Kombu
Cut kombu
Wakame
Kelp is an algae that lives in the sea and adheres to rocks. Kelp and wakame are similar, but kelp is made up of a root and one large leaf at the end of a stem. Wakame seaweed has a root and a long stem from which many leaves grow. More than 95% of the kelp harvested in Japan comes from Hokkaido, and some is farmed. Harvested kelp is not only dried after being unloaded, but is also aged in a dedicated warehouse for 2 to 3 years to deepen its flavor before being shipped. Dried kelp has a longer shelf life due to its low moisture content, typically 1 to 3 years after being bagged. There may be a white powder on the surface of dried kelp, which is not mold but a flavor component. Dried kelp is used to make dashi (Japanese soup stock) and in stewed dishes. Our recipe site has a recipe for making soup stock from dried kelp if you are interested. Dried kelp can be purchased at any Japanese supermarket.
What kind of impression do you have when you say Japanese food?
You may imagine healthy, colorful, beautiful, high quality, traditional, etc. Can you imagine cooking Japanese food at home? Most people may think that it is difficult.
However, we think otherwise. Therefore, here at J-Simple Recipes (Japanese Simple Recipes) we have prepared recipes for traditional Japanese dishes and international dishes with a Japanese twist which can easily be made at home.
It may be difficult to obtain all Japanese foodstuffs and seasonings, so we have included substitutions you can make. If you cannot get any Japanese foodstuffs or seasonings at the shops in your neighborhood, you can purchase them at numerous sites on the Internet.
At J-Simple Recipes, we have three keywords: “Simple,” “Healthy” and “Delicious.”
We want you to continue to cook Japanese food for a long time, so we have made the recipes simple.
Because the Japanese cuisine has many low-calorie foods, you can have a healthy meal naturally and may not gain weight even if you eat a little too much.
You may think that healthy and easy- to-cook food is not delicious, but that is not so with J-Simple Recipes.
J-Simple Recipes includes some international dishes with a Japanese twist, too. for example, even if you are just frying meat or vegetables, you can add soy sauce as the final seasoning in order to give any international dish a Japanese twist. So you can easily begin to like Japanese food.
Everyone has their own eating traditions, but if you add just a few Japanese recipes, your cooking experience will expand.
So please enjoy cooking Japanese food.