View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vegan Japanese Cooking Class (@bentoyacooking) The post Bentoya ♡ Nigiri Sushi first appeared on BentoYa Cooking ..read more

Seasonal ingredients In Japan, the vegetable and fruit selection changes with the seasons. Therefore, there are staples which you can always find, such as apples, regular cabbage and potatoes. On the other hand, there is also produce which can only be bought during a certain season. In addition, some vegetables and fruits may also have seasonal varieties.  Occasionally, you can also encounter out-of-season produce, but at a higher price than normal. One example of this is strawberries. They are in season during the winter until early Spring. However, you can still buy them out of seaso ..read more

What is modoki ryori? Modoki ryori [もどき料理] refers to food which uses plant-based ingredients to mimic the appearance, taste and texture of meat-based dishes. This type of dishes are common in shojin ryori [精進料理, Buddhist Cuisine] and they have also achieved a certain mainstream popularity due to the health factor of eating vegetable-rich meals. Hence, today there are many restaurants specialising in serving shojin ryori inspired meals. Origin Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century and in the 13th century modoki ryori originated as part of the temple food eaten by Japanese Zen Buddhi ..read more

What is Chuka ryori? Chuka ryori (中華料理) refers Japanese dishes that have their origins in China. However, the dishes are still uniquely Japanese, as they have often been adjusted to fit the style and taste of the Japanese palette — for example, by making the more fiery dishes milder. Dishes that belong to this group include staples, such as ramen, gyoza (dumplings) and harumaki (spring rolls).  Ramen (ラメーン) Ramen is today viewed as a national Japanese food. There are common variants found in most standard ramen shops, as well as more local versions in different parts of the country ..read more

Looking for a thoughtful gift for that special someone? *This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on each sale. BentoYa is proud to partner up with Veecoco, one of the leading platforms for online vegan cooking courses. Our head chef, Akiko Sugawara is now conducting an exciting course on authentic vegan sushi and ramen.  Fair warning: This will make you hungry, so have your cooking utensils at the ready! The course takes you through the entire experience of making vegan sushi and ramen. This includes: an in-depth overview of the ingredients you need; substitut ..read more

Introducing BentoYa Cooking Instructor Tomomi Please tell us a bit about yourself: Hello, I’m Tomomi. I live in Hiroshima. I’m a mother of one. I’m a certified BentoYa cooking instructor. I teach vegan Japanese cooking online. I’m also a bilingual tour guide in Hiroshima. I love to communicate with people from all over the world. I’m passionate about telling Japanese culture and tradition to everyone. It’s so interesting to meet people from different backgrounds and to learn something new. In my free time, I like reading, walking, and searching for some new recipes and making them.  ..read more

History of miso There is a proverb from the Edo era stating that rather than paying a doctor, you should use your money at the miso shop. In Japanese: ｢医者に金を払うよりも、みそ屋に払え」 The origin of miso is contested. One theory states that it may have arrived with a Chinese convoy, while another says that it could originate from a fish sauce like product which was popular during the Yayoi period (c. 300 BCE c. 250 CE). Regardless of its origin, miso soon began its gradual rise to popularity, bursting into the mainstream during the Edo period. A wide range of varieties developed depending on regi ..read more

From 6th century Buddhism to modern society by Eiko Azumano Japan has long been a very vegan-friendly country. The 40th emperor, Tenmu, enacted a law to prohibit the eating of animals in the 7th century (year 675). The Japanese archipelago adopted Buddhism from China and Korea in the 6th century. Japan’s first encounter with Buddhism was a small bronze Shakamuni statue that came from Baekje (Korea) in the year 538. At the time, the innate religion was Shintoism. There was some debate between leaders to decide which religion should be considered as the main religion. However, fortunately ..read more

by Sarah Hodge Vegan JapanEasy by Chef Tim Anderson When you think of Japanese cuisine, what comes to mind? Sushi? Wagyu beef? Pork broth ramen? Fried chicken? Until the mid-1800s, Japan had a long tradition of a nearly vegetarian diet that was strongly linked to Buddhist beliefs. Chef Tim Anderson, winner of the MasterChef competition in 2011, owns several popular Japanese restaurants in London and is the author of JapanEasy, Nanban, and Tokyo Stories. With his newest cookbook Vegan JapanEasy, Anderson offers up vegan takes on Japanese soul food like karaage (fried chicken), here replaced ..read more

Koji is full of enzymes and used primarily as a fermenting agent in soy sauce, miso, sake, and other Japanese foods and beverages. After fermenting with koji the flavor deepens and real UMAMI flavor comes through! It only requires 2 ingredients:)The post Recipe | Soy Sauce Koji,醤油麹 first appeared on BentoYa Cooking ..read more