Ginnan: the (smelly) gingko nut.

Autumn in Japan is great! Leaves turn red and yellow, temperatures are still fairly warm, and most days are sunny. While I was growing up in Northern Italy, I always had an image of Autumn being rainy, chilly, and overall…

Eggs in Japanese cuisine

During my first interactions with Japanese cuisine, one of the things that impressed me the most was how eggs were consumed. As an Italian, I grew up eating eggs either boiled, fried, or prepared as a frittata, and never ate…

Bubbling stew, on the go: Japanese oden

An often overlooked part of Japanese cuisine, stews and hot pots are a Japanese favorite when the weather gets colder. There are many different varieties of this kind of hot pots, collectively known as nabe 鍋, however, one of these…

grilled pacific saury

Sanma: a case study in food seasonality.

If I had to choose one characteristic that defines traditional Japanese cuisine, it would be its emphasis on seasonality. Well into the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, Japan has four distinct seasons. The season’s cycle grants variety to the…