Getting Familiar with Japanese Ingredients

One of my absolute favorite types of cuisine overall is any type of Asian food. More specifically, I love Japanese ingredients and flavor profiles. Japan is well known for sushi and Ramen but the dishes and techniques expand far beyond these Western faves.

Japan is notorious for pairing sweet with salty and Umami tastes profiles as well as contrasting mouth feels and textures like chewy, gooey, and crunchy. Umami is a naturally occurring taste sensation from meats and some vegetables and fruits and is best described as savory or mouth-watering. I find the number of different textures and tastes most interesting and try and work these elements into many aspects of my cooking. If you have the opportunity and would really like to explore some amazing Japanese ingredients check out Mitsuwa Marketplace located in Arlington Heights, just north of Chicago.

Instead of the basic go-to’s of Japanese cuisine, I wanted to explore some other ingredients that I think aren’t often used but are typically readily available in most stores outside of Asian specialty grocery stores - something quick, easy, and delicious that you can enjoy as a snack, appetizer, or side dish. I often come across Shishito peppers at Whole Foods Market, and they are a tasty treat! This Japanese pepper has a thin tender skin and cooks up quickly. It' perfect for frying or grilling whole so the skin blisters up. The pepper is slightly sweet and tends to be on the mild side but occasionally can be a little spicy (typically maxing out around jalapeno heat) they may be available in green, yellow, or red but the color does not denote the heat content. I have even enjoyed them battered & fried tempura-style!

To top and complement our Shishitos, I’ve picked some of my favorite Japanese style condiments along with some lime zest and juice to brighten everything up. Yuzu juice would be even better if you can get your hands on some. The Japanese mayo called Kewpie goes far beyond traditional mayonnaise, with a distinct umami taste and velvety and rich texture from only using egg yolks. It will bring a nice creaminess and good fat content to our peppers.

We can bring a bold savory flavor to the peppers with a sweet thick soy sauce or teriyaki style condiment. This one specifically has a little sake. To finish we can sprinkle with a Furikake or Togarashi seasoning both contain toasted sesame seeds and crushed nori flakes (toasted seaweed) .Togarashi has the addition of dried chilis and citrus peel. One final component that I find truly unique is Katsuobushi also known as Bonito Flakes which is fermented smoked thinly shaved fish. This is a common ingredient in flavoring Dashi which is typically the base of miso soup and some ramen broth. It has a great smokiness and is bursting with umami.

To cook my Shishitos, I used about an 8^th of a cup of hot cooking oil to blister the skins. This only took about 5 minutes, and I used a oil splash guard for safety. You could just as easily roast, grill, or even air fry them.

After the flash frying, I moved them to a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Then tossed them in a Japanese barbeque sauce condiment along with some rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

I finished them on the plate with the lime zest/juice, Furikake, & Kewpie Mayo. They also needed a pinch of flaky sea salt.

One piece of advice I always offer to students at The Chopping Blocks is if you purchase these ingredients or other Asian-style ingredients, try using them across all of your cooking, no matter the type of cuisine. The condiments make a great seasoning to add salinity and complexity. Don’t let them set around in the pantry just for specific dishes! Try the following recipe or go explore your local Asian grocery store! If you want to learn more about umami and other tastes as well as balancing flavors, check out our Flavor Dynamics class. Our October session is sold out, but keep an eye on our class calendar for future sessions.