How to Buy Japanese Food Ingredients

Japanese food is popular when dining out, but making Japanese food at home is an option that most find intimidating. Shopping for the ingredients to prepare Japanese food at home can seem like an intimidating experience, as strange names and packaging can seem overwhelming.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Locate an easy recipe with as many basic ingredients as possible. Many Japanese cookbooks will have great starting recipes.

2. Compose a list of needed ingredients from your recipe. List all the ingredients that you need purchased. Make sure spelling is correct.

3. Plan your shopping trip. Local grocery stores may carry some ingredients. Ingredients such as nori and sushi ginger can be found at local Asian groceries as well as other Japanese recipe ingredients. They can also be mail ordered.

4. Ask for help. When you are looking for ingredients at an Japanese grocery, the sales person is a great source of information.

5. Substitute ingredients. Fresh produce called for in a recipe may be substitute by canned or an alternate. The sales clerk should be able to make suggestions.

6. Shop online Japanese grocery stores. Many times, you can purchase non-fresh or dried ingredients from online stores. While you don't have anyone to ask questions to, this is an option for those hard to find items.

7. When you're shopping, buy a bunch of common items that will keep for a long period of time. That way, you'll always have ingredients on hand. Try items like wasabi, ginger, tempura mix, udon noodles, dried seaweed and anything else that can stay in your cupboard for a few months.

Tips & Warnings

• There will be many new and different ingredients when shopping. Compared to what you are used to, packaging will be different and strange.
• Many ingredients for Japanese cooking will be dried or canned. Check the expiration date on the packaging to make sure you are getting the best quality.

Resources

• Japanese Food 101 has great tips and suggestions.
• Japanese food offers online ordering.
• Bella Online has a substitution guide for Japanese ingredients.

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[maquisnoho]

on 9/23/2009 Recently, I started seeing more and more Asian products at American grocery stores. You can get basic stuff, such as soy sauce, nori, rice, rice vinegar, sushi ginger, mirin and sake, at a major American grocery chain. If you need something other than basic stuff, you had better travel to Asian grocery stores. Some Chinese and Korean stores carry some Japanese products, but not everything. So if you live close to a Japanese grocery store, go there. If not, go to Asian grocery stores. If you can't even find any Asian stores, go shop online.

You can find Japanese recipe and products info here.
http://japaneserecipes.us/