Every good cook has their secret resources— the place where they source quality ingredients that can really take a dish to the next level. My not-so-secret resource is The Japanese Pantry, who source ingredients made by Japanese food artisan families who have been making these products for generations. Founders Chris and Greg once invited me to a tasting, and let’s just say I’ve never been able to purchase a bottle of conventional soy sauce, sesame oil, or vinegar since!

When I lived in the countryside of Japan, it was hard not to notice that many Japanese food artisans were shuttering or struggling during a time when convenience foods were often more economical and available in modern Japan. At the same time, many of us in the US are yearning for a return to artisan-level quality. That’s why I think the work of The Japanese Pantry is doing so important in preserving and sharing the traditions of food artisans in Japan, and in turn, stemming the tide of forgetting. As a Japanese American myself, I’m grateful to The Japanese Pantry for doing this important and profound work, and for giving me access to these incredible makers and ingredients.

One of my regular purchases is the Pure Rice Vinegar from Io Jozo, a 123-year-old vinegar company located on the Sea of Japan, near the town of Miyazu. Today, the company is run by Akihiro Iio, the fifth generation. The process to make the rice vinegar is incredibly labor intensive; the Iio family even makes their own sake from which the vinegar is made. The vinegar takes about 100 days in total to make, compared to the larger rice vinegar companies that produce their rice vinegar in just one day’s time. Iio Jozo also uses only 100% pesticide-free, new-harvest rice. They use 200 grams of rice to make one liter of vinegar, which is five times the minimum amount required by Japanese law. To me, that paints a picture of just how high quality and special one bottle of this magical vinegar really is!

Perhaps luckily (or dangerously), Chris and Greg also happen to live (separately) near me! They generously provided me a bottle of my favorite rice vinegar to play with, and I enjoyed coming up with two simple recipes that I will definitely add to my rotation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed developing (and eating) them!

Ginger, Carrot, and Cucumber Quick Pickle Roll

Makes: About 20 bite-sized rolls

Total Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons soy sauce (I use this one from Yamaki Jozo, of Samin Netflix fame!)
1/4 cup Iio Jozo rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 carrots, ends removed, outside skin peeled and discarded
4 cucumbers, scrubbed with water and salt, ends removed, outside skin peeled and discarded
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into very thin matchsticks
*all ingredients used in my recipes are almost always organic

Instructions:
Place the first three liquid ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Peel both the carrots and cucumbers lengthwise with a vegetable peeler. You’ll need to add a bit of pressure to get thicker slices.

Layer a carrot strip on a cucumber strip, placing another cucumber strip and a carrot strip atop that. The cucumber will be on the outside when you roll it. Roll the carrots and cucumbers up tightly, and secure with a toothpick. Make sure the toothpick punctures all the way through, but don’t push it through (it will be longer on one end to make it easier to pick up). Place some of the carrot and cucumber rolls into a large mason jar, sprinkling the ginger onto it with each addition so the ginger is evenly incorporated in the jar.

Pour the pickling liquid over the rolls and let sit for 10 minutes. Carrots and cucumbers can be rolled in advance, but I recommend adding the liquid right just 10 minutes before you eat them, since it becomes a bit too salty for my taste if I let them pickle for longer than that.

Shiitake, Shiso, and Chicken Stir Fry

Makes: About 4 servings

Total Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced against the grain into strips
1/2 cup sake
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 cup tepid filtered water
1 tablespoon potato starch
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
cooked short grain Japanese sushi rice
handful of thinly sliced green shiso leaves
handful of thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespooon ground toasted golden or white sesame seeds
sansho powder, if desired

Instructions:
Marinate chicken breast in sake, salt, and pepper for 10 minutes while you caramelize the onions in the butter in a pan over medium high heat, stirring constantly so the onions don’t brown. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the onions while they are cooking.

Once the onions have turned translucent and caramelized a bit (about 1o minutes), add the chicken to the pan. Once the chicken has mostly cooked (there should not be any pink spots), add the shiitake mushrooms.

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the potato starch and water together.

Add soy sauce to the chicken, shiitake, and onion mixture, then add the potato starch mixture to thicken. Once a thick sauce has formed, add in the rice vinegar stirring to incorporate then remove the pan from the heat.

Serve over a bed of steaming hot white rice, and garnish with the shiso, green onions, and sesame. Add a light sprinkling of sansho powder, if desired. Enjoy immediately!

If you enjoyed this post, check out my Japanese Pantry essentials guide, where I share the secret to mastering Japanese home cooking.

You might also enjoy my recent post with Kokoro Care Packages, a monthly and quarterly care package service featuring products of food artisans in Japan!

Head here to visit our Modern Heirlooms web shop, where I've thoughtfully co-created ritual objects with my favorite artisans (in limited runs) to help you elevate your sacred rituals. 

I truly believe that cuisine is the most accessible gateway into learning more about our rich heritages. In addition to food, there are so many ways to celebrate, honor, and even reclaim, our time-honored traditions. I believe ritual objects really help anchor us in these moments-- especially around the table.