Okay, now I'll explain briefly about these seasonings:
Sake: We use sake in most of Japanese dishes. We add it to remove the strong smell of seafood, to tender meat and to give sauces extra flavour and richness.
You might be confused about which one you should buy because there's such a wide range of them. But you don't have to buy an expensive one, just get cooking with one that's relatively cheap - remembering that the expensive ones are for drinking!
Mirin: Is used in lots of Japanese dishes. One of the most popular dishes is probably 'Teriyaki Chicken'. 'Teri' means 'Glaze'. Mirin gives sauce a glaze with a bit of sweetness and thickness.
Miso: There are several kinds of miso in a shop. You'll often find 'Aka(Red) miso', 'Shiro(White) miso' and 'Awase(Mixed)'. Aka miso is aged for a long time, therefore it has stronger flavour and taste. Compared to Aka miso, Shiro miso has sweet and soft taste. I usually buy Awase miso which is s mixture of aka and Shiro miso. Some people say that the taste is much better when you mix both of them by yourself. But I always like the easy and time-saving way! Someone has already mixed them for you! Why not?!
Soy sauce: This condiment is the most important in my kitchen. I use it in almost every dish. Shops usually have Japanese and Chinese ones. Because their tastes are quite different, make sure to buy the Japanese one. Mine is 'Kikkoman Soy Sauce' and it's available in local supermarkets.
Dashi: Dashi is cooking stock and essential to make the truly authentic flavour of Japanese dishes. It mainly contains bonito, kelp or shiitake mushroom. However, even in Japan these days, it's rare to make it from scratch. Most people (including me) use granulated or liquid instant substitutes, which you can find in a supermarket.
Vinegar: I mainly use Japanese rice vinegar. Each Asian country produces their own rice vinegar, but due to different tastes and flavours, I stick I stick to Japanese one when I cook Japanese dishes.
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