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Locally sourced cooking ingredients & food speciality stores locations?
Any recommendations where to seek cooking ingredients that are preferably coming from Japan/Japanese farmers/local small brands? I am tired of seeing the same things in every supermarket....… Hey all,
Any recommendations where to seek cooking ingredients that are preferably coming from Japan/Japanese farmers/local small brands? I am tired of seeing the same things in every supermarket....
I am looking for inspirations to try new things - eg. the new infusion Yuzu honey from Sugi Bee Garden paired with fresh mint tastes amazing.
I know where to find sake, but I am absolutely clueless where to start looking for spices, miso, rice, bonito flakes, etc....
You should check out the depachika, which are the basement food halls in department stores like Isetan in Shinjuku or Mitsukoshi in Nihonbashi. They have dedicated sections for regional miso, rice from specific prefectures, and small-batch condiments that change with the seasons. For spices, head to Kappabashi's spice shops like Tonryu or the smaller stalls along the main street. The bonito flakes at Yamato on the second floor are a solid pick.
Depachika are solid but can get pricey. For everyday quality stuff, try the small grocers in Shimokitazawa, especially the ones tucked behind the main shopping street. There's a place called Tanakaya that carries rice from specific Niigata farms and a rotating selection of regional miso from family producers. For bonito flakes and kombu, the Kappabashi wholesalers are your best bet, but if you want to skip the tourist crowds, Nihombashi's Ningyocho area has a few old-school shops that supply restaurants directly and sell to the public at better prices. The yuzu honey you mentioned might be harder to find outside department stores, but the spice shop on the second floor of the Kuramae Jinbocho building does a seasonal shichimi togarashi blend that changes based on what local farms have available.
Honestly just hit up Ameyoko in Ueno, tons of random little shops there sell local miso and spices you won't find at big supermarkets. Also check out Kappabashi in Asakusa for specialty stuff like bonito flakes straight from the source.
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.
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