┌── ⋆⋅ Japanese Food ⋅⋆ ──┐

By: ANgela Chen, Erin Zhang, mengxin chen

Classes: 806, 804, 817

ׂׂૢ  Tricolor dango/三色だんご  ׂׂૢ

Tricolor dango is a dessert eaten in Japan. It is a traditional food eaten to welcome the arrival of Spring. In Japan it is also called a type of rice dumpling. Tricolored dango has three colors: green, pink, and white, and these colors have a special meaning behind them. The pink means a new peach flower that blooms in spring, white means the pure color of the winter snow and green means a beautiful new growth of plants like grass. These colors are mostly placed in the order of green at the bottom and white in the middle and pink at the top.

Ingredients

 Tricolor dango is mostly made out of sweetened rice flour and water, to get the color pink they put sakura petals in ½ of the dough and some red food coloring for an extra pink color. However for the green color they put macha powder in ½ of the dough after they knead the dough. They continue kneading until the colors blend in and then they roll it into tiny balls and boil it until it floats in the water.

✧. ┊Kushiyaki/Yakitori/ 串焼き┊ .✧

Kushiyaki is a popular and beloved dish in Japanese cuisine that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Kushiyaki is a traditional Japanese cuisine that involves skewered and grilled meat, vegetables, and seafood. The skewers are usually made from bamboo and are grilled over hot charcoal to create a delicious smoky flavor. The ingredients are often seasoned with salt, soy sauce, and other seasonings to enhance the flavor. Some variations of kushiyaki may also incorporate different spices or sauces for added taste. In Japan, kushiyaki is often enjoyed as a casual street food or as a hearty snack to accompany drinks. It is also a popular dish in izakayas, which are Japanese taverns that serve small plates of food to accompany drinks. Whether enjoyed alone or as part of a larger meal, kushiyaki is a flavorful and enjoyable part of Japanese cuisine. 

Ingredients + Instruction

Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes. Mix together soy sauce, sake/sherry, mirin, sugar, oil, garlic, and ginger for the marinade. Skewer meat or veggies, brush with marinade, and refrigerate for 30 min-1 hour. Preheat the grill, grease grates, and cook skewers for 8-10 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.

-ˋˏTakoyaki/ たこ焼き ˎˊ-

Takoyaki is a very common street food in Japan known as octopus balls. It is also very popular during festivals. The shape of the snack is a ball and is made with wheat flour-based batter that is modeled in a specific shape. Takoyaki is usually a snack you can eat or have in between meals, but sometimes it can be served as a side dish for rice. A street vendor named Tomekichi Endo originally popularized it first in Osaka. It is also a popular option in Vietnamese cuisine. It normally contains octopus filling (there is much more than octopus filling) and then takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce) and mayonnaise are brushed onto them, and then they are sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi). 

Ingredients + Instructions

You will need a Cast Iron Takoyaki Pan, Electric Takoyaki Pan, or a Takoyaki Pick (can all be found on Amazon). First, you need to cut your filling into bite-size pieces and put it aside. Now combine the plain flour and cornstarch in a bowl then whisk an egg in another bowl and transfer to the bowl with the dry mix. Then add in the water or daki stock, and pour slowly. Then keep mixing until you have a thin runny consistency; if not just add more water or daki stock. Now heat the pan to medium heat and brush oil onto the whole surface. Take your batter and pour it into the center of the pan until all the holes are filled.  Next, you’ll take the filling you put aside earlier and put it into the hole with batter. To make it into a ball you take some chopsticks and do an “L” shape and flip it until it becomes a ball. Then use any topping you would like.

✰ Katsudon/ カツ丼 ✰

Katsudon is a pork cutlet and egg rice bowl made in Japan just like its name where “katsu” means deep-fried pork cutlet and “don” means rice bowl. Katsudon is a traditional Japanese dish that was created in 1921 in the month of February. This dish was made with simple ingredients and was made by a high school student named Nakanishi. The dish has been really popular ever since then. 

The Katsudon dish mostly consists of a deep-fried pork cutlet served in a bowl with rice, onions, eggs, but the sauce that is used with this dish is made of tomato, prunes, dates, apples, lemon juice, carrots, onions, and celery. 

Ingredients + Instructions

 To make the deep-fried pork, add seasoning like salt and pepper and flip both sides in an egg mixture. Then you have to deep fry on both sides for 5-6 minutes until both sides are golden brown. After that, let the pork rest and put chicken stock and soy sauce on top.  Then cut the onion and fry it in a pan on medium heat and fry it until translucent and soft. After that, slice your pork cutlet or tonkatsu and put it on top of the onion. Put the egg into the pan on medium-low heat until everything sets, take it out and put it on top of a rice bowl. Then you enjoy the perfect katsudon.

'*•.¸ Soba/ そば ¸.•*'

Soba is a type of traditional Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. It is enjoyed in various forms, either hot in a soup or cold with a dipping sauce. Soba has a nutty and slightly earthy flavor and is considered a healthier alternative to other types of noodles due to its higher fiber content. Eating soba is considered a cultural experience in Japan, and it is customary to slurp the noodles loudly to show appreciation for the food and the cook. Soba is a staple in Japanese cuisine and is often enjoyed on special occasions such as New Year's Day. It is also a popular food for lunch and dinner, and there are many specialty soba restaurants throughout Japan. Overall, soba is a delicious and healthy addition to any meal and offers a unique flavor and texture compared to other types of noodles. Whether served hot or cold, it is a must-try for those looking to experience traditional Japanese cuisine. 

Ingredients + Instructions 

Mix flour, salt, and water in a bowl to form the dough. Knead for 8-10 min, wrap, and rest for 30 min. Roll out dough, cut into thin noodles, and cook in boiling water for 2-3 min or until they float. Drain and rinse. Mix soy sauce, dashi, mirin, and wasabi for dipping sauce. Serve with noodles. Dip noodles into the sauce and slurp loudly to show appreciation.

✧༝┉˚Sushi/寿司˚┉༝✧

Sushi is a well-known dish around the world. There are many different varieties depending on the type of filling, toppings, and condiments. Sushi can be found in restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets, and you can even make it at home. Sushi originated in Japan from Hanaya Yohei. 

Ingredients + Instructions

To make 5-6 sushi rolls; first, you will need the rice, to make the rice wash it in water until the water is clear and not cloudy. Now put the rice into a saucepan and put the 2 cups of water in, if you don’t do this step then your rice will not be fluffy; now cook the rice until the water bubbles. Then you mix 4 tsp of rice vinegar, ¼ of sugar, and 1 tsp of salt– then mix until the sugar and salt dissolve. Now put the rice into a bowl and mix in the vinegar, salt, and sugar. You can use any type of filling– if you want to use raw fish make sure to keep it in a fridge for 24 hours to get rid of any parasites. If you don’t want to use raw fish you can use crab or eel. If you don’t want any meat at all that is completely fine. Now cut the filling of your choice into thin vertical slices. Now for this part you will need a bamboo mat (you can find it in stores or online). Now place the bamboo mat on a flat surface and put your nori(seaweed sheets) on top of the mat, then put a layer of rice evenly onto the nori. Now put your fillings in the middle, you can put as much as you want just not too much. Now use the bamboo mat to roll up the nori– now take a knife and cut it.