Kaitenzushi, or conveyor belt sushi, is a convenient, affordable and fun type of sushi restaurant characterized by the conveyor belt that winds through the restaurant. The conveyor belt carries plates of sushi past the diners, who can take whatever they wish. Each plate is color coded, and the color indicates the cost of that plate of sushi....Read More
Samurai Tours December Newsletter 2020 We strongly believe that Japanese food is the most underrated aspect of travel to Japan. Most people think Japanese people only eat sushi, but nothing could be further from the truth. A challenge is the lack of Japanese ingredients that is not commonly available outside of Japan. And boy, do...Read More
Food Specialties in Northern Japan We are going to list a few of our favorite food specialties in northern Japan. This is by no means a complete list. Because there are so many, there is no way to list all of the food specialties in northern Japan. We are going to break down the list...Read More
Tsukemono – Common pickle dishes The following are some of the more common types of tsukemono (Japanese pickles) that travelers are likely to encounter. Most tsukemono can be found nationwide, except where noted, however the exact ingredients of each tsukemono type may vary from region to region and household to household. Umeboshi Umeboshi are Japanese...Read More
Tonkatsu (豚カツ, とんかつ or トンカツ) consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. The pig’s back center is cut into 2-3 centimeter thick slices, coated with panko (bread crumbs), fried in oil, and then served with Japanese Worcestershire sauce, rice, and vegetable salad (usually chopped cabbage). The two main types are fillet and roast or loin....Read More
If you go shopping at convenience stores in Japan, you will see a variety of packaged rice balls lined up on the shelf. These Japanese rice balls are generally called “Onigiri (おにぎり)” or “Omusubi (おむすび)”. Onigiri is commonly used in the eastern part of Japan, whereas Omusubi tends to be used in the western part....Read More
Curry and rice (カレライス – curry rice) is Japan’s most popular “mom’s home cooking” soul or comfort food. Ease of preparation, and the wide variety and availability of instant curry mixes, has made curry rice very popular. It can be found anywhere and everywhere in Japan, and it is very popular at home as well...Read More
Natto is unknown in the west, but very popular in Japan. Natto is a traditional food made from fermenting soybeans. It is commonly mixed with karashi (mustard), soy sauce and sometimes chopped onions, and served over white rice at breakfast. It is an acquired taste because of the powerful smell, strong flavor and sticky, slimy...Read More
Miso Ramen – A Taste of Sapporo Miso Ramen is Sapporo’s most popular soul food. Other food specialties of Sapporo include soup curry, Genghis Kkan (grilled lamb) and crab. During the cold winter months, nothing is better than a hot bowl of miso ramen. And during the world-famous winter festival held every year in early...Read More
What is Katsuo Tataki? Katsuo (bonito or skipjack tuna in English) is a medium-sized fish related to tuna and mackerel. The meat of the Katsuo looks similar and has a similar texture to tuna meat. Katsuo is commonly used in Japanese cooking, but that is a subject for another blog. “Tataki” is a cooking method...Read More
