Alice Gordenker

Alice Gordenker is a Tokyo-based writer. She started her career in journalism reporting from Washington, DC for food industry trade publications on regulation and legislation. Since relocating to Tokyo more than 20 years ago, Alice has made it her "life work" to provide insight on Japan through various media including newspapers, magazines, television and film.

She is delighted to be an early contributor to Japanese Food Guide, where she can once again focus on great things to eat, and how they are grown or made.

Perfectly arranged slices of raw salmon atop a bed of ice and daikon radish strings in a shallow dark ceramic bowl-plate. Other sashimi garnishes can also be seen such as shiso leaf, shiso flowers, a chrysanthemum flower, and red and green seaweed.

Your Informed Guide to Sashimi Garnishes: What are they and should you eat them?

We’ll explore the common sashimi garnishes and whether you should eat them – the seaweeds, the flowers, the leaves, the daikon strings – or not.

Yoshoku does not mean Western food. In this article, we'll explain the true meaning of yoshoku. Pictured is a plate of Napolitan ketchup spaghetti (pronounced Naporitan in Japan), a yoshoku dish.

Yoshoku Origins Revealed: 6 Supposedly Western Foods Invented in Japan

Yoshoku does not mean “Western food”. Here we’ll explain the true meaning of yoshoku and the surprising history of some popular yoshoku dishes.

Wasei Eigo: Looking down a long

10 Most Confusing Food Names in Japan: Eating Your Way Through Wasei Eigo

Wasei Eigo is special “made-in-Japan English” that will no doubt leave you perplexed on your travels in Japan. Here are 10 of the most confusing food names!

Japanese Food Names: one piece of ikura sushi sitting directly on a dark gray surface.

From ‘Pan’ to ‘Ikura’: The Surprising Origin of Common Japanese Food Names

Tempura and ikura are not originally Japanese words? We’ll delve into the origin of some common Japanese food names and the foreign languages they come from.

Sake in a box: A glass is set inside a wooden masu cup and is being filled to overflow. Behind it is a plate of sushi.

Sake in a Box: How to Drink Sake from a Square Wooden Masu Cup

Sake in a box? We’ll look at the wooden masu cup, what it is, how it’s used and, importantly, how on earth you’re supposed to drink sake served to overflow.

A bowl of miso soup with seaweed, tofu and spring onions in a wooden bowl on a bamboo place mat with a pair of wooden chopsticks to the left.

What’s in Miso Soup and Why Does It Move Around the Bowl?

Have you ever noticed how the clouds in miso soup seem to move about the bowl all on their own? We discover the science behind what makes miso soup move.

A woman in a lilac-colored kimono holds a pink strawberry daifuku mochi daintily in her hands. Another woman in a pink and black kimono can be seen in the background.

Are Traditional Japanese Sweets Healthier than Western Sweets?

For sweet tooths wanting to indulge while maintaining a more or less healthy diet, is it better to choose traditional Japanese sweets over Western-style ones?

Coffee beans are spread out over a beige muslin table cloth. In the center a space has been cleared and the Japanese word for coffee (kohii) is written out in beans in katakana.

Coffee in Japan and Why Coffee Cup Handles Are Placed the “Wrong” Way

If you order a cup of coffee in Japan, you may notice something “unusual” about the way your coffee cup is served.

The tree-lined walkway leading up to Shuzenji Temple, with the temple in the background. The photo has been taken in fall with the leaves a vivid red and orange, and many leaves already scattered on the ground, creating a very bright contrast with the temple and stone walkway.

What to Eat When You’re in Shuzenji

Just two hours by train from Tokyo, the hot-spring town of Shuzenji feels worlds’ apart. This guide will show you the tastiest food Shuzenji has on offer.

A black ceramic bowl filled with orange-red colored shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7 spice mix), with a hot red capsicum (Capsicum annum) behind it.

Shichimi Togarashi: The Japanese 7-Spice Mix You Have to Try

What are the seven ingredients in shichimi togarashi? And how did this spicy condiment end up in just about every Japanese noodle restaurant?