Preserving the Japanese Way Quotes

“ISEOTO (伊勢音): Another excellent source for marine-related foods, it carries everything Satumaya does except the ago (dried juvenile flying fish). Compare the prices and products and make your own decision. To search: From Food, select Dried Food, then in Dried Foods, Squids. A simple photo of 10 squid (cuttlefish) banded together should appear on the first or second page, sold by: iseto.”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“SATUMAYA (味は芸術 「薩摩屋本店」): This shop is the answer to your search for all marine-related foods such as katsuobushi, niboshi, ago, whole dried squid, konbu, and nori. You can also find a katsuobushi shaver here. To search: Go to the main page of Global Rakuten Market and select Food & Drinks from the drop-down menu. From there, select Food. On the front page there will be a group of photos. Select Dried Bonito from the Dried Food section. Some form of katsuobushi sold by Satumaya should appear on the first or second page; look for: satumaya.”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“brewed green tea SERVES 4 RYOKUCHA 4 tablespoons (12 g) loose Japanese green tea (ryokucha) Fill a large teapot with cold filtered water and bring to a boil. Fill a smallish teapot for brewing the tea with about 1¾ cups (400 cc) boiling water and leave the large teapot off of the heat. The 194°F (90°C) water should have dropped to 176°F (80°C). Now fill 4 small cups (the portion size per person is usually a scant ½ cup/100 cc) with the water from the smallish teapot. This will heat the cups and cool the water another 50°F (10°C). Measure the tea into the smallish teapot and pour the water in the cups over the leaves. Let steep for 20 seconds and pour out evenly in each cup. It is important to pour in short bursts, a little at a time, and to use up all of the water in the pot. For the second round, pour water directly from the large teapot (which now should have cooled to about 176°F/80°C). Set the lid back on the smallish teapot, but crack it a bit to let steam escape. Steep for 10 seconds and pour out again in the same fashion. Always pour all of the tea out of the pot before adding water. The tea will become weaker and weaker until it is almost clear. This changing quality is part of the appeal.”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“Seventy-something Isamu Matsuue has spent over 60 years of his life working with katsuobushi, and he is the last artisan in Japan skilled at shaving the fish by hand. And Sakai Katsuobushi is the last katsuobushi company to perform this step. The special tools, shaped to follow the crevices of the katsuobushi, are no longer being fashioned, so this ancient art dies with Matsuue-san.”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“Kanchan says that if you follow what you love, money will follow. Shokunin”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“SURIKOGI: The grinding pestle that is used with the suribachi. Again, look for the largest pestle that fits reasonably with the size of your bowl. A wider bottom on the pestle will mean quicker dispatching of the grinding process. The best surikogi are made from the thick branch of a sansho (prickly ash) bush, a relative of Sichuan pepper. The knobby surface makes getting a purchase on the pestle easier than slick wood. TAKE BURASHI: A small, rectangular bamboo “brush,” sometimes sold with suribachi sets, which is handy to have for removing foods that cling stubbornly to the grooves of the suribachi. Also good for scraping the last grated ginger or wasabi off the oroshigane grating plate. OROSHIGANE”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“SURIBACHI: A grooved ceramic bowl used for grinding seeds, nuts, or tofu. You can substitute a coffee or nut grinder for the seeds, a miniprep for the nuts, and a food processor for the tofu; however, the suribachi is the most satisfying way to grind these and any foods. But do not bother with a small suribachi since the seeds will jump out and make a mess. If you decide to take the plunge, get the biggest one you can find. Sold at Japanese grocery stores, Korin (see Resources), or Amazon. SURIKOGI”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“OMOISHI: Literally “heavy rocks”: any heavy objects used as weights for fermenting and preserving. Typically garden rocks or river stones were used in Japan, though nowadays ceramic or plastic-covered iron weights can be purchased at home centers. I prefer rocks because there is an art to piling them on and this is one more instance where experience brings improvement. FOR”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“TSUKEMONOKI: A modern plastic container (of various sizes) with a spring-action screw mechanism that substitutes for the barrel and rock weights. One benefit of these contraptions is that they fit in the fridge. We use zippered bags instead of a tsukemonoki for quick pickling jobs. OTOSHI”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen

“And I am also partial to the senbongoshi “thousand-slatted” partitions that Tadaaki bought for $30 each but would cost at least $1,000 each IF someone could make them today. FUSUMA”
― Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen