Japan's Herbs, Spices & Seasonings

About this book

Everyone knows the green mountain on the sashimi plate. Almost nobody outside Japan knows its name — yakumi — or the system behind it: a second level of seasoning, applied at the table by the eater, in leaves, gratings, pastes and pinches too fragrant to survive cooking. This complete guide presents 200 Japanese herbs, spices and seasonings in one uniform, comparable format: fresh leaves and shoots, grated roots and buds, dried powders and blends, pounded pastes and bottled oils, and the valleys, temple-lane shops and modern shelves that make them. Each entry gives the flavour itself, its roots and making, its classic place at the table, and how to buy it, keep it and check the current facts through official sources. Meet oba and kinome, hon-wasabi and oni-oroshi, shichimi and furikake, yuzu kosho and snow-bleached kanzuri — and learn to season any Japanese meal in four checks: flavour, timing, amount and restraint. A working companion for cooks, travellers and lovers of Japanese food culture.

Written and created in Japan by Japanese author Aki Wakamatsu. Published by Takikawa TOKOTOKO Kids LLC, a Japanese publisher in Hokkaido, Japan. Authentic Japanese content, carefully made in Japan — not mass-produced.