What to remember when cooking Japanese
For those who would like to learn how to create authentic Japanese dishes, here are some pointers on what to remember while cooking those Japanese dishes.
- Know the proper equipment and technique in preparing the ingredients
Japanese knives are quite different from the usual knives in the market in terms of weight and handling. This is because each type of food has its own specific method of preparation. With fish, you need a knife that can cut through its bone cleanly while with vegetables, a knife that can carve it or slice it according to a certain shape and size. For grinding seeds, a mortar and pestle is best used to keep the flavor and consistency fresh. There are also special graters for vegetables to get the right size and evenness. Even rolling a sushi cannot be possible without a rolling sushi mat or makisu. Cooking chopsticks are not just the wooden sticks usually used for eating, but are longer and can be made out of metal or wood. Of course, with a Japanese food recipe as your guide, you also need to know the right technique on how to use these tools to help you cook your dish.
- Use only fresh ingredients
Japanese food is known for its freshness, with a number of Japanese dishes served raw, such as sushi and sashimi. Even with other countries, such as those in East Asia, cooking recipes require having fresh ingredients. Ensuring that these ingredients are fresh will contribute greatly to the distinct flavor of the dishes, as well as the safety of those who will eat it.
- Correct preparation of each dish is important to the meal.
Japanese meals have dishes are prepared in five different ways: steamed, simmered, fried, grilled, and raw. Each preparation has its own flavor to contribute the overall experience of each meal.
- Try to incorporate the five traditional colors in each meal
It is a tradition by the Japanese to include the colors yellow, red, green, black, and white into every meal, handed down from the early 6th century. However, tradition or not, it is also quite a nutritious, and well-balanced meal, not to mention visually satisfying. To achieve this, you can include different colored ingredients to a meal, such as black sesame seeds on white rice, yellow omelet slice, green beans, and a red umeboshi. There is no limit to what you can mix and match in cooking recipes, as long as you have those five colors.
- It should appeal to all senses.
The Japanese believe that an authentic Japanese meal appeals to all five senses. The distinct taste of the meal, its tantalizing smell, the appealing presentation, the warm feel of the utensils, and even the sound of the surrounding environment all contribute to an authentic Japanese meal.
Japanese food recipe, cooking recipes, cooking recipes