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The world's first octopus farm is being planned by a Spanish seafood multinational. The intelligent creatures are difficult to rear in captivity, but numerous companies around the world have been trying and Nueva Pescanova has announced it's close to making an octopus farm a reality. Scientists and animal welfare groups have objected to the plans. Nueva Pescanova says the company's priority is to guarantee animal welfare by applying to the cultivation process the conditions of the species in the wild. Ruth Alexander finds out more about both sides of the debate with the BBC's Environment and Rural Affairs correspondent, Claire Marshall, who has been closely following the story from the beginning. She speaks to Dr Heather Browning, Lecturer in Philosophy at Southampton University in the UK and former zoo-keeper, about the capacity of octopuses to experience feelings; and how we form our opinions about what we should and shouldn't farm. And she finds out why octopus is central to Japanese cuisine with food writer and host of Japan Eats! podcast, Akiko Katayama. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: an octopus with curling tentacles. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Debates around what's traditional or authentic are constantly spinning in the culinary world— so much so that numerous organizations have been formed to protect the authenticity of various dishes and production methods. In Mezcal's case, there is an organization whose name translates to The Mexican Regulatory Council for the Quality of Mezcal. The stated purpose of this group, and others like it, is to uphold quality through strict regulations and guidelines. But how do these regulations potentially push people out?This week on Meat and Three, we're unpacking the meaning of authenticity in the culinary world. We explore the pressure authenticity can have on individuals and how there may be more than one “right” version of the way to cook a dish. Further Reading:Learn more about researcher Kathleen Ja Sook Bergquist here.Jenny Herman is a doctoral fellow in the Cultural Studies department at KU Leuven in Belgium. Her current research focuses on the relationship between nationalism and culinary heritage initiatives. You can read more about her research here. Check out David Schlosser's full interview on Japan Eats!Read Elaine Castillo's article, Colonialism in a can, in full. Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Massud Ghaussy who has a Japanese food and restaurant blog on Instagram under TokyoManhattan. His posts not only describe restaurants he has visited, but also include many other elements behind the dishes, such as history, culture, and cooking methods. He joined us in Episodes 125, 136, 152 and 186 and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in the world.Today's topic is the best Japanese restaurants in the world in 2022. The popularity of Japanese food remains high globally, and so is the reputation of Japanese chefs working abroad. Massud has visited many cities in the world and discovered great restaurants during the year. We will discuss all of them. Also, since this is the end-of-the-year episode, we will demystify the Japanese New Year rituals, which is a huge deal in Japan!!! Here are the links to the restaurants discussed in this episode.Kanazawa – (Please use translation technology accordingly!)• Sushi Kawaramachi Hajime http://mikizo1.com/ • Kappo Hamacho https://r.gnavi.co.jp/m20u46880000/ • Higashiyama WakonParis – • Restaurant AT http://www.atsushitanaka.com/ • La Scene Theleme https://www.lascenetheleme.fr/ Spain – • Toshi Restaurant https://www.toshi.es/ NYC – • Noz17 https://www.noz17.com/ • 69 Leonard Street https://www.69leonardstreet.com/ • Kissaki https://explorekissaki.com/ • Kappo Sono https://www.bbfkapposono.com/ Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Greg Lam who has a popular YouTube Channel called “Life Where I'm From”. He has created over 200 videos since 2015 and his Channel has more than 1.6 million subscribers. Greg is based in Japan and in his insightful videos, he covers a wide variety of topics from Japanese breakfast, how a ramen shop operates, why Japanese bathrooms are the best, to Japanese social issues like minorities in Japan. In each video, he accurately and analytically captures a very ordinary aspect of life in Japan, but these daily matters are the most representative of the uniqueness of Japanese culture. Even though I grew up in Japan, I always learn something new from Greg's videos, and his messages make me think more deeply about what Japan is. In this episode, we will discuss why Greg moved to Japan, why he decided to start the YouTube Channel called 'Life Where I'm From', what is unique about Japanese culture, the underlying mindset and philosophies of Japanese people that make the country unique, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Jamie Ryder, who is a certified sake sommelier as well as a Japanese culture enthusiast. Also, Jamie publishes a Japanese culture-themed magazine called Yamato Magazine, which explores Japanese culture from a variety of angles. We have had many guests in the past, talking about Japanese food scenes in the biggest cities in the world such as Tokyo, L.A., London and Paris, but we don't know too much about how Japanese food is gaining interest in other places. Jamie is based in Manchester, U.K. Manchester is still a big city, the 6th largest in the country, but by no means the same as a metropolis like London. In other words, it is a great example to see what is happening with Japanese food culture in smaller cities. In this episode, we will discuss how Jamie got into Japanese culture, what is happening with Japanese culture outside the metropolis, how Jamie gained knowledge of sake and got certified as a sake sommelier in Manchester, what should happen for Japanese sake to be enjoyed more outside global cities, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Mike Satinover who is a ramen expert based in Chicago. Ramen became a very popular dish outside Japan in the last two decades or so and these days you can find great ramen shops in many cities in the U.S. Mike fell in love with ramen when he spent a year in Japan 12 years ago and since then, his passion for the iconic Japanese national noodle dish has only deepened. That is why his Reddit page has become the go-to place for serious ramen lovers. Go there and you will be surprised by the quantity and the quality of well-organized, practical information about how to make a great bowl of ramen in your own kitchen even outside Japan. In this episode, we will discuss how Mike got into ramen, how he learned to make great ramen back home in America, the importance of regional variations of ramen within Japan, tips to make ramen at home, and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Tomo Matsushita who is the spirit sommelier at Copper & Oak in the Lower East Side, New York. Spirits are very popular in the U.S. If you look at the alcohol beverage market in 2021, beer was the most popular, which accounted for 43% of the market. Spirits were almost as popular as beer and their market share was 41%, and the remaining was mostly wine. Spirits are delicious but if you don't know much about them, it is hard to choose what to drink. Tomo is the expert who can help you not only to choose what spirit and what brand, but also to understand the story behind each label. At Copper & Oak, he serves 1,400 labels of spirits. Tomo's passion and knowledge of spirits are well-recognized in the global spirits industry and he received the title of the Icon of Whisky 2021. As you may know, Japanese whisky has been one of the hottest categories of spirits in recent years, and Copper & Oak carries 130 Japanese whisky labels. In this episode, we will discuss Tomo's unique background outside being a spirits sommelier, why Japanese whisky is distinct from other types of whisky like Scotch and Bourbon, different categories of Japanese whisky, how to taste Japanese whisky, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Shohei Miyajima who is the manager of Dashi Okume in Brooklyn, New York. The New York location of Dashi Okume opened in September 2022 but the history of the company Okume goes back to 1871. Dashi is a Japanese-style stock, but unlike western style stock it is used very extensively in Japanese cuisine. Dashi provides a rich umami taste, which is foundational in many Japanese dishes. Dashi is very easy to make in your kitchen because its ingredients have been carefully made over a long time with special techniques. Dashi Okume sells a whole variety of premium ingredients of dashi and you can customize your dashi flavor as well. In this episode, we will discuss why Shohei decided to become a dashi expert, main ingredients of dashi and their characteristic flavors, how to effectively maximize umami by combining different dashi ingredients, easy recipes that you can try with dashi, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Vincent Kazuhito Lau who is the knife sharpener at Korin based in New York. Korin has been offering premium quality Japanese knives, tableware and cookware to Japanese and non-Japanese chefs and consumers for the last 40 years. Vincent began studying knife sharpening in 2009 and thanks to his passion and patience, he has acquired the highly difficult skills and the mindset of a professional knife sharpener. In this episode, we will discuss how Vincent fell in love with Japanese knives, the challenges he conquered to become a knife sharpening expert, why we should sharpen our knives and how to do so effectively, Japanese knife buying tips, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guests are Joelle Sambuc Bloise and Aldo Bloise, who are the co-founders of Ikkyu. Ikkyu is a unique tea company that sells high-quality Japanese tea based in the southern island of Kyushu. If you live outside of Japan, it is not easy to find reasonably priced high-quality Japanese tea. Then I heard about Ikkyu. I ordered some tea from the website and I had some wonderful new discoveries! Of course, there are other great Japanese tea companies but I got particularly interested in Ikkyu's focus on the terroir of Kyushu island. In this episode, we will discuss how Joelle and Aldo decided to move to Japan even though they had a solid professional career in Switzerland, how they discovered the charm of Japanese tea, why you should try Japanese tea beyond matcha, the unique terroir of Kyushu Island, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Prairie Stuart Wolff who is a writer and photographer and what I would call cultural communicator based in a rural countryside village called Mirukashi on Japan's southern island of Kyushu. Since Prairie moved to Mirukashi in 2007, she has been deepening her interest in Japanese food through the beautiful surrounding nature. You can find her precious life in the village on her website, Cultivated Days. In this episode, we will discuss how Prairie ended up moving to Japan, how the village of Mirukashi inspired her to study Japanese cuisine, the essence of Japanese cuisine Prairie wants to share with others, her unique culture tours that you can participate in, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Daiki Tanaka who is the founder of d:matcha. d:matcha is a highly unique tea company located in the rural town of Wazuka, Kyoto. Wazuka has been known as a premium tea production area for the last 800 years. The landscape of Wazuka is stunningly beautiful but the town has been suffering from serious depopulation. However, Wazuka started to see a bright future since Daiki moved there and began his various ambitious projects to revive the community. In this episode, we will discuss why Daiki decided to move to a rural town with his family after a successful corporate career, his creative strategies to revitalize Wazuka's tea industry, challenges he had to conquer as a newcomer to Wazuka's close-knit community, how he built a powerful young and global team to execute d:matcha's various activities, Daiki's ultimate goal beyond reviving Wazuka, and much, much more!!!Daiki's challenges and success are beautifully summarized in this video. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh who joined us 10 times in Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108, 131, 156, 180, 200, 208, and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen”, “Kibo: Recipes and Stories from Japan's Tohoku”, and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”.Today's topic is Kambutsu. Kambutsu means “dried things”. These are essential items in the traditional Japanese pantry but rarely receive the attention they deserve. In this episode, we will discuss what kambutsu is, why they are so precious, ways you can use them (that are totally foolproof!), Elizabeth's favorite kambutsu recipes, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Arimi Asai who is the co-founder of Fish & Dish Sakanaya Asai based in Tokyo. Fish & Dish Sakanaya Asai is a unique and highly inspiring fishmonger. When we buy seafood, most of us will go to a supermarket and purchase a piece of fish without knowing its whole shape. It is easy and convenient but the process reminds us that we have become very distant from how we used to eat fish. Arimi and her husband Kazuhiro have a mission to shrink the distance. Their innovative mom & pop business has no address and they are ready to deliver the freshest fish straight from the market to wherever their clients are. Not only that, they offer various catering and educational services to teach how a whole fish is broken down and comes to your plate. Their business started in 2015 and the idea of a fishmonger without a storefront has become popular through word-of-mouth recommendations among foodies and environmentalists alike. In this episode, we will discuss how Kazuhiro and Arimi came up with the concept of the nomadic fishmonger, the unique entertaining and educational programs they offer, how their business can support the brighter, sustainable future of seafood consumption, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Randy Channell Soei who is a master tea practitioner from Canada. Randy went to Japan 37 years ago to study martial arts. His goal was achieved and he gained proficiency in various styles of martial arts, including Kendo, Iaido, and Kyudo. But somehow, his focus shifted to Japanese tea ceremony and eventually he became the first master tea ceremony instructor as a non-Japanese person.In this episode, we will discuss how Randy got into the tea ceremony, what exactly tea ceremony is, the spiritual aspects of tea ceremony that we all can benefit from, how you can try the tea ceremony, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Yuichiro Murai, the 29th generation of Kojiya Sanzaemon based in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Koji, which is also called the national mold of Japan, has been used to make a majority of anything delicious in Japanese cuisine, such as miso, soy sauce, sake, and shochu. In the last decade or so, koji has become a culinary keyword, especially among forward-minded top chefs like Rene Redzepi of Noma in Denmark, and Feran Adria in Spain. Yuichiro's family has been selling koji products since 1390. His company's lab has 3,000 types of koji, and he and his team select the right one for each of their clients based on their knowledge and experience accumulated over the six centuries. In this episode, we will discuss how Japanese and other Asian countries use koji differently, different forms of koji and how they are used, how we can use koji in our own kitchen, novel applications of koji beyond tradition, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Maurice Dudley, who is an awamori specialist based in Okinawa. Awamori is a very important traditional alcoholic beverage from Okinawa Prefecture, but its preciousness is yet to be known outside Japan.Maurice went to Japan for the first time in 1994 as an Airman. He was stationed at a U.S. Military base in Okinawa and fell in love with awamori. Since then, he has continued to deepen his knowledge of and passion for awamori, and now owns an awamori bar and trading company, Blue Habu, in Okinawa City. In this episode, we will discuss how Maurice discovered the charm of awamori, what awamori is and how it's different from shochu, how to drink awamori, the latest of the awamori industry, and much, much more!!!HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we're asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is J. Trent Harris who is the executive chef at the beautiful new sushi restaurant called Mujo in Atlanta, Georgia, which opened in February 2022. At Mujo there are only 15 seats at the counter made with cypress and he serves an omakase-style tasting menu that changes daily based on the catch of the day. Earlier in his career, chef Harris worked in classic western kitchens, including the Michelin-starred modern Portuguese restaurant Aldea in New York where he was the chef de cuisine. But somehow, he decided to choose sushi as his focus. He trained at reputable Ginza Sushi Onodera in New York as well as in Tokyo and worked as the executive sous chef at Shuko in New York, which showcases a great balance between authentic and creative. In this episode, we will discuss how chef Harris decided to get into sushi, how and where he learned sushi-making, the concept of omakase, his unique philosophy of merging the authentic sushi culture and the southern mentality, and much, much more!!!HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we're asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Tetsuji Ishigaki who is a scientist and the president & CEO of SOI inc. based in Shizuoka, Japan. The company produces sustainable foods and ingredients using Japanese koji mold. Tetsuji has a strong mission to help to create a fully sustainable society by providing healthy products. It sounds like a cliché but what he does is real. His family started a koji manufacturing business in 1739 and with the deepest understanding of the Japanese national mold, Tetsuji has been inventing unique items, such as delicious snack bars made with coffee grounds. In this episode, we will discuss Tetsuji's fascinating family history, what koji is and why it is so unique and powerful to produce sustainable products, fascinating examples of his delicious and sustainable foods like zero-waste coffee syrup, what koji can do beyond making fermented foods, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Michael Tremblay who is a Sake Samurai, international sake judge, sake sommelier, and certified sake educator based in Toronto, Canada. Michael is also the co-author of the excellent new book “Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake: Rice, Water, Earth” from Tuttle Publishing. This book is not an ordinary book on sake. It not only covers the basics of sake with unique insights but also discusses more advanced topics such as new rice varieties and water mineral contents and how these elements articulate the terroir in each region. But make no mistake, this book is a fun read rather than a textbook, although you would learn so much from it without trying. You will also get to meet people from 35 breweries and other key players in the sake industry, such as koji providers and female toji. In this episode, we will discuss how Michael became a renowned sake expert and educator, intriguing topics featured in his new book, including the latest trends of popular sake rice, how newly developed flower yeasts are changing the flavors of sake, Japan's diverse regional terroir, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest today is Akira Shimizu who is the associate professor of History at Wilkes University and his focus has been our favorite topic: food. Professor Shimizu recently published an intriguing book titled, “Specialty Food, Market Culture, and Daily Life in Early Modern Japan: Regulating and Deregulating the Market in Edo, 1780–1870”. The book features the very unique period of Japanese history. The Edo era was a more peaceful time than ever thanks to the strong leadership of the shoguns. But because of the strong shoguns, the food supply system was highly regulated and manipulated back then. Professor Shimizu unfolds how the system unfairly worked for small players and how they tried to change it with fascinating examples. In this episode, we will discuss how the shoguns managed to eat the best of the best foods in the market, how privileged merchants enjoyed and suffered their status at the same time, how ordinary citizens bravely challenged the system, lessons we can learn from the Edo period, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Andy Matsuda, the founder and master sushi chef of Sushi Chef Institute in Los Angeles, California. Traditionally, sushi-making was something not to be taught, but what you patiently learn by watching your master for years and years. But Andy's work experience in the U.S. and deep understanding of the global sushi market led him to open the sushi school in 2002. Since then, many successful graduates have been offering sushi to the world and increasing its popularity even further. In this episode, we will discuss how Andy became a master sushi chef himself, why he decided to open a sushi school in the U.S., a life-changing event that triggered his decision to do so, what Sushi Chef Institute provides to students, episodes of successful graduates, and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
To celebrate Mother's Day, the founders of the storytelling website Eat, Darling, Eat present conversations with some of your favorite HRN hosts, this time talking personally about their own mother/daughter relationships and the ways that food helps to explore and define the family dynamics, history, and personalities. Whether Mom dedicated passion and energy to feeding her family, or made Sara Lee and Szechuan take-out her best friends, listen in on the stories of families, cultures, and kitchens from South Africa to Japan. Host:Aimee Lee Ball is an author and journalist writing about health, business, politics, food, travel, and the arts. She has contributed cooking columns to The New York Times Sunday Magazine and has appeared on TV's Food Network. Her books include No Time to Die, a New York Times Notable Book, and Changing the Rules, a Best Business Book. She has written for many national publications including New York Magazine, The New York Times, O the Oprah Magazine, National Geographic, and Harper's Bazaar.Producer:Steve Baum is a New York-based filmmaker and cinematographer. His company produced Salvadorian Salvation, a documentary about protecting El Salvador's children from gang violence. Dr. Vicky Guzman, founder and director of Asaprosar, an organization that helps the neediest families of that country, worked with her daughter Lucy Guzman and a team of social workers, psychologists, and educators, providing a refuge for children, including a balanced meal every day. Steve is the creator of Not For Kids Only (UnderwaterSuite), the first DVD in a musical video series.HRN Happy Hour is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Blake Richardson who is the president and owner of Moto-i in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Moto-i opened as a sake brewery and brewpub in 2008. There are around 20 craft sake breweries in the U.S. now, but when Blake started Moto-i, there was not much information available about Japanese sake in English, not to mention other craft breweries to learn from. Blake also runs a sake rice milling company called Minnesota Rice and Milling, which is important for American sake brewers, considering difficulties in getting premium sake rice in the U.S. In this episode, we will discuss why Blake decided to open a sake brewery in Minneapolis, how he studied sake production, his sake-making philosophy, why he started the sake rice milling business, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Mehdi Alexandre Medhaffar, who is a kurabito, or a brewmaster's support, at Terada Honke in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo. Mehdi is Franco-Tunisian and he has made sake at five breweries in Japan for the last 8 years. Terada Honke is distinctively unique and known for its strong focus on natural sake-making. Here, we are not talking about a natural-oriented brewing style but a never-ending pursuit of minimum intervention to maximize the power of nature. The brewery was founded 349 years ago but its philosophy shifted towards natural fairly recently. In this episode, we will discuss why Mehdi decided to pursue his career in sake-making, why Terada Honke chose to become a natural sake brewer, its mind-blowingly unique sake, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
japan, japanese, japanese food, japanese cuisine, washoku, Japanese culture, japan eats!, Rintaro, Izakaya, sylvan Mishima Brackett, akiko katayama, heritage radio network, food radioOur guest is Sylvan Mishima Brackett, who is the chef and owner of Izakaya Rintaro in San Francisco's Mission district. Shortly after its opening in 2014, Rintaro was included in Bon Appetit magazine's Top 10 New Restaurant list and has been beloved by many diners for the last 8 years. Born in Japan and raised in California, Sylvan has a unique and beautifully balanced approach to Japanese food culture. He also worked for the iconic American chef Alice Waters for years who has deeply influenced his view of food. In this episode, we will discuss why the son of a Japanese temple carpenter decided to become a chef, Sylvan's apprenticeship at traditional restaurants in Japan, how he integrates Japanese and American food cultures at his restaurant Rintaro, his favorite Japanese kitchen equipment, and much, much more!!!Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member todayHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Bob Florence, who is the founder of Moromi based in Connecticut. At Moromi, Bob produces hand-crafted, small-batch Japanese-style fermented products such as shoyu, miso, hot sauces, and other condiments.Bob studied how to make authentic Japanese fermented products in Japan and uniquely integrate the Japanese tradition and local flavors of coastal Connecticut. In this episode, we will discuss how an industrial chemist became an artisanal food producer, why Japanese-style fermentation is distinctively unique, how Bob learned Japanese-style fermentation, different types of Japanese soy sauces Bob makes, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Ken Suzuki, the founder of the Suzuki Farm in Delaware, which opened in 1983. In the last 39 years, Ken has devoted himself to introducing native Japanese vegetables and fruits to America. He and his team grow a variety of Japanese produce on their 28-acre land and harvest more than 30 kinds of crops throughout the year. I have been hearing about Suzuki Farm through Japanese and non-Japanese chefs who look for the uniquely delicate flavors of Japanese vegetables. In this episode, we will discuss why Japanese-born Ken Suzuki decided to farm in the US, what kinds of Japanese crops he grows, how unique and special they are, how you can use them in your kitchen, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Takashi Miyazaki, who is the chef/owner of ichigo ichie in Cork, Ireland. Takashi moved to Ireland in 2008 where Japanese food was yet to be more deeply discovered. Also, he was met by the global financial crisis shortly after his arrival in Ireland. After going through numerous challenges, he fell in love with Cork, a small city in the south-western part of the country, and opened a kaiseki restaurant called ichigo ichie in 2018. The restaurant became a huge success and earned a Michelin star only 6 months after its opening. In this episode, we will discuss why Takashi ended up moving to Ireland, why he fell in love with Cork, his philosophy of cooking Japanese food outside Japan, how he effectively utilizes Irish ingredients to cook authentic Japanese cuisine, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Genki Ito, who is the founder of Tippsy Sake, an online store that specializes in Japanese sake, based in California. Japanese sake has been increasingly popular globally in recent years and the US is one of the most promising markets for the sake industry. For example, between 2011 to 2021, the value of Japanese sake export to the US tripled, and its quantity doubled, according to the Japanese government's statistics. In other words, Americans are drinking not only more sake but also higher-quality sake than 10 years ago. But if you live in America, you normally have to go to Japanese restaurants to discover great sake, partly because your local liquor shop doesn't carry good enough sake for you (or sells no sake at all), or the store does not have anyone who can give you solid advice on which one to buy.Tipssy Sake is a nice solution for the problem by making Japanese sake more readily available to everyone from sake novices to connoisseurs. In this episode, we will discuss how Genki's unique background led him to come up with the successful business concept, what types of Japanese sake people are drinking right now in America, how COVID-19 dramatically boosted Tippsy Sake's business, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Whit Johnson who is the co-founder of Horyzon Spirits based in Atlanta, Georgia. Whit founded Hryzon Spirits in April 2021 to produce very unique products that blend Japanese tradition and American terroir. More specifically, he chose to use Japanese koji mold, which is the foundational ingredient of Japanese cuisine, to produce his spirits instead of malts. Also, he uses Carolina Gold rice, which reflects the rich history of American South agriculture. It is very exciting to see how the two cultures are beautifully merged in his products. In this episode, we will discuss how Whit got into the spirit industry after his successful career in an entirely different industry, the difference between koji and malt-based fermentation, how a traditional Southern American rice naturally merges Japanese traditional koji, and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Episode 88. This week, something a little different! Back in Oct 2021, John and Timothy were guests on the Japan Eats! Podcast, hosted by our friend Akiko Katayama. As we take a week off for the holidays, enjoy this replay of our visit to Japan Eats! The topic was: "You found out you like sake - Now What??" We had a great time talking with Akiko and we hope you'll enjoy the listen! We'll be back to our regular format next week. Until then, Happy New Year and, as always, kanpai!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/sakerevolution)
This episode is different from our regular show. Recently, I got very lucky to be on the fantastic podcast Sake Revolution and had a fun conversation with the wonderful hosts Tim Sullivan and John Puma. So I am replaying it today on Japan Eats! The Sake Revolution podcast started in January 2020 and each episode is so informative and so much fun that I have never missed any episode of the show. Hope you enjoy it and also I suggest that you listen to more episodes on Sake Revolution, which is available on all major platforms of podcasts as well as on their website sakerevolution.com!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
This week on Meat and Three we explore all things tangy, sour, and sharp in an episode about acid. We look at how one bar is finding creative ways to stop wasting citrus. Then we hear from an HRN host who travelled the world to learn about vinegar and we experiment with reducing acidity in coffee. We also continue our conversation about grog, jumping from the 18th century to the present day to discover some refreshing cocktail recipes. Further reading and listening:If you're in NYC, take a trip to Pouring Ribbons to try out their cocktails. You can also make your own citrus stock.Hear more from Michael Harlan Turkell on episode 110 of Japan Eats! Subscribe to Japan Eats! on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode! (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS). Plus hear more from Michael Harlan Turkell on his HRN podcasts The Food Seen and Modernist Breadcrumbs. And check out his book “Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar.Enjoy these Low-acid coffee recommendations.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.
This episode is a repost from a podcast with Akiko Katayama from Japan Eats! where Jeremy explores Japanese food and culture. Podcast Host: Akiko Katayama is a food writer based in New York City, and a director of the non-profit organization The New York Japanese Culinary Academy which promotes a deeper understanding of Japanese cuisine in the US. She has worked as culinary advisor to the Japanese government and consulted for companies in the food and beverage industry. She also has served as judge on Food Network's Iron Chef Amaerica multiple times. She holds an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business, an MSc from London School of Economics/Political Science, and a Win Spirits Education Trust Advanced Certificate with Distinction. Originally posted on Japan Eats! Podcast hosted by Heritage Radio Network https://heritageradionetwork.org/series/japan-eats
Our guest is Yoshi Tezuka, the 4th generation sushi chef at Matsunozushi in Tokyo, which was founded in 1910. Yoshi is not just a great sushi chef, but also a global thinker. Before he became a sushi chef, Yoshi spent years abroad as a professional ski guide as well as a backpacker and traveled to over 50 countries. Now he cooks for a global audience worldwide on a whole variety of occasions, including the World Expo and the first lady luncheon at the G20 Summit. He was invited by the British Royal family to cook for them as well. Also, Yoshi actively educates students and tourists about sushi and Japanese culture through various programs. In this episode, we will discuss why Yoshi decided to make sushi for an international audience, the challenges he faces in making sushi outside Japan, his philosophy of sustainability, how to pair fish with wine (Yoshi is a certified wine sommelier too) and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Episode 60. This week, John and Timothy welcome the talented writer, culinary expert and podcast host Akiko Katayama to the show. Akiko is a fixture of the Japanese food and beverage scene and is the well known host of the Japan Eats podcast on the Heritage Radio network. On her show, she explores all things Japanese food and beverage and often introduces sake to her legions of listeners. She is a fan of sake herself and recommended we try a fun one today - Kenbishi Kuromatsu Honjozo - umami driven and delicious and best of all, we tasted it both warm and chilled to explore the versatility of this brew. And these flavors led Akiko to teach us a new taste descriptor: "kokumi". What's Kokumi? Well, to learn more, listen in and join us as we chat with the charming Akiko about sake and food and have a whole lot of fun!
Our guest is Philip Harper, the brewmaster and managing director of Kinoshita Shuzo in Kyoto, which was founded in 1842. Philip has been working in the sake industry for the last 30 years. In 2007, he became the very first non-Japanese brewmaster at Kinoshita Shuzo. Nowadays there are more non-Japanese workers in the sake industry but back then, it was a shockingly novel event! Philip has proven his remarkable talent and his outstanding products have won many awards. Also, he has been inspiring the sake industry with refreshing new ideas like sake that is made to be drunk on the rocks. In this episode, we will discuss how Philip ended up living in Japan and eventually becoming a brewmaster, his unique style of sake making, the future of the sake industry and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Don Mei who is the Director of Mei Leaf, an awesome tea company based in London. Don also has a wonderful YouTube Channel called “Mei Leaf”, which has 80,000 subscribers. His videos are extremely educational and uniquely fun based on his extensive knowledge of both Chinese and Japanese tea. His global and analytical perspective helps viewers to appreciate tea even more. In this episode, we will discuss various aspects of Japanese tea such as production, flavor and terroir in comparison with Chinese tea, Don’s intriguing path to become a tea specialist and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Winifred Bird who is a writer, translator, lifelong cook, and lover of plants, based in northern Illinois. Winnie recently published a fabulous book called “Eating Wild Japan - Tracking the Culture of Foraged Foods, with a Guide to Plants and Recipes” from Stone Bridge Press. When we talk about Japanese cuisine, we tend to think of dishes like sushi, ramen and kaiseki without considering enough about native ingredients that play a significant role in Japanese food culture. One of the most important ingredients is sansai or edible wild plants. Since two-thirds of Japan’s total land area is forested, you can find amazing seasonal edible plants throughout Japan. Winnie is one of the very few people who discovered the charm of sansai and wrote a book about it in English, based on her experience of living in Japan for 9 years. In this episode, we will discuss Winnie’s eventful life in Japan, what sansai is, why sansai is so important in Japanese food culture, delicious sansai dishes that you should not miss at Japanese restaurants or in Japan and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Yarrow Lazer-Smith, a.k.a. Yarrow Slaps who is a visual artist and hip-hop musician as well as the co-director of SWIM Gallery in San Francisco. Yarrow recently published “Ramen Forever – An Artist’s Guide to Ramen”. There are many ramen-themed books, but this is definitely one the most intriguing and cool ones you can find. It is packed with inspiring interviews with ramen-lover artists, tons of fun illustrations, amusing photos and novel recipes. The book is a proof of how ramen has become universally popular. 20 years ago, who would have expected that such a casual, accessible form of Japanese cuisine will appeal to a global audience!In this episode, we will discuss Yarrow’s unique life perspective as an artist, how the cool painter and hip-hop musician got into ramen, what is common between art and ramen and much, much more!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Hannah Kirshner who is the author of “WATER, WOOD, AND WILD THINGS”, which just came out on March 23, 2021 from Viking.Hannah has a lot of intriguing experiences in Japan. For example, she has worked as a bartender and as well as a kurabito, or sake brewer’s assistant, in the beautiful rural area of Ishikawa Prefecture called Yamanaka. Now she calls it her second home.In her new book, Hannah insightfully describes Japanese traditional culture as well as how it is being revised by artisans in Yamanaka.In this episode, we will discuss how Hannah got into Japanese culture and ended up living in Japan, the charm of rural Japan like Yamanaka, the area's inspirational artisans she has worked with and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Brian Ashcraft who is a senior writer for the video gaming site Kotaku and a columnist for The Japan Times. He is also the author of the 4 fascinating books: The Japanese Sake Bible, Japanese Whisky, Japanese Tattoos and Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool. Brian has lived in Osaka since 2001. Throughout the two decades, he has insightfully observed and reported the uniqueness of Japanese culture to the world in English. In this episode, we will discuss how Brian ended up becoming a prolific writer and journalist specialized in Japanese culture, his insight into various aspects of Japanese culture including sake, whisky, tattoos, schoolgirls and much much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Merry White who is the author of Coffee Life in Japan, an absolutely insightful and fascinating book about Japanese coffee as well as unique Japanese culture and society. Merry also teaches courses on various topics including Japan, food anthropology, and urban anthropology at Boston University.Japanese people started drinking coffee fairly recently compared to their centuries-old custom of tea drinking, but Japan is the number five importer of coffee beans as of 2021. Also, over the last century Japan has developed a remarkably unique coffee shop culture. For example, you may have heard the word Kissaten, which is a distinctive style of coffee shop. In this episode, we will discuss why Merry got into Japanese coffee culture, how Japanese coffee culture differs from the rest of the world, what functions coffee shops perform uniquely in Japanese society, the concept of Kissaten and much, much more! Image courtesy of Standart Magazine.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Danny Taing who is the founder of Bokksu. Bokksu means box in Japanese. His company Bokksu delivers to your door the experience of tasting authentic Japanese snacks, candies, and teas sourced directly from generations-old small family businesses. If you visit Japan, you will instantly know that Japanese people are quite obsessed with both savory and sweet snacks. Elaborately packaged products are ubiquitous and you can easily get addicted to them. In this episode, we will discuss how Danny got into Japanese snacks, why he decided to start a business to deliver them to your door outside Japan, unique Japanese snacks, artisanal producers he works with and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Andrew Centofante who is the co-owner and head brewer of North American Sake Brewery in Charlottesville, Virgina, which opened in 2018. It is Virginia’s first and only sake brewery. Despite its short history, the brewery has won the silver and bronze medals at the 2020 World Sake Challenge for its classic-style sake. But Andrew also makes highly imaginative sake as well. In this episode, we will discuss how Andrew got into Japanese sake, challenges in opening a sake brewery in Virginia, his innovative philosophy of sake production and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest today is Ian Chun who is the owner of Japanese online tea shop and community Yunomi.life. The website is not just selling tea but highly inspirational and educational about Japanese tea and the underlying unique Japanese culture. For example, you can meet tea producers on the designated webpage, which tells you each vendor’s detailed history, tea fields and manufacturing philosophy with beautiful images and videos. In this episode, we will discuss how Ian got into Japanese tea, his philosophy of connecting people through tea, benefits of drinking Japanese tea, how to enjoy Japanese tea at home and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our my guests are Marc Matsumoto & Maki Ogawa. Marc and Maki host a popular English cooking show called BENTO EXPO produced by NHK, the national public broadcaster of Japan. They teach a global audience how to make great bento boxes. The show is so popular that it is now in the fifth season. Also, Marc and Maki recently published a fascinating cookbook about Japanese-style bento called “Ultimate Bento – Healthy, Delicious and Affordable 85 mix-and-match Bento Box Recipes.” In addition to 85 recipes, there are useful tips about how to pack a bento box with step-by-step images, food safety, useful gadgets et cetera. In this episode, we will discuss why Japanese bento is unique, why Bento so is important in Japanese culture, how to make delicious and nutritious bento boxes and much, much more! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Atsushi Numata who is the chef and owner of Ni Japanese Deli at the Essex Market in the Lower East Side, Manhattan. Ni Japanese Deli is unique because all the food he sells is very healthy and allergen-free. He opened the deli in 2012 inspired by his newborn baby who suffered from a lot of allergies. In this episode, we will discuss Atsushi’s intriguing childhood of growing up in a restaurant family, how his music career shifted to cooking, how he makes delicious allergen-free dishes and much, much more! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.
Our guest is Sachiko Nakamichi who is the co-owner of Beniya Mukayu in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Beniya Mukayu is a beautiful boutique hotel located in the famous hot spring area Yamashiro. There are many hotels in the area but Mukayu is truly distinctive. It has earned multiple accolades including the member status of Relais & Châteaux, which is regarded as the best of the best in the world of hospitality. Not only that Mukayu was awarded the welcome trophy by Relais & Châteaux for its outstanding level of service. But the success did not happen overnight. When Sachiko joined the hotel in 1988, it was a mediocre, mass market-oriented place to stay. In this episode, we will discuss why Sachiko got involved in the hotel business, how she miraculously transformed the unremarkable hotel to the world class house of hospitality, the concept of the Japanese style hospitality ""Omotenashi"" and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.