If you’re a foodie, like me, and you’re interested in Japanese cuisine as either a hobby or a way of life, you’ve probably already done your homework on the ingredients and appliances used in traditional Japanese cooking. And if you don’t have access to authentic Japanese ingredients, you’ve probably learned which Western substitutes work best with a traditional recipe.

If you’re still gun-shy in regards to Japanese food; no worries, it’ll all become second nature in time. For now, test how much you think, or don’t think, you know with The Anime Blog’s Quiz for fan’s of Japanese cuisine!

(Answers and foodie lore are given below the quiz. The quiz is off site but come back to rate your score and see how you did!!! No peeking until you’re done!)

Rate your score!

• 100-90%= Sugoi!! You can cook with me any day itamae dono!
• 89-80%= Yatta! Feels good to know your goma from your gari, ne?
• 79-60%= Genki. If you can tell the difference between anko and kinako, that’s none too shabby.
• 59-40%= Ma-ma. Uh-oh, maybe you should cook Japanese more often.
• Below 40%= Baka! Before you can become a Japanese foodie master, you must learn that a world of food exists outside Pocky and Pretz.

1.) True. Washoku, as denoted by the prefix wa-, is used in reference to more traditional ways of Japanese cooking, such as cooking oden and sukiyaki.

2.) False. Although goma is Japanese for sesame, the mame (bean) in front of it turns the phrase into a popularized term for “seal” which was coined for cutesy seal characters created by San-X. Mamegoma Honobono Nikki is a game for the Nintendo DS featuring adorable baby seals. Kawaii!

3.) True. Shiro miso (white miso) is less salty, more mild, and sweeter than red or yellow miso. It’s used as a filling in some wagashi including hanabiramochi.

4.) False. Shabu shabu is a one-pot meat entree made at the table in a pot of boiling broth. Very thinly sliced meat is dunked in the broth and stirred back and forth with chopsticks till it’s barely colored. This back and forth creates a “swish swish” sound which translates into “shabu shabu”.

5.) True. Not much land for grazing in Japan and why bother when there’s plenty of fish to harvest which don’t need to be fed or cared for? During Japan’s early years, it was a faux pas to eat the meat of four-legged animals, due in part to Buddhism. Meat eating only became en vogue during the Meiji Restoration.

6.) False. While Osaka is famous for many tasty goodies (takoyaki and okonomiyaki to name a couple) , kuro sato, aka, black sugar isn’t on the list. Okinawa has the honor of being known for black sugar. Many kurosato ame (black sugar candies) producers make sure Okinawa is prominently displayed on the candy’s packaging as a key selling point. What makes Okinawan black sugar so famous, I wonder?

7.) True. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is made in layers: ingredients, batter, ingredients, batter, etc. All the ingredients for the okonokiyaki are added to the batter for Kansai-style. Most people will argue over how to correctly make okonomiyaki, just like many people argue over to correctly make pizza (St. Louis style “pizza”, is NOT pizza, FYI).

8.) False. While both gari and beni shoga are types of pickled ginger, they differ in taste and creation. Gari is sweet and tart and is made with a sweetened vinegar solution. Beni shoga is salty and sour and is made with ume-su (a vinegar made from plums).

9.) True. Castella cakes, cheesecake (chizukeki) and doughnuts (do-natsu), all were originally created overseas and have been given a new twist as lighter, less sweet Japanese variations, aka yogashi.

10.) False. Close but no wagashi. While most Japanese sweets are made with mochi flour (-ko), ohagi and botamochi are made using mochi goma (whole glutinous rice).

11.) False. Kabocha is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes in its ranks, pumpkins and gourds. Kabocha is also known to the world as “Japanese pumpkin”, not Japanese potato.

12.) True. In the Yubari region, melons, similar to honeydew and cantaloupe, are precisely cultivated and can sell for over $100, depending on their quality. Watermelons also fetch upwards to $25, for an average melon. Unlike Americans who groan at the thought of receiving a fruit gift basket, Japanese consider high quality fruit to be an excellent gift idea. $100 for a melon, or $100 for some Godiva? I guess it depends on where you’re from…

13.) True. Tsubushi-an is a chunky, whole bean variety of anko (sweetened adzuki bean paste) and koshi-an is a smooth, refined, sweetened bean paste. Both are used in making wagashi.

14.) False. A suribachi is one part of the Japanese mortar and pestle. The mortar (suribachi) is made from ceramic and has fine ridges on the inside. The pestle, called a surikogi, is made from wood. Suribachi and surikogi are used to grind sesame seeds and to make pastes. Making dashi no moto (seaweed and bonito broth) does not require the use of a mortar and pestle.

15.) False. Thank the Portuguese for tempura. The Portuguese originally brought over fried foods to Japan in the 1600’s. The Japanese term “tempura” is derived from Quator Tempora, “the four times”, which were days the Portuguese missionaries abstained from eating meat. During these fasting days, the Portuguese would eat fried seafood and vegetables instead of other meats. The Japanese adopted this practice of frying foods, and tempura became popular in the 1700’s as a snack food.

16.) True. Daifuku- Japanese sweet cakes made from pounded glutinous rice and traditionally filled with sweet bean paste- are made with all manner of fillings these days. Melon daifuku is a combination of all things good: Gooey rice and sweet melon.

17.) False. Matcha is actually quite pricey compared to other teas. It’s a powdered green tea traditionally used in the chanoyu, (Japanese tea ceremony) but is also used to color and flavor mochi, noodles and ice cream.

18.) True. Marron is French for chestnut and the Japanese have adopted the word into their food term repertoire. Kuri, is the Japanese word for chestnut, however.

19.) True. Kanten, aka, agar agar, is used in a variety of sweets but is also is part of a modern diet fad in Japan. Since kanten has zero calories and is high in fiber, many Japanese eat it as a weight loss food. People who’ve been on the kanten diet claim it’s helped them lose pesky pounds they weren’t able to prior to the diet.

20.) False. Satsumaimo, sweet potatoes, are in season during the fall months, not the summer months.

21.) False. Although yatsuhashi is a type of miyagegashi (souvenir sweet), it’s place of origin is Kyoto, not Nagano. Yatsuhashi is a wagashi made either baked and formed into shingles, or is uncooked and formed into triangles and filled with bean paste. Both variations of yatsuhashi are flavored with cinnamon, or sometimes ginger.

22.) True. Soba noodles must have at least 30% of their bulk composed of buckwheat flour to be considered soba.

23.) True. Abura age, fried tofu pouches, are much coveted by mischievous kitsune (fox spirits).

24.) False. Hijiki, wakame and kombu are all seaweed used in Japanese cooking. Wakame is most commonly used in miso soup and kombu is integral to dashi, which in turn is integral to many Japanese meals.

25.) True. Mushi means “steam”. Sake mushi and chawan mushi are both examples of steamed dishes.

26.) False. Shoyu is “soy sauce” and the Japanese use soy sauce in just about everything. Japanese use soy sauce in a similar manner Westerners use salt: to cook and to season foods with.

27.) True. Much like Western healthy eating concepts which state to eat multiple colors of food to stay fit, the Japanese believe that eating much in the same manner at every meal will ensure good health. “Black” foods also encompass foods which are brown or purple.

28.) True. Udon are popular noodles used in a variety of dishes. They’re fairly hefty and very filling.

29.) False. Kinako is roasted whole soy bean flour. It has a nutty flavor similar to peanut powder but is sweeter than peanut powder. Kinako is a popular wagashi ingredient.

30.) False. The Japanese practice “hara hachi bu“: eating until you are 80% full, not 60%.

I think that there’s a mythos and an aura of expensiveness surrounding Japanese cookery that scares people away. Maybe people feel that to prepare Japanese food you need to have time, money, and access to exotic ingredients?

That might hold true for those that live in No-man’s Land (i.e. the midwest), but even in dinky old Carbondale, Illinois we had a decent international grocery store. I got turned onto Japanese food about three years ago after a trip to Chicago where I was introduced to sushi. After that, I got into Japanese food with a vengeance!

Since there’s so much good Japanese food that’s easy for an average Joe to make, I’ve decided to review a few Japanese recipes. I also want to help steer you – the culinary curious reader – in the right direction for ingredients and supplies.

Today I’m reviewing something I recently made: Okonomiyaki (otherwise known as Japanese pizza). This is good stuff if you like truly unusual food. The word ‘okonomiyaki’ translates into two words: okonomi, which means ‘as you like’, and yaki, which means ‘grilled’. Together, you get okonomiyaki: ‘grilled as you like’.

Okonomiyaki is not pizza in the way that Westerners think it. It’s referred to as pizza because you choose the toppings to make it and you cut it into individual slices. There are a variety of toppings you for Okonomiyaki. Some may seem more foreign than others, but all are worth trying once. Here’s the basic recipe for okonomiyaki:

Ingredients

For the ‘pizza crust’:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup fish soup stock (dashi, and if dashi isn’t available use veggie, shrimp, or chicken broth)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 of a small cabbage

Ideas for toppings:

• Thinly sliced pork or beef
• Chicken fillets shredded or sliced thin
• Squid
• Katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes)
• Fresh shrimp
• Imitation crab meat
• Canned tuna
• Salmon
• Sakura-ebi (dried shrimps)
• Beni-shoga (red or pink pickled ginger)
• Egg
• Green onions
• Mushrooms (button ‘shrooms are good but shitake are more “Japanese” if you have access to some)
• Ao-nori (green seaweed)
• Wasabi
• Okonomiyaki sauce (or tonkatsu sauce)
• Any kinda of sauce that will go with your choice of toppings is OK. Some people use BBQ sauce or ketchup
• Mayonnaise (I used Kewpie brand Japanese mayo but any mayo will do)
• Whatever you have around the house that sounds good…

If okonomiyaki sauce is hard to come by, here’s an easy recipe:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Preparation

1. Chop the cabbage into tiny bits. Beat an egg in a bowl and add dashi soup, stock or water to it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add flour to the bowl and mix well.
2. Combine chopped cabbage with the flour mixture.
3. Fry meat/squid/shrimps (your choice of toppings) in an electric cooking pan or a frying pan (Don’t put the seaweed, ginger, or sauces in at this time!) Divide the ingredients up into thirds and leave 1/3 of the batch in the pan. Make an 8” circle with the ingredients, which is the size of the pancake crust, in the hot pan.
4. Turn the heat to medium heat. Pour about 1/3 of the flour mixture, or 8” circle, over the toppings in the pan. (You could also mix the toppings straight in the mix and cook it that way.) Spread the batter into a circle, if necessary, with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
5. Cook for about 10 min and gently flip with a wide spatula or slip two smaller spatulas under pancake and flip with those. Cook on flipped side for 6-8 min or till edges are golden. You really do NOT want to undercook (or overcook) the pancake, so watch it carefully.
6. Place cooked okonomiyaki on plate.
7. Squirt on however much okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise you like on top of the pan cakes, keeping in mind that both are VERY rich.
8. Toss on the nori and bonito flakes if you have em’
9. Slice like you would a pizza and enjoy!

When I made this, I cooked the squid for around 6 minutes in a teriyaki sauce until it absorbed enough sauce to color it brown. The teriyaki squid was super-tasty and I also threw in some dried shrimp and fresh green onion topping (to go with the squid). I had these ingredients around the house, so it was a good way to get rid of the little “this and that” – which wouldn’t make full recipes on their own.

To some people, okonomiyaki may sound kinda gross, but I assure you it’s incredibly tasty. I like it because it’s:

• Full of nutrients and vitamins and isn’t loaded with grease and lard
• Inexpensive to make and is a great way to get rid of leftovers
• Fairly simple to make, only taking about an hour and some change to make.
• Gives you a good sense of Japanese flavors and ingredients.

If I had anything bad to say about okonomiyaki, it would be that it’s:

• Difficult to tell when the pancake is done since it’s loaded with all sorts of stuff.
• Might seem daunting to some people because of all the Japanese ingredients that may or may not be easy to get.
• The fact that when you throw on the bonito and seaweed the “pizza” looks like it’s alive and moving…

For those of you who live in rural areas or don’t have access to an international grocery store, I listed the Western alternatives which will do just as well as the Japanese. You can get most of this stuff at the local grocery store. If you live in St. Louis, you can visit any one of the five or so Asian markets in the area to find all of the ingredients I’ve listed.

I usually go to East East in Chesterfield, MO for my one-stop Japanese food needs. It’s a little further away than the other Asian markets in my area, but I find that since they’re is so well stocked and have such a variety, it’s worth it to me to make the drive out there.

I recommend okonomiyaki to anyone who wants to try their hand at Japanese home style cooking or for those of you who have an adventurous streak that you’re itching to indulge.

• Difficulty: Medium
• Time: 1 hour and some change
• Ingredient Availability: Easily to Moderately Available