Growing up, my mom always bought certain brands of Japanese products, mostly from small Japanese markets that weren't always that close to our house. We've come a long way since exotic "sushi" was featured in the movie, "Sixteen Candles". Now Japanese food and sushi are pretty common and ingredients are fairly easy to find in your local grocery stores. I have continued to use the same brands my mom used to buy but I have also tried others. Now I know it was for a reason. I did a bit of an "America's Test Kitchen" experiment with some of these products and my mom's picks won along with a couple of new ones (where I couldn't remember what she used). Here are some great Japanese staples to stock your pantry with that will help you to get started on your Japanese cooking journey. If you don't have a Japanese or Asian market near you, Marukai has a great e-store where you can find everything and it's fun to look around! http://www.marukaiestore.com/ No excuses now!
Furikake- (ふりかけ) – A condiment normally used to sprinkle on top of rice and usually contains a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, and seaweed, sugar, and salt. Yes, ground fish, but the kids can’t tell, I promise! The brand name isn't on the front of the jar but on the back - made by JFC International. Not available in most grocery stores but will be in an Asian or Japanese market.
Gohan (ご飯、ごはん) – Japanese rice. Best cooked in a Japanese rice maker but can be done simply in a pot on the stove as well. My family has always used Nishiki and it always comes out fluffy and moist. There are more expensive brands out there but this one is a pantry staple. Available in most grocery stores.
Mirin(みりん) – Sweetened rice wine. Used to make teriyaki sauce and for marinades and dressing in replacement of sugar. Although this does contain low amounts of alcohol, it is safe for use in children’s dishes as there is normally a very small amount added. Kikkoman makes the best Mirin - not to be confused with rice vinegar and cannot be interchanged! Available in most grocery stores.
Miso (味噌、みそ) – Fermented soybean paste. Most common types are red miso (used in salad dressings and soups) and white miso (used in marinades). Miso paste should be refrigerated and stored in an air tight container. I like the Miko Brand because it doesn't have any GMO's in it. Not available in most grocery stores but will be in an Asian or Japanese market.
Nori(海苔、のり) – Japanese black thin sheets of seaweed used for wrapping rice balls or making sushi. There are also great varieties that have been braised with sesame oil and sprinkled with sea salt or you can make your own (home made is better and better for you!). My kids love these to eat with rice or just snack on like potato chips! I like this brand because it's Japanese and because it's available at most grocery stores. If you can't find it locally, it's not a big deal to go with whatever they have. I wouldn't consider nori to be something you have to be brand specific for. :)
Ocha (お茶、おちゃ) – Japanese green tea. I have a bias towards Japanese tea vs. other Asian teas. I like the nuttiness of Japanese tea and a good tea has a very soothing and aromatic smell. My favorite variety is Genmaicha and it is distinct from others in that it has tiny little popped corn pieces in it. YamamotoYama makes a good brand of tea that you might be able to find in a grocery store but if you can purchase Genmaicha from a Japanese store, then any of the Japanese brands are great.
Panko (パン粉、パンコ) – Prepared Bread Crumbs. Most often used to coat a pork cutlet in tonkatsu (豚カツ、とんかつ) which is traditionally deep fried. It doesn’t have to be deep fried - you can broil it and it comes out just as crispy without the oil! I like the Shirakiku brand more than the organic home made varieties you find in upscale specialty stores. It's light and flaky! Available in most grocery stores.
Sesame Oil - I don't even know the Japanese name for sesame oil because growing up, we didn't call it by it's Japanese name, we just called it sesame oil. But this brand Kadoya is the best by far! I've tried others and they are either too oily or don't taste like strong sesame. This one is better because you don't need much to season anything, it's strong flavor and thick consistency allow you to use very little to get that sesame taste. Great in dressings, on fish or drizzled on top of steamed broccoli. It's a Japanese pantry must-have! Not available in most grocery stores but will be in an Asian or Japanese market. It will be worth it, I promise!
Sriracha Sauce - This is actually Thai hot sauce so it's not even Japanese but most sushi bars use this sauce in their spicy tuna. It's a staple in our house when we have sushi parties and make our own spicy tuna (the recipe is in my blog "just roll with it"). The red rooster brand is THE only brand to get. I've seen it at grocery stores but most Asian grocery stores carry it as well.
Shoyu (醤油、しょうゆ,) – Soy Sauce. Available in light and dark varieties and salt content. Japanese soy sauce has a milder flavor than Chinese soy sauce. All the recipes in this cookbook call for the low sodium light variety that is available everywhere. Pronounced like I'll "show you". I've stuck to Kikkoman for years and like that they have the low sodium variety because it's still salty! I also buy this big ole gallon size because I use it all the time to make teriyaki sauce and it has a very long shelf life. They sell it in smaller bottles and you can find it in most grocery stores.
Su (米酢komezu, "rice vinegar" or simply 酢su, "vinegar") - Japanese rice vinegar is very mild and mellow and ranges in color from colorless to pale yellow. It is made from either rice or sake lees. These vinegars are used in making sunomono (酢の物, "vinegar dishes"), tsukemono (漬物, "pickles"), nimono (煮物, "simmered dishes"), as well as in marinades and helps things to not smell fishy! Marukan makes the best Rice Vinegar and it can be found in most grocery stores.
Tofu(豆腐、とうふ,) – Soybean Curd that comes in several varieties. It has little to no flavor but is great in soups or eaten like a steak. Plus it’s full of protein! I'll admit, I'm not a big tofu user so I wouldn't consider myself the expert on this one but I do like this brand because it's organic and available at most grocery stores. Plus I like that it's actually made by a Japanese company. If you know of a better one, let me know!
Wasabi(山葵、わさび) – Japanese horseradish. You probably won’t use this much in the kid’s recipes but you never know, your kid may like spicy stuff! Not too be confused with guacamole!! This can be found in most grocery stores in the Asian section. I prefer it to the powdered kind because then you don't have to mix with water and the consistency is just right. The brand is S&B. Have you ever tried wasabi mashed potatoes? Those are awesome!
