Dear food knowledge

This year, let's celebrate at home instead of going to restaurants, but what should we make ... ?
When you try to make a different menu than usual, you get lost in what to do. So why not try making Japanese food that you can easily make at home? In this article, we will introduce Japanese recipes that are perfect for celebrations!

Sushi is popular with both Japanese and Germans! Unlike nigiri sushi and makizushi, temakizushi can be easily made and eaten at home. You can choose not only sashimi, but also meat and vegetables, so everyone from children to the elderly can enjoy it.

・Seafood: salmon, tuna, salmon roe, canned tuna

・Meat: grilled meat, minced meat, ham

・Vegetables: cucumber, avocado, corn, green onion

・Others: Atsuyaki egg, natto, sesame seeds, cream cheese

In addition to the ingredients commonly used in Japan, you may find ingredients that go well with vinegared rice and grilled seaweed! It's fun to spend time thinking about what to put in.

1 . Lay plastic wrap on a Tupperware or a mold, and cover it with mackerel, salmon, kinshi omelette, etc. ( what you want to put on top ) .

2 . Spread the vinegared rice over the ingredients

( If you want to add more height, layer the ingredients and the vinegared rice once more .)

3 . Cover with plastic wrap and press firmly.

4 . Remove from the mold while still wrapped.

You can change the taste and appearance according to your taste, such as changing the ingredients, or mixing green laver into the rice to give it a different color. You can use any type of mold, such as the box that the wrap was in, or the star or flower mold used to cut candy.

By the way, you can use white rice instead of vinegared rice, but you can also mix sesame and shiso into the white rice to add flavor.

 

In Germany, there is a dish similar to tonkatsu, but I don't think there are many opportunities to eat a dish like fried chicken. If you really want to eat freshly fried chicken , it might be a good idea to try making it yourself.

1 . Add grated ginger, grated garlic, sake, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, and mix lightly.

2 . Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse

3 . Sprinkle with potato starch and fry in oil to complete

A simple recipe is given above. You can also arrange it by adding black pepper to make it a little more mature. If it is troublesome to prepare various ingredients, you can make it quite easily by using fried chicken powder .

It's kind of a relief to have simmered dishes such as nikujaga and chikuzenni on the dining table. Especially in the cold season, I want to eat simmered food to warm my body and soul .. !
By adding seasonings to a large amount of dashi and simmering it over low heat for a long time, the meat becomes tender and the vegetables become sweet.

The ratio of water, mirin, soy sauce, and sake is 5 : 1 : 1 : 1 , which is the golden ratio of simmered food!

 

Shiraae is a Japanese-style aemono, in which the tofu enhances the flavor of the ingredients. How about trying it as a main dish?

 Ingredients: tofu, carrot, konjac, spinach

1 . For silken tofu, wrap in kitchen paper and drain well.

2 . Boil the shredded carrots, konjac and spinach, then cool.

3 . Put all ingredients in a bowl, ground sesame, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

( It is important to remove the moisture from the tofu and spinach! )

summary

Here are some recommended Japanese recipes for celebrations. When you eat it, you will feel nostalgic and feel Japan.

Seasonings such as soy sauce are widely used in Japan, and by combining them, you can make Japanese food using familiar ingredients even if it is difficult to obtain the same vegetables and seafood as in Japan. please give me!

 Online shops are very convenient when there is no Japanese food store nearby or when it is difficult to go out.

Based in Germany, our online shop sells natto, soy sauce, and various Japanese food ingredients and seasonings.
Shipping within Germany is free for purchases over 50 euros, so please take a look.

The season when cold and flu viruses become active is approaching. This year, we are worried about the coronavirus, so let's wash our hands, gargle, disinfect, and boost our immune system from within. This time, I will explain fermented foods and their benefits as something that improves immune function for health promotion!

 

The effects of fermentation are large, and can be divided into three categories: changing the taste, increasing the nutritional value of ingredients, and adjusting the intestinal environment. Fermented foods are foods produced by the action of invisible microorganisms. Miso, soy sauce, and natto can be made from soybeans, sake, mirin, and vinegar can be made from rice, and cheese and yogurt can be made from milk.

There are various fermented foods, from those that are easy to take in to those that are rare, but we will use natto, miso, and soy sauce as examples of the most familiar Japanese foods.

 

When you think of fermented foods, the first thing that comes to mind is probably natto. Soybeans, which are rich in nutrients, are steamed and fermented with Bacillus natto to increase their nutritional value. "Nattokinase" contained in the stickiness of natto makes the blood smooth, promotes blood flow and improves metabolism, "vitamin K " prevents arteriosclerosis and heart disease, strengthens bones, and "polyglutamic acid" increases blood sugar levels. It has many health-promoting effects such as reducing

Miso is made by fermenting grains such as soybeans with salt and koji. Consuming miso with miso soup before meals has the effect of suppressing the rise in blood sugar levels after meals. Red miso is made by steaming soybeans for a long time and contains ingredients that activate cancer-fighting cells. White miso, on the other hand, is made by boiling soybeans and contains ingredients that lower blood pressure and relax the mind.

 

Soy sauce is probably the most popular Japanese seasoning. It can be used in a wide range of dishes, and there are various types such as low-salt and gluten-free. As with miso, when koji mold decomposes soybeans, enzymes such as protease and amylase break down the proteins contained in soybeans into amino acids, and these amino acids are the source of the sweetness and umami of soy sauce. In addition, soy sauce has the effect of increasing nutrients through the power of enzymes, increasing lactic acid bacteria, vitamins, and minerals, and can be expected to help you recover from fatigue. In addition to maintaining normal blood pressure and lowering high blood pressure, soy sauce also has various beneficial effects, such as suppressing the absorption of sugar and suppressing the rise of blood sugar levels, as well as carcinogenic effects. I have

 

The unique sweetness, umami, and aroma are produced by the action of microorganisms. By increasing the umami, it is no longer necessary to make the seasoning strong, and it is possible to reduce unnecessary salt content. In addition, they are much more nutritious than their raw counterparts.

Improvement of intestinal environment

About 70 % of the body's immune cells are concentrated in the intestine. When the intestinal environment deteriorates, the immune system weakens, making it easier to get sick. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the bad bacteria in the intestines and activate the good bacteria that are beneficial to humans. Lactic acid bacteria help with this. Lactic acid bacteria are divided into animal and vegetable types . Probably the animal lactic acid bacteria contained in yogurt and cheese have a strong image as lactic acid bacteria. Plant-based lactic acid bacteria are also contained in natto, and this plant-based lactic acid bacterium has a strong resistance to acid and salt, and has a strong coexistence with other bacteria, so it has the characteristic of being able to reach the intestines alive. . If allergic symptoms are related to intestinal wall roughness, it can be expected to improve allergic constitution by increasing the good bacteria in the intestines.

summary

In addition to the above benefits, fermented foods greatly support our health, such as beauty effects such as beautiful skin and whitening.

Online shops are very convenient when there is no Japanese food store nearby or when it is difficult to go out.

Based in Germany, our online shop sells natto, soy sauce, and various Japanese food ingredients and seasonings.
Shipping within Germany is free for purchases over 50 euros, so please take a look.

I think that there are many people who study abroad in Germany for work or study abroad, but one of the things to be concerned about when living abroad like that is the diet.

I want to prepare the same Japanese food as when I was in Japan for my family. Although I live in Japan, I think there are many opportunities to prepare Japanese food.

Recently, there have been more and more opportunities to see Japanese restaurants and Japanese ingredients in Europe, including Germany.

Even so, the number of Japanese food ingredients that can be purchased in Germany is still limited, and in some cases, the prices are nearly double what they are available in Japan.

Some of them are sold in any supermarket in Japan, but it is not uncommon to find them nowhere in Germany.

Japanese food and Japanese ingredients that are difficult to cook in Germany

As mentioned above, even if you try to get Japanese food ingredients, the prices are higher than in Japan, the quality is different compared to what you buy in Japan, and you can't find them anywhere. There are some Japanese foods that are difficult to make for various reasons.

Below, I would like to introduce Japanese food that is difficult to cook in Germany.

1. Beef bowl

Thinly sliced ​​beef is indispensable for making beef, but in the first place in Europe such as Germany, thinly sliced ​​meat is rarely sold at supermarkets.

If you want thinly sliced ​​meat, you can either use a meat slicer to slice the meat sold on the market, or ask the staff at a butcher shop to slice it thinly for you.

However, when having a meat sliced ​​at a butcher shop, the staff does not usually receive orders to slice the meat thinly, so there are many cases where it is difficult to convey to the staff and the meat is not sliced ​​as thinly as you thought. it seems like.

Other than that, Japanese food that we usually eat often uses thinly sliced ​​meat, so I think it's harder to make those dishes compared to when we're in Japan.

2. Seafood dishes

Except for a part of the northern part, Germany hardly faces the sea, and it is a country where it is difficult to obtain fresh fish compared to Japan.
Therefore, it is not possible to easily buy raw fish at supermarkets like in Japan.

Fish is sold at supermarkets and other places, but most of it is frozen.
Of course, there are places that sell raw fish, but the price is still higher than in Japan, so it's hard to get your hands on it.

In this way, it is possible to make dishes using seafood, but it is difficult to get them, the taste and freshness are not good, and the prices are high. It can be difficult.

3. Seaweed

I think it's common to have wakame seaweed in miso soup, but seaweed, including wakame, is not as common as it is in Japan.

Recently, it seems that wakame can be purchased cheaply at supermarkets, but the taste is a little different from the Japanese wakame that we are used to eating.

Asian supermarkets sell kelp and hijiki, but they are more expensive than buying them in Japan.

salmon roe

Since salmon roe is used as a sushi ingredient, many people may think that salmon roe is a uniquely Japanese food.

However, there is a theory that the word salmon roe originally meant "fish egg" in Russian, and that it was introduced from Russia in the Meiji era and became popular from the Taisho era to the early Showa era.

For that reason, salmon roe is available at Russian markets in Germany, so it's by no means impossible.

However, salmon roe is also sold at ordinary supermarkets, but the price is high and the taste is quite different from that of Japan.

It would be nice if there was a Russian market nearby, but if not, it may be quite difficult to taste salmon roe dishes like in Japan.

By the way, I used to buy salmon roe in a small bottle and make my own soy sauce marinated salmon roe.

The basic ingredients are soy sauce, mirin, and sake, which are difficult to obtain in Germany and have few varieties, so I tried making them.

However, even though I made it according to the recipe, the taste was completely different from the Japanese salmon roe pickled in soy sauce.

mayonnaise

Although mayonnaise is not a cooking ingredient, it is a versatile condiment that can be used to cook many different Japanese dishes.
Of course, mayonnaise can be bought normally in Germany, so it is not particularly difficult to obtain.

Since mayonnaise originated in France, it is of course common in Europe, and it is a common seasoning all over the world.

However, Japanese mayonnaise and German mayonnaise are quite different in taste.
German mayonnaise is much sweeter than Japanese mayonnaise, and it seems that Germans sometimes feel quite sour when eating Japanese mayonnaise.

Unlike overseas mayonnaise, Japanese mayonnaise uses only egg yolk instead of whole egg when making mayonnaise, and it seems that the vinegar used is also rice vinegar.
As a result, it has a milder and creamier taste than the ones from overseas.

You may need to be careful when trying to make dishes based on the taste of Japanese mayonnaise.

When making Japanese food that uses mayonnaise, we recommend purchasing Japanese mayonnaise.

Burdock

In Japan, burdock is a root vegetable ingredient used in common Japanese dishes such as pork soup and kinpira burdock.
However, there are almost no dishes using burdock in countries other than Japan.

It may be well-known that during the Pacific War, when the Japanese army gave prisoners of war from the enemy country burdock dishes, they were forced to eat tree roots.
Eating so much burdock may have seemed strange to foreigners, especially Westerners.

As you can see, burdock is a food unique to Japan, so I don't think you will ever see burdock in Germany.

For the time being, there is something called Western burdock in Germany, but the taste and cooking method are completely different from Japanese burdock, and it seems that it tastes like asparagus.

summary 

As we have seen, the food situation in Japan and Germany is quite different, so there are some dishes that are easy to make in Japan but difficult to make in Germany, and even if they can be made, they take time and money. I hope you understand.

Especially in Germany, there are few places facing the sea, so seafood is quite scarce.

You may miss Japanese fresh seafood quite a bit while in Germany.

Miso is a fermented food made by fermenting grains such as soybeans, rice, and barley with salt and koji, and is used in miso soup and various dishes in Japan.

There is not just one type of miso, but there are multiple types depending on the ingredients, taste, and color.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the export volume of miso has increased by about 1.6 times over the six years from 2013 to 2019 , and it is expected to continue increasing in the future.

According to the 2019 survey, the United States is the top export destination, accounting for 4,818 tons, followed by Asian countries such as China and Thailand, and it can be seen that Europe is also growing in popularity.
Here, we will introduce the types and differences of Japanese miso, which is showing steady growth in the global food market.

Differences in Japanese miso ingredients

First of all, looking at the ingredients, Japanese miso is classified into four types: rice miso, barley miso, soybean miso, and blended miso.

rice miso

"Rice miso" is made by adding rice malt to soybeans, and 80 % of the miso produced in Japan is this.
It is produced in a wide range from Hokkaido to Shikoku.
Rice miso has a neutral taste, so it goes well with any dish.
And "white miso" is also a kind of rice miso. 

barley miso

Barley miso is made by adding barley malt to soybeans, and is produced mainly in the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions.
It is often made with a relatively low amount of salt and a high proportion of koji, giving it a strong sweetness.

On the other hand, it is said that the large amount of koji makes it easy for fermentation to proceed and discoloration.
The most distinctive feature of barley miso is its aroma, which is more savory and sweet than other types of miso.

Bean miso

"Mame miso" is made only from soybeans and salt, and is produced mainly in the Tokai region.
It is also called “red miso” because it has a reddish dark brown color.
It has less sugar than regular miso, so it is less sweet and salty.
Because soybean miso contains abundant nutrients, it is starting to attract attention in terms of health and beauty, especially among women.

mixed miso

It is a mixture of three or two types of rice miso, barley miso, or soybean miso.
Mixed miso can be combined in a wide variety of ways, such as light-colored ones, black ones, wheat-based ones, and rice-based ones. increase.

Regional Characteristics of Japanese Miso

Next, let's take a look at the regional characteristics of miso in Japan.
From Hokkaido to Kyushu, the miso used varies from region to region, and there is also something called “local miso”.

Hokkaido

Red-based medium-spicy miso is typical, but in recent years white miso seems to be popular.
Typical Hokkaido dishes that use miso include “Ishikari nabe” and “miso ramen.”

 Hokkaido miso

Spicy rice miso. It is characterized by its low salt content and moderately spicy taste.

Tohoku region

Red and spicy rice miso is the mainstream.
Standard dishes that use miso include scallop grilled miso (Aomori), squid monpeyaki (Akita), and donko soup (Miyagi). 

Tsugaru miso (Aomori)

It is also called “Tsugaru Sannen Miso”.
Although it is dry, it is mellow in the mouth because it is aged for a long time.

Akita miso (Akita)

Because it uses a lot of rice malt from Akita, a rice-growing region, it has a dry yet natural sweetness.

Sendai miso (Miyagi)

It is a traditional dry red miso that Date Masamune established a miso factory called Oensogura during the Sengoku period.

Hokuriku region

Since it used to be an area of ​​exchange that connected Tohoku and Kansai, light-colored and dry rice miso that has the characteristics of both is the mainstream.
A classic dish that uses miso is the lotus root dumpling soup (Ishikawa).

Kaga Miso (Ishikawa)

A dry red miso with a relatively high salt content.

• Koushinetsu region

Light-colored to red dry rice miso is the mainstream.
Gohei-mochi (Nagano) is a standard dish that uses miso.

Echigo Miso (Niigata)

Spicy rice miso. It is also called uki koji miso because the rice grains look like they are floating in the miso. 

Shinshu miso (Nagano)

Boasting the largest production volume in Japan. This miso is characterized by its light color, dry taste, and faintly sour aroma.

Kanto region

In northern Kanto, there is a dry barley miso called “inaka miso”, but in the Kanto region as a whole, dry rice miso is the mainstream.
Miso dengaku (Tokyo) is a classic dish that uses miso.

Edo Sweet Miso (Tokyo )

It has a deep reddish brown color because it uses steamed soybeans, and has a rich sweetness due to the high proportion of rice malt. 

• Tokai region

Shizuoka produces rice miso, but Aichi, Mie, and Gifu produce soybean miso.
A standard dish that uses miso is “Miso Nikomi Udon (Aichi)”.

Tokai soybean miso (Aichi, Mie, Gifu)

It is also called Nagoya miso, Sanshu miso, and Hatcho miso. It is characterized by its rich umami and astringency.

• Kansai region

White miso with a high proportion of rice malt is characterized by its strong sweetness.
Due to its low salt content, it is a short-term aging type.
A classic dish that uses miso is "Saikyo-zuke".

Kansai white miso

The color is an elegant golden color because soybeans boiled with the skin removed and highly polished rice are used.

• Chugoku region

On the Seto Inland Sea side, barley miso is produced, on the Sea of ​​Japan side, light-colored dry miso is produced, and on the Seto Inland Sea side of the Kansai region, white, sweet rice miso is produced.
A classic dish that uses miso is oyster hotpot (Hiroshima).

Fuchu Miso (Hiroshima)

Cream-colored sweet miso made from peeled soybeans. 

• Shikoku region

The Seto Inland Sea side is slightly white, while the Pacific Ocean side is red.
Anmochizoni (Kagawa) is a standard dish that uses miso.

Sanuki miso (Kagawa)

It is one of the representative white sweet miso with rich sweetness. 

• Kyushu region

Barley miso is the mainstream, but around Fukuoka, miso made with rice and barley is the mainstream.
A classic dish that uses miso is "cold soup (Miyazaki)." 

Kyushu barley miso

It has a high proportion of barley koji, a slightly low salt content and a strong sweetness.

Miso handled by Dear foods

Our online shop also handles various miso.
We are based in Germany and offer free shipping for purchases over €50, so please take a look.

The staple food in Japan is rice. Rice is such a favorite among many Japanese that it can be said that they eat it at least once a day.
Rice is highly versatile and can be used not only for Japanese cuisine but also for Western cuisine such as paella. 

Japanese rice has been distributed in Japan for a long time, but due to recent globalization, it has become easier to handle foreign ingredients, so rice from other countries is also being distributed.
One of them is jasmine rice.

Great commentary comparing jasmine rice, which is often seen in Germany, with Japanese rice!

Especially if you live in Germany or Europe, it's the exact opposite of Japan, and you won't find Japanese rice in stores.

On the other hand, there are several types of rice sold in supermarkets, but one of the common rice is jasmine rice.
If you live in Germany, you will often see this rice, but in this article, we will look at the characteristics and differences between Japanese rice and jasmine rice.

Types of Japanese rice

First, there are multiple varieties of Japanese rice.
Among them, we will introduce representative brand rice.

Koshihikari

It is the most cultivated rice in Japan and is a representative brand of rice in Japan.
Sweetness and stickiness are strong, and the fragrance is a very good breed.

It is produced in a wide range of areas, including Niigata Prefecture, and there are differences in taste and stickiness depending on the production area.
The reason for its popularity is that it has a strong umami flavor, so it goes well with any side dish, whether Japanese or Western.

Hitomebore

It is the second most cultivated rice in Japan.
It is produced in the Tohoku and Kanto regions, mainly in Miyagi Prefecture.

It is resistant to cold and can grow well even in cold climates such as the Tohoku region. Compared to Koshihikari, it is slightly larger and stickier, and is said to be delicious even when cold.

Hinohikari

It is the third most cultivated rice in Japan.
It is produced in various regions, mainly in western Japan, including Oita Prefecture.

My father has Koshihikari, and the texture and flavor are similar to Koshihikari, but it seems that it can be purchased cheaper than Koshihikari.
This rice is said to be especially suitable for western food.

Characteristics of Japanese rice

The characteristic of Japanese rice is that it is elastic and becomes sticky when heated.
Rice grains are long and elliptical in shape, and are generally boiled in a rice cooker after being thoroughly polished.

Recently, there is also a type of rice called “rinse-free rice” that can be cooked in a rice cooker without being polished. rice is recommended.
You can adjust the amount of water to maintain the same level of deliciousness whether hardened or soft.

Also, since all varieties of Japanese rice have a sweet taste, you can fully enjoy the taste of the rice alone.
It goes very well with seaweed and salt, so it's often eaten as a light meal.

Dishes that go well with Japanese rice

So far, we have looked at the varieties and characteristics of each Japanese rice.
So what kind of Japanese food does Japanese rice actually go well with?

sushi

Japanese rice and vinegar go well together, so you can add vinegar to Japanese rice to make sushi rice, top it with seafood to make chirashizushi, or add natto or green onion to make sushi rolls.

cooked rice

Meat, vegetables, and seasonings are mixed and cooked in a rice cooker with rice.
Japanese rice is often eaten on its own with other side dishes, but it is also recommended to add flavor to the rice itself.

Characteristics of jasmine rice

Jasmine rice is a type of Thai rice and is the highest quality rice in Thailand.
Because the whiteness of the fir tree resembles jasmine, and because it has a sweet grain-specific aroma when cooked, it is called "Khao Hong Mali" in Thai, meaning "fragrant rice". increase.

The rice grains are more elongated than Japanese rice and do not need to be polished.
The reason for this seems to be that if you grind it like Japanese rice, the fragrance component will be lost.
After lightly rinsing the rice, cook it in a rice cooker.

Jasmine rice has a high water penetration rate and if it is soaked in water for a long time, the rice will be chipped, so when cooking with a rice cooker, it is necessary to turn on the switch immediately without specifying the time.
For cooking, you can choose the quick cooking course.
Also, the amount of rice and water should be the same.

Food that goes well with jasmine rice

As mentioned above, jasmine rice is different from Japanese rice in terms of shape and features.
However, jasmine rice has dishes that take advantage of its characteristics.
Below are some delicious dishes that can be made using jasmine rice.

Khao Man Gai

One of the most popular dishes in Japan is the Thai dish "Khao Man Gai".
By the way, it is called " Hainanese chicken rice " in Chinese, and some people may have seen this name.

It is a dish that is eaten with boiled chicken and rice cooked with boiling water, and is a representative dish of Thailand.
The unique aroma of jasmine rice and its low stickiness go well with the broth, making it a popular dish for many people.

green curry

This is also a popular dish at Japanese curry restaurants and Thai restaurants.
It is a green curry with spices, also known as "Thai curry".
It contains more water than the curry commonly eaten in Japan, and is characterized by its soup-like smoothness.
It also has a strong spiciness because it contains various spices and herbs. 

Difference between Japanese rice and jasmine rice

Japanese rice is plump and sweet after it is cooked, so you can eat it by itself without seasoning.
Another characteristic of Japanese rice is that it can be eaten in different shapes like onigiri.
Because of its ease of handling, it is suitable for all genres of cuisine, from Japanese to Western and ethnic dishes.

On the other hand, jasmine rice is generally eaten with other ingredients for flavor, so it is less versatile than Japanese rice.
However, it can be said that it is a rice that goes well with ethnic dishes that make use of its unique flavor.

In Germany and other European countries, one ingredient is simply seasoned with salt and grilled without using too many seasonings. can be produced.

When you think of Japanese food, the first seasoning that comes to mind is soy sauce, but there are other attractive seasonings that are unique to Japanese food. One of them is mirin.
In this article, we will introduce recommended Japanese dishes using mirin that can be cooked in Germany.

Works great in Europe! Japanese cuisine using mirin

I don't think mirin is used alone, but by mixing it with other seasonings, it is a mysterious seasoning that can bring out the richness and sweetness.
You can get mirin in Germany, and it is highly versatile. In addition to adding flavor, it can also be used to add luster to dishes, soften meat and fish, and make it easier for flavors to permeate ingredients. And it's a perfect condiment.

There are many dishes in Japan that can be made using mirin.
It is versatile, from grilled to simmered dishes, and you can increase your cooking repertoire with just one bottle of mirin.
It also matches well with Japanese tastes, so you can create a flavor that many people like.
Just by adding a little mirin, you can make something that is easy to make, or you can make a nifty dish with a little effort and ingenuity.
Here are the top 5 popular Japanese dishes that use mirin, which is indispensable for cooking.

No. 5 : Simmered mackerel with sleet

I think mackerel by itself falls into the category of people who have different tastes, but you can make it easier to eat by seasoning it and simmering it.
This dish is one of them. Sprinkle the mackerel with salt beforehand and leave it for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to permeate.
Grated daikon radish is used for this dish, but grated daikon alone has no taste.
Mirin is used as a "dashi" to season it.

The dashi stock alone doesn't have much flavor, but adding mirin, sake, and soy sauce gives it a strong flavor.
This seasoning removes the unique fishy smell and flavor of the mackerel, making it easier to eat.
Also, this seasoning is highly versatile, so you can use other fish or meat instead of mackerel.

4th place: Tsukune

In Japan, it is often skewered and served, and the fact that it is easy to eat with one hand may be the reason why it is popular as a snack with alcohol.
Mirin is used as a sauce for seasoning tsukune, and this sweet and spicy sauce goes well with tsukune.
You can also see “salt tsukune” without sauce, but I feel that the one with sauce is more flavorful and delicious.
You can also make the surface glossy with the effect of mirin.

Minced chicken is often used for the tsukune itself, but by adding tofu, you can create a fluffy texture and reduce the calories a little. We recommend adding shiitake mushrooms to improve the texture.

No. 3 : Nikujaga

It is no exaggeration to say that this dish is representative of Japanese cuisine, and is a dish that is loved by many as a staple of Japanese cuisine. It has a strong flavor, so even people who don't like vegetables can easily eat it.
This dish uses plenty of vegetables and meat, so you can get a lot of nutrients in one dish.

After cutting vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and carrots, shirataki, and beef, after cutting the vegetables and meat, all you have to do is simmer with mirin, soy sauce, sake, sugar, etc., so it is an easy dish to make.
The flavor permeates the vegetables and meat, so you can keep it delicious for a long time.

No. 2 : Chicken teriyaki

Chicken is highly versatile and cheaper than other meats, so many people may use it as an ingredient.
You might think you have to use the oven or grill to make chicken teriyaki, but you can make it in a skillet.
Frying pans can be found in almost every household, are quick to prepare, and easy to clean up.

Before cooking, poke holes in the chicken with a fork to help the flavor soak in.
Then, make the sauce in advance by mixing soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. After that, grill the chicken, add the sauce on the way and boil it down, and it's done.
It's easy to make and delicious even when cold, so it's a great side dish for bento.

No. 1 : Pickled tuna bowl

Tuna, which is also popular as a sushi ingredient, is even more delicious when pickled.
Tuna is usually eaten by dipping it in soy sauce, but adding mirin to it adds a rich sweetness.
In addition, the effect of mirin makes the surface of the tuna glossy, making the dish look even more delicious.

For this dish, the tuna is simply marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and wasabi for a few hours, and it's ready to go.
Also, it takes almost no time to prepare and you can eat it right away.
The highly nutritious tororo (grated yam) and tuna go well together, so we recommend eating them together with the tuna on top of a bowl.

When I live in Europe, my friends and work colleagues sometimes tell me that they want to try Japanese food.
However, what can be troublesome at times like this is when the phrase "If possible, I would like to eat something other than the famous one in Europe" is added.

I wrote this article for those who want to meet such expectations.

4 lesser-known Japanese foods that are highly rated when cooked

Even if you say this, you may not have a very good image of what is famous and what is not known to Japanese people who are used to Japanese food in the first place.

When it comes to Japanese cuisine, sushi is of course famous, but conversely, sushi is too famous, and there are parts of other Japanese cuisine that are not well known.
Therefore, I would appreciate it if you read this article and think, "Speaking of which, this happened."

Oden

When it comes to winter staples in Japan, it's oden.
Just because you can buy oden anywhere in Japan, especially if you go to a convenience store, doesn't mean it's famous in Europe.
If you serve hot oden with a strong taste, you will be very happy.
In Europe, there is no culture of sharing a large plate or hot pot dish among multiple people, so Europeans who see oden for the first time may be confused about how to eat it, but many people like the gentle taste of dashi. It's a taste that can be.

The main ingredients for making oden are your favorite ingredients (carrots, radishes, sausages, etc.), sake, mirin, and dashi stock.
The ingredients are available at European supermarkets, but carrots and sausages can be purchased anywhere.
Although daikon radish is a popular ingredient in oden, it varies by country and region, and it is not always as easy to obtain as it is in Japan.
Sake, mirin, and dashi stock are available at Japanese food stores, so please look for them.
The taste will be less, but you can make it without mirin and sake, so if you can't buy it in your neighborhood or it's expensive, please try it.

Meat and potatoes

Nikujaga is one of the staples of Japanese home cooking.
Nikujaga is said to have originated from British beef stew, but that doesn't mean it's famous in Europe.
The taste is also quite different from beef stew because it uses Japanese seasonings.

Carrots, potatoes, onions, beef, soy sauce, mirin, and sake are often used in nikujaga.
Carrots, potatoes, and onions can of course be bought at supermarkets, but beef is rarely sliced ​​or chopped like it is in Japan, so you will have to cut and use what looks delicious.

Recently, European supermarkets have been selling soy sauce more and more, so there is a high possibility that you can buy it at your local supermarket.
As for mirin and sake, you need to go to a Japanese food store instead of the supermarket in your neighborhood to find them, just like the oden.

Ginger grilled pork

This is also a standard dish in Japan, but it is not well known overseas.
But as expected, meat dishes, everyone jumps.

The ingredients are pork, onion, ginger, mirin, sake, and soy sauce.
Like beef, thinly sliced ​​pork isn't sold very often, so it might be delicious if you cut it yourself or try making it with a thicker piece of meat on the bone.

Onions can of course be bought at supermarkets, but ginger is often not available, so if you don't have it in the vegetable section, go to the spice section and you will often find powdered ginger, so look for that as well. Try it.

Mirin and sake must be purchased at a Japanese food store, and soy sauce is often available at your local supermarket, so please look for it.

chirashi sushi

Isn't this sushi? You might think so, but it's not as well-known as regular sushi, so I'll introduce it here.
Chirashizushi is a dish with a high degree of freedom as long as you prepare the base sushi rice and eggs, so you can add ingredients that your partner likes.

The basics are rice, sushi vinegar, eggs, seaweed, and any other ingredients you like.
As for rice, it is difficult to buy Japanese rice at supermarkets, but rice for risotto is easily available, so if you don't mind buying rice for risotto at a supermarket, if you like Japanese rice, buy it at a Japanese food store.

Even if vinegar is sold at supermarkets, sushi vinegar is basically not available. Uka
Of course, you can also buy shinoko at Japanese food stores.

You can buy eggs at supermarkets, but seaweed is sometimes sold at supermarkets, so if you can't find a supermarket, buy it at a Japanese food store.
You can basically choose the other ingredients as you like, but shiitake mushrooms and shrimp are often included.

Supermarkets sell mushrooms, but they rarely sell shiitake mushrooms, so try looking for Japanese food stores.

Some supermarkets sell frozen shrimp, so if you have them, you can buy them.
However, from my experience, European frozen shrimp often smell so bad that even if you put them in sake, you can't get rid of the smell, so please be careful about that.
There are many other things such as salmon and cucumbers, so please try to find them yourself.

summary

These are the 4 Japanese foods that are not well known to Europeans but are highly rated.
What do you think?
If you look at it this way, mirin and sake are needed quite often when making Japanese food, so it might be better to buy them for the time being.
Online shops are very convenient for those who don't have a Japanese grocery store in their neighborhood, or who have a poor selection of products.

Our Germany-based online shop carries mirin, sake, and various Japanese food ingredients ranging from table size to commercial use, so please take a look.

Mayonnaise is a staple seasoning at home. Mayonnaise is used in a variety of dishes and is loved by many people in Japan, but of course Germany also has mayonnaise. However, even with the same name mayonnaise, Japanese and German mayonnaise do not taste exactly the same.

What is the difference between Japanese and German mayonnaise? I compared this seasoning that is often used in both countries. 

What is the difference between Japanese and German mayonnaise?

 

German supermarket mayonnaise

In the dressing section of German supermarkets, there are a variety of mayonnaise, from famous manufacturers such as Thomy to private brands of each supermarket. The container is completely different from Japanese mayonnaise, and there are three main types: a long and thin aluminum tube, a plastic bottle, and a glass bottle. Furthermore, if you look at the product labels, you will find that there are several varieties that look similar, such as Delikatessmayonnaise , Mayonnaise , Salatmayonnaise , Remoulade , and Salatcreme . understand. What are the differences?
 

types of german mayonnaise 

According to European regulations on mayonnaise, mayonnaise is an emulsified seasoning made from egg yolk and edible vegetable oil, with fat accounting for 70% or more of the total weight and egg yolk accounting for 5% or more. It is made by adding vinegar or lemon juice.

Among them, mayonnaise with value-added characteristics such as using oil of higher quality than ordinary mayonnaise or having a significantly higher egg yolk content can claim the name delicatessen mayonnaise .

Salad mayonnaise is a mayonnaise-type condiment made from egg yolk and edible vegetable oil, and is at least 50% fat.

And remoulade is mayonnaise or salad mayonnaise with herbs and chopped herbs and is at least 50% fat. Common ingredients include parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon, pepper, capers, mustard, onions, and pickles.

Salad cream refers to those with less fat content than salad mayonnaise. Although there is no specific regulation, it seems that there are many products with 15% to 35% .

By the way, according to the food labeling standards based on the Food Labeling Law, mayonnaise in Japan is defined as ``a semi-solid dressing that uses egg yolk or whole egg, and contains essential ingredients such as egg yolk, egg white, protein hydrolyzate, salt, sugar, It does not use raw materials or additives other than honey, spices, seasonings (amino acids, etc.), acidulants and spice extracts, and the weight ratio of edible vegetable oil to the raw materials and additives is 65. more than a percentage” * .

Comparison of Japanese and German Mayonnaise: Differences in Ingredients and Flavors

Japanese mayonnaise and German mayonnaise may differ in taste depending on the manufacturer and brand, but German mayonnaise is generally lighter, less sour and sweeter than Japanese mayonnaise.

It is often used in salads with vegetables, but in Germany, the most common use for mayonnaise is french fries.
It's common in Germany to eat heaps of potatoes with ketchup as well as mayonnaise at markets, festival stalls, and restaurants.
German sweet mayonnaise goes well with freshly fried potato fries.

 

However, many Japanese seem to feel unsatisfied with the difference in taste when using this German mayonnaise in Japanese recipes.
Let's compare the ingredients of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and Germany's representative THOMY delicatessen mayonnaise.

First of all, according to Kewpie's website, the raw materials of Kewpie mayonnaise are as follows. 

Edible vegetable oil (manufactured in Japan), egg yolk, brewed vinegar, salt, spices/seasonings (amino acids), spice extracts, (contains some eggs, soybeans, and apples)

The ingredients of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise sold in Germany are more detailed than those on the website. Vegetable oils and fats contain rapeseed and soybeans, which account for 70% of the total weight, and egg yolks account for 14% . Weight is stated.

On the other hand, THOMY 's delicatessen mayonnaise

Sunflower oil 80% , alcohol vinegar, egg yolk 6.2% , mustard seeds, spices, iodized salt, sugar

can be confirmed on the website.
In other words, you can see that THOMY 's mayonnaise, which is common in Germany, has a higher oil content than Kewpie mayonnaise, but has a lower proportion of egg yolk, and the vinegar used is also more sour.

Especially if you use German mayonnaise for a dish that uses a lot of mayonnaise, such as potato salad, you may be disappointed that the taste is not what you expected. You can add sourness with vinegar or lemon juice, but it will be difficult to make up for the richness of Japanese mayonnaise. If you want to enjoy familiar tastes in Germany, it might be a good idea to use Japanese mayonnaise for Japanese recipes. 

Japanese mayonnaise you can buy in Germany

So, what kind of Japanese mayonnaise can you buy in Germany?
You can buy mayonnaise from multiple brands at Japanese grocery stores in towns where there are many Japanese living in Germany.
However, Kewpie mayonnaise is the most commonly found Japanese mayonnaise in Asian food stores that carry products not only from Japan, but also from South Korea, China, and Thailand.

However, since it is an Asian shop with ingredients from various countries, there are times when Kewpie mayonnaise not only made in Japan but also made for Thailand and Vietnam is sold.
Even with the same Kewpie mayonnaise, there are differences in the ingredients depending on the target country, and the taste will change slightly, so it is recommended that you check the back of the package before purchasing.

Also, at our German-based online shop , we carry Japanese mayonnaise, soy sauce, mirin, and a wide range of other Japanese food ingredients, from table-sized sizes to commercial-use items.