Japan Eats!

Our guest is Zach Mangan who is the co-founder of Kettl, the Japanese tea importer and distributor based in New York and Fukuoka, Japan. He is also the author of the fantastic book about Japanese tea, “Stories of Japanese tea: The Regions, the Growers, and the Craft”. And in September 2021, he opened a beautiful tea shop and gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which is now one of the coolest sections of New York. Zach joined us in Episodes 44 and 264 and talked about his fascinating, somewhat accidental path to becoming a tea expert and his love and passion for tea. Japanese tea is gaining the attention of consumers and beverage professionals nowadays for its pure deliciousness and diverse flavors as well as its healthfulness. In this episode, we will discuss various flavors of Japanese tea that you can choose from, how to select the right type of tea to your liking, sustainable sourcing of Japanese tea that you should keep in mind, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Craig Mod who is a writer, author, and photographer based in Japan. Also, according to his website, he is a "walker". And we will talk about what it means. Craig has spent over 20 years in Japan and has produced a lot of valuable work, capturing Japanese daily life objectively as well as being an insider. His insight into Japanese culture is impressive and I have learned a lot from his curious observations. In this episode, we will discuss how Craig got into Japanese culture, his unique perspective of Japanese daily life, how walking helps him to discover the depth of the local culture, Crag’s love for the unique Japanese cafes called Kissaten, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Yumi Komatsudaira, who is a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, and the president of K-Seaweed. Yumi grew up outside Tokyo, playing and snacking in her family’s seaweed factory. When we hear seaweed, many of us may think of the weeds by the beach that do not look particularly delicious, or even edible. But it is like looking at weeds coming out of the pavements on busy city streets. What we are talking about here about seaweed is the equivalent of plants from well-managed farmlands. In Japan, seaweeds are quintessential ingredients for their rich umami. Umami is the fifth taste after salty, sweet, sour and bitter and it enhances and mitigates these other four tastes to make food delicious. That is why Japanese dashi broth, which is made with seaweed, is indispensable in Japanese cuisine. Seaweed is also becoming a hot topic for its huge potential to make the world more sustainable. Not to mention, seaweed is vegan too. In this episode, we will discuss how seaweed is used to make food delicious and healthy in Japan, different types of seaweeds that you can choose for specific flavors and textures, quick seaweed recipes so that you can enjoy its umami, the health benefits of seaweed, Yumi’s new book “Japanese Superfoods”, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Richard Geoffroy who is the founder and maker of Shiraiwa, a sake brewery in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Before Richard founded the sake brewery in 2018, he was the Chef de Cave, or cellar master, at the world-famous Champagne producer Dom Pérignon for 28 years. Richard makes traditional-style Japanese sake that is uniquely merged with Champagne-making techniques and his sake is gaining the attention of professionals and connoisseurs of sake and wine worldwide. In this episode, we will discuss why the master Champagne maker decided to produce Japanese sake, Richard’s original style of sake that incorporates the idea of assemblages, how his experience with Champagne is inspiring traditional sake production, and much, much more!!!Photo Courtesy of Marion Berrin.Japan Eats is nominated for a viewer’s choice TASTE AWARD. Cast your vote before February 17th.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Noriko Okubo who is the co-owner and chief operations officer of Ginza Nishikawa U.S.A. Ginza Nishikawa opened in 2018 in Ginza, one of the poshest areas in Tokyo, to sell high-quality Shokupan bread. Shokupan is also called milk bread and is gaining popularity worldwide for its distinctively soft and fluffy texture with a pleasantly sweet taste. Ginza Nishikawa’s Shokupan bread earned accolades very quickly and now it operates over 130 shops throughout Japan. The huge success spread to the U.S. and the bakery opened its first overseas location in L.A. in July 2022, which Noriko co-owns and manages. In this episode, we will discuss what shokupan is, why shokupan has become so popular in Japan and increasingly overseas, the secrets of Ginza Nishikawa’s shokupan that sells out within a few hours of being baked in L.A., and much, much more!!!Photo Courtesy of Courtesy of Ginza Nishikawa.Japan Eats is nominated for a viewer’s choice TASTE AWARD. Cast your vote before February 17th.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is David Schlosser who is the chef/owner of Shibumi in Downtown L.A. Shibumi opened in 2016 and shortly afterwards, it earned accolades from various prominent media, including The Los Angeles Times’s Jonathan Gold who ranked Shibumi number two restaurant of the whole city. Currently, Shibumi holds one Michelin star. David was classically trained in Japan and soulfully serves authentic Japanese dishes at Shibumi. But originally, he used to cook French cuisine at Michelin starred restaurants in France. In this episode, we will discuss how David got into Japanese food, his training at top kaiseki restaurants in Japan, his philosophy of cooking Japanese cuisine, and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Cinzia Mesolella who is in charge of PR and communication at Kobe Shushinkan Breweries in Hyogo Prefecture. Hyogo is the home of “Nada no sake”, which means “Sake from Nada”, and is synonymous with great sake. Kobe Shushinkan Breweries was founded in 1751 and its award-winning label Fukuju has been served at Nobel prize dinners several times since 2008. Kobe Shushinkan is also known for its sustainable-minded sake production, and last year it released the world’s first carbon-free sake called Fukuju Junmai EcoZero. Cinzia is from Italy and since 2019, she has been playing a precious role in Kobe Shushinkan’s global communication. She is also a certified sake specialist. In this episode, we will discuss how Cinzia became the PR representative at the traditional sake brewery, what makes sake from Nada so special, Kobe Shushinkan’s sustainable production philosophy, its award-winning labels, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Guy Allen, a sushi blogger based in New York City. Guy fell in love with sushi at a very young age and has been exploring the world of sushi globally since then. You can find his discoveries on Instagram under @thesushiguide. His reviews are so unique and fascinating and his photos are so stunning that he has been invited to dine at great sushi restaurants in Tokyo. In this episode, we will discuss Guy’s diverse experiences at sushi restaurants, his criteria for great sushi, why sushi is universally appealing to diners of all ages, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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, and cooking methods. He joined us in Episodes 125, 136, 152 and 186 and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in the world.Today’s topic is the best Japanese restaurants in the world in 2022. The popularity of Japanese food remains high globally, and so is the reputation of Japanese chefs working abroad. Massud has visited many cities in the world and discovered great restaurants during the year. We will discuss all of them. Also, since this is the end-of-the-year episode, we will demystify the Japanese New Year rituals, which is a huge deal in Japan!!! Here are the links to the restaurants discussed in this episode.Kanazawa – (Please use translation technology accordingly!)• Sushi Kawaramachi Hajime　http://mikizo1.com/　• Kappo Hamacho https://r.gnavi.co.jp/m20u46880000/ • Higashiyama WakonParis – • Restaurant AT http://www.atsushitanaka.com/ • La Scene Theleme https://www.lascenetheleme.fr/ Spain – • Toshi Restaurant https://www.toshi.es/ NYC – • Noz17 https://www.noz17.com/ • 69 Leonard Street https://www.69leonardstreet.com/ • Kissaki https://explorekissaki.com/ • Kappo Sono https://www.bbfkapposono.com/ Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Greg Lam who has a popular YouTube Channel called “Life Where I'm From”. He has created over 200 videos since 2015 and his Channel has more than 1.6 million subscribers. Greg is based in Japan and in his insightful videos, he covers a wide variety of topics from Japanese breakfast, how a ramen shop operates, why Japanese bathrooms are the best, to Japanese social issues like minorities in Japan. In each video, he accurately and analytically captures a very ordinary aspect of life in Japan, but these daily matters are the most representative of the uniqueness of Japanese culture. Even though I grew up in Japan, I always learn something new from Greg’s videos, and his messages make me think more deeply about what Japan is. In this episode, we will discuss why Greg moved to Japan, why he decided to start the YouTube Channel called 'Life Where I'm From', what is unique about Japanese culture, the underlying mindset and philosophies of Japanese people that make the country unique, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.