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Itadakimasu: Pantry & Fridge Basics for Japanese Cooking & Snacking
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items If you are interested in stocking your kitchen in order to enjoy fresh Japanese cuisine & tasty bites between meals you may find this list helpful! These ingredients, snacks, and staples can help you create delicious meals and enjoy the flavors o...
Sections
7
Staples & Spices
Sauce Making Ingredients
Vegetables
Meat & Protein
Condiments & Toppings
Snacks, Beverages & Desserts
Staples & Spices
These ingredients are rather easy to find at most grocery stores, but if you are lucky enough to live near a Japanese market, grocery or convenience store definitely check it out!
This is the go to rice style for most Japanese dishes aside from sushi.
Great Value Long Grain Enriched Rice, 5 lbs
Sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice, is meant for creating sushi rolls. It has a different texture and sticks together like other rice wouldn't. You can also use this type of rice to make daifuku mochi.
Ocean's Halo Organic White Sticky Sushi Rice, 2 lb.
In order to create fried dishes like Katsu style pork or chicken you will need basic all purpose flour.
Great Value All-Purpose Enriched Flour, 5 lb Bag
If you are making fried dishes you can use vegetable or canola oil interchangeably.
Great Value Canola Oil, 48 fl oz
You can buy plain or seasoned Panko breadcrumbs for fried dishes like tasty Tempura style. If you buy plain you can add your own seasoning into the flour when breading your meats or tofu.
4C® Japanese Style Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs 13 oz. Canister Serving Size: 1/2 Cup (28g) Servings per container: about 13
For some quick, light noodles to cook up for various dishes or to add to soups try these Kame microwaveable packs of Udon noodles.
KA-ME Udon Stir Fry Noodles, 7.1 Oz, 2 Ct
When you are just looking for the noodles to make ramen and you have your own plans for the broth these dried noodles can help you create your own custom dish.
Hakubaku Organic Noodles Ramen, 9.52 Oz
If you like Japanese curry there are a few options for spiciness but I prefer a more mild taste and this is my go to choice for easy curry mix.
S&B Golden Curry Mild Japanese Curry Mix, 3.2 oz, 1 count Box
To make broths and to season flour for breading add in some chicken bouillon powder.
Knorr Granulated Bouillon Chicken Flavor Cholesterol-Free Powder, 7.9 oz Jar
White pepper has a lighter, distinct flavor from black pepper. It is less overpowering but still has a zing and I prefer it as a seasoning to other peppers. It is usually finely ground and you don't need to add too much for a strong flavor.
Great Value Organic Ground White Pepper, 2.05 oz
In addition to fresh garlic its best to also have garlic powder on hand for seasoning dishes, sauces, and adding to flour for breading and frying.
Great Value Garlic Powder, 3.4 oz
If you are looking for some extra heat and flavor you can add these chili flakes into your noodle meals and cooked dishes.
S & B Foods Ichimi Togarashi, Japanese Chili Pepper, 0.52 oz, No Allergens
If you want to enhance or create a stronger flavor for your cooking adding a little bit of MSG will have good results.
Ac'cent Flavor Enhancer MSG, Kosher, 4.5 oz
For a really easy Miso soup starter or lunch these are flavorful and already have tofu mixed in.
Kikkoman Soybean Paste With Tofu Instant Soup, 1.05 oz
This Maruchan Yakisoba noodle dish in Terriyaki Beef flavor is heartier than most microwave ramen bowls and is my favorite for a quick lunch or easy shareable side for a prepared meal for two.
Maruchan Yakisoba Teriyaki Beef Flavor Noodles, 4 oz Shelf Stable Package
If you want to make your own Tonkatsu ramen at home you can use these noodle and broth basics to start and add your choice of meats, egg and vegetables to create a hearty meal.
Hakubaku Authentic Japanese Ramen Noodles (Tonkotsu, 6 PACK)
Sauce Making Ingredients
These ingredients can be combined to make a variety of delicious sauces in your own kitchen!
White sugar is used in creating sauces to balance salty flavors.
Domino Premium Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, 1 lb Box
Light brown sugar is interchangeable with white sugar for sauce making, but brown sugar will give more depth to the flavor of your sauce. Light brown sugar is preferred to dark brown sugar for most recipes due to the lighter taste, dark brown sugar h...
Domino Premium Pure Cane Light Brown Sugar 2 lb. Zipper-Pak
Corn starch helps to thicken sauces and create crispy delicious breading for fried dishes. Mixed in equal parts with flour is great for sweet and sour or orange style chicken, if yuo are a fan of Chinese food as well.
Great Value Corn Starch, 16 oz
Refined oils have a higher smoke point, and avocado oil is a light tasting oil that doesn't add much flavor that would interfere with other ingredient tastes. You can use it when heating is required to prepare sauce ingredients.
Great Value Refined Avocado Oil, 25.5 fl oz
Dark soy sauce is not meant to be a condiment like regular soy sauce. It is less salty and more subtly sweet, meant for combining with other ingredients and mixing to create different types of finished sauces.
Heinz Premium Dark Soy Sauce 5.1 fl.oz.
For katsu sauce and other mixes this is a salty, savory ingredient.
Great Value Worcestershire Sauce, 10 fl oz
Simple ketchup is needed for Tonkatsu sauce.
Great Value Tomato Ketchup, 32 oz
Sesame seed oil is not good for high temperature cooking but its a good add in for sauces and flavorings. Most recipes call for just a dash.
365 by Whole Foods Market, Oil Sesame Seed Organic, 8.4 Fl Oz at Whole Foods Market
Another sauce making ingredient that is an often used add in.
365 by Whole Foods Market, Organic Rice Vinegar, 12.7 Fl Oz at Whole Foods Market
Oyster sauce is another main ingredient for making a variety of delicious, flavorful Japanese sauces.
Kikkoman Oyster Flavored Sauce, 12.6oz, Gluten Free, Shelf Stable, Glass Bottle, No Preservatives
Honey is an ingredient used to make many Japanese sauces. It's great to have on hand for a number of uses.
Great Value Honey, 12 oz, Plastic Bear
Chili oil is used to add heat and flavoring to sauces. If you like more spicy flavors you might like Rayu sauces.
S&B Layu, Chili Oil, 1.11 fl oz
You'll need Mirin for making tonkatsu sauce.
Kikkoman Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Wine - 10 FZ
Vegetables
If you can't get fresh ginger to grate yourself or you want to skip this step you can buy pre grated ginger to save you some effort.
Organic Grated Ginger, 6.7 OZ at Whole Foods Market
Fresh garlic is needed for many Japanese food recipes. You can save yourself a bit of work with peeled garlic cloves if you like to make things a bit easier.
365 by Whole Foods Market, Organic Peeled Garlic, 6 Ounce at Whole Foods Market
If you have a dish that calls for carrots I like to use baby carrots. I like having them on hand as a snack and they are already peeled for cooking convenience.
Organic Peeled Baby Carrots at Whole Foods Market
Green onions or leeks are important to so many dishes. They can be chopped to add to dishes, mixed into soups and added on top of meals as a garnish and colorful, flavorful topping. They also produce a jelly which is a special ingredient in its own r...
Green Onion at Whole Foods Market
Meat & Protein
I prefer chicken & pork dishes most of all so here are some basic suggestions for these types of protein. Tofu is included as well for vegetarian dish options!
Chicken thighs require a bit more prep work than tenderloins when cooking but they usually result in having a larger quantity of food.
Perdue, No Antibiotics Ever, Fresh Chicken Thighs, 4.5-5.9 lb. Tray
Chicken tenderloins are a leaner option & easier to prepare than tenderloins for chicken dishes.
Perdue Harvestland, Free Range, Fresh Chicken Breast Tenderloin Pieces, 0.8-1.7lb. Tray
Pork loins are another delicious choice to bread up for fried dishes.
Pork Tenderloin at Whole Foods Market
Pork belly is fattier than pork loins and is used as a very flavorful addition to ramen dishes.
Pork Belly at Whole Foods Market
Another pork option for quick meals, dumplings and adding to noodle dishes is ground pork!
Ground Pork NAE, 16 OZ at Whole Foods Market
Important for breading fried dishes. If you are interested in adding a hard boiled egg to your ramen or trying out a Japanese omelette dish you will need eggs.
Great Value Large White Eggs, 18 Count
Imitation crab is often used to create sushi. It is usually made from Alaskan pollock, egg and wheat ingredients.
TransOcean Crab Supreme Imitation Crab, Flake Style, 24 oz Plastic Bag, Gluten-Free, Fully Cooked
For different recipes tofu firmness will vary. For frying and baking extra firm is a good choice. Firm can be used in ramen or soups, and soft can be used to dissolve into broths.
Organic Extra Firm Tofu, 14 OZ at Whole Foods Market
Condiments & Toppings
Adding these condiments to your taste can enhance the flavor of a dish and change the texture to your preference.
You can tell if a soy sauce is good quality by shaking the bottle and seeing if bubbles foam at the top. Bubbly soy sauce means it has been fermented longer and has more natural ingredients.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce, 15 fl oz
If you are looking for a lower sodium soy sauce Kikkoman also offers this 38% less sodium version which still tastes good.
Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce, 15 oz
To add some zing you might like this wasabi sauce instead of the paste. Often pastes are very concentrated and can be great for those who really like the spicy kick, the sauce is a bit easier to dip your food into and control how much you add to your...
Kikkoman Wasabi Sauce, 9.25 OZ
For a creamy, umami dip for sushi or even just some fries try Kewpie mayonaise. It can be substituted for regular mayo in any Western food as well.
Kewpie Mayonnaise, 15.72 fl oz
This Furikake seasoning is a seaweed, salt, sugar & sesame seed combo that I love to use on rice and noodle dishes for a bit of extra texture and flavor.
JFC Nori Komi Furikake Rice Seasoning, 1.7 oz
If you're a big fan of sesame seeds like I am having a shaker container on hand to add in cooking dishes and as a topping to break up the soft texture of noodles is a must.
Great Value Sesame Seeds, 2.2 oz
Snacks, Beverages & Desserts
Between or after meals these snacks & desserts are my go tos, though I often look forward to the beverages the most!
For an extremely light and slightly crispy snack with rich seaweed flavor these Nori seaweed strips are seasoned with sea salt and are a unique flavor option.
Organic Kimnori Seasoned Roasted Seaweed Snacks - 4g X 12 Pack Net 1.69 oz (48g) Kim Nori - 12 Individual Packs 12 Pack (Sea-Salt)
These are red peanuts with a salty, crunchy exterior. Salty, savory and delicious.
Nagaraya Cracker Nuts Garlic Pack of 12
Edamame are soybeans and these have a ranch seasoning. Plain is also tasty and they are good for a bit of protein at snack time.
The Only Bean Edamame Dry Roasted Low Carb Snacks (Ranch), Vegan Gluten Free Snacks, Healthy Snacks for Kids and Adults, High Protein Snacks, Keto Snacks, Diabetic Snacks, 4oz Pack of 3
If you like an airy, plain cracker with a good crisp I recommend these KAME brand rice crackers, they also have a black sesame and soy sauce type if you want a more seasoned cracker.
Kame Original Rice Crackers 3.5 oz
My Mochi makes decent mochi if you'd like to give it a go. Strawberry, Mango, and Green Tea (if you like a less sweet choice) are our preferred flavors.
My/Mochi Ice Cream Strawberry, Net Content 6 Count 1.25 Ounce Soft Pieces
Daifuku is a type of mochi that has red bean paste instead of ice cream inside. I really like the plain original flavor of the red bean paste and the texture of the soft rice outer casing.
Royal Family Red Bean Mochi 210g
For a light dessert snack try Pocky, I like Strawberry but it also comes in chocolate and other flavors. You'll definitely need more than one package.
Glico Pocky Biscuit Sticks, Strawberry, 1.41 Oz
For a delicious cold beverage treat straight from your blender grab a package of this Big Train Dragonfly Taro powder. Mix it with milk & ice and blend to create a smooth and creamy frappe drink that is great for warm days. Enjoy with or without ...
Big Train Dragonfly Taro Blended Crème Beverage Mix, 3.5 lb
If you want a sweeter, fruitier frappe beverage my go to is the Honeydew flavor powder mix from Big Train Dragonfly as well.
Big Train Dragonfly Honeydew Blended Crème Beverage Mix, 3.5 lb
If you want to add some boba to your milk tea beverage or frappe these are easy to prepare with a short boil. They have a great chewy texture and taste.
E FA Black Tapioca Pearl Boba 2 2 Pound
Recipes & Information
To get you started with some easy recipes to follow along with these are my top picks.
Tonkatsu sauce is a blend of sweet and savory and it's great for dipping fried chicken pieces.
Tonkatsu Sauce
This is a very tasty sweet and savory sauce that is also good for dipping your meats and fried foods,
Garlic Honey Soy Sauce (only 5 Minutes!) - Coined Cuisine
For a simple and delicious noodle meal this Yaki Udon recipe is wonderful and really easy to follow.
Yaki Udon is the underdog of Japanese stirfried noodles
A great combination of flavors that is impressive but simple to prepare and delicious to enjoy.
“Wife me up” Chili Garlic Noodles
If you are looking to create a great curry dish with katsu then you need to check out this recipe.
How to Make Japan's Most Popular Meal (Katsu Curry)
Gratitude and politeness are also important to partaking of meals in Japanese culture. This article gives an interesting explanation of some basic phrases you might use at mealtime to show gratitude.
Japanese Greetings Used Before and After Meals: “Itadakimasu” and “Gochisosama”