Recipes & uses– category –

Kiriboshi daikon (dried shredded radish) is essential to simmered dishes. In fact, you can make it easily at home simply by cutting and drying daikon. Homemade versions have a richer sweetness and no additives to worry about. Still, many people hesitate over problems like "it won't dry properly," "I'm worried about mold," or "I don't know how to rehydrate or store it." In this article, we explain...

Mandarins are plentiful in winter. If you have some left over that you can't finish, turning them into dried mandarin is a great option. Drying concentrates the sweetness, and if you make them whole with the peel, the cross-section is as beautiful as a flower, adding a lovely touch to tea or yogurt. They turn out plenty sweet even without added sugar...

Shikuwasa is a citrus that represents Okinawa. With its sharp acidity, gently bitter peel, and refreshing aroma, it has many uses beyond simply squeezing it over food, extending to drinks, seasonings, and as an accent in cooking. That said, quite a few people find themselves unsure, wondering "the juice ends up left over" or "how do I use the peel?"...

Dried persimmon is a seasonal tradition from autumn into winter. The way astringent persimmons are reborn sweet through sun and wind can be recreated at home. Still, failures like "mold appeared" or "it didn't turn out sweet" are common, and mastering a few tips is what separates success from failure. In this article, we cover dried persimmon...

Dried mango is popular for its rich sweetness and tropical aroma. It's delicious on its own, but knowing different ways to eat it—rehydrating it in yogurt or mixing it into sweets and drinks—greatly expands the enjoyment. On the other hand, some find it "too sweet" or "too hard," which comes down to choosing the right type...

Kiwi is prized for its vivid green and sweet-tart flavor. Drying it mellows the tartness and concentrates the sweetness, making a snack distinctly different from the fresh fruit. The tiny popping texture of the seeds remains too, making it a perfect accent for granola or yogurt. In this article, we cover...

Bananas are too ripe to finish, or you want additive-free fruit for your child's snack—that's when dried banana comes in handy. The appeal of the homemade version is that you can concentrate the sweetness of ripe bananas as-is, without sugar or oil. Still, some run into issues like "it's sticky and not fully dried" or "it turned brown"...

Shiso powder, made by grinding ooba (green shiso) or red shiso into powder, is a handy seasoning that lets you add shiso's aroma and color to dishes without the chopping and food waste. But many people can't tell "what dishes to use it in" or "how it differs from fresh shiso," and end up leaving it unused...

Red shiso left over from making umeboshi, or a huge harvest from your home garden—are you unsure how to use it? Red shiso can be used in a wide range of ways, not only for juice and yukari but also in salads, pasta, and preserved foods. In this article, we cover everything from prepping red shiso to the classic red shiso juice and syrup...

Have you ever been unsure which to buy when "ooba" and "green shiso" are sold separately at the supermarket? To get straight to the point, ooba and green shiso are leaves of the same plant. On the other hand, the red shiso used for umeboshi is in the same shiso family but differs in both color and use. This article...

You put the ooba (green shiso) you bought in the fridge, only to find it turned black within a few days—many people have had this experience. Strongly aromatic ooba is vulnerable to both drying out and excess moisture, and if stored without any care, its original flavor fades almost instantly. In this article, we cover refrigerating, freezing...

Have you ever thought, "Yakuzen and Kampo seem similar, but where do they differ?" Because both are rooted in Eastern medicine, they're easily confused, yet they are distinct things with clearly different roles. On this page, we organize the difference between yakuzen and Kampo through the lens of "food" and "medicine"...

Many people feel that "yakuzen seems good for you, but doesn't it require special ingredients or crude drugs?" In fact, yakuzen is a style of eating based on the ideas of Eastern medicine that you can start with everyday vegetables from the supermarket. On this page, we explain what yakuzen is...

Do you ever find yourself unsure how to use sansho beyond eel, or wondering "what dishes go with green sansho or kinome?" Sansho suits different dishes depending on its form—powder, berry, or leaf—and once you know how to use it, you can bring its refreshing aroma to everything from Japanese cuisine to meat and fish dishes and pasta. On this page...

The source of the tongue-numbing kick in mapo tofu and dan dan noodles is huajiao. It looks a lot like Japanese sansho, so many people wonder "are sansho and huajiao the same?" or "can I substitute one for the other?" In fact, while they're in the same family, their aroma, numbing tingle, and culinary role differ greatly...

Fresh green sansho, which appears in early summer, is prized for its tingly numbness and refreshing aroma. But once you buy it, prepping comes first, and many people are unsure—"what do I do with the stems?", "how long do I boil it to remove the bitterness?", "how do I store it so it keeps for a year?" On this page, we cover prepping green sansho...

You bought a lot of mushrooms while they were cheap, or you can't use up mushrooms you were given—that's when "drying" comes in handy. Drying mushrooms makes them keep longer and deepens their umami and stock flavor. On the other hand, questions like "sun or oven, which is better?", "I'm worried about mold," and "how long until they're fully dried?"...

Sansho is essential to eel, mapo tofu, and chirimen sansho. But even under the single name "sansho," it comes in various forms—green sansho, powdered sansho, and kinome—and people often wonder "what's the difference between green sansho and powdered sansho?" or "is it different from huajiao?" It's a spice that represents Japan, defined by its aroma and numbing tingle...

Tamogitake, sometimes called a "phantom mushroom" for its vivid yellow color and pleasant aroma. It's a mushroom long enjoyed in places like Hokkaido, and used in miso soup or takikomi gohan, it offers deep umami and stock flavor. On the other hand, questions come up—"how do I prep it?", "what's a classic way to eat it?", "is dried tamogitake..."

Dried maitake adds aroma and umami to takikomi gohan and miso soup. It keeps longer than fresh maitake, and even a small amount deepens a dish's flavor considerably. On the other hand, situations often leave people unsure—"should I rehydrate it?", "the soaking liquid turns dark—is that okay?", "can I make tempura with it?"—it's that kind of ingredient...

Ichimi togarashi, sprinkled over udon and soups. When it comes time to choose, people often wonder "what's the difference between ichimi and shichimi?" and "which should I use?" They look and are used similarly, but there's a clear difference in their ingredients and roles. On this page, we cover what ichimi togarashi is...

Dried shiitake supports the deep umami of simmered dishes, takikomi gohan, and miso soup. It's a handy dry good to keep on hand, but many situations leave people unsure—"what's the right way to rehydrate it?", "can the soaking liquid be used as dashi?", "how long is the best-before date?" On this page, we cover dried shiitake...

Dried chili, made by drying red chili peppers, keeps well and lets you enjoy heat and aroma year-round. But when you actually go to handle it, questions often come up—"how do I make it at home?", "do I rehydrate it before use?", "how long does it keep?" On this page, we cover dried chili...

We explain how to use and rehydrate dried mushrooms, covering the characteristics of each type such as shiitake, maitake, and enoki, when to rehydrate in water versus simmer them directly, uses in miso soup and takikomi gohan, and storage methods.

We explain how to rehydrate and eat dried kikurage (wood ear mushroom), covering rehydration in water or hot water, the tip of always heating it to prevent food poisoning, popular recipes like stir-fries, soups, and harusame, and storage methods.

Takanotsume, habanero, shishito, Manganji togarashi. Even under the single name "chili," the lineup is very wide, ranging from hot to not hot at all, and people often wonder "what variety is this?" or "are takanotsume and chili the same?" On this page, we cover the types of chili—Japanese...

Sprinkle a little over udon or hot pot and the aroma of yuzu wafts up—that's yuzu shichimi. It's a slightly different, aroma-forward condiment from ordinary shichimi togarashi. Many people are curious—"how does it differ from regular shichimi?", "can I make it myself?", "what dishes go with it?" On this page, we cover yuzu...

Just adding a little to hot pot or yakitori tightens up a dish with a kick—that's yuzu kosho. Store-bought is convenient, but making it by hand with in-season green yuzu gives a completely different freshness of aroma. Many people are curious—"what ingredients do I need?", "how do green and red differ?", "what dishes go with it?"...

Mandarin, yuzu, sudachi, kabosu, lemon. Even under the single word "citrus," the lineup is very rich. Many people have been unsure at the store or in a recipe—"what citrus is this?" or "how do sudachi and kabosu differ?" On this page, starting from the broad categories of citrus...

Give it a good squeeze over grilled fish or hot pot and its abundant juice and mellow acidity elevate the dish—that's kabosu. It's an acidic citrus so rooted in daily life in Oita that people even squeeze it into miso soup, yet many are unsure—"how does it differ from sudachi?" or "can I not use it once it's out of season?" On this page...

We explain how to make and choose vegetable furikake, covering an easy homemade recipe using dried vegetables or leftover vegetables, salt-free and additive-free ideas that are easy for children to eat, and how to read the ingredients on store-bought products—tips for a furikake packed with vegetables that tastes good too.

Just a good squeeze over grilled fish or somen makes a dish's aroma bloom instantly—that's sudachi. It's an acidic citrus essential to the summer-to-autumn table in Tokushima, yet many are unsure—"how does it differ from kabosu?" or "can I not get it once it's out of season?" On this page, we cover the origin of sudachi's name...

A dried-vegetable manufacturer explains the types and flavors of edible flowers, how they differ from ornamental flowers, how to choose safe ones, and how to eat and store them. We also introduce ways to enjoy them at home and uses for dried edible flowers.

Mugwort tea is a Japanese tea beloved for its young-grass aroma and caffeine-free nature. Using dried mugwort, you can make it simply by decocting it in a teapot or pot. You can also make homemade mugwort tea from fresh mugwort, enjoying it to your taste. In this article, in Kyoto, processing dried vegetables...

Yomogi mochi (kusa mochi), a classic spring Japanese sweet. Fresh mugwort is in season only in spring, but with dried mugwort you can make yomogi mochi easily any time of year. Since it’s pre-treated and the harshness has been removed, you just rehydrate it and mix it into the dough. In this article, in Kyoto, handling the processing of dried vegetables...

We explain how to use dried mugwort—from rehydrating and amounts, to popular recipes such as kusa mochi and yomogi dumplings, mugwort tea and mugwort baths, storage methods and best-before dates, and how to choose without going wrong. A Kyoto dried vegetable manufacturer summarizes tips for using up domestic, low-temperature-dried mugwort without waste, at home or commercially.

Yuzu comes into season with the arrival of winter. Its refreshing aroma is indispensable to the Japanese table. After squeezing the juice into a dish, do you throw the leftover peel away as-is? In fact, yuzu peel is packed with aromatic compounds and nutrients, and throwing it away is far too...

Dried tomatoes are made by drying fully ripe tomatoes. They are a processed food prized for a deep richness and aroma completely different from fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes are about 90% water, and as drying removes that water, umami compounds such as glutamic acid become concentrated. At Agriture, vegetable...

There are three basic ways to use dried tomatoes: "rehydrate before cooking," "eat as-is," and "keep them on hand marinated in oil." Because drying tomatoes concentrates their umami compounds, adding even a small amount to pasta or soup adds depth of flavor. This article covers how to rehydrate them...

The basic approach to storing dried tomatoes is to use room temperature, refrigeration, and freezing as appropriate. Unopened, fully dried types can be kept at room temperature for six months or more, but once opened they absorb moisture and change in quality, so the rule is to put them in an airtight container and move them to the fridge. Frozen, they keep for 3–4 months...

Blending herbal tea is a way of combining several herbs and tea leaves to pack a flavor, aroma, and function into a single cup that you can't get from any one on its own. Herbal tea blends made at home extend to enjoyment such as gathering single ingredients at Kaldi or Muji and carrying them in your own bottle. Herbal...

Using vegetable powder in sweets lets you add the natural color and flavor of kabocha, purple sweet potato, beet, spinach, carrot, and more without artificial colorings or food dye. Just mix it with cake flour, milk, and eggs to give homemade cookies, cakes, bread, macarons, and ice cream a "with vegetables" touch...

Vegetable powder is a handy ingredient that both saves time and boosts nutrition when making baby food. Choosing a domestically grown, additive-free powder lets you incorporate vegetables such as kabocha, spinach, carrot, and lotus root little by little to match your baby's age, while being mindful of powderiness and allergy risk...

Combining vegetable dashi with dried vegetables is a use that makes it easier to achieve both umami density and time savings compared with drawing dashi from fresh vegetables. Because their water has been removed, dried vegetables have relatively concentrated flavor compounds such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid, which dissolve directly into the soaking liquid. Agriture's...

Vegetable dashi as a plant-based stock is a dashi drawn from the umami and aroma of vegetables, using no animal ingredients whatsoever. The amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid) contained in onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and kombu, along with the nucleotide guanylic acid and vegetable-derived sugars, dissolve out...

Vegetable dashi is a stock drawn using only the umami and aroma of vegetables, with no animal ingredients. As the amino acids and sugars of onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms dissolve out, a gentle sweetness and mild umami emerge. Because it contains no animal ingredients, it suits vegan, vegetarian, and halal...

Dried goods are foods made by evaporating the water from ingredients through methods such as sun-drying. They are said to have already been used as far back as the Jomon and Yayoi periods, and are deeply rooted in Japanese food culture. Amid Japan's distinctive climate—hot and humid in summer, cold and dry in winter—in an age without refrigerators, ingredients...

You finally bought some dried fruit, and before you knew it, mold had appeared. Have you had this experience? It's easy to assume dried fruit lasts a long time because it's dried, but in fact, storing it incorrectly can cause it to deteriorate far faster than expected. Especially sugar-free or additive-free domestic...

When choosing a dried fruit assortment, have you ever been unsure where to start? Supermarkets and online shops carry countless products, varying widely in price and quality. Is it candied or additive-free, domestic or imported, and how about the packaging...

The Basic Way to Enjoy It—Eating It As-Is The simplest way to eat dried apple is to open the bag and snack on it as-is. The water has been removed and the sweetness concentrated, so you can enjoy a richer flavor than fresh apple. That said, even "as-is" varies by texture type and the timing of when you eat it...