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Furikake
A dried condiment, commonly sprinkled over rice. Various versions
of furikake exist, made from little colorful flakes of ingredients such
as seaweed, salt, sugar, sesame seeds or dried bonito fish flakes.
Would I
try again? Yes, although the store bought stuff I've tried
tended to be more ornamental than tasty. ..a little too subtle for my tastebuds.
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Miso
Fermented paste made from rice, barley or soybean. The staple
ingredient in the well known miso soup, it is also used as a flavor in
sauces and marinades. Said by some to be extremely nutritious,
it's available in many varieties (many classified by color.)
Among the common flavors/styles are white, red or black miso...as well
as local varieties made throughout Japan.
Would I
try again? Yep. Give me a little longer, and I'll
start experimenting with the tastes of Miso in my own kitchen....
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Ponzu
A lemon flavored soy sauce...with the usual soy umami zing - but with
citrus overtones. Light and extremely tasty, this goes with just
about everything.
Would I
try again? Yes. This sauce belongs as a staple in
every cupboard.
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Wasabi
Most people are familiar with wasabi - you know, the green blob o'
stuff sitting next to the sushi, that burns your sinuses if you try to
eat it straight? The real stuff is made from a root vegetable,
and generally only available in Japan. The stuff we have is
actually a little different - made basically from green colored
horseradish. But it's still good - and great for tricking naive
friends who have never tried Japanese cuisine before..
Would I try again?
Yep. Actually, I don't bother with it on sushi - but really do
enjoy it over the occasional wasabi pea.
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