My Japanese Table. Debra Samuels
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Mirin This is a sweet rice wine used for cooking. Aji-mirin, which has sugar and salt added, is the variety most commonly found in markets. Hon mirin, with no additives, and higher alcohol content, is sold only in liquor stores in Japan and is very hard to locate elsewhere. Some of my Japanese friends say they mix a little sugar and sake together, but it isn’t the same thing.
Rice Vinegar (Su) Rice vinegar is milder and is less acidic than the sharper western vinegars made from fermenting fruit. It is used for making salads (sunomono) and dressing for sushi. Do not mistake pure rice vinegar for bottles of seasoned rice vinegar (sushi-zu), which contains sugar and salt. I prefer to make my own seasoned rice vinegar.
Soy Sauce (Shoyu) Soy sauce is a brown liquid made from crushed, fermented soybeans, wheat, and salt. It is ubiquitous in Japanese cuisine and is associated with the term umami, the savory “fifth taste.” It also acts as a preservative. There are a variety of soy sauces on the market, but Japanese soy sauce is generally less salty than its Chinese counterparts. It may seem counter-intuitive, but light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu) is saltier than regular soy sauce. Cooks who do not wish their food to darken often use the lighter soy sauce. Regular soy sauce is used directly for dipping. I use low sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes and at the table as well. It has about 30% less sodium.
Sake This clear and potent rice wine, made by brewing short grain rice in porcelain or wooden casks, is used for cooking or drinking. Much like wine grown abroad, breweries are highly localized and each region of Japan produces its own signature sakes. It can be served hot or cold.
Sesame Oil This aromatic oil is made by pressing hulled roasted sesame seeds, and is used in dressings, sauces, and to stir-fry vegetables. It is often added to flavor neutral oil in making tempura.
Dry Mixed Seasoning for Rice (Furikake) Furikake is a savory dried mixture for sprinkling on top of, or mixing into, hot rice. The varieties are endless and can include combinations of dried ingredients such as seaweed, herbs, sesame seeds, fish, egg, sour plum, salt, sugar and sometimes MSG. Commercial brands are plentiful and delicious, but you can also make your own combination (p. 31)
Salt (Shio) Sea salt is most commonly used in Japan. The sea salt is moist and sold in plastic pouches. It is used for making pickles and seasoning sauces. I use either a fine grain sea salt (as moist as I can find) or kosher salt.
Seaweed This sea vegetable is an integral part of Japanese meals and can be purchased and eaten in both dried and fresh forms. Nutrient-dense seaweed is used in salads, soups, as a stock, and, most famously, to wrap sushi.
Hijiki One of the most nutritious seaweeds, hijiki is rich in protein, minerals, and high in fiber, it comes dried in short thread-like strands. It has a chewy texture and is used in simmered and fresh salads with seasoned tofu, carrots, and soybeans. Hijiki is great when stir-fried in sesame oil. I find the flavor has a hint of licorice to it.
Nori (Laver) This seaweed is dried, but doesn’t need to be reconstituted. Roasted Seaweed (yaki nori) comes in sheets, squares, or rectangles and is used to wrap plain or sushi rice. It is made from chopped pieces that are dried and pressed into sheets. It is also cut into strips and used as a garnish and as part of a savory rice sprinkle mix used on or mixed in with plain rice.
Kelp (Kombu) It almost always comes as a dried flat rectangle, in a variety of lengths and widths. It is used directly for seasoning stocks, in the water for rice, and sometimes to add depth to dressings. It is rich in the natural glutamates that appear as a light white dusty coating on the surface of the seaweed. Kelp becomes thick and slimy after soaking and is removed before eating. But don’t throw it out. It can be chopped and simmered in soy sauce and seasonings and used to make the condiment tsukudani for rice.
Wakame This is the seaweed most often used in soups and vinegared salads. You are most likely to find it in dried form outside Japan, probably cellophane packages of foot-long (30 cm) threads or 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. It is high in Vitamins B and C. Wakame is mild and has a velvety texture. It only needs a short soak before expanding to almost triple its size.
Sesame Seeds Both white (shiro goma) and black (kuro goma) sesame seeds are versatile accents in many Japanese dishes. Often they are toasted and crushed in a special grooved ceramic bowl called a suribachi to bring out their nutty flavor. These seeds are mixed in with salads, used as a garnish, as a condiment, in sauces and in desserts. Japanese brands of sesame seeds are packaged in plastic pouches or plastic jars. Look for the word iri goma, which means the seeds have already been toasted. I usually re-toast them in a dry skillet for an even deeper flavor. White sesame seeds are roasted, crushed and pressed to make sesame oil.
Shiso This member of the mint family is my all-time favorite Japanese herb. Like other members of the mint family, it grows like a weed. This perennial has been growing happily in my garden for 10 years. Known in English as Beefsteak plant or Perilla, it has a distinctive flavor—some combination of mint and basil with a hint of coriander leaves (cilantro). It is a beautiful serrated-edge leaf that is used with sushi. Chop it up and add it to salads, or deep-fry it for tempura. Its seeds and blossoms, when salted and preserved, can be added to warm rice. There are two varieties: the more common green (aojiso), and the red (akajiso), used mostly for adding color rather than flavor.
Sugar (Sato) People are surprised that so much sugar is used in Japanese cuisine. Most Japanese sugar is made from sugar cane. It is white and moist and resembles the texture of brown sugar. This is what is used in cooking. It is totally different from the granulated sugar used in the West. I use granulated sugar in most of the recipes in this book unless otherwise indicated. Many Japanese use a brown sugar (san on tou) instead of the white, which has a slight caramel flavor. I substitute light brown sugar, which is slightly stronger but works well.
Sweet Rice Flour (Mochiko) Sweet rice (glutinous) flour is made from milled and ground sweet short grain rice. This flour is used in making desserts and is also suitable as a thickening agent. For recipes in this book I use Koda Farms brand, which comes in 1-pound (500 g) boxes and is available in most Asian grocers or online. Other sweet rice flours are not suitable for substitution.
Sweet Rice Flour Granules (Shiratamako) are a sweet rice (glutinous) flour that has been dried into smaller than pea-size granules. It is used in making Japanese sweets and can also be a thickener. The granules are mixed with water and heated to form sticky dough. Shiratamako comes in tubular cellophane packages and is available at Japanese grocers as well as Asian grocers, or online.
Tofu Tofu is made from the “milk” of cooked soybeans that are mashed, sieved, and mixed with a coagulant and poured into molds while it drains and sets. A nutritious block of non-animal protein and amino acids, it has been the mainstay in vegetarian and Asian diets for centuries, and it long ago crossed over to the mainstream in Western cuisines. Tofu comes in a myriad of textures both dried and fresh, and is eaten both raw and cooked, in soups, stews, salads. It absorbs the flavors of whatever is cooked with it. Two of the most common forms of tofu in supermarkets are soft and firm, but there are many varieties within that range. Soft or silken tofu (kinu) is used in soups, dressings and on its own. Firm tofu (momen) is commonly used in soups, stews, and salads.
Tonkatsu Sauce This vinegary sweet, thick, rich brown sauce is a Worcestershire-like sauce that combines tomato paste, fruit, and a variety of seasonings. It is used as a dressing and dip for fried dishes, like Fried Pork Cutlets (Tonkatsu) (p. 104) and Fried Oysters (Kaki Furai) (p. 113). The most popular commercial brand is Bull-Dog Sauce and it comes in a plastic rectangular bottle. Similar sauces are used for topping Stuffed Savory Pancakes (Okonomiyaki) (p. 60) and are mixed into Fried Noodles with Cabbage and Pork (Yaki Soba) (p.