The Japanese pantry
6 short explainers. Read them in order, or jump to the question you have right now.
- 121Dashi: steep, don't boilDashi is Japan's everyday stock, and it takes about 20 minutes. Kombu (dried kelp) is rich in glutamate, a savory amino acid. Katsuobushi (dried bonito…
- 122Miso goes in last, off the heatMiso is soybeans fermented with koji mold and salt. Fermentation builds savory, fruity, nutty aromas, and unpasteurized miso holds live microbes too. A…
- 123Sushi rice: season warm, cool fastSushi rice is short-grain, rich in sticky amylopectin starch. Right after cooking, the grains are warm and soft and soak up the vinegar, sugar and salt…
- 124Tempura batter: cold and lumpyMix flour with water and the proteins link into gluten, the stretchy network that makes bread chewy. Tempura needs the opposite: a thin, brittle, lacy…
- 125Soy and mirin glaze browns fastMirin is a sweet rice wine, rich in sugars. Soy sauce adds salt, amino acids and a little sugar. Heated together, the sugars caramelize and react with the…
- 126Sashimi: slice in one long pullRaw fish is soft muscle fiber held together by thin connective tissue. A very sharp, long blade glides through in one pull from heel to tip and leaves a…
