Tag Archives: foodie

B-kyu gurume: Turkish Rice from Nagasaki!

Posted on by
2

For this month’s (virtual) Japan tour, we are bringing all of you along with us to Nagasaki and introducing you all to one of our favorite indulgences from the region: Turkish Rice.

This dish features three staple components: Neapolitan spaghetti, rice, and meat cutlets. Turkish Rice can typically be customized to satisfy and meet each individual customer’s ideal comfort food order. For example, instead of spaghetti, you can have meat sauce or cream; the rice might be curried pilaf, chicken rice, or even dry; and the cutlets can be pork, chicken, steak, or even hamburger patties (to name a few options).

With so many options available, no wonder it’s considered a “must-eat” when visiting Nagasaki!

At first introduction, it might seem like this recipe would have some roots associated with Turkey, but a closer look into this dish’s origin (and ingredients) confirms that the meal is a total Nagasaki original. In fact, where the name comes from is a mystery to this day, but here are some fun theories we found about its naming.  One theory that attributes the name to historical roots is during Japan’s sakoku period of isolation.  During this time period, the people of Nagasaki were only allowed to trade from Europe through the Dutch. This theory suggested that elements of the dish were brought over during this time period and misattributed to Turkey, which no one has corrected since.  Another theory suggests the three ingredients and their three colors brings the tri-color lunch together to resemble the flag of Turkey, giving the dish its name, as well.  The last theory suggests the root is in geography: with the pilaf origination in India and the Neapolitan in Italy, Turkey’s location in the middle bridges the ingredients together and creates the namesake dish beloved by the region.  How interesting, right?

Whatever the origin, it’s a dish that’s certainly one of our favorite b-kyu gurume recommendations, and one that we hope you definitely indulge in on your next trip to Japan.

If you’re in the middle of planning a trip to Nagasaki right now and want recommendations on where you can try some yourself, here are some places you might want to stop by to order some Turkish Rice for yourself:

The first is Kyushu’s oldest café, Tsuruchan.  Opened in 1925, bask in the historically rich ambience of Tsuruchan and enjoy a plate of Turkish Rice!

What’s your favorite way to eat Turkish Rice? Let us know by sharing your story on social by tagging #Zojirushi on your photos with #zojirushi on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!

B-kyu Gurume: Akumaki from Kagoshima!

Posted on by
3

Hi there, Zo fans!  We hope that you’ve all been well and staying safe and healthy!  We’re back with another B-kyu Gurume post.

We think that after all of the savory goodness we’ve been enjoying, it’s time for a bit of sweetness!

We’re excited to introduce akumaki this month, a unique dish from Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu.

Akumaki is truly unique! It’s made of soaked or steamed mochigome – the glutinous rice used to make mochi – wrapped in bamboo leaves that are tied into packets with palm leaf strings.

The packets are boiled in lye, which is a mixture of water and charcoal ash. After a few hours, the rice inside the packets is cooked to a smooth, brown, chewy consistency, the perfect base for eating.

The akumaki is drizzled with sweet syrup, regular or brown sugar, or even kinako, a roasted soybean flour that has a pleasantly sweet taste and powdery texture. It usually takes two days to make akumaki, with the first day focused on preparing the ingredients and leaves, and the second day actually cooking the packets. The end result is worth it!

Amazing, right?

Many Asian cultures have dishes boiled or steamed in leaves, such as Indian panki or Thai-style baked fish, and this Japanese dish is part of that tradition albeit with a unique twist.  Unlike the mentioned Indian and Thai dishes, Akumaki, is more sweet as opposed to savory.

Traditionally, the two leaves used to make this dish are bamboo, for cooking, and palm for tying.  Today, akumaki is still made with palm leaves, but modern conveniences like cooking string or twine are easier to use for tying the packets.

Even more interesting than the ingredients is the legend surrounding the origins of akumaki. Legend says that akumaki was given to boys who were training to be samurai soldiers during the 16th century. The boys were treated to these sweets which were easy to make, transport and preserve. Lovely how something sweet was given to warriors!

Today, akumaki isn’t usually made at home but it’s still part of a culture treating children to sweetly delicious goodies. Most often, it is served as part of the Children’s Day tradition, which used to be celebrated as Boys Day, in May. As a regional delicacy, it’s definitely part of our favorite B-kyu gurume lineup!

Have you had akumaki before? If so, share your story with us and be sure to tag us using our hashtag #zojirushiamerica on Instagram!

B-kyu Gurume: Suttate Udon from Kawajima!

Posted on by
Reply

Are you still craving Utsunomiya gyoza  from our B-kyu gurume post last month? Well, don’t worry because we’ve got an amazing new dish this month – suttate udon – and after you read all about it, you’ll be craving this dish, too!

Suttate udon hails from Kawajima in Saitama Prefecture, an area just north of Tokyo.

Kawajima is a fertile plain banded by the Ichino, Arakawa, Iruma and Toki Rivers. It’s known for its beautiful landscape and rice, tea and sesame farms. In this area, each season is exaggerated – cold weather is icy, rains are torrential and hot weather is sweltering.

It’s during the hot weather months that Kawajima’s signature B-kyu gurume dish – suttate udon – is popular. The dish consists of fresh, bouncy udon noodles dipped into a suttate dipping sauce. The sauce is what makes it special! Suttate sauce is made with freshly ground ingredients, often prepared at the table. Sesame seeds are ground in a suribachi using a surikogi, or a Japanese-style mortar and pestle. Once the sesame seeds are finely ground and fragrant, miso , thinly sliced cucumbers, finely chopped onions, aromatics and herbs such as ginger and shiso leaves are added to the mix and pounded to form a paste. And to the paste… cold, cold water…perfectly ready to dip in udon noodles!

Hungry yet?

Suttate udon has a beloved history in the Kawajima region. The wheat for the udon noodles and sesame for the sauce were locally cultivated. The nutrients in the ingredients were replenishing. And the cold dish was eaten during the hot summer months by local farmers to beat heat exhaustion from their labor. Inexpensive and locally-produced, suttate udon was almost exclusively prepared at home, with the sauce originally made with just cold water, miso and ground sesame. Even the name is local term, a slurred form of suritate, which means “freshly mashed.”

In 2008, the Kawajima Chamber of Commerce wanted to enter suttate udon in the 4th Annual Saitama Local Street Food Championship. They asked a local chef and restauranteur, Koji Adachi, to come up a new recipe. And his recipe for using dashi in the sauce instead of cold water made all the difference. The dish won fourth place in the competition, becoming an established B-kyu gurume favorite!

After the competition, word of suttate udon spread around Saitama Prefecture and of course, to the rest of Japan.

We love udon noodles, and make the dough in our breadmakers. They’re so wonderful to eat and we hope you try them with homemade suttate sauce!

And as always, share your photos with us on Instagram!

B-kyu Gurume: Utsunomiya Gyoza!

Posted on by
Reply

Hi, Zo fans!  Welcome back to another B-kyu Gurume blog post!  Today, we’re featuring the beautiful city of Utsunomiya and its delicious cuisine.

Utsunomiya is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, just a bit north of Tokyo.

It’s gorgeous, charming, and home of juicy Utsunomiya gyoza.  Yup.  Those fantastic Japanese dumplings that are oh-so-delicious steamed, pan-fried, boiled, and even deep fried.  We’re checking out Utsunomiya gyoza this month, and promise that by the end of this post, you’ll want to cook up a batch yourself!

Utsunomiya City became the home of gyoza through a few quirks of historical fate combined with concerted effort by city businesses and associations.  Utsunomiya had a base for an army division that previously operated in north-east China and brought back gyoza forbearers, Chinese jiaozi dumplings.  Then the jiaozi dumplings were “Japanized” and made into the softer, smaller gyoza we know and love today.

Well, it turned out that gyoza were great to eat no matter the season!  In cold weather, gyoza were comforting boiler and served with a broth.  In hot weather, pan-fried with a dipping sauce and a cold beer was the way to go.  And this worked out perfectly in landlocked Utsunomiya City, which experiences both weather extremes.  Gyoza became extremely popular in the city, becoming a local staple and economic driver.

These gyoza helped revitalize the city when the other economic pillar collapsed. During the late 1980’s, Utsunomiya City was known as a place to mine oya stone, a beautiful stone quarried from deep in the earth and used for buildings all over Japan. A quarry cave collapsed in 1989, effectively depressing the stone industry in Utsunomiya City. City restaurateurs, business associations and the media decided to highlight their regional gourmet cuisine – gyoza – to revitalize the city’s economy.

And luckily, we all benefit from their plan!

Utsunomiya gyoza come in many sizes and with multiple types of fillings. Commonly, they are filled with regionally sourced pork, cabbage, chives, garlic and salt. When combined and finished into shape, Utsunomiya gyoza are steamed, boiled, pan-fried or deep fried to the diner’s liking.

While they are typically served with a dipping sauce, Utsunomiya gyoza are so flavorful that many enthusiasts prefer eating them without any condiments, letting the juice from the filling permeate their taste buds instead…we’re craving some already!

Utsunomiya gyoza can luckily be found all over Japan, thanks to concerted marketing and distribution efforts by leading businesses in Utsunomiya City. And again, we happily benefit from their plan!

We love these dumplings and are always up for making them using our Gourmet Sizzler® Electric Griddle (EA-BDC10). Do you make your own dumplings at home? Share your recipe and tag us with #zojirushi on Instagram!  And don’t forget to let us know Zo fans, how do you like your dumplings?  Steam, boiled, pan-fried, or deep fried?  Let us know in the comments.

Product of the Month — Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker (BB-SSC10)-March 2020

Posted on by
14

Happy March, Zo fans!  It’s the start of a new month and we’re back with our Product of the Month series.

Our Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker is great for any cook, in any size kitchen!

This compact breadmaker is designed to make 1-pound loaves and comes packed with health-conscious menu settings and numerous convenience features that every home cook will love.  There’s so much to love about this breadmaker that we launched a dedicated website with lots of recipes, tips, and videos to help maximize how you use it.  Check out the website but in the meantime, we’re highlighting the most important features about the Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker in this month’s blog.

First up, the menu settings.  The Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker features a wide selection of 15 course settings, some for breads, some for doughs and other foods, and some for your own recipes.  The 10 bread settings include traditional courses like White and Whole Wheat, as well as new settings for Quick White, Quick Whole Wheat, European, Multigrain, Gluten Free, Salt Free, Sugar Free, and Vegan breads.  Each type of bread is made to perfection because each course setting is programmed to specifically control the kneading, rising, and baking functions for the type of bread to be made, resulting in richly textured bread every time.

The Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker also comes with Dough settings for Pizza or Pasta, a course for Cakes and one for Jam.  Plus, it has one of our most unique course settings, called “Homemade”.  The “Homemade” setting lets you store up to three custom programs where you select the knead, rise, and bake times based on your own recipes.  Our fans have made delightful breads and cakes using this superb setting, and we even have an awesome recipe for Meatloaf Miracle!  (You’ll find this recipe in the Recipe Book that comes with the breadmaker).

Along with these great course settings, we have our second highlight: the “Auto Add Dispenser”.  This is a new feature distinctive to the Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker and it automatically adds ingredients such as dried fruits and nuts to the dough during the knead cycle.  No need to wait to add extra ingredients manually!

Our third highlight is all about the insides of the breadmaker — the things that make it work so well.  The Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker comes equipped with double heaters built into the bottom of the unit.  This type of heating system rapidly heats the interior of the baking pan to facilitate a light and airy bread with a superior crust.  The baking pan is removable, nonstick coated, BPA-free, and holds both dry and wet ingredients.  The single kneading blade, which is secured into the baking pan on a rotating shaft, thoroughly mixes the dough for the best results.

The breadmaker also comes with an easy-to-read LCD control panel and menu that helps you select the course setting and crust color, as well as a 13-hour delay time function.  The baking pan, kneading blade, and Auto Add Dispenser are all removable and washable with mild dish detergent and warm water.  The sturdy handle makes it easy to move and store, and accessories include a full color recipe booklet with 50 delicious recipes, liquid ingredient Measuring Cup, and dry ingredient Measuring Spoon.

Now down to brass tacks…making bread is an art form and there are definitely tricks to perfecting your loaves.  The Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker does the heavy lifting, and bread turns out even better when the ingredients are accurately measured.  To make superb bread each time, it’s important to measure ingredients according to recipe instructions.  The best way to precisely measure ingredients is by weight and using a digital kitchen scale, similar to the one shown below.

If a digital scale is not available, you can use the supplied Measuring Spoon for small amounts of powder or liquid ingredients such as yeast, sugar, and salt, and Measuring Cup for liquid ingredients such as milk and water.  Use nested measuring cups for large amounts of dry ingredients like flour.  To learn more, watch our How to Measure Ingredients video on the Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker website!

And while you’re there, try out these delicious recipes!  Our favorites are this Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, this Quick Honey Wheat Bread, and this oh-so-delicious Lemon Cake!

And…okay, we lied, those aren’t our only favorites!  We also love Spinach Pasta, Naan, and a Matcha Swirl Bread!  It’s seriously so hard to choose.

Hopefully you won’t have the same issue choosing as we do, and that you love the Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker (BB-SSC10) as much as we do.  Share your recipes with us and don’t forget to tag your photos with #zojirushi on Instagram!