When you visit Fukui prefecture, I would like to recommend its famous sweets “Habutae-mochi” for souvenir. They are made of glutinous rice and have a very smooth texture. The name comes from how it look so fine and beautiful like silk fabrics. It is most agreeable to the taste!
OKAKI-sun
Japan
Tokushima Prefecture is located on Shikoku island and they hold one of the most famous dance festivals across Japan once a year in summer. Awa Odori has a very long history whose origins date back 40…
The Naruto whirlpools (鳴門の渦潮 Naruto no Uzushio) are tidal whirlpools in the Naruto Strait, which is one of the largest in the world. I have visited the Naruto Strait many times and it’s been alw…
Recently I had a chance to visit Nara with my family. In Nara, we have the largest wooden building in the world, called Todai-ji and you can view the Great Buddha housed inside Todai-ji temple comple…
Skipjack tuna is used extensively in Japanese cuisine, where it is known as katsuo. It is smoked and dried to make katsuobushi, the central ingredient in dashi(=a common Japanese fish stock).Beside…
As Japan is surrounded by ocean, we have a lot of famous fish markets with fresh fish. Usually such markets have a couple of restaurants inside the market and they serve great fish dishes. I recommen…
Dashi-maki tamago is basically a Japanese-style omelette made by rolling up the egg as you cook it. Very popular recipe in Japanese restaurant. It is made with dashi broth so it's packed with extra f…
“Hina-arare” are sweet rice cakes eaten for the Girls’ Festival on March 3. There are mainly two kinds depending on what they are made of; glutinous rice and ordinary rice. Kanto people are more fami…
OKAKI-sun
Okaki is one of Japanese traditional snacks made of rice (glutinous rice). In order to make okaki, rice is first polished, cleaned and steamed to make into mochi. When mochi is hardened, it will be c…
OKAKI-sun
I would recommend “OKAKI” and “OSENBEI” – both are one of the most popular snacks in Japan. OKAKI is essentially toasted cut and dried MOCHI rice cake. SENBEI is originally based on uruchimai, a non-…
OKAKI-sun
“Oshiruko” is one of the most popular winter foods in winter. Oshiruko is a sweet red-bean soup with mochi or shira-tama (rice‐flour dumplings). It tastes very sweet and keeps you warm especially du…
OKAKI-sun
Kaichu Shiruko is a dried red bean soup put inside a pieces of rice cake (“Monaka” skin). It becomes ready for eating with hot water having been poured in the cup just like the cup ramen (instant Chi…
OKAKI-sun
When you think of traditional Japanese snacks, senbei (rice crackers) surely comes to mind. But have you heard of "arare"? Arare are bite-sized Japanese crackers made - like their senbei cousins - fr…
Former Deep Japan Writer
