If you really want bread crumbs but can't find them in supermarkets, Japanese food stores often carry them, so it's worth trying to find them.

cooked rice

It may come as a surprise to some, but takikomi gohan is relatively easy to make, and you can enjoy a variety of variations.

For example, when using dashi, if the dashi comes in a pack for simmering, open the pack, mix the contents with rice, add soy sauce and other ingredients you want to add, and cook. You can make takikomi gohan.
Of course, you should be able to reproduce it with a granule type, so please try it.

However, dashi soup stock is basically not available in German supermarkets, so you need to purchase it at a Japanese food store.

If you don't use dashi, you can also make cooked rice using tomato whole.
In this case, using bouillon instead of dashi makes it more delicious, and you can also add parsley, vegetables, etc., or add cheese if you like.

There are many other recipes for takikomi gohan, so I think it would be fun to find and devise them yourself.

summary

So far, we have introduced Japanese food that can be prepared relatively easily in Germany.
I would be happy if I could help you cook more happily.

If you don't have a Japanese food store in your neighborhood, or if you want to save the trouble of looking for a Japanese food store, we recommend using our online shop.

Our Germany-based online shop also carries soy sauce, mirin, and various other Japanese food ingredients, ranging from table-sized to commercial use.

When you want to make Japanese food in Germany, using Japanese seasonings makes it possible to get closer to the taste of Japan. If the seasonings written in the recipe are not sold in local supermarkets or Japanese grocery stores, or are expensive, or you don't use them every time you cook, but you just want to use them a little this time, you can make your own. Introducing seasonings!

5 seasonings introduced in this article

• sweet sake
• Japanese style dashi
• Ponzu sauce
• Noodle soup
• Sesame sauce

Mirin can be replaced with white wine + sugar (honey). Mirin-style seasonings contain less than 1% alcohol, but hon-mirin is considered an alcoholic seasoning and contains about 14% alcohol.

Mirin not only adds a mellow and elegant sweetness, but also works to eliminate the odor. This is because when the alcohol that has soaked into the material evaporates due to the application of heat, the smell of fish and meat comes out together with the alcohol. A similar effect can be expected with white wine.

Depending on the type of white wine, make adjustments such as using less sugar (honey) for sweeter wines! If you want mirin's unique luster, we recommend replacing the sugar with honey.

Dashi granules can be easily prepared by simply dissolving them in water, making cooking easier. This Japanese-style dashi can be substituted with ketchup. Ketchup has a strong sour taste and feels completely different from Japanese-style dashi, but when ketchup is diluted with water, it has a lot of richness and umami. Tomatoes contain more glutamic acid, an umami component, than other vegetables, so ketchup also contains a considerable amount of umami and serves as a substitute for Japanese-style soup stock.

If you add too much ketchup, the flavor of the stock made from kombu and dried sardines will change significantly, so be careful not to add too much ketchup. Add little by little and adjust the taste.

In Japan, it is a seasoning that many households always have, but in Germany it is not often seen. If you want to eat fresh meat or fish, or if you are tired of greasy meals, we recommend using soy sauce + mirin + vinegar + citrus juice as a substitute.

It is one of the seasonings that can be used many times, such as udon and soba noodles and simmered dishes. Because the taste is already perfected, the appeal is that the seasoning is determined by the mentsuyu alone.

It is common to add dashi to kaeshi, which is made by simmering light soy sauce, sugar, mirin, etc., so you can also use soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dashi stock to make mentsuyu on the market. can be brought closer to

If you use kombu (kelp) or bonito (bonito) for the dashi, you can get a full-fledged noodle soup.

If you have mentsuyu, you can expand the range of dishes such as dashimaki tamago and Japanese-style pasta, so please try making it.

If you can find tahini, which is used in Middle Eastern cuisine, at a nearby supermarket, you can mix it with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, or sesame oil to your liking to create a rich sesame sauce. It's made by mashing raw sesame seeds, so it's very nutritious. Since sesame has less flavor than toasted sesame, you can feel even more delicious if you adjust the flavor and make the aroma stronger at the same time.

summary

I introduced seasonings that can be substituted with those sold in German supermarkets.

There are no seasonings in the recipe, and it is expensive.

Online shops are recommended when you need seasonings that seem difficult to make yourself, or when you want to have Japanese seasonings even if you don't use them every day. We also handle many types, so please take a look.

Dashi is one of the essential ingredients as one of the basic seasonings of Japanese cuisine.
It can be used for miso soup, simmered dishes, oden, warm soba and udon soup, and even curry, so it is very useful.
It's light, small, and very convenient, but sometimes it's too convenient to run out of stock.

If you live in Japan, you can easily go to the nearest supermarket to buy it, but if you live in Germany, there are cases where you don't change the soup stock in your neighborhood, which is a problem.
Have you ever had the experience of being forced to use the local fish bouillon that you can buy at your local supermarket in Germany?

[Japanese soup stock VS German fish bouillon] I will explain the difference!

First of all, what is the difference between Japanese dashi stock and bouillon sold in Germany and Europe?
In this article, I will explain the bouillons you can buy in Europe and tell you the difference.
Also, I will explain the story of miso soup made with fish broth in this article.

Japanese soup stock

Since ancient times, Japan has lived as an island country, enjoying the blessings of the sea.
Dashi has a long history in Japan, and it is said that fish and other ingredients have been boiled and eaten since the Jomon period.
From the literature, it is believed that bonito and kelp were also used as offerings in the Nara and Heian periods.
There is a description of "dashi" in the literature of the Warring States period, and we can see that it is deeply connected to Japanese history.

By the way, there are various types of Japanese dashi, such as bonito, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, shellfish and crab, as well as chicken bones and pork, which are often used for ramen.
However, when it comes to everyday ingredients, bonito stock is the most popular, and kelp and shiitake mushrooms are also commonly used by some people.

Dashi is basically a momentary process that extracts the essence in a few minutes, but before making dashi, ingredients such as dried bonito, dried shiitake mushrooms, and kelp require a lot of time and effort in the previous process.
Japanese dashi, with its sharpness and condensed umami, is indispensable in cooking Japanese food, and it can be said to be the foundation of Japanese food as it brings together the overall taste and creates harmony.

European broths and fonds

Of course, Europe also has food equivalent to Japanese soup stock.
There are two equivalents of dashi in France: bouillon and fond.
Phong is used as a source.

For example, even those who are unfamiliar with French cuisine may have heard the name "fond de veau".
Fond de veau is a type of soup stock made by simmering veal, bones, potherbs, etc. for a long time.
Fond de Veau can be used as a sauce for steak, hamburger, meuniere, etc., as well as a beef stew ingredient.

On the other hand, bouillon is an ingredient used when making soups and potages.

Bouillon is French, but it is called Brodo in Italian and Broth or Soup stock in English .
Regarding German, it is written as brühe in German.

The main flavor of pho is meat, but bouillon has a strong vegetable flavor and is gentler than pho.
There are vegetable bouillons, but there are chicken, beef, and fish bouillons, and chicken bouillon seems to be the most common.

As for how bouillon is made, the process is very different from that of Japanese dashi.
While Japanese dashi takes a lot of time and effort to make the ingredients, it only takes a few minutes to extract the essence.
In comparison, bouillon is made by simmering fish, meat, flavored vegetables, etc. for a long time, instead of taking the time and effort in the previous process like Japanese soup stock.
Bouillon is characterized by its gelatinous umami and richness, and when it cools, this gelatinous substance solidifies, making it one of the main salty ingredients in meat dishes and soups.

Bouillon readily available in Germany

There are several manufacturers selling this bouillon in Europe, but two famous ones are "Maggi" and "Knorr".

Brunosingu, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Maggi is a brand owned by the Swiss food company Nestlé, while Knorr is a brand that originated in Germany but is now owned by Unilever, a multinational company that includes British and Dutch companies.

Unilever, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

I see both in Germany, but personally I have the impression that I see Knorr more often.
I've used both Maggie and Knorr, and I don't see much of a difference, so it doesn't matter which one you buy.

The Difference Between Japanese Dashi and German Fish Bouillon: Miso Soup

Well, there are liquid types of bouillon, but solid ones are common, and you can buy 4, 8, or 12 pieces for less than 1 to 2 euros.

Miso soup consists of dashi stock and miso as the minimum ingredients.
I used to cook miso soup with fish bouillon, but I felt a slight difference in taste.

In the first place, if you dissolve fish broth in hot water, you will get a fragrant smell like niboshi ramen soup.
When I put miso in it, I felt that it was saltier than miso soup made with Japanese dashi.
The resulting miso soup tasted good enough to eat, but I think Japanese people might find the taste strange.

By the way, if you check the ingredients of dashi and fish bouillon, you can see the difference.
As an example, let's compare the ingredients of Ajinomoto's Hondashi and Knorr's fish bouillon.

If you look at the raw materials of Ajinomoto on the website , it will be as follows.

" Salt (manufactured in Japan), sugars (sugar, lactose), flavor ingredients (bonito powder, bonito extract), yeast extract, yeast extract fermented seasonings/seasonings (amino acids, etc.) "

On the other hand, if you look at the raw materials of Knorr's fish bouillon from the website , it will be as follows.

"Iodized salt, flavors (E621, E635), fully hydrogenated palm oil, cornstarch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, palm oil, approved flavors (including fish, shellfish, molluscs, eggs, milk, celery), cod. of fish powder (including crustaceans and mollusks), garlic oil (including crustaceans), onions, spices, sugar, garlic, citric acid."

As you can see, fish bouillon uses more ingredients, and the salt content per 100g is about 43g for Hondashi and about 50g* for fish bouillon. If you use , you can see why the saltiness is strong. (From the website, sodium 19701 (mg) x 2.54 ÷ 1,000 = 50.04)

summary

As I wrote above, fish bouillon is suitable for ramen soup, but when cooking miso soup and other Japanese dishes, Japanese dashi is more familiar and nostalgic than fish bouillon.
In conclusion, Japanese dashi is the best choice for Japanese cuisine, although it can be used as a substitute.

When making Japanese food, we highly recommend using Japanese dashi stock.

I think that there are times when you miss Japanese food when you are staying abroad. That's why German food feels extra heavy... Green tea is recommended in such cases. In this article, I will explain the benefits and types of green tea!

When purchasing tea, many people think that green tea is good for their health and choose it without thinking.

I will explain the benefits of green tea by dividing it into two components.

Catechin is a type of polyphenol and has many effects such as antioxidant and antiviral effects.

 antioxidant effect

Most high-calorie diets are acidic foods, which can make your body more acidic and unhealthy. Since tea is an alkaline drink, it regulates the pH of the body and prevents deterioration of physical condition. If you have a heavy meal and want to feel refreshed, drinking green tea after meals may help.

In addition, if you drink it after meals, catechins have strong bactericidal properties, so you can expect them to prevent the growth of cavities and improve the oral environment. It has a very positive effect on tooth decay and bad breath.

 Antiviral action

When a virus enters the body, it tries to grow by sticking to other cells, but by ingesting catechins, it is possible to create a state in which the virus is less likely to stick to cells, which leads to the prevention of various diseases.

In addition to the two actions mentioned so far, many other effects are expected, such as the effect of reducing body fat and the effect of preventing dementia.

Green teas such as matcha and genmaicha contain an ingredient called GABA, which is an ingredient that suppresses excited neurotransmitters. If this is not enough, it will cause irritation and anxiety, so if you take it, you can expect a relaxing effect.

In addition to catechin and GABA, it contains many ingredients such as vitamins and minerals that have a positive effect on human health.

From here, we will take up seven types of green tea.
According to the degree of fermentation, tea can be categorized into unfermented tea as green tea, semi-fermented tea as oolong tea, and fully fermented tea as black tea.

1 . Sencha

It is the most popular tea. In general, sencha is made by steaming and kneading new sprouts of tea leaves.

2 . roasted green tea

Is hojicha green tea? Some of you may have thought that. It is true that the color is not green, but if you classify it by the degree of fermentation, hojicha can also be divided into green tea. Sencha and bancha are roasted over high heat to bring out the fragrant aroma of this tea. Roasting at a high temperature reduces bitterness and astringency, making the tea easy to drink.

3 . Brown rice tea

It is made by combining roasted brown rice with sencha or bancha. It is a fragrant and easy-to-drink tea.

4 . Bancha

Because grown tea leaves are often used, this tea is characterized by its light and refreshing taste. Younger buds contain more caffeine, so bancha does not contain much caffeine and can be said to be a healthy tea.

5 . Gyokuro

It is made from tea leaves that are grown in the shade of the sun and finished with the sencha method. Theanine, which is the umami component of tea, changes to catechin, which is an astringent component when exposed to sunlight, so umami can be preserved by blocking sunlight. This green tea is a little more expensive than regular sencha because it takes more time and effort.

6 . Matcha

It is ground and powdered from the state called tencha, which is grown and dried in a shade of direct sunlight.

7 . Covered tea

It is covered and cultivated in the same way as gyokuro, and after harvesting, it undergoes the same process as sencha. It has both flavor and freshness.

summary

I explained the classification and benefits of green tea, but it is surprising that there are so many excellent effects!

Today, there are cosmetics and soaps that use tea extract, and the bactericidal effect of tea and nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E are expected to have a positive effect on beauty.

There are also teas available in Germany, so why not include green tea in your daily life as it helps keep you in shape and helps you live a clean life.

 If you don't have a Japanese grocery store near you, or if you want something different than usual, online shops are very convenient.

Basically, Japanese ingredients and seasonings are more expensive to buy in Germany than in Japan.

This is because the production cost itself is inevitably high due to transportation costs and the time and effort involved in the manufacturing process even if it is made in the EU.

So when you move from Japan to Germany, do you know what ingredients you should bring from Japan, and what seasonings and ingredients you can buy locally?

As you can imagine, soy sauce is one of the most common Japanese foods you can buy in Germany.

Introducing the Types of Soy Sauce You Can Buy in Germany

Well, even if you say soy sauce, there are actually many types, and when you go to buy soy sauce for the first time, you will be confused by brands you have never seen or heard of, so it is not easy.
In addition, soy sauce is also used in China and South Korea, and you can actually see soy sauce from other countries in Germany.
This time, we will explain the types and brands of soy sauce that you can find in Germany.

Most common Japanese soy sauce: Kikkoman

Several Japanese soy sauce and food manufacturers have expanded into Europe, and in fact Germany has access to a wide range of Japanese foods, seasonings and ingredients, not just soy sauce.
In terms of accessibility, it is probably in a position to compete with the United Kingdom for first and second place in Europe.

Going into the main topic, Kikkoman is the most popular Japanese soy sauce that you can find in Germany.

If your local supermarket has an Asian section, you may find small bottle-sized products for tabletop use.
Kikkoman is also known in Europe as Kikkoman, with 1 liter sizes available in large supermarkets, and it can be said that it is the most familiar brand of Japanese soy sauce that you can find in Germany.

By the way, Kikkoman's soy sauce is also made overseas, and Kikkoman's soy sauce available in Germany is made in the Netherlands.
Originally, soy sauce produced in Singapore was transported to Europe for sale, but in the 1990s, Kikkoman established a production base in the Netherlands, establishing a local production and sales system in Europe.

Regarding the difference in taste between Japanese soy sauce and Kikkoman soy sauce from the Netherlands, I felt that the taste was slightly different.
I didn't notice the difference until I tasted it, and I couldn't feel the difference unless I tasted it.

The most common soy sauce in supermarkets: Blue Dragon

Quote: tacinte: https://world.openfoodfacts.org/cgi/product_image.pl?code=2020538220235&id=2

Isn't the soy sauce most commonly seen in supermarkets made by this manufacturer?

Blue Dragon is a British brand that has been around since the 1970s.
This Blue Dragon is owned by a company called Associated British Foods plc (commonly known as AB Foods).

AB Foods may not sound like much, but it's actually a huge multinational company that owns not only food, but Primark, one of Europe's cheapest clothing brands.

Blue Dragon's soy sauce is cheaper than Kikkoman's soy sauce, so it may be attractive to people who want to keep food costs down.
Then, if it is the same as Japanese soy sauce, this soy sauce is a so-called Chinese type soy sauce.

The difference between Japanese and Chinese soy sauce will be explained later, but the difference here is obvious if you look at the ingredients.
Looking at Kikkoman's soy sauce, according to the website, the ingredients are only water, soybeans, wheat, and salt. (European Kikkoman also uses the same raw materials.)
On the other hand, if you look at the ingredients of Blue Dragon's dark soy sauce from the website , it will be as follows.

"Water, Sugar, Salt, Soy Sauce Extract (9%) [Water, Defatted Soya Bean Flakes, Wheat , Salt], Color (Ammonia Caramel), Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate)"

If you translate this into Japanese, it will be as follows.
"Water, sugar, salt, soy sauce extract (9%) [water, defatted soybean flakes, wheat, salt], coloring (ammonia caramel), pH adjuster (lactic acid), preservative (potassium sorbate)"

As you can see, Kikkoman's soy sauce uses very simple ingredients, while Blue Dragon's soy sauce uses food additives such as pH adjusters and preservatives.

Chinese soy sauce often found in Asian shops: Pearl River Bridge

Citation: Luidaguhee, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

This is a soy sauce from a Chinese food manufacturer, and I think you will often see this soy sauce when you go to an Asian shop.

Chinese soy sauce and Japanese soy sauce are used for different purposes and have different tastes.
There are two types of Chinese soy sauce, San Chau and Lo Chau.

Namabetsu has a strong salty taste similar to light soy sauce, and is used to season dishes.
On the other hand, old extraction has a tamari soy sauce flavor and is used for coloring rather than seasoning.

Basically, Chinese soy sauce contains less wheat than Japanese soy sauce, and the direction of taste is different from Japanese soy sauce, such as adding sugar.
Also, it is said that Japanese soy sauce takes several months to produce, but Chinese soy sauce has a shorter manufacturing process than Japan.

This brand sells many types of soy sauce, but as an example, if you check the ingredients of Superior Dark Soy Sauce on the website , it says "water, soybeans, sugar, salt, flour" and sugar is added. I understand.
Perhaps because of the difference in the manufacturing process, this brand's soy sauce is also cheaper than Kikkoman's soy sauce.
As you can see, even though the names of soy sauce in Japan and China are the same, there are big differences.

summary

What kind of soy sauce can you buy in Germany?
You can buy a variety of soy sauces in Germany as well, and when you compare prices, Japanese soy sauce may seem expensive, but Kikkoman's soy sauce takes more time and effort than European brand soy sauces or Chinese soy sauces. , you can see the reason why. As you can see from the above, we recommend Kikkoman, a Japanese food and seasoning, and Japanese brand soy sauce for cooking Japanese food.

When living in Europe as a student or member of society, there are Japanese foods and ingredients that you absolutely want to eat.
When you cook for yourself or your family, there are many times when you want to enjoy the familiar taste of Japan.
Here, we will mainly explain the ingredients necessary for Japanese food that you can buy at supermarkets and shops in Europe.

Procure ingredients in Europe and make curry

Curry is an easy and convenient dish for students to stock up on.
It's the same for working people and people with households, and it's a dish that will make your family happy.
This time, I will explain the ingredients used to make Japanese curry in Europe.

Ingredients for curry bought at European supermarkets

First, let's take a look at the typical curry ingredients: carrots, onions, potatoes, and meat.

Carrots, onions, and potatoes, these three types of vegetables can be purchased in European supermarkets as well as in Japanese supermarkets.

However, there are differences in the size and taste of vegetables, and of course, the price, depending on the country or region.

Here is an example of European carrots.
Compared to Japanese carrots, they are slender and shorter.
Many of the carrots sold in European supermarkets are of this type, and if you are expecting the same kind of carrots as in Japan, you may be a little disappointed.
However, when you actually eat it, there is no big difference in taste.

Next is onions.
This is also a little smaller than Japanese onions like carrots.
Many supermarkets have yellow onions, white onions, and red onions.
Buy according to your taste.

The last is potatoes.
This is almost the same as what you can buy at Japanese supermarkets.
Personally, I think Baron or May Queen is closer to Baron.

Potatoes are often sold in 1kg bags, so if you put a lot of potatoes in the curry and still can't use it all, it's delicious to make French fries or potato chips.

Meat that is sold but difficult to procure

And regarding meat, unlike Japan, they don't sell thinly sliced ​​meat.
If you really want it, I think you have to go to a butcher who sells it by the piece and have it sliced ​​thinly.

It may not go well with curry, but if you have a tongue (tongue) handling, most tongues are thinly sliced, so you might want to consider that.

It may be one way to enjoy the curry made in Europe to enjoy the large chunky meat.

Extra: Japanese curry roux not sold in local supermarkets

It is very difficult to find retort curry roux like those sold in Japanese supermarkets in European supermarkets.

Basically, it is difficult to get it unless you buy it at a Japanese grocery store, an Asian shop, or an online store.

Of course, if you don't mind spending time and money, you can make curry without using Japanese retort curry roux.
You can buy a wide variety of spices in most European supermarkets.

Of course, you can combine various spices to make Indian-style curry, and you can also add bouillon to make it Japanese-style.

They also sell small bottles of spices labeled Indian curry or British curry.
In that case, it is possible to get closer to the curry you want to eat with just that spice, but since the contents are small in the first place, depending on the amount you make, you may need a whole bottle or more at a time.

However, it's still difficult to make curry that tastes like Japanese retort curry, so buying curry roux at a store like the one mentioned above may be the best solution.

Remarks: About rice

Even if you eat curry, nothing will start without this rice.
Most supermarkets in Europe sell rice itself.

However, most of it is rice for risotto, and there are cases where the heart remains in the rice even after it is cooked.

Indica rice is sometimes sold, so there is something different, but you can eat curry more deliciously than rice for risotto.

If you really want to eat Japanese rice, you need to buy it at a Japanese grocery store or online store, just like Japanese curry roux.

There are several types of Japanese rice available in Europe, but one of the most famous is Yumenishiki.

It's Japanese rice from Italy, but it's just like the rice you buy in Japan.

If it is this, compatibility with Japanese curry is perfect and you can enjoy it deliciously.

Ingredients that are delicious when added to other curries

In addition to the basic ingredients, there are many ingredients that make curry delicious.
I will extract and explain some of the ingredients available in Europe from among them.

Garlic for example.
Adding garlic when making curry enhances the flavor and makes it very appetizing.
You can get it as easily as in Japan at supermarkets in Europe.
European garlic has a good flavor and can be enjoyed deliciously.

Eggplant is delicious when added to the dish.
Compared to the eggplant in Japan, it feels very large.
The appearance is similar to Japanese round eggplant, but the size is larger than that.
Even if it looks different, it doesn't taste bad, and of course it's delicious even if you put it in curry.

There is also paprika.
European supermarkets sell large paprikas whole.
Paprika has a unique taste that is different from bell peppers, and it is very delicious as an ingredient to add to curry.

Also, paprika powder is often lined up in the spice corner as a seasoning and coloring, so you may be able to use that as well.