Japanese food not only has a unique
taste, it also uses unique methods of cooking and unique ingredients.
Why not try preparing a few simple Japanese dishes, making sure
that you use ingredients that are in season ('shun')?
Basic cutting methods:
In Japanese cooking, appearance is almost as important as taste.
The ingredients are cut in different ways to suit a particular
dish.
'mijingiri'
(chopped fine)
'kazarikiri'
(decorative cut)
'sengiri'
(julienne cut)
Sushi is not too difficult to
make at home - just try and copy your local sushi chef.
Hold the topping ('neta') in your left hand and
apply a dab of 'wasabi' (Japanese horseradish).
Take some vinegar-flavoured sushi rice ('shari')
in your right hand and squeeze it lightly into an oblong shape.
Place the rice on top of the
topping in your left hand and press it with the fingers of the
right hand.
Turn the sushi with the topping
the right way up and press into shape.
Even if it doesn't look very professional, home-made
sushi always seems to taste good.