JAPANESE CUISINE GLOSSARY

Ingredients peculiar to Japan can be substituted by canned food or ingredients available in other countries.

Asatsuki:

Can be replaced by chives, spring onions.

Bonito:

Saltwater fish related to the mackerel and tuna.

Cochinal:

Red food coloring.

Daikon:

Japanese radish; a mixture of radishes, celery and cucumbers or horseradish may be used instead.

Dashi:

Or water mixed with monosodium; 1/2 cup [125 mL] water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] monosodium glumatamate.

Dashi kobu:

Kelp [large seaweed].

Dried shiitake:

Japanese mushroom; can be replaced with canned mushroom.

Dried udon:

Can be replaced by noodles.

Dried wakame:

Edible seaweed.

Ginger juice:

Can be replaced by powdered ginger.

Kampyo:

Dried gourd.

Kanten:

Agar or agar-agar [gelatinous substance].

Katakuri:

Can be replaced by cornflour smoothly mixed with water;

1 teaspoon katamari mixed with 2 tablespoons [30 mL] vinegar = 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 1/2 cup [125 mL] water.

Lotus roots:

Can be replaced by bamboo shoots.

Mirin:

Sweet wine; 1 teaspoon [5 mL] sugar added to 1 tablespoon [15 mL] sherry makes it taste like mirin.

Miso:

Tofu made into a fermented bean paste.

Natto:

Fermented tofu.

Negi:

Can be replaced by leeks.

Sake:

Japanese rice wine; sherry is similar in taste and can be used instead.

Sansho powder:

Can be replace by pepper.

Sea bream:

Can be replaced by turbot.

Seasonings:

The amounts given in Japanese recipes suit the Japanese palate.

Sometimes, the amount of sugar, soy sauce and/or salt must be adjusted, to taste.

Sheet nori:

Dried seaweed.

Shichimi togarashi:

Pepper powder mixture; can be replaced by pepper.

Shoyu:

Tofu processed with wheat and salt into soy sauce.

Smoked salmon:

Smoked salmon is not a traditional Japanese food; salted salmon may also be used.

Stock:

Japanese use dashi, made with bonito, grated to very fine flakes, and dashi kobu [kelp] for stock; as it is unavailable in Western countries, chicken stock or fish stock is used.

In Western countries, different kinds of seasonings are used to make stock; in Japanese cooking, the only seasoning used is negi and sometimes ginger; this kind of simple stock suits the Japanese palate.

Tofu:

Custardlike bean curd, made of cooked soybeans.

Tuna fish:

Fresh tuna fish is indispensable to Japanese cookery but when it is not available it could be omitted or replaced by mackerel marinated in vinegar.

Wasabi:

Fresh wasabi can be replaced by canned wasabi powder, mixed with the same quantity of water or horseradish.

Yuzu:

Can be replaced by lemon peel.