Glossary
Have you ever wondered exactly what wasabi is or how tofu is made? Find out this and much more ...
- Daikon
- The giant white radish, Raphanus sativus, which is sometimes known in the West by its Indian name, mooli. This versatile vegetable is a staple of Japanese cooking, and can be served boiled or braised. It is excellent either pickled (called takuan) or shredded and dried (called kiriboshi daikon).
- dashi
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An all purpose soup stock usually made from kombu and shiitake mushroom. Dashi literally means 'boiled extract', it is added to almost everything from soups, sauces, broths, dressings.
Most often in Japan dried fish flakes are added to make dashi, but the Zen monks, based in Kyoto area from the 14th to the 16th century and observing a strict vegetarian diet, developed a recipe using exclusively sea and earth vegetables.
To prepare a basic dashi, soak two 15cm pieces of Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans. - Dulse
- The sea vegetable Palmaria palmata, which is found predominantly in the cold, coastal waters of the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific. It has a lovely burgundy colour and a taste at once salty and peppery.
