Food & Drink Products - Japanese Food Guide

A colorful mix of fruit-flavored hard candies on a white surface with the red metal tin packaging partially in view behind.

Traditional Japanese Candy: Showa Era Candy You Can Still Buy Today

Japanese candy: From hard to soft, chewy to crunchy, we’ll delve into some of Japan’s classic sweets.

Two slices of Miyazaki mango still attached to the skin sitting on white square plates. The flesh has been cut both vertically and horizontally, and then the skin inverted so that the pieces of still-attached mango stand up in little cubes.

Miyazaki Mangoes: The Story Behind This Delectable and Pricey Japanese Fruit

Why are Miyazaki mangoes so expensive? We explain what sets this luxury Japanese fruit apart and where you can get a juicy taste of it.

A small, dark ceramic bowl partially filled with pickled daikon radish (takuan) roughly cut into half-moon shapes. The yellow color of the takuan contrasts nicely with the dark crockery. The bowl sits on a matching square plate and a brown placemat. Red chopsticks can be seen resting on the side of the plate. Everything sits on a dark wooden surface.

What is Takuan? Japan’s Ubiquitous Pickled Daikon Radish and How It’s Made

If you love Japanese food, you’ll definitely have encountered pickled daikon radish or ‘takuan’. Learn what it is and the surprising way it’s made.

Two hands outstretched and cupped together holding a number of shiitake mushrooms on the Kunisaki Peninsula, Oita Prefecture. Some of the shiitake mushrooms are positioned to show the cap, others have been turned upside down to show the underside. Below is a woven basket with green foliage and the sleeves of the person holding the shiitake are long in a pink plaid material with elastic around the wrists.

Shiitake Mushroom Farming on the Kunisaki Peninsula, delicious organic mushrooms you have to try

The Kunisaki Peninsula is Japan’s leading center for the cultivation of organic shiitake mushrooms in sawtooth oak tree logs.

Two hands can be seen clinking champagne flutes partially filled with Aomori apple cider among the blossoms at Hirosaki Apple Park.

These Hard Japanese Ciders from Aomori Combine Sweet with Unique

Japanese cider has unique qualities that make it distinct and these special hard ciders from Aomori, Japan’s apple capital, are no exception.

Dozens of ayu fish on skewers arranged in a perfect circle around a charcoal fire for grilling.

Ayu Fish: A Guide to the Small but Luxurious Ayu Sweetfish that Smells like Watermelon

Ayu fish or ayu sweetfish are a symbol of Japanese summer. Here’s everything you need to know about the delectable ayu fish and how to eat it.

A clear glass vessel filled with awamori with a golden hue sits on a red, yellow and mustard striped tablecloth along with two full glasses of awamori and a plate of stewed 'sōki' Okinawan spare ribs.

A Guide to Awamori, Okinawa’s Ancient Alcohol: How it’s made and how to drink it

Awamori is Japan’s oldest distilled liquor. With more than 600 years of history, this fascinating Okinawan drink has unique flavor profiles that will surprise.

A black textured ceramic plate with one Osaka-style (Kansai-style) okonomiyaki on it. The pancake is topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and green aonori seaweed.

What is Okonomiyaki? The Difference Between Kansai-style and Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki

Most people have heard of it, but just what is okonomiyaki? And what is the difference between Osaka okonomiyaki (Kansai-style) and Hiroshima okonomiyaki?

A large open barrel of black Japanese vinegar. The shot has been taken from the point of view of someone pouring some into a small glass cup with a bamboo ladle.

A Guide to Japanese Vinegar: From Sushi and Dressings, to Mocktails, Tea and Beer

Japanese vinegar or ‘su’ (酢, す) is used in a wide variety of foods and drinks, including sushi, salads, stir-fries, ice cream, and even milk, tea and beer.

About seven beautifully-arranged pieces of yuba (tofu skin) on top of some shiso leaves on a black oval ceramic plate. The plate is sitting on a dark wooden surface.

Discovering ‘Yuba’: Japan’s Versatile Tofu Skin Delicacy & Where to Try It

Yuba or tofu skin is a wonderfully versatile ingredient in Japanese cuisine, and a dish in its own right | What is yuba, how to eat it and top yuba restaurants.

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