10 Japanese Cooking Tips

1. Japanese rice is very sticky (which makes it easier to eat with chopsticks). To make non-Japanese rice more sticky, try adding a little honey at the boiling stage.
2. Before cooking any rice, wash it and leave it to soak in water for at least half an hour. This will make the cooked rice more moist.
3. For a simple oriental dip, add a little soy sauce and possibly sesame seed paste to mayonnaise.
4. To add a Japanese twist to a stir fry, add soy sauce, sake (or dry sherry) and sesame seeds when frying, possibly adding sugar to taste.
5. Ingredients, especially vegetables, are often chopped very finely, usually in long thin strips.
6. Many Japanese dishes use a fish stock known as 'dashi'. This can be made by boiling water containing bonito and maybe seaweed for just a few minutes. Ready-made dashi powder can be bought, including a vegetarian alternative using just seaweed.
7. A simple but authentic way to serve raw tofu is to top it with finely grated ginger, chopped spring onions, bonito fish flakes (optional) and soy sauce. If you can eat this with chopsticks you've definitely earned your place at the dinner table!
8. Bowls and chopsticks come in different colours with black and red being particularly common. Black items are usually bigger and are for men, with red items meant for ladies.
9. When serving, it is more authentic to use several small dishes (one for each food item) rather than a single plate per person.
10. For real authenticity, use Japanese chopsticks which are tapered to a fine point. Korean chopsticks also taper but are usually made out of metal rather than wood. Chinese chopsticks are longer and are the same width all the way along.