Yuzu is a citrus fruit they enjoy in Japan especially near the Winter Solstice and the New Year.  I’ve never seen the actual fruit here to try it.  But today I found a Yuzu drink you can buy at the American chain store Trader Joe’s.  You simply empty a packet into a cup, add hot...

Ayako Egawa wrote from Japan about Kamaboko, a sort of gelled fish cake that’s eaten there.  The one pictured below was made for the New Year.  The character on these Kamaboko is called Kizuna (meaning bond) which is the symbol for 2011.  (A character is chosen annually in Japan that best symbolizes the year that...

March 3rd is Dolls Day in Japan.  It’s the day that families with girls express their wish for their daughters’ health. Ayako wrote to me from Japan about the holiday… I am at my mom’s house today.  It’s Hinamatsuri day. My mom’s ohinasama [set of dolls] is pretty.  My grandmother got them for my sister and...

In Japan, people traditionally make displays in their houses for special holidays.  The displays often include flowers, branches of trees and symbolic food. My friend Ayako Egawa in Japan sent the photo below of a floral arrangement she made for the New Year.  She wrote, "The berries are ’senryo’, lucky plants for the New Year in...

Ayako Egawa wrote to me from Japan about the Doll Festival.  It’s called Hina Matsuri in Japanese… Hi Lisa, March 3rd is the Doll Festival that families with daughters express wishes for their daughters’ good health and growth by displaying hina dolls as you know.  Hina dolls are traditionally displayed on stepped shelves, but I found...

Ayako Egawa shared this photo of food typically eaten for the New Year in Japan.  These foods are symbolic of good fortune, good health and prosperity.  This is the meal Ayako’s Mom made this year for her family for the New Year. Ayako wrote: Hi Lisa, Japanese New Year food is called Osechiryori.  Osechiryouri is usually...

I recently posted a recipe for miso soup that Ayako Egawa from Japan helped me with.  When she saw the photo of the bowls and spoons I used to serve it with, she made this comment: "It is interesting you use a spoon for Miso soup, because we use chopsticks for it. And we usually...

Miso Soup is pretty quick and easy to make!  I made it for the first time this past weekend.  My whole family liked it, though my 7 year old daughter only ate the broth with rice (no seaweed!). The one possibly tough part of making miso soup is finding the ingredients.  I got mine at a...

I think it’s interesting to learn about different foods eaten around the world.  Here’s one that’s eaten in Japan.  Ayako Egawa shared this photo with me, with the note:  This is a fish shaped sweet called “Taiyaki”. It’s a popular sweet in Japan.  Usually Azuki (red bean) paste is stuffed inside it. But this...

Check out this post for making bunny bento.  What’s bento?  A Japanese lunchbox! You can buy Japanese Bento Boxes at: Asian Art Mall Ayako Egawa wrote from Japan: “Hi Lisa, bunny bento, which is the cutting style of an apple, is very popular in Japan in lunchboxes!” A couple of days later, Ayako wrote to me: “Hi Lisa,...

Yuta, Yoji and Miki made this awesome “sushi” for a school birthday party. It’s made out of homemade rice crispy treats, gummy fish and fruit roll-ups. How cute and cool! The one question everyone’s asking is: How did they get the rice crispy treats to be soooo pure white? Any ideas? ...

I’ve noticed that kids many kids now like sushi. At least the vegetarian type you find in New York. Here you can get Avocado Rolls, California Rolls (made with avocados and imitation crab meat) and Kappa Maki (Cucumber Rolls). One of my daughter’s friends loves sushi so much, she told me she...