By Shizuka Wakashita One day I had to run errands near a local wine shop and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe this shop has some jizake (sake produced by smaller breweries, or as with beer, “micro breweries”). If they are passionate about wines they must be for sake as well, at least to […]
Author Archives: UM Guest
January 26, 2012
Ika no Shiokara (Fermented Squid)
By Kenji Miura Shiokara is a fantastic savory condiment to your favorite glass of shochu. This particular shiokara is made with surume ika (Japanese Common Squid or Pacific Flying Squid). INGREDIENTS 5 fresh squid 2 tbsp salt METHOD 1. Clean the squid. (Here’s how via Kyoto Foodie) 2. Cut the legs and ears (the triangular portion […]
January 20, 2012
Tokyo Nights: Bikes + Bottles
Photo by Kelly Ishikawa, a San Francisco-based photographer and the co-owner of The Perish Trust.Â
December 25, 2011
Merry Xmas Wagashi (Sweets)
By Kenji Miura I celebrated Christmas in Japan by making wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets. Santa is shaped out of shiro-an (white bean paste). The holly is made out of ogura tsubu-an (red beans boiled with sugar, skin-on). The tree is comprised of shiro-an and kanten (agar agar). The kinton (mashed substance, in this case the […]
December 2, 2011
Nagano Road Trip
By Sasha Wizansky On October 27, a crew from OPENharvest woke up at 5am and headed up into the mountains, into Nagano prefecture, for a series of farm and producer visits. As usual we made a few pitstops along the way. Tal, head roaster of Four Barrel Coffee, experienced his first highway rest stop breakfast: […]
November 17, 2011
Persimmon Tree
Photo by Kelly Ishikawa, a San Francisco-based photographer and the co-owner of The Perish Trust.
November 9, 2011
Hanging Onions
Frostopia Farm. Saitama, Japan. Photo by Kelly Ishikawa, a San Francisco-based photographer and the co-owner of The Perish Trust.
November 2, 2011
Radiation + Japan: Testing Report and Thoughts
By Howie Correa Within half a day of arrival from Ireland, I was excited to be heading out of endless Tokyo to visit a radiation testing facility at Natural Harmony, a produce distribution site in Chiba. It was a trip that seemed to be at the heart of understanding the dilemma within this year’s Japanese […]
November 1, 2011
Hokutei Suisan Fish Market (Saitama)
By Sasha Wizansky On October 21st, chef Kanji Nakatani took a small group of the OPENharvest crew on a trip to the Hokutei Fish Market to visit fish purveyor, Katsuhiro Sato. Apparently, Sato was kicked out of the main local fish market many years back and started his own small, maverick fish market, Hokutei Suisan. […]
August 30, 2011
What the Highball?
By Neyah White Photos by Travis LoDolce Well, there is no drink more quintessentially ‘Japanese’ right now than the highball. From crowded, stand-up after-work bars in Tokyo to elegant and sedate members-bars in Kyoto, the simple (but exact!) mix of whisky and water, has become the national drink of choice. There are a few factors […]