“Ichigo ichie” (一期一会): a Japanese idiom meaning “one time, one meeting”. The phrase embodies the cultural concept of treasuring meetings with people, and is often translated as “one chance in a lifetime”, reminding people to cherish any meeting or experience they are part of, as they may not be repeated. The phrase “ichigo ichie” has been … Continue reading
“Ichigo ichie” (一期一会): a Japanese idiom meaning “one time, one meeting”. The phrase embodies the cultural concept of treasuring meetings with people, and is often translated as “one chance in a lifetime”, reminding people to cherish any meeting or experience they are part of, as they may not be repeated. The phrase “ichigo ichie” has been … Continue reading
Miso Tasty, my favourite supplier of miso (みそ) in the UK, created by chef and food blogger extraordinaire Bonnie Chung, has just published a fantastic new cookbook! Not only is this a lovely book to have on your shelf (it feels nice and fabricy and is beautifully designed with delicious photos throughout), it’s also packed … Continue reading
I know I’ve been sharing a lot of pictures of stuff recently, but I’ve had a birthday and Christmas, and I’ve been very lucky. My Japan collections are fully topped up for the year to come, which is just as well as I now need to save my pennies for my Japan trip in May. … Continue reading
My office has the tradition that when it’s your birthday you have to bring cake in for everyone to share, so I decided to bake myself a birthday cake with some distinct Japanese flavours last week. I found the recipe here, and I would like to thank Hiroko Liston for posting it as it was … Continue reading
Last week I launched a competition to win a copy of the book The Restaurant of Love Regained by Ito Ogawa (Alma Books, 2012). The competition questions was: What is your favourite Japanese dish and how does it make you feel when you eat it? There were 17 entries – thank you to everyone who took part! My … Continue reading
“Returning home from work, Rinko is shocked to find that her flat is totally empty. Gone are her TV set, fridge and furniture, gone are all her kitchen tools, including the old Meiji mortar she has inherited from her grandmother and the Le Creuset casserole she has bought with her first salary. Gone, above all, … Continue reading
(Image source) Umami. Do you know that word? It’s a Japanese word (うま味) meaning something like ‘pleasant savoury taste’. According to Wikipedia: “People taste umami through receptors for glutamate, commonly found in its salt form as the food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG). For that reason, scientists consider umami to be distinct from saltiness.” Although originally … Continue reading
Autumn is here, and winter will be on its way before we know it, so this month I decided to cook something warm, comforting and seasonal: Chestnut & Mushroom Rice (栗とキノコのごはん). I found the recipe in a magazine called Japan Close-Up, and it looked very easy. I was a bit concerned about being able to find … Continue reading
I was feeling in the mood for something sweet this month, and decided to search online for cakes using Japanese ingredients. I came across this Sachie’s Kitchen recipe for Miso Walnut Brownies, which looked really good, and then found this blog where someone actually tried the recipe. On the I ❤ Bake Club blog Frances … Continue reading
Haikugirl's Japan 