from sake to sushi to ramen to matcha set,japanese is loved for its unique and wonderfulfood and drink.so,as you can imagine,there is a range of japanese kitchen essentials that every foodie should about!if you ever sat down at a traditional japanese resturant and not known what each bowl is for,if your feeling keen to prepare some japanese cusine at home ,then this guide is for you.we're going to take you through fourteen japanese kitchen essentials,including japanese table ware ides and cooking utensils you should know about.
JAPANESE TABLE WARE IDEAS
Japanese bowls
one keyaspect of Japanese table ware is the used of bowls:large, small,decorated with lids-the japanese use them all when eating,so knowing which bowl is used for what will prevent you from placing miso soup in a noodle bowl.
o-chawan
for the majority of japanese meals,you will find that a o-chawan will be used.An o-chawan is a small bowl which is used primarily for soft,sticky japaneserice .Rice is a staple food within the japanese diet and is eaten with a range of dishes.the o-chawan bowls are small enough to be held with one hand .while you are eating,it is considered good manners to hold the o-chawan in one hand rather then leaving it on the table .
o-wan
An o-wan is a japanese kitchen essentials if you're serving miso soup.THE O-WAN is a small bowl which comes with a lid to,and miso soup is served in this.the lid is designed to keep the soup nice and warm. this bowl should be placed on your right -hand side, whereas the o-wan should be place on your left-hand side .o-wan is a classic piece of japanese tableware and is often made from japanese lacquer
Donburi
Donburi bowls are used for a range of meals,including oyako-don [ a chicken and egg dish, don = beef, don =donburi], noodles and ramen .these bowls are often much larger then the typical japanese bowl and are a staple for enjoying japanese cuisine .
Japanese cutlery
In the western world our typicla cutlery layout includes a knife,a fork and a spoon. however, in japan they primarily only use one piece of cutlery and that is chopsticks.
chopsticks
chopsticks are essential part of the japanese tableware settings. if your planning a trip to japan then we advise that you pratice the art of eating with chopsticks because it can be trickier then it looks! there is certain chopsticks etiquette to know about ,too.for example ,there is a set way of holding chopsticks which is holding them at the end as opposed to in the middle .Also,passing food to another person using chosticks is frowned upon as this is a part of a funeral tradition.
hashi -oki
placing your chopsticks on your plate during your meal or when you've finished your meal is considered to be bad manners.instead of placing your chopstick on your plate,use the hash-oki, also known as chopstick rest, often come in a range of beautiful designs and is a japanese tableware idea that shouldnt go amiss
SOUP SPOON
japanese soup spoon are predominantily used to enjoy various noodles broths and soups, such as ramen or miso soup.they usually have a thick handle and a deep ,flat bowl.Smaller soup spoons and are referred to as renge.whereas soup spoons with longer handles and a deeper bowl [ these lool like ladies]are referred to as otama jakushi.
Japanese plates
depending on your meal,you may be surroundedby one plate or a range od different japanese plates. the japanese tend to serve different parts of their meal on different plates as opposed to piling everything onto one plate. The most notable plate which is used often within japanese tableware is the yakimono-zara.
YAKIMOMO-ZARA
THE YAKIMONO -zara is a flat plate which is usually rectangular in shape. this plate can very in size depending on how many people you are feeding .Ayakimono-zara is most commonly used to place grilled foods on such as beef, chicken or meat kebabs. the host serves the meat off the plate to the guests and it is then left in the middle of the table once everone has been served so that people can help themselves if they'd like a little more.
Japanese tea
The japanese are famous for their range of teas and elaborate tea ceremonies .They drink powdered green tea after their meals which is said to soothe and cleanse the palette.As tea is drank after most meals ,many house holds own elaborate tea sets,including tea caddies,which can be made from wood, paper, metal or ceramics, as well as teapots and small tea cups.
Yunomi- jawan
yunomi-jawan,also known as tea cups,are a key part of the japanese tea culture .what makes these tea cups different to those in the western world is that they have no handles. japanese tea cups vary in size depending on the occasion and comes decorated in intricate japanese designs. yunomi-jawan is used more informally, for everyday use .on the other hand ,chawan is a japanese tea bowl that ia most commonly used in japanese tea ceremonies. these are similar to yunomi-jawan in that they are also handle-less ,however they are designed specifically for preparing and serving matcha tea and are used in the more formal,traditional tea cermony.
CHAKI
japanese tea caddies or chaki ,are essential for japanese tea drinkers.they are designed to store your loose tea powder in ,keeping it as fresh and flavoursome as possible.A cherry bark tea caddy is a classic option ,hand made entirely from wild cherry tree bark .or ,for something more budget- friendly and colourful,you can opt for a metal tea caddy covered in beautiful washi paper1
CHASEN WHISK
A chasen whisk,also known as a bamboo whisk, is a traditional tool used for preparing match .Traditionally made from a single piece of bamboo,you quickly beat the whisk in a zig-zag motion across your tea bowl,creating the perfect frothy matcha!
JAPANESE KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
Japanese kitchen knives.
knives are another japanese kitchen essential- in fact ,japanese knives are often considered the best in the world and all of the knives we stock are made from stain resistant damascus steel.if you are intrested in investing in a quality japanese knife you should understand the different types available ,