Tag

Kinako

Autumn Food, Blog

Kibi Dango

21/10/2021 Leave a comment


Do you know the Japanese confectionery

Kibi dango (黍団子, きびだんご, “millet dumpling”) ?

Well if you have ever visited Asakusa in Tokyo and walked through the great Kaminarion Gate  and up Nakamise Dori leading up to the famous Sensoji Temple, its likely you have visited or walked past the Kibi dango stall.



Kibi Dango are small Japanese dumpling made from the meal or flour of the kibi (millet) grain. Originating from Kibi Province the former name of Okayama Prefecture.

The treat was used by folktale-hero Momotarō (the Peach Boy) to recruit his army to defeat demons  in the commonly known version of the tale. In another story they were first offered at Kibitsu Shrine in honour of the ogre slaying deity Kibitsuhiko some believe to be the true identity of the character Momotaro.

What you will notice is they are smaller than the dango you maybe used to . Four  come on a stick and you buy them in groups of five covered in golden nutty aromatic kinako soybean flour.

They are so easy to make.

Here’s how I make them.

As I said before they are made with millet flour, however I add Shiratama flour to mine otherwise I find them a little gritty in texture.
This is enough for one Kibi Dango stall serving.

1/3 cup of millet flour

1 teaspoon of potato starch

1- 1 and 1/2  tablespoons of Shiratama flour depending

Topping:

kinako soybean flour mixed with coconut palm sugar or brown sugar and a pinch of salt

Add the millet flour and potato starch to a bowl and mix then add four tablespoons of boiling water and mix then gradually add your Shiratama flour add one tablespoon and keep mixing into a dough if it’s too wet add a little more. Work into two long sausage shapes and cut 20 equal size pieces then roll into balls. Add four balls to x5 bamboo Dango skewers.

Place them in a sieve.


Boil a big pan of boiling water. Do not cook them until you are ready to eat them as they need to be served warm.
Lower the sieve into the boiling water and when the skewers float they are ready.


Lift the sieve let them drain a few seconds and then add them to your bowl with kinako sugar.


Twist them in the kinako and eat straight away.
A delicious street food  snack that is a taste of Japan. Why not have them with a warm amazake on a chilly day like they serve in Autumn.

Just on another note you can get a really good view of Nakamise Dori by visiting the asakusa culture tourist information centre, opposite and going to their roof top viewing deck .

Blog, Summer Food

Yama no Hi

07/08/2021 2 Comments

Yama no Hi ( mountain day ) is japans newest public holiday, only starting in 2016. Much like marine day another public holiday is for taking the opportunity to appreciate the ocean this holiday is to honour the Japanese landscape with its many mountains and volcanoes. Mountain day normally falls on August 11th the reason this day was chosen is that the kanji for the eighth month looks like a mountain 八 and the number 11 signifies two trees. If this day falls on a Sunday the following Monday is observed. With over 73% of Japan being mountainous if you have ever been to Japan I’m sure you have either visited, hiked or at least seen one mountain when you have been there. Mt Takao is one of the easiest mountains to visit from Tokyo and is the most visited mountain in the world with around 2.6 million every year, Mt Fuji is the most climbed in the world with 300,000 people climbing the sacred mountain each year in the short period between July and August. I have visited Mt Fuji a few times on my trips to Japan and finally on my last trip back in December  2018 was actually able to see it with out clouds covering it.


I also went to Mt Kurama by taking the Eizan Kurama line from Denmachi-Yanagi station which takes around an hour to reach Kuruma a rural town in the northern mountains of Kyoto city. Kurama-dera temple is a Buddhist temple located on the steep wooded mountainside, it takes about 45 minutes to climb up the mountain to the temple, there is also a cable car going up ( one way ) to part of the way there if you wish to take it.


Known for its spirituality and breathtaking natural beauty, it is the birthplace of the holistic healing art of Reiki and is said to be the home of Sojobo king of tengu. Tengu are long nosed legendary creatures found in Japanese folk stories that represent the mysterious power of the mountains and are believed to be the mountains guardians. You will find a large Tengu statue at Kurama station.


The temple is also associated with the annual fire festival which takes place in October. As you climb up the mountain you will come across Yuki Shrine which has a 800 year old towering cedar tree, it is believed if you pray to this tree with all your heart your wish will come true.


I visited this temple on a very cold December day, as we climbed  flurries of snow started to fall and a temple gong could be heard. I can’t explain the feeling this temple gave me it was such a profound feeling of spirituality. I do not have any reiki training but if anyone is sick I often try to think of this temple and the healing energies I felt and try and send it to that person.


From Kurama-dera temple you can normally take a hiking trail which continues on through the forest for about one hour which leads to Kifune shrine. However there had been particularly bad typhoons and the path had been closed so I went back down the mountain and followed the river up passing places which are popular to stop at in the summer to enjoy the natural beauty and escape from the heat with a cold drink.


As it was winter all these places were closed and I carried on until I reached the well worn flight of stone steps lined with red wooden lanterns which lead up to Kifune-jinja (also known as Kibune). This shrine is dedicated to the god of water and rain the source of life energy.


Another mountain I have visited is Mt Rokko accessed by the Shin Kobe ropeway which offers panoramic views of the city as you climb up the mountain. When you reach the top there is japans largest herb garden with around 75,000 herbs and flowers plus spectacular views out to Kobe.



Did you know that the popular Japanese snack onigiri which can be round, barrel or triangle shaped, when shaped into a triangle represents a mountain ? It is said when you eat it you are taking on the power of the mountain?
I found this out watching the NHK anime series Kiyo in Kyoto about two friends in a maiko house and the food that is prepared.

They actually discussed another onigiri from Yamaguchi prefecture which is coated in kinako soy bean flour and another similar one which had azuki beans then rolled in kinako originating from Kyoto. These onigiri are very similar to the Japanese wagashi ohagi.
With that in mind I decided to make a special mountain day Ohagi onigiri to represent Mt Fuji.

I used a mix of sweet Mochi rice and Japanese rice but I didn’t pound it sticky I just kept the rice grains intact. Inside each I put some sweet red beans and then rolled the onigiri in black sesame and kinako.


Maybe you could make onigiri to take on a walk or hike for mountain day to enjoy at the summit, or just relax with a tea at home.

Here are some more onigiri ideas to inspire you or just search onigiri and find more on my recipe pages.


Blog

Moon viewing and celebrating autumn

30/09/2020 Leave a comment

As the shades of autumn are becoming even more apparent now with fields turning as golden as the evening light. It is an important time in Japan for the rice harvest. The first of October is known as world sake day “Nihonshu no Hi” and is the New Year’s Day of  Sake. It marks the first day of the sake making season as it is a time when the rice is gathered from the fields to start the production into sake.
The morning sky is laced with the fish scale cirrocumulus clouds and I can understand why the Japanese call them Uroko gumo (uroko meaning scale)

There is a bountiful harvest of foods the most popular in Japan at this time being sweet potato, chestnut, mushrooms, pumpkin and edamame. Mixing some of these with rice is one way to enjoy both at the same time, also using seasonings like soy sauce and mirin.

As the evenings darken we draw our attention to the moon. One such event in Japan is known as Tsukimi or Jugoya  which is a moon viewing festival that dates back over a thousand years.

This year it falls on October 1st to coincide with the sake new year. It is custom to drink sake at tsukimi and eat the foods of the season. Another food that is popular to eat is Dango. Round rice dumplings in the shape of the full moon. Piled into a pyramid shape they are made as offerings at this time.

People may decorate their houses with susuki ススキ (pampas grass) . Pampas grass symbolises the coming of autumn and was once used to thatch roofs and feed animals.

Near the well known Heian shrine in Kyoto tucked away is the Shinto shrine Okazaki, dedicated to childbirth and conceiving, the symbol of the shrine is a rabbit and you will find many statues and images of rabbits there.

Another symbol of Tuskimi is the rabbit, this is because unlike some people who see a face in the moon the Japanese see an image of a rabbit in the moon pounding Mochi with a huge mallet.

You can find more information on previous posts I have made  by searching Otsukimi or microseason posts 15 or why not take a look at my autumn recipe section there you will find takikomi gohan a mixed rice dish, or lots of ways to enjoy Kabocha.

With many festivities cancelled this year this is one that you can definitely enjoy either on your own or with family.
Happy moon viewing.

Summer Food

Warabi Mochi わらび餅

26/06/2020 Leave a comment

I first tried warabi Mochi when I visited Osaka castle. There was a food stall in the grounds selling matcha warabi mochi and it was displayed in a mountain with so much matcha I could smell it well away from the stall. ( if you have ever visited Uji you will know what I’m talking about).


When I managed to find some Mochi-Ko warabi Mochi powder in a store in London ( natural natural ) I knew I had to get it and try making it. It turned out just how I remembered it being in Japan ! This chewy jelly like Japanese dessert is a firm summer favourite, popular in the Kansai region and in Okinawa. It took me straight back to summer time in Japan. It’s funny how food, smells and sounds can take you back to a memory. I decided to make it the traditional way using kinako soybean flour and a kuromitsu (sugar syrup) to pour over.
Warabi Mochi is made from bracken starch. The Mochi-Ko I bought was a mixture of this and potato starch. All you need is the Mochi-ko, kinako, sugar, water and some kind of sugar syrup to drizzle over. I made mine from okinawan sugar and water but you could use molasses or brown sugar with water heated to thicken.

First gather your ingredients

3/4 cup of Mochi-Ko

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

250ml of water

and kinako soybean flour

You will need molasses or dark brown sugar to make a kuromitsu for pouring ( I suggest making this first so you can chill it in the fridge. Just add sugar and water to a pan heat until it thickens  and chill.

Dust a baking sheet with kinako , I also find that it’s a good idea to grind the warabi-ko into a finer powder.
Add the warabi-ko to a pan and add the sugar and water and give it a stir to combine. Turn up the heat and keep stirring until it starts to turn thicker and then turn down the heat a little. Keep stirring quite vigorously almost beating it until the mixture becomes more translucent. Keep doing this for at least five minutes then turn it out onto your kinako flour and dust more flour on the top. Place this in the fridge for ten minutes but do not leave it in there.

Take your Mochi out of the fridge and cut into squares

You can serve it straight away or you can keep it for up to two days in a sealed container at room temperature. When you want to serve you can chill it for ten minutes if you wish.
Serve with kuromitsu.

 

Autumn Food, Blog, Spring Food, Summer Food, Winter Food

Vegan Banana Bread with Yuzu & Kinako

06/04/2020 Leave a comment

Everyone is making Banana bread at the moment it’s having a revival during these trying times. Maybe it’s because banana bread is that comforting moist treat that’s good toasted warm for breakfast or is nice with that cup of tea in the afternoon. I had some Bananas in my organic veg box delivery and bananas are not something I eat many of so they went soft and spotty sitting in my fruit bowl, which is perfect for making banana bread. However flour is also in short supply and the only flour I could get was sprouted spelt flour, then I remembered how I had previously used kinako ( roasted soybean flour ) in some of my other baking  recipes and thought why don’t I mix the two and try it making a banana bread. It turned out much more tasty than any banana bread I had ever made before! In these times when your normal ingredients are scarce you might find that using an alternative can either be a disaster or a success, but that is how new recipes are created, it can be very much trial and error. Many times I have experimented with ingredients so that I can bring to you the recipes on this website. Many at the time were not commonly used.
So I give you my friends a banana bread with a Japanese twist.

Heat up your oven to 180c and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Make 2 flax eggs ( x2 tablespoon of flax meal mixed with x6 tablespoon of water and set aside to set.

Then to a bowl add
x1 cup of spelt flour and x1 cup of kinako ( you can use oat flour but I really liked how the spelt and the kinako together gave it a lovely nutty flavour. I used sprouted spelt flour by Rude Health.

Addto the flour x1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Then in a food processor add 10 soft medjool pitted dates and to that 1/2 a cup of soy milk and 1-2 tablespoons of Yuzu juice. You can buy bottles of 100% Yuzu juice from Asian supermarkets online.


Give this all a good process until smooth, then while the food processor is still moving break up and drop in x3 over ripe bananas and your flax eggs. Make sure it’s all well blended and then fold in the mixture into your flour mix. If you have any candied Yuzu peel you can chop this up and fold into the mixture also.


Tip the mixture into a loaf pan and add sliced banana to the top.

Then use some ground sesame to sprinkle on the top. I actually had a packet of a combination of ground sesame and almond from Japan and I used that.


Bake in the oven for 1 hour and remove to cool. After about 30 mins you can lift out the banana bread with the parchment paper and place on a wire rack to cool more.
I had this the next day with a coffee for breakfast.
I really hope you can enjoy making this banana bread for yourself.

Blog, Spring Food

Micro Season Part 1 立春 Risshun (Beginning of spring)

04/02/2020 Leave a comment

I actually started writing about micro seasons half way through the 24 seasonal divisions back at the beginning of autumn Risshu. Now we are entering Risshun the beginning of Spring. Did you celebrate Setsubun yesterday? I talked about this in my last micro season post.
This micro season is broken down into three subdivisions.

February 4–8 東風解凍 Harukaze kōri o toku East wind melts the ice
February 9–13 黄鶯睍睆 Kōō kenkan su Bush warblers start singing in the mountains
February 14–18 魚上氷 Uo kōri o izuru Fish emerge from the ice

This is an important time for farmers in Japan especially tea farmers, because it is the first of the 24 divisions in the solar calendar it is considered the start of life and from this day 88 days are counted until the first tea picking, so Risshun is used as a reference point.
With the term Risshun comes Haru Matsuri or spring festival, and it’s definitely a positive sign. Bulbs and flowers are starting to push through the frosty earth and the birds are getting busy looking for potential nest sites.
You can feel a glimpse of spring now.
In Japan you might start to see plum blossoms blooming or hear the call of the male (uguisu) bush warbler (Japanese nightingale).

The bush warbler or Uguisu is a little green bird and at this time wagashi shops start to sell Uguisu Mochi . A chubby cake similar to the shape of the bird. It is a Mochi rice cake filled with red bean paste and dusted in green kinako made from the freshest soy beans.
I decided to make this as I had some Uguisu kinako which is the name given to the green soy bean flour.


I made it with Shiratama rice flour and inside was home made bean paste.


I feel like a little bit of Japanese springtime has arrived in my home.

Autumn Food, Blog

Japanese Micro Season Part 16 Autumn Equinox & Making Ohagi

22/09/2019 Leave a comment


We are now heading in to the shorter days of Autumn. Friday the 23rd is the Autumn Equinox. In Japanese micro season it is known as Shūbun. This season is broken into three parts.

September the 23rd-27th Kaminari sunawachi  koe o osamu ( thunder ceases )

September the 28th- October 2nd Mushi Kakurete to o fusagu ( insects hole up underground )

October 3rd-7th Mizu hajimete karuru. ( farmers drain the fields )

The equinoxes are a special time for Buddhists they believe that this is when the worlds between the living and dead are at their thinnest, thus at this time people pay respects to the deceased .

This is also part of the silver week holiday in Japan starting with Respect the aged day  and finishing on equinox day.

Buddhists call Autumn Equinox O-Higan or Aki no Higan, and it is tradition to make ohagi at the time a type of Japanese wagashi (sweet) Ohagi おはぎ is named after the Japanese clover bush and these sweets are sometimes also taken to ancestors graves at this time as offerings. They are really delicious and so easy and fun to make.

To celebrate why don’t you try to make them. They are made with sweet half pounded ( hangoroshi ) Mochi rice with an anko filling and rolled in various toppings like kinako and ground sesame. You can also do a reverse one where the rice is the filling and the anko is on the outside. You can either buy chunky bean paste called Tsubuan in packets at Asian grocery store or make your own.

The above shows Mochi rice and bought and homemade tsubuan.

You will need 1 rice cooker cup of sushi rice and 1 cup Mochi rice (Mochimai). First give the rice a good rinse changing the water until in runs clean. Soak your rice in four cups of water over night and then cook in your rice cooker or pan. This does make a lot of ohagi so you can either freeze them or just use half the amounts 1/2 cup sushi rice 1/2 cup Mochi rice and two cups of water. Through experience if your rolling your ohagi in toppings do this after you have defrosted them.

When the rice is done mash your rice but not fully so you still have some grain and leave to cool covered with a cloth so it doesn’t dry out. Divide into balls and flatten out. It is advisable to use plastic wrap but if you don’t want to just have damp hands and a wet clean cloth to hand. In the middle of each flattened ball add a ball of anko and then fold the rice over the anko to make a sealed ball. Carry on making until all are done.

If you want to make inverted ohagi make small balls of rice and add this to the middle of larger flattened balls of tsubuan.

Now choose what you would like to roll your ohagi in . Powdered black sesame ( kurogoma ), kinako ( soybean flour ), sesame seeds mixed with sugar or maybe matcha.

How about making Kurumi which is powdered walnuts with sugar. The balls of sticky rice become easier to mould into balls after they have been rolled in the topping.

They make lovely gifts and are perfect with a green tea.

I know I will be making them to enjoy with a tea while looking out onto my already changing colours of maples in my garden. In Japan they won’t be changing just yet people in Japan will have to wait until late October, November to do what’s called momijigari or autumn leaf hunting which is as much a custom as hanami flower viewing in the spring.

Kyoto

Inokashira park Tokyo

Blog, Spring Food

Spring Equinox Botamochi

20/03/2019 Leave a comment

Happy spring equinox !

幸せな春分

The bi-annual days of the vernal equinox (spring equinox) are  upon us. In Japan it is a Buddhist festival known as higan. In the spring it is known as haru no higan .

To celebrate I made Botamochi but this year instead of the traditional confectionery made of sweet mochi rice pounded and shaped with a red bean centre . I made them with pounded millet. I noticed that when I made my awa-zenzai (see my awa-zenzai post ) that the millet served its self well to making Ohagi. 

I rolled them in kinako and ground black sesame. 

It is traditional to take these with flowers and incense to the graves of ancestors at this time.

In the spring the sweets are called Botamochi named after the tree peony botan . In the fall the same sweets are called ohagi named after the clover bush hagi.

See some of my other  posts of Ohagi or botamochi for the recipe. 

I also made the more traditional sweet . Which you can get tye recipe for by searching Ohagi or Botamochi.  If you want to make around 6 sweets just half my recipe.

Autumn Food, Blog

Kabocha Shiratama Dango

30/10/2018 Leave a comment

I often make tofu dango (shitatama rice flour and silken tofu ). It got me thinking about if I could use pumpkin to make a Halloween dango. So I thought I’d give it a try . Being a recipe creator is all about trying out new ideas in the kitchen. These kabocha dango turned out amazing. Soft and chewy mochi balls on a bed of sweet bean paste and dusted with kinako and ground black sesame. What a perfect Japanese wagashi treat for Halloween.

I started out by steaming some kabocha and when it was cool enough I removed the skin and gave it a mash in a bowl.

Add one heaped tablespoon of pumpkin with three tablespoons of Shiratama rice flour,half a teaspoon of maple syrup and a drop of water to help bind. Cream everything together until you have a dough ball about the size of a tennis ball. Break off pieces and roll them in your hands do not make them too big as they will not cook through.

You should have enough to make three skewers each one having three dango. Boil a pot of water and drop the balls into the water,when they are done they will float to the top. I always leave them that extra min. Scoop out the balls and drop into ice cold water. Pat them dry and put them through the skewers. Top with what ever you fancy.

Happy Halloween.

 

 

Blog, Summer Food

Kinako & Yuzu Oaty TrayBake With Blueberries

24/07/2018 Leave a comment

These blueberry tray bake slices are so delicious and using the nutty kinako and citrus yuzu gives them a wonderful flavour. So tasty warm or cold with vegan cream or ice cream. They make a great dessert or a quick snack. 

Line a square pan with parchment paper and set aside. In one bowl add 1 cup of oats ( I use gluten-free ) 1/4 cup of kinako soy bean flour,1/4 cup of almond flour,a pinch of salt,1/4 teaspoon of baking powder,1/3 cup of coconut palm sugar,1/3 cup of coconut butter ( melted ) mix together. In a separate bowl add a cup of fresh blueberries,1 tablespoon of maple syrup or (rice syrup),1 tablespoon of potato starch ( I use Japanese potato starch from Hokkaido but you can also use cornstarch) and one tablespoon of yuzu juice. Mix together . 

Tip the oat mixture into the pan and press firmly ( I often cover with plastic wrap and give it a good press down then top the oats with the blueberry mixture and make in a moderate oven for around 30 mins. Remove and let it completely cool before cutting. It may help to put it in the fridge to cook faster. 

Cut into bars and enjoy . 

I switched things up a bit and added some strawberries and sprinkled on some coconut.

Why not try some spiced peach or banana .?

Autumn Food, Blog, Spring Food, Summer Food, Winter Food

Kinako Latte

28/06/2018 Leave a comment

Kinako (黄粉) Japanese roasted soybean flour. You will probably know it from being dusted over wagashi like Mochi . Did you know it also makes a delicious and nutritious drink? Kinako is a Japanese superfood being packed full of protein,and rich in dietary fibre,calcium,potassium,vitamin B1 and A.

That sweet nutty flavour makes a comforting alternative to tea or coffee or have it cold with ice in the summer.

Just add two heaped teaspoons of sifted Kinako to a pan with a teaspoon of sweetener. I like to use coconut palm sugar. Add a cup of your favourite plant based milk. Soy or almond work well. Heat gently whisking well . If you have an electric frother use this to create a nice foam for the top that you can dust with more Kinako before serving. If you want this cold just chill for a few hours mix and add ice before serving. Why not add Kinako to your favourite smoothies it works well with banana. Or add to ice cream for a nutty flavour topping. Sprinkle onto cereal or granola. This stuff is not just for Japanese sweets .

Blog, Winter Food

Mini Kinako Biscotti

07/02/2018 Leave a comment

I think I must spend whole days in the kitchen on my days off. There is nothing I like more than creating recipes and to day I ended up making two different cookie recipes this one and the matcha choc chip.

I do love a biscotti and I also love the nutty taste of kinako so I have put them together into this super easy recipe.

These little biscotti are perfect for a mid morning snack with a coffee.

All you need to do to make these is

In one bowl add

1 and cup of oat flour

1/2 cup of kinako

2 teaspoons of baking powder

A good handful of flaked almonds

mix

in another bowl add

1/2 cup of unrefined sugar I used coconut palm sugar

1/4 cup of melted coconut butter

two tablespoons of water

add the wet mixture to the dry to form a dough.

Tip the dough onto some plastic wrap and form into a log about 1 inch thick . Wrap up the dough and place in the freezer for ten mins to firm up. ( this is when I do the washing up )

Take the dough out the freezer and out of the wrap and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper . Cut your dough log into slices and place in a moderate oven for 10 mins .

After this time take your baking sheet out and let them cool slightly and then tip each slice onto its side and bake again for a further 5 mins.

After this time take them out of the oven and let them cool completely if you don’t they will crumble.

Enjoy

 

 

Autumn Food, Blog

Ohagi

20/09/2017 Leave a comment

The Autumn equinox is nearly upon us. In Japan it is a Buddhist festival known as higan. In the spring it is known as haru no higan . To celebrate I made Ohagi. This is a traditional confectionery made of sweet mochi rice pounded and shaped with a red bean centre . It is traditional to take these with flowers and incense to the graves of ancestors at this time. In the spring the sweets are called Botamochi named after the tree peony botan . In the fall the same sweets are called ohagi named after the clover bush hagi. I covered mine with kinako and black sesame .

Served with a nice green tea they make a wonderful treat .

This is how to make your very own ( it takes a little time but is well worth the effort !)
1 cup of Japanese rice
1 cup of mochi rice
plastic wrap
tsubu-an ( bean paste )
toppings  matcha powder,kinako ground black sesame powder
first wash your rice together really well changing the water a few times
place in your rice cooker with four cups of water and cook until done,
then pound your rice I use the end of a rolling pin until some it’s mashed but still has some grain don’t over pound or it will be to sticky mix it as your pounding in between with your rice paddle so it’s even.
take about 70g of rice if your having rice on the outside and make balls of these in plastic wrap . Flatten each one spreading it out. Measure out balls of bean paste 30g and place in the middle of each flattened out ball ( mould  the rice around the bean paste .
If you want to do a reverse 40g rice and 60g red bean paste .
when they are all done roll them in your chosen topping .
I like to then wrap each one in plastic wrap and freeze them and defrost over night ( great for a bento dessert ) .