Ingredients to Bring Back from Japan

[serialhobbyist]

This is a call for help from all of you who are more familiar than I with Japanese cuisine. I'd like your advice on ingredients to bring back to the US from my first trip to Japan. I live in a tiny town called Ellensburg right in the middle of Washington state. There is very little in the way of ingredients available to me, except that which is found in a typical Safeway/Kroger. When I travel, I like to come home and try to cook some of the wonderful things I've eaten. I'm going to be traveling to Kyoto for a week, my first time in Japan. What are your favorite brands of wasabi, dry spices, sesame seeds, or anything else I cannot leave Japan without bringing home? I wish I could bring back sauces, but the airlines are so picky about liquids. Are any kinds of rice that are amazing, but difficult to find in the states? Also, in your opinion, is there an advantage to buying a knife overseas vs on the internet? I'm interested in the hybrid knives, specifically the Masamoto VG-10 Gyutou, 8.2".

[Delucacheesemonger]

One way to check , go to Korin's website for the knives, print out prices and take with you, you can make a comparison when in Japan.

[hill food]

yer gonna laugh being from the Pac NW, but there's a crab stand in the center of Tokyo's Tsukiji market that does their own canned in a green label that looks like they ran it off themselves (and probably did) a friend brought back a few and dammit I want more. I got fresh Dungeness living in CA and I get fresh Maryland now, but even though canned, this is the bomb. sorry, the label was all in character and it is long gone. but so good.

transporting knives (even shipping by commercial carrier) can be problematic.

[kikisakura]

You can bring back both liquid and knives as long as you are checking in your luggage.

My shopping list:

dashi stuff (kombu, niboshi, kotsuobushi, etc)
nori
umeboshi
organic soy sauce
mirin
sake
umeshu
dried squid
hijiki and other dried goods
pickled veggies
natto (need dry ice)
precooked multi-grain rice
miso paste

[Notorious P.I.G.]

To add to this Grocery List:

Koshi Hikari Rice Shinmai (NewCrop) I know people grow it in the US but getting it in Kyoto is a totally different animal.

Okinawa Kuro Sato (Okinawa Black Sugar)

Wagashi - You're in the capital of sweets afterall.

Regarding knives, I would be concerned less with the price comparison and more with finding a great knife in Japan that they don't sell in the US. I would look into Masamoto Tsukiji first as they're generally known as the most prestigious (note: not the same company as Masamoto Souhonten it was thought that they where once linked but split off, however the story there is fuzzy. They are hand made and you can get VG-10 from them among other steels) Masamoto Tsukiji has hand engraved Kanji as opposed to Masamoto Souhonten who's kanji is factory stamped. Second most presigious would be Aritsugu also in Tsukiji Market and well worth picking up. After that I would look into Ichimonnji Mitsuhide from Sakai city or even Tsubaya in Kappabashi. If you can't find stores that carry these knives then maybe a day trip to Sakai city or Tokyo might be worth it. Depends on how much of a knife fanatic you are. If you're from the states then Korin will always be around but how many chances do you get to go to Japan and get something really special? They'll even carve your name or Kanji, if you have it, into the knife somewhere for you, (Blade, hilt, depends...)

[serialhobbyist]

Thank you so much for your help. I'm going to print off the whole thread before I go and use it as a shopping list. I am packing an extra bag just to bring home all these goodies :).

[Notorious P.I.G.]

...maybe bring two.

Another thing I forgot to add is a little miracle snack called "Cheezas" you can find them in most Kombini (convenience stores) like Lawson, AM/PM, Family Mart, etc. They are cheese crackers on a whole nother level. Insanely good.

Right before I leave Japan I usually walk into a Kombini and clear a rack out right into my suitcase.

[Yukari]

Long list, but these are my picks below of food products to get. If you are in Kyoto, then head straight to Nishiki Market where you should find most of these things. There is a great spice shop called Dintora. For knives, Aritsugu is amazing. Both of these shops are in Nishiki Market. Also, ask your hotel where the closest supermarket is, they should have most of the things listed below. Have fun!

Goma – toasted black (kuro) and white (shiro) sesame seeds. Crush the seeds and add sugar and soy sauce for a dressing for cooked vegetables. Try crushed black sesame seeds with sugar over ice cream.
Hashi – long cooking chopsticks and regular chopsticks
Hashioki - chopstick rests available in seasonal designs
Ichimi – crushed, dried red chili pepper
Kinako - flour made from roasted soybeans, a great topping for ice cream, or mixed into a cold glass of milk.
Kushi – long bamboo skewers for grilling, also great for appetizers and hors d’eourves
Makisu – rolling mat for making sushi rolls at home.
Misoshiru gu – if you like to make miso soup at home, these packs of dried ingredients like wakame, fu, just need to be tossed into the soup.
Neriume – tube of umeboshi paste. Some are mixed with shiso leaves (shiso iri). Use to mix into salad dressings or for rolled sushi.
Ochoko and tokkuri – if you are a casual drinker of sake, then these cups are perfect as they are sturdy and can be thrown into the dishwasher. Tokkuri are like small carafes for sake in lieu of wine, and ochoko are the small cups.
Shamoji – rice paddles, the Japanese version are plastic and studded and easy to use as rice does not stick to them.
Shichimi – seven spice mix to top miso soups or noodle bowls.
Yukari – packets of dried purple shiso leaves. Use for making rice balls.
Yuzu kosho – yuzu and salt in a paste. Try mixing it with mayonnaise to spice up sandwiches or as a dip for crudités.

Items to pick up at regular shops:

Cha – different varieties of tea including sencha, genmaicha, and houjicha.
Katakuriko – a thickening agent
Katsuobushi – dried, smoked flakes of katsuo, an essential for making dashi.
Kokuto - black sugar from Okinawa and nearby islands.
Kombu – if you cook at home you will want to stock your pantry with kombu, the base for making any dashi.
Kuzu – a trendy ingredient with top chefs throughout the world. It is used as a thickening agent.
Mattcha powder – traditional mattcha is expensive and can be hard to work with in the kitchen. You can find instant versions to make mattcha lattes at home or to mix into vanilla ice cream for mattcha ice cream.
Miso koshi – strainer for incorporating miso into stock for miso soup.
Strainers – Japanese fine-meshed strainers are excellent for straining soup stocks. There is also a special strainer used for getting tofu out of hot broths.
Umeboshi – if you love the salty, tart taste of these pickled apricots
Wasabi – tubes of wasabi. Ask for “hon wasabi” or “nama wasabi” for 100% wasabi. Much of what is served outside of Japan is actually horseradish paste mixed with food coloring.
Yuzu – look for dried yuzu citrus peels if you like to make homemade pickles.
Yuzu kosho – a salty and citrusy condiment (good quality yuzu kosho is very different from the kind at 100 yen shops. There are two types, green or red.)

[kikisakura]

I second Aritsugu. They really make your knife shopping experience very special and personal. I think the young lady who was helping us last time spoke some English.

To add to my shopping list:

dried noodles - no, not the instant kind though they are so much better in Japan. For soba, I like the 8/2 type and for udon, fatter the better. Yum.

dipping sauce to go with the noddles

mushroom (you are actually allowed to bring them back to us because they are technically not vegetables)

[chowmouse]

I realize you live in Ellensburg, but I think you're just about a couple hours away from Seattle. In Seattle, you can pretty much get all the Japanese essentials that you could possibly want at the Uwajimaya. You can find all kinds of great cheap creative Japanese houseware at Daiso (there's one in Lynnwood), which is a Seattle branch of the famous 100yen Japanese chain. The major issue is that they're inevitably going to be priced higher in Seattle than in Japan. But you'll find all the essentials.

There are certain things you cannot get in Uwajimaya. For example, even though they have a good selection of snacks, there's a lot of really cool Japanese snacks that you'll only find in Japan. They may not carry as wide a variety of Japanese dressings or instant soups. But it's hard to predict what they'll carry and what they won't... one thing I can guarantee is they'll have all the essentials (curry, bulldog sauce, katsuobushi, dry wakame, instant soups, matcha powder, etc, etc) and then a whole lot more.

So my advice to you is... bring back whatever you come across that you think you might need. But don't worry about trying to make sure you don't miss anything. Because whatever more that you end up needing once you return, you can always trek out to Seattle and get them.

[serialhobbyist]

Okay, thank you so much for all of your help, guys. I am hopping on my plane tomorrow and I have my list. I'm hoping to try everything you suggested, and bring back or find it in the states once I'm hooked on each thing. You all are very appreciated by a girl on her farm in Ellensburg!