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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…
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…
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,…
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…
How to make your child fall in love with Japanese food - Japan Today
At our first conveyor belt sushi dinner upon moving to Japan, when my son was just under two years old, he stuck to French fries and wouldn’t try even a bite of sushi. We knew it would take a bit of patience and practice. We also knew it was essential to teach our…
New Zealand's unofficial fruit is the feijoa, not the kiwi. And part of the fun is in giving it away - Japan Today
The unofficial national fruit of New Zealand isn’t native to the country – it’s South American. It isn’t exclusively found in New Zealand. And it’s not, perhaps surprisingly, the kiwi. It’s the feijoa. Known as pineapple guava elsewhere, the fruit — a green perfumed oval with a polarizing taste —…
Tamaryokucha: Japan’s rare green tea you’ve probably never heard of - Japan Today
“Do you have any shin-cha?” the older gentleman to my left asked in a thick Hakata dialect. I had just bought some first harvest tea myself from my favorite tea shop and was waiting for it to be wrapped. “Yes, we just received a shipment of chiran-cha (tea from the…
Former White House chef for 5 presidents says first families are 'just regular people' at home - Japan Today
Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are “just regular people” when they're at home in the private living areas of the Executive Mansion. “It's not what you see on…
The innovative ice-cream makers at Salt & Straw serve up secrets and recipes in a new cookbook - Japan Today
If you're intimidated by the idea of making ice cream at home, just think of it as making soup. That's advice from Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw, the innovative gourmet ice cream maker known for its ever-changing lick-able treats. “Making a pint of ice cream is very similar to…
Give salt-and-pepper pork chops a crunchy coating without the deep frying - Japan Today
The salt-and-pepper treatment is a Cantonese technique that can be applied to give almost any meat, seafood or tofu a crunchy exterior and tongue-tingling flavor. The protein typically is deep-fried, but in this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,”…
Krispy Kreme Japan has Pac-Man donuts to celebrate video game star’s 45th birthday - Japan Today
There’s a big birthday in the video game world coming up this month, as May 22 will mark the 45th anniversary of the arcade release of developer Namco’s original Pac-Man arcade game. And while many people celebrate their birthday with cake, this year Pac-Man is one of those cultured individuals who instead will be…
Pokemon Sleep’s sleep-promoting eats step into the real world with Japanese nutritionist recipes - Japan Today
The title of "Pokemon Sleep" is simultaneously highly accurate and slightly misleading. Part video game and part wellness app, "Pokemon Sleep" wants to promote healthy sleep habits, which is why players are given a Snorlax, the sleepiest Pokemon species to take care of. But even Snorlax doesn’t sleep for 24 hours a day, and during…
Is matcha a healthier alternative to coffee? Here’s what you need to know - Japan Today
Matcha, with its vibrant green hue and centuries-old tradition, is often celebrated as a health boosting superfood. But what exactly sets it apart from regular green tea, or even your morning coffee? Like green and black tea, matcha comes from the camellia sinensis plant. The difference lies in how it’s grown and…
Milan’s popular giant pizza pizzeria, Spontini, finally arrives in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood - Japan Today
When most people think of Italian food, it’s safe to say that “pizza” is one of the first things that comes to mind. A food full of versatility, coming in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Loaded with cheese and other delicious toppings, and convenient to eat, the popularity of pizza worldwide is…
Challah French toast is simple but indulgent breakfast to make mom on Mother's Day - Japan Today
Cooking for your mom on Mother’s Day is probably the best gift ever for a lot of moms. Sure, we’re delighted to get flowers, or a lovely box of chocolate, or a new power drill, but what we really want is to be taken care of for one single, blessed…
Try this crisp and colorful romaine and radicchio salad - Japan Today
This crisp, colorful salad gets meaty, briny flavor from oil-cured olives and fruity tang from pomegranate molasses. It’s light and fresh, but hearty enough to serve for brunch or a light supper. In this recipe from the cookbook, “Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,”…
Top French chefs warm to AI in the kitchen - Japan Today
At the annual gathering of France's finest chefs for the Michelin Guide awards this year, the talk was not only about whose restaurants had gained or lost a star. "Everyone's discussing AI. I was at a table of 12 other chefs and it was the main thing we talked about,"…
Mister Donut and Gion Tsujiri bring hojicha heaven to Japan with these latest additions - Japan Today
Following rave reviews of the last installment of the dream collaboration of international donut chain Mister Donut and famous green tea specialists Gion Tsujiri, the second batch of this year’s springtime tea-filled delights have arrived and made their way to our office for another donut review. Time and time again, this collaboration proves to be sublime, so what…
Umami's an old flavor but still a new concept for many cooks - Japan Today
You know that burst of flavor you experience when you take a bite of certain savory foods, such as meat, fish, mushrooms or miso? That sensation of “whoa, that is just delicious!” In all likelihood, you are tasting umami. Umami, which translates to “delicious savory taste, " was identified as a distinct flavor…
Chinese tea hub branches into coffee as tastes change - Japan Today
At a mountainside cafe in southwestern China, Liao Shihao brews handfuls of locally grown beans into steaming cups of coffee, a modern twist on the region's traditional drink. For centuries, Pu'er in Yunnan province has given its name to a type of richly fermented tea -- sometimes styled "pu-erh" --…
Elitist no more, caviar is turning casual - Japan Today
When Burger King announced it was selling caviar with nuggets at its French restaurants on April 1, many people assumed it was an April Fool's joke. But as news spread on social media, buyers rushed to try one of the world's most expensive delicacies paired with a humble and highly…
The secret to a refreshing cocktail or mocktail might be growing in the garden - Japan Today
If you enjoy a tasty, refreshing summer cocktail or mocktail, why not grow your own? No, you're not likely to grow the spirits -- although they do come from plants (vodka from potatoes, tequila from agave and so on). But you can grow other ingredients that make those spirits delicious.…
How bugs and beet juice could play roles in the race to replace artificial dyes in food - Japan Today
As pressure grows to get artificial colors out of the U.S. food supply, the shift may well start at Abby Tampow’s laboratory desk. On an April afternoon, the scientist hovered over tiny dishes of red dye, each a slightly different ruby hue. Her task? To match the synthetic shade used…
Baskin-Robbins teams up with Japan’s oldest department store for brand-new traditional ice cream flavor - Japan Today
Mitsukoshi is the first name in department stores in Japan…literally. When it opened in 1904, Mitsukoshi’s branch in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi neighborhood became the very first modern department store in Japan, but the company’s roots go back centuries, to the kimono shop Echigoya which opened in 1683 and was one of the…
FamilyMart serves up Japanese nostalgia with new frozen choco banana that’s a sell-out hit - Japan Today
Japanese convenience stores are filled with weird and wonderful products, but sometimes the importance of these products might pass you by if you’re not a local. That’s the case with FamilyMart’s new Frozen Choco Banana, which is pretty self-explanatory for people seeing it for the first time, but for locals this…
Foreign travelers’ lukewarm reactions to traditional Japanese inn food causing changes in Kyoto - Japan Today
While Kyoto has always been among the nation’s top travel destinations, the surge in inbound tourism is creating overtourism woes in a city where the travel infrastructure isn’t on the same large scale as Tokyo or Osaka. But in addition to some unpleasant side effects stemming from Kyoto’s sky-high popularity with overseas…
Sake's export boom bringing in new fans and food pairings - Japan Today
When Imada Sake Brewing Co master brewer Miho Imada presented a sake inspired by local seafood to a sommelier from Hong Kong, she asked for pairing suggestions. The answer was surprising: braised pork trotters. Sake has been enjoying an international boom that's bringing in new fans and food combinations. Even…
Coca-Cola Japan changes recipe for best-seller matcha latte, but is it worth a sip? - Japan Today
Matcha latte seems like it should be a pretty consistent drink, what with it really only having four ingredients: matcha powder, sugar, milk, and water. And yet, depending on the ratios between them, you can end up with a lot of different flavors, and if you go too far in one…
Nekojita Fufu: Cute cat robot cools your drinks, becomes a viral sensation online - Japan Today
Have you got “cat’s tongue“? Lots of people do, particularly in Japan, where the term, known as nekojita in Japanese, is used to describe people who are sensitive to hot food or drinks. While those with cat’s tongue usually have to set drinks and food aside until they’ve cooled down a…
7-Eleven adds U.S. orange chicken to its range in Japan - Japan Today
Our reporter Tasuku Egawa is very particular about orange chicken, having eaten it regularly during his approximately 10 years of living in the United States. Despite being Japanese born and bred, Egawa says he’s eaten more orange chicken in America than he’s had miso soup in his entire life, and the variety…
Japan’s largest indie ice cream convention returns to Tokyo in Golden Week - Japan Today
It probably doesn’t get brought up as often as it should, but Japan has a very rich and diverse array of ice cream. The offerings found in convenience stores and supermarkets like the Jumbo Monaka and Yukimi Daifuku are excellent examples of this, but beyond all that, there’s an even larger ecosystem of frozen…
Randy’s Donuts Japan announces grand opening date for Tokyo, Japan-exclusive sweets - Japan Today
Earlier this year our sweets sensors began happily tingling at the news that Randy’s Donuts will be coming to Japan, and not just as a limited-time pop-up promotion either. The Los Angeles landmark donut chain, known for its tasty treats and colossal donut signs, is opening its first-ever shop in Japan. We now…
This rustic dish of baked beans and smoked sausages is packed with deep, aromatic flavors - Japan Today
Tavče gravče, which translates as “beans in a pan,” is a Macedonian classic. Traditionally, large dried white beans called tetovac, named for a city in northwestern Macedonia, are the star of the rustic dish, while onions, garlic, peppers and paprika provide deep, rich flavor and color. In this recipe from…
Japan starts selling smart salads in AI vending machine - Japan Today
Japan is famous for its vending machines. It could easily be dubbed the “Land of the Vending Machines.” While most countries stick to selection of drinks and snacks, Japan’s line-up also includes cute knick knacks and shocking discoveries. From origami to potential spouses: the country is littered with quirky and unusual vending machines. The latest…