Japan Eats!

Our guest today is Koichi Higuchi of Higuchi Matsunosuke Shoten in Osaka, Japan. His business is to provide koji starters to manufacturers of traditional fermented foods in Japan, such as miso, soy sauce, sake ... you name it! Indeed, koji, the beneficial mold, is a quintessential element of Japanese food culture. Koji is also becoming a buzz word in the global culinary industry. For example, René Redzepi of Noma, the renowned restaurant in Denmark, included koji in his recent book "The Noma Guide to Fermentation". In this episode, Koichi will discuss his 6th generation-old family business, what koji is, how to use it, and much, much more!!! It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we h

Our guest is Justin Potts who has lived in Japan for the last 15 years, working on various projects to connect different communities from rural to global, with the power of Japanese traditional food culture. And he is also a kurabito at a sake brewery and the co-host of sake and shochu specialized podcast Sake On Air. In this episode, we will discuss how Justin got involved in Japanese culture, his fascinating activities to promote Japanese food culture and empower communities, his podcast, his job at the brewery and much, much more!!! It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the

Our guest today is Russell Kohn, who is the chief operating officer of the mochi ice cream company Mochidoki. Mochi ice cream is super popular in the US and other global markets, so we will dig into the special delicacy! Russell is also starting up an amazake production company. Amazake is now very well-known outside Japan yet, but it is another sweet item with lots of history, cultural background and nutrition. So we will discover Amazake with Russell as well!!! It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

Our guest is Jamie Graves, the Japanese Portfolio Manager at Skurnik Wines, which is a leading wine and spirits importer and distributor based in NYC. Jamie joined us on Episode 114 and discussed his interesting path to get into the world of sake, and the unique process of sake making. In this episode, we will talk about shoshu. Jamie recently visited 14 shochu distilleries in southern Japan. We will discover shochu through Jamie’s intriguing stories from the trip as well as his job at Skurnik working closely with family-owned, traditional yet innovative distilleries. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee sh

Our guest is Ken Fornataro, the founder and CEO of the Culture Group, which offers unique educational programs about fermentation with the focus on Japanese and Asian-style foods. Fermented foods are increasingly popular nowadays for their deliciousness and health benefits. Ken is one of the leading experts of fermentation in the US. In this episode, we will discuss how he got into the world of fermentation, classic Japanese fermented foods that you can make at home, and much, much more!!! It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to herit

Our guests are Elena Yamamoto & Yael Peet, wonderfully talented chefs who cooked beautiful Japanese-influenced food at Karasu in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, until recently. They are currently getting ready for their own new restaurant. Elena and Yael grew up in the US, but understand the essence of Japanese food very, very well. Today, we will discuss how they learned cooking Japanese food, how they incorporate traditional ideas and recipes into their dishes, the concept of their upcoming new restaurants, and much, much more!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Nico Russell who is the chef/owner of Oxalis, a beautiful new American restaurant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Nico worked in some of the greatest restaurants in the world, and after a series of popular pop-up dinners, he finally opened Oxalis in November 2018. His dishes are elaborate and refined, but very approachable and reasonably priced. Nico incorporates Japanese flavors uniquely into his dishes. In this episode, we discuss his approach to new ingredients and flavors, how he apply elements of Japanese cuisine in his kitchen, and much much more!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

On May 1, 2019, Crown Prince Naruhito was inaugurated as the 126th emperor of Japan. As a result, a new Japanese era Reiwa began. In this episode, the Japan-based food expert Elizabeth Andoh returns (she was on Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108 and 131) to discuss notable food trends in Japan during the previous Heisei era (1989-2019) and the unique Japanese mindset behind them. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Moe Kuroki who is the chef/owner of Oisa Ramen in Boston. The aspiring artist from Japan found her creative stage at her own ramen shop where she calls "a home to everyone". In this episode, we discuss how she began her career as a ramen chef, her classic yet creative menu, challenges she faced in running a ramen shop in the US and much, much more!!! Photo By Tzahi Kerem Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Jonathan Garcia of Osakana, the innovative fishmonger in Brooklyn. The CIA grad discusses his unique relationship with Japanese culture, his devotion to promoting Japanese fish culture to a broad New York audience through unique programs at Osakana, and much, much, more!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guests today is Peter Hottum (AKA Sakeman Green) of Kuramoto US, which represents wonderful boutique sake labels in the US. Peter recently spent 6 weeks in Japan to study sake-making at 8 breweries in total. We discuss his intriguing experience at each brewery, along with an academic program he took in Tokyo, how he got on multiple media in Japan, and much, much more!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Massud Ghaussy who has a Japanese food and restaurant blog on instagram under TokyoManhattan. His posts not only describe restaurants he has visited, but also include many other elements behind the dishes, such as history, culture, cooking methods. He appeared on Episode 125 and 136, and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in Paris, NY and in Tokyo as well as sushi restaurants in NY and Tokyo. In this episode, we focus on RAMEN!!!  Here is the list of the ramen shops that Massud recommends in this episode: Ippudo Ichiran Santoka Yuji Ramen Nakamura / Niche Minca Ramen Ishida Shuya Cafe de Ramen Enjoy!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Jeff Cioletti, the author of “Sake-Pedia: A Non-Traditional Guide to Japan’s Traditional Beverage”. Japanese sake is becoming popular in the US, which is now the biggest importer of the national beverage of Japan. But it is hard to find an easy and fun guidebook of sake. Jeff’s book is very handy for someone who is curious about it, for both beginners and connoisseurs. We will discuss why Jeff wrote the book, what you can learn from the book, what he learned from writing the book, and much, much more! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Derek Wilcox who studied Kaiseki cuisine at the 3 michelin-starred restaurant Kikunoi in Kyoto, and Edomae sushi at Ginza Sushi Aoki in Tokyo, also Michelin-starred, for 10 years in total. Now he is the chef at Shoji at 69 Leonard Street in Tribeca, New York, which earned a precious 3 star rating from the New York Times. Many cooks aspire to study Japanese cuisine in Japan, but it is not easy because of language and cultural barriers. Derek’s background is impressive and refreshing. In this episode, we will find out how he conquered challenges at the traditional (yet forward-minded) restaurants in Japan, how he interprets Japanese food culture, how he expresses the idea on his menu at 69 Leonard Street, and much, much more! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Maribel Lieberman, CEO and Founder of MarieBelle Chocolates in New York. She now has 8 locations of MarieBelle Chocolates worldwide, including 4 shops in Japan. In this episode, Maribel discusses her experience with Japanese culture through the fascinating project of bringing her iconic brand to Japan. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is George Weld who is the owner of the iconic Brooklyn restaurant Egg that has served local and sustainable food since 2005. Many of the menu items are made with produce from his own farm in upstate New York. American cuisine is not very visible in Japan, but George introduces the essence of American dishes through Egg in Tokyo, which opened in 2017, and now he has the second location at a cool museum in Tokyo. In this episode will discuss Egg’s unique and fascinating concept, how George brought it to Japan, his experience and discoveries in Japan, and much, much more!!! Image courtesy of Diaspora Co. Japan Eats! is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Taichi Manabe, chief operating officer of Food Hub, which is a unique project to revive the declining community in Shikoku island of Japan through food. Taichi wanted to change the world through design, but he realized that food has a bigger and stronger influence for his purpose. He has gotten involved in multiple fascinating food projects before he became the COO of Food Hub, which is based in a small town with a population of 5,300 in Shikoku Island. We will discuss why food is important for our community, and Taichi's very local yet global projects!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Ron Silver, who is the chef/owner of Bubby’s. Bubby’s opened in 1990, and is now one of the iconic American restaurants in NYC, serving delicious breakfast, burgers pancakes as well as beautiful pies. What you may not know about Bubby’s is that there are six Bubby’s restaurants in Japan! We will discuss why Ron decided to open Bubby’s in Japan and his unique experience with the Japanese market and culture, how Ron is inspired by Japan as a chef, and much, much more! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Yuki Minakawa, the beverage and service director of Sushi Ginza Onodera in NYC, which has 2 Michelin stars. Yuki has worked at the NYC’s top Japanese restaurants, such as Masa, EN Japanese Brasserie and Kajitsu, for the last 10 years. She is in charge of the wine, sake and cocktail lists at Sushi Ginza Onodera. You might think sushi has to be paired with sake, but Yuki introduces you to many other interesting possibilities that will enrich your dining experience!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

David Israelow is the global winner of the 5th Washoku World Challenge, which is a cooking contest where chefs from around the world compete in technical expertise and passion for Japanese food. David joins the host Akiko Katayama to discuss how he studied traditional kaiseki cuisine, how he expresses it uniquely on his plates, his experience at the Tokyo Sushi Academy, the documentary film he is working on, and much, much more!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.