Miso 味噌

Miso, the fermented paste made from soybeans, is used in a variety of dishes in our home. The sweet white kome miso, based on rice, is used for salad dressings, with nerigoma (toasted sesame paste), and as a marinade for fish with mirin and sake. We also use miso for miso soup, as well as for a variety of Western style dishes like spaghetti dressing, chili, with ground meat when making tacos, and in salad dressings with vinegar and olive oil. Miso is rich in natural umami so it adds another level of flavor to most dishes.


The following site, of the Japan Federation of Miso Manufacturers Cooperatives, is packed with information about miso.

http://www.miso.or.jp/en/index.html

Miso

One of Japan's Best Sesame Oils - Yamada Seiyu 京都の山田製油

While working at Takashimaya department store I was exposed to a variety of ingredients and producers. It was a treat to be able to meet different purveyors, taste many different products, and develop a palate for Japanese ingredients. This sesame oil made in Kyoto was one of my favorites. Just a tiny bit of this will add aroma and flavor unlike mass produced sesame oil. This is sold at Takashimaya depachika in Tokyo or if you are in Kyoto you can visit the storeroom. This company produces a variety of sesame based products including sesame oil, rayu (chili sesame oil), nerigoma (toasted sesame paste in both black and white), salad dressing, and packets of sesame seeds. I highly recommend any of their products.

Yamada Seiyu
Kyoto-shi, Saikyo-ku, Katsuratatsumi
Phone: 075-394-3276
Monday - Saturday 9:00 - 17:30
closed Sunday and holidays
www.henko.co.jp

Sesame Oil

Hiyashi Chuka Noodles

In the summertime we love to make cold ramen noodles topped with vegetables. Our favorite dressing is based on nerigoma, a paste made from toasted sesame seeds. It is very different from tahini which has a raw taste to it, the nerigoma is actually more similar to peanut butter.

Many different vegetables and toppings will suit this dish. Here we have wakame, nagaimo, cucumbers, tomatoes, ham, and thin sheets of omelet.

Banbanji Sauce

2 Tablespoons nerigoma (toasted sesame paste, do not used tahini, use peanut butter instead)
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rayu (spicy sesame oil)

The sauce will keep for a few days. We use this dressing also for salad or to dress cooked vegetables for Shinji's bento.

Sun Noodles Tonkotsu Ramen アメリカで豚骨らーめん

From time to time we make ramen at home. Sun Noodles is our favorite brand. The texture and thickness of the ramen noodles is perfect for us, and the seasoned flavor packets included in the packs are delicious. Here is a tonkotsu ramen we made at home recently. Toppings include a hard-boiled egg, spinach, negi (green onions), and yaki nori (toasted nori).

We can find Sun Noodles at Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ. What's great about Sun Noodles is that they could not be easier to make. Cook the noodles in hot water and the broth in a separate pot. Add whatever toppings you like.

Here is the link to the Sun Noodle website:

http://www.sunnoodle.com/eng/index.html