Here are some of the stories, traditions and customs that differentiate the ways various countries in Asia celebrate the holiday. China In China, the holiday dates back to a long time ago from a tragic love story between Houyi (a skilled warrior) and Chang’e (his lover). The warrior was given a magic elixir that would grant him life in the heavens, however, he chose to stay with his lover on earth. He gave her instructions to protect the elixir. One day, Houyi’s enemies broke

First Friday Food Blog Hibachi & Teppanyaki As we dive deeper into various Japanese foods and styles, let’s discuss one of the more common varieties of Japanese restaurants you can find across the US: hibachi. The kind of hibachi restaurant that comes to mind for the average American is much less common or known in Japan. A Japanese person going to a hibachi grill here is an experience similar to taking someone from Mexico to Taco Bell! What we call hibachi is more commonly

As we continue exploring Japanese food culture, we learn about one of the most popular dishes in Japan: donburi. Donburi (don 丼 meaning bowl in Japanese) is as wide a category in Japanese cuisine as pasta is for Italian food. There are lots of dishes that you might know which fall under this category: katsudon, gyudon, butadon, and so on. While the literal meaning might refer to the bowl, donburi generally means something served over a bowl of rice. One donburi dish that has

After we discussed sushi and its history last week, it is only fitting to talk about the second most popular Japanese food - ramen! Ironically, ramen is not originally from Japan. Ramen is an adapted version of a Chinese dish, first appearing in Yokohama in the early 1900s. The first shop specializing in ramen appeared in a Tokyo suburb in 1910. The dish wouldn’t see true success until nearly 40 years later. Following World War II and the accompanying food shortages in post-

Whether hand rolled, cooked, raw or otherwise, sushi is ubiquitously Japanese. It is the most popular Japanese food by a wide margin and has become a truly worldwide food. What most people may not know, however, is that the term “sushi” actually refers to the sushi rice rather than the shape or other ingredients. Sushi rice is cooked rice, typically medium-grain, which has been vinegared with salt and sugar being common additions. The first mention of a sushi-like food was i

Japanese Bakeries - What Makes Them Unique? When you think of Japan, what is the first thing you think of? For a large number of people, rice would be top of the list. In recent years this has been changing quickly in Japan. For example, in 2011 Japanese households spent more money on bread than rice for the first time ever. Additionally, annual rice consumption has dropped from a 1962 peak of 118 kg to 2020’s low of 51 kg. That is a decline of more than half! As the economi

Sa-Sato, Shi-Shio, Su-Su, Se-Shoyu, So-Miso The popularity of Japanese food has skyrocketed in the US in recent years. From sushi and ramen to tonkatsu, there are so many options to choose from. But have you ever thought about the ingredients that go into Japanese Cuisine? Some of the first ingredients that come to mind are likely fish and rice, which is not incorrect. However in Japan, there is an acronym used called “Sa Shi Su Se So”. This acronym stands for the five pillar

Lunar New Year is the annual celebration of the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Celebrated by numerous cultures in a variety of...

Holi is an Indian Hindu spring holiday celebrated for two days straight on the lunar calendar. Also known as the "Festival of Colors"