How To


July 13, 2016

Upcoming Event: Intro to Making Syrups with Emily Han

by Umami Mart Staff

Join Emily Han at Umami Mart on Sunday, July 24, from 1-2:30 p.m. for Intro to Making Syrups, a free demonstration and tasting. At this event, you’ll learn about when, why, and how to use syrups to make sodas, cocktails, and mocktails, as well as basic techniques to make them yourself at home using fresh and […]

April 11, 2016

Japanify: How to Make Matcha

by Yoko Kumano

The first time I learned how to make matcha was from my grandmother, Baba-chan, in Tokyo. I was in second grade when she first showed me how to make matcha. I quickly forgot about it when I moved back to California in fourth grade. Oddly enough, while I was listening to industrial music in my […]

September 17, 2015

Umami Tool Watch: Spice Toaster

by Umami Mart Staff

The product that gets the most questions in our shop is the Spice Toaster. We have customers come up with one in hand asking, “What is this?” on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. While we’d really love to tell them it’s a miniature Jiffy Pop maker, we usually explain that these mesh-covered pans are a […]

March 12, 2015

Umami Tool Watch: How to Use a Misokoshi

by Kayoko Akabori

The misokoshi is a tool that we have sold since we first opened our shop. It looks like a mini ramen strainer, but alas, it is for straining miso in liquid. Namely, it works perfectly for miso soup. Here’s a video made by Yoko, starring yours truly, of how to make miso soup using a […]

September 22, 2014

Casa de Kei: How to Clean + Season Cast Iron Like a PRO

by Kayoko Akabori

My brother Keisuke, aka Casa de Kei, is a pro. He went to culinary school, paid his dues as sous chef at Spago in Beverly Hills, and is now working alongside our father (also a chef) at Sushi Kuni restaurant in Cupertino, CA. He came over this weekend and we worked on some “kitchen projects” […]