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Cactus tempura? Japanese tuck into prickly pear superfood - Japan Today
Farmers here are cooking up new menus for health-conscious Japanese, with dishes like quiche, pizza toast, skewers, tempura and cold Chinese noodles. They share a common but somewhat unusual ingredient: prickly pear cactus. As one of the few farmers who grow edible cactus in Japan, Miki Deguchi is convinced that…
Legendary pie shop Anna Miller’s is returning to Tokyo, bringing iconic waitress uniforms with it - Japan Today
August 31, 2022 was a sad day for sweets fans in Japan. It was on that day that Anna Miller’s, one of Japan’s first pie specialty restaurants, closed its Takanawa branch in Tokyo, which was its last location in Japan. Anna Miller’s started out in Hawaii, but in 1973 Japanese confectionary…
Put chickpeas at the center of the plate with citrus and honey - Japan Today
The Greek island of Ikaria has a wealth of vegetable dishes, many of which call for lavish amounts of legumes, often braised with tomatoes in olive oil. Citrus and sugar — typically in the form of honey — also make frequent appearances, a sweet-savory hallmark of the cuisine that is…
Muji releases ice creams with special ingredients for summer in Japan - Japan Today
Mujirushi, or Muji as it’s commonly known, has been pushing the boat way, way out in recent years, exploring new terrains beyond reasonably priced, high-quality everyday goods to bring us some innovative products in the food world as well. This summer, the chain is making waves with a trio of ice creams,…
All you need to know about Japan’s unasked-for restaurant appetizers that you have to pay for - Japan Today
While there’s a lot to love about dining out in Japan, from delicious food to sterling service, there’s also a potentially awkward, annoying and confusing aspect to it. When eating at non-fast-food restaurants in Japan, right after you’re seated the waitstaff will usually bring you a moist towel. Some restaurants…
Japanese restaurants, food companies switching to noodles from rice - Japan Today
As cost-sensitive consumers are steering clear of rice after a price surge to record highs, restaurant chains and food companies are turning to noodles. Antworks Co, operator of Densetsu no Sutadonya eateries offering pork rice bowls, opened its first ramen noodle restaurant in Tokyo in May and plans another three…
5 famous foods you’ll find in Fukuoka - Japan Today
When it comes to regional food destinations in Japan, Fukuoka stands tall with a bowl of ramen in hand. As the gateway to Kyushu, this lively prefecture is a magnet for hungry travelers seeking comfort dishes that warm you from the inside out. From sizzling skewers to creamy pork bone broth, here are…
Lawson overloads some of its popular foods by doubling their amount for its 50th anniversary - Japan Today
When I was younger, I’d always end up still feeling a little peckish even after polishing off a regular-sized meal, so my food orders would always skew towards the larger portions. It became sort of an ingrained habit, where my eyes would always immediately drift towards the large size in…
Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant in Lima named world's best - Japan Today
A restaurant in Peru's capital owned by a chef of Japanese descent has topped the list of the world's 50 best restaurants for 2025, the ranking's publisher said, praising the Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine for incorporating Amazonian flavors. Named after a Japanese phrase used to greet people, "Maido," the restaurant operated…
7-Eleven’s new anko butter burrito un-bean-lievably bad, or burrito bliss? - Japan Today
Burritos aren’t all that common in Japan, to the point that one of our Japanese-language reporters had never eaten one until last year. Therefore, we’re always intrigued whenever a common chain like 7-Eleven Japan announces that a new burrito product is joining the ranks, like one did on June 11. The An Butter Burrito, which is…
Tomato tarts from Japanese dessert shop will make you rethink what a tomato is - Japan Today
For ages, the debate has raged on whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. In the U.S., the Supreme Court ruled in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable because it is eaten as a part of meals. Meanwhile, the EU’s Court of Justice deemed tomatoes…
Starbucks Japan releases exclusive new Mango Au Lait for summer - Japan Today
Starbucks has gone totally fruity this summer, starting the season with strawberries before setting them aside for mangoes as the star ingredient on the menu. While the limited-edition Frappuccinos are currently stealing the limelight, diehard fans will be seeking out a more understated new beverage called the Mango Au Lait, which focuses on simplicity to…
Official 'Spirited Away' cookbook teaches how to make food from the Ghibli anime classic - Japan Today
Mouthwateringly detailed depictions of food have become as much a symbol of Studio Ghibli anime as fanciful flight sequences and plucky heroines. Food takes on the most narrative and thematic significance, though, in "Spirited Away," where different dishes are used to symbolize greed, compassion, or sacrifice, serving as edible milestones on the characters’…
Burger King going on tour in Japan, visiting areas where no restaurants exist yet - Japan Today
Although the fast food market in Japan is large, it can be really tough to crack. Many have tried to cross over from the USA but only a few have reached the status of McDonald’s or KFC. Taco Bell arrived amid great fanfare but now seems to be barely hanging on and…
Experience the most quintessential Tokyo nightlife scene at Suigian - Japan Today
Suigian is the only live house in Japan, and of course the only one in the world, featuring authentic Japanese traditional performing arts, which makes it a great night spot for tourists from all over the world. In a forest that suddenly appears in the heart of the city, close…
The world's oldest restaurant faces a challenge from another Madrid tavern that says its even older - Japan Today
In the heart of Spain's capital, Sobrino de Botín holds a coveted Guinness World Record as the world's oldest restaurant. Exactly three hundred years after it opened its doors, Botín welcomes droves of daily visitors hungry for Castilian fare with a side of history. But on the outskirts of Madrid,…
Saffron brings golden hue to this fresh combination of zucchini and pasta - Japan Today
This pasta dish, a riff on an offering served at Trattoria Bertozzi in Bologna, Italy, is a golden, fresh combination of guanciale (cured pork cheek), fragrant saffron, summery zucchini and short, curly pasta. In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street Backroads Italy,” we opted for easier-to-find but equally…
Miso soup as a full meal developed as next evolution of traditional side dish - Japan Today
A traditional Japanese meal has at least three cornerstones: rice, miso soup, and another food, such as grilled fish or simmered vegetables, known as okazu in Japanese. Rice acts as the backbone of the meal, while the okazu brings a little nutritional pizzazz, and miso soup serves a kind of nebulous…
Starbucks Japan releases a Joyful Mango Earl Grey Tea Latte at 7-Eleven - Japan Today
Japan is currently home to 1,733 Starbucks branches, placing it fourth in the world in terms of store numbers, following the U.S., China and Korea. However, you don’t even have to walk into an official branch to get a taste of Starbucks, as the chain also has a “chilled cup”…
British-Japanese chef provides at-home cooking services - Japan Today
With 41% of expats experiencing digestive health issues, such as weight change, in their new country of residence according to a 2024 survey by financial services company Allianz, nutritionist and personal chef Dan Martin is on a mission to support the health and well-being of the international community in Tokyo,…
Can we tell the difference between Black Thunder and Black Thunder Excellent chocolate bars? - Japan Today
Black Thunder chocolate bars are a great choice when you need a sugar boost that you can discretely keep in your bag or pocket if it isn’t too hot out. That may also have been why our writer Snufkin found herself at the Black Thunder section of a 7-Eleven. However, it was here…
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever spicy Frappuccino for a limited time - Japan Today
Summers in Japan are incredibly hot and now they’re set to get even hotter with Starbucks’ first-ever spicy Frappuccino. There is reason behind this madness, with the chain aiming to deliver a “stimulating zing” of heat to refresh you on an energy-zapping day, and it’s being paired with the fruity sweetness of…
KFC Japan cooking up new yuzu Japanese citrus katsu sandwiches for summer - Japan Today
Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan isn’t shy about leaning just as heavily into the second geographic part of its name as it does the first. So while sure, they’re happy to hook you up with a bucket of the Colonel’s original-recipe fried chicken, they also regularly offer items that feature Japanese culinary…
'Matcha crisis' emerges as the world falls in love with powdered green tea - Japan Today
Once the hidden gem of Japanese tea ceremonies and confectionery, the carefully ground green tea known as matcha has taken the world by storm with its vibrant green color, complex taste that seems to complement sweetness perfectly, and health benefits. But now, those in the industry are starting to wonder if the ingredient can handle getting…
Biwa: Japanese apricot & sweet lemon bars recipe - Japan Today
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are plentiful in Japan, and so here I am doing what I do best — tweaking recipes to come up with food I truly miss. Today, I’m introducing one very special fruit I’ve only seen in Japan: びわ (biwa). I want to refer to biwa as Japanese apricots,…
Donuts beyond mochi mochi: Mister Donut’s new donuts are so soft they’re almost drinkable - Japan Today
Mochi mochi is a Japanese word that can be kind of difficult to explain, but is easy to feel. It refers to a consistency that’s soft and chewy, but also has a certain satisfying weightiness to it. As you can probably guess, mochi mochi is often used to describe the texture of…
Burger King releases a Pickleball Burger in Japan - Japan Today
Burger King is throwing its support behind pickleball this year by signing a sponsorship agreement with the Japan Pickleball Federation (PJF). Pickleball is a racket sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The new sponsorship will be front and center at the PJF Pickleball Japan Open in Sasebo, Nagasaki, in June, and at the PJF…
Trying a pouch of instant curry that costs as much as a full meal at a nice restaurant - Japan Today
The other day, our Japanese-language writer Takashi Harada walked into a high-end supermarket on a whim to see how the other half lived. Needless to say, the prices were so high that he started to develop altitude sickness, but even among all this, there was one product that really stood…
Beyond matcha sweets: Japan’s favorite katsu sandwich maker releasing matcha pork cutlet sandwich - Japan Today
It might be hard to believe, but matcha sweets are, for the most part, actually a relatively recent addition to the Japanese culinary scene. Yes, green tea ice cream has been a thing for a long time, and a handful of traditional Japanese confectionaries used matcha, but for the most…
Ancient bread rises again as Turkey recreates 5,000-year-old loaf - Japan Today
In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkey. Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe -- with customers lining up to…
Tangy cherry preserves bring balance to this ancient ricotta tart - Japan Today
At Armando al Pantheon, a trattoria in Rome, meals often are punctuated with a slice of torta antica roma— a rustic tart inspired by the traditional Roman combination of ricotta and cherries. It’s exceptionally light, with milky-sweet ricotta balanced by tangy, brightly hued fruit preserves. The base is a tender,…
Japanese food additives explained: What you’re really eating - Japan Today
Navigating food labels in Japan can feel like decoding a secret language, even if you’ve been here for years. Once you finally figure out how to read Japanese food labels, there’s still that long list of mysterious ingredients that pop up after the slash mark (／). What even are half of these…
Uji matcha tea specialist from Edo period releases a range of sweets for hydrangea season - Japan Today
Ever since matcha began to boom in popularity around the globe, green tea lovers from overseas have had Uji in Kyoto on their bucket list. This region is renowned for its top-quality matcha, and one of the oldest tea purveyors in the area is Itohkyuemon, which can trace its history back to 1832, towards the…
Mos Burger’s new Ebi Ebi Fry Burger is on a whole other level - Japan Today
In the world of fast food, it’s often thought that as long as something is delicious it’s bound to sell well, but that’s not always the case. Timing, luck and visibility are other factors for success, so sometimes you can find delicious items hiding on the menu that are sadly…
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino for summer - Japan Today
Every summer, Starbucks releases a new lineup of Frappuccinos to help us cope with the sweltering heat, and this year’s drinks are based around the theme of “Hotel Starbucks“, which is designed to provide an “extraordinary escape for your mind“. After giving us a forget-the-world Frappuccino filled with an abundance of…
Toyama governor declares ambition to make prefecture sushi capital of Japan - Japan Today
What comes to mind when you think of Japan's most iconic cuisine? For many, the answer is likely sushi. In a 2023 survey by Norinchukin Bank targeting inbound tourists, sushi was named the “most delicious meal” visitors had during their stay in Japan. If Japan is sushi’s global home, where…
Hugh Mangum's book of barbecue recipes brings international flair to the grill - Japan Today
When Hugh Mangum was growing up in Los Angeles, his Texan father showed off his barbecue skills in their backyard nearly every weekend. It became a ritual for the family to patiently tend to the fire. After his father’s death more than 20 years ago, Mangum carried on the tradition,…
10 Japanese family restaurants with coupon apps - Japan Today
Picture this. It’s almost lunchtime and the kids are whining. You are slowly losing your mind. You have no clue where to eat when you see a massive sign pointing you in the right direction. The service staff greets you with a wide smile and you slide into a comfy…
Japanese Bake Cheese Tart chain reopens with an even cheesier menu of sweet cheese treats - Japan Today
Given the relative lack of cheese choices in a typical Japanese supermarket, it’s easy to forget that Japan can make some really good cheese-based desserts. From the cat-shaped Neko Neko Cheesecake to Criollo’s Phantom Cheesecake – heck, even Starbucks’ Baked Cheesecake Frappuccino a few years back–we’ve never encountered a cheesecake that we didn’t like there.…
Scientists in Mexico develop tortilla for people with no fridge - Japan Today
Peering through a microscope, food scientist Raquel Gomez studies microorganisms that add nutrients and preserve tortillas for several weeks without refrigerators -- a luxury in impoverished Mexican communities. The humble tortilla is a Mexican staple, consumed in tacos and other dishes by millions every day, from the Latin American nation's…