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Guide to Japanese Groceries | MATOKA
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items If you're getting into Japanese foods and Japanese cooking, here are some essentials that you need in your kitchen.
Sections
3
Foods
Seasonings
Dry Ingredients
Foods
Fresh and frozen foods that are a staple in a Japanese kitchen and pantry
One of the most famous ramen joints in Japan, but you can't get it in the States (I mean there's one in New York but I hear it's expensive!). So if you're missing that Ichiran quality, then this may satisfy your craving.
Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen Noodle 128 g
S&B is a classic, household name in the instant curry industry, and their Golden Curry is a standard when making curry at home.
S&B Golden Curry Retort, Mild Flavor 8.1 oz
Ichiran also has a Hakata-Style Thin Instant Noodle option for those who want the authentic taste of Ichiran but in a way that is convenient and easy to prepare.
Ichiran Ramen Hakata-Style Thin Noodles 5pk 1 each
Udon is my go to food that I can prepare fast at home. There are so many different ways to prepare udon - with curry, in a soup, in hotpot, as stir fry, or just plain with a raw egg on top!
J-Basket Sanuki-fu Udon Frozen 5P 44.2 oz
I'm all for fresh karaage, but sometimes you need something fast and easy after a long day of work. Karaage is my guilty food and I always order it at an izakaya with my drink of choice.
DayLee Karaage Chicken 340 g
Monaka are a classic Japanese treat, especially with ice cream. Imagine a soft wafer coating with an ice cream filling -simple yet so delicious.
Imuraya Monaka Wafer Ice Cream Vanilla Flavor 5.07 oz
I myself am more of a fan of soft tofu than the harder tofu products, and soft tofu is what is normally used for most Japanese dishes!
House Foods Tofu Soft 14 oz
You may have seen me embarassingly eat natto on one of my YouTube videos - clearly I'm not the biggest fan. But natto is one of the healthiest foods for your gut, we love a fermented moment!
Shirakiku Okame Kotsubu Natto 3P Frozen 170.1 g
Umeboshi may be an acquired taste, but I have acquired it and need it in my life. It's usually used for onigiris, but is pretty versatile and can be eaten alone!
iida Umeboshi Hachimitsu Pickled Plums 10.58 oz
Bake it, fry it, boil it, add it to your hotpot - kabocha is so versatile and has a great taste! Just be careful cutting into this bad boy because it's defense levels are off the chart!
Kabocha 1 count
Melon Pan is a classic in Japan and you can't go wrong with having some in your household for those nights where you just need a sweet snack!
Daiichi Melon Pan Bread, Frozen 107 g
I'm a sucker for anything gudetama, he so cute and relatable that I always buy…a little too much themed merch.
Hokuriku Gudetama Biscuit Tin 12 oz
Seasonings
If you're starting to make more Japanese dishes at home, keep these seasonings and sauces around!
Japanese mayo HITS DIFFERENT! And Kewpie is the household name for Japanese mayonaisse. Creamy, light with a deep umami taste that is great on pretty much anything!
Kewpie Mayonnaise Tube 500 g
If you're trying to make Takoyaki at home, you can't forget the bonito flakes. But, it's also great to make dashi, add to agedashi tofu, or to flavor your miso soup!
Marutomo Bonito Flakes 5pcs 12.5 g
There's something about Japanese side salads that just complete a meal, especially with sesame dressing. It's creamy and flavorful without being overpowering - this could be your ranch substitute!
Kewpie Deep-Roasted Sesame Dressing 16.91 oz
Japanese mustard is nothing like American mustard; it actually resembles the spiciness of horseradish much more. So it actually pairs very well with fried foods, like croquettes and tonkatsu!
S&B Neri Karashi in Tube (Japanese Masturd) 1.52 oz
Shichi or Nana means 7 in Japan, thus translating this as seven spice. And these 7 spices are great for garnishing, stir frying, or adding to udon and ramen soups.
S&B Shichimi Powder (Nanami Togarashi) 7 spices chili powder 0.52 oz
Mirin is a necessity for Japanese cooking - for sushi rice to adding flavor to your rolled omlette
Kikkoman Manjo Aji Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning 33.8 oz
Rice Vinegar is another essential in Japanese cooking, especially for flavoring rice or broths!
Marukan Rice Vinegar Genuine Brewed 24 oz
You can literally add sesame oil to anything and it'll be better - I add it to my rice and top it with furikake for a quick snack!
Kadoya Roasted Sesame Oil 11 oz
You don't always have to make dashi from scratch, soup stocks like hondashi are a great way to spice up a dish or broth. You can get even better results by combining dashis, like adding kelp or mushroom to bonito dashi for more umami.
Ajinomoto Hondashi Bonito Soup Stock 120 g
Tonkatsu sauce has a slight molasses taste that really suits well with fried foods. Add a bit of Japanese mustard as well and you have the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.
Otafuku Tonkatsu Sauce 500 g
It's best to just get a big soy sauce container cause you know you're gonna be using it. It's essential in the asian kitchen!
Kikkoman Soy Sauce 64 oz
Whether you add it directly to rice for a snack, on top of your favorite ochazuke, or even on fish like salmon or tilapia, this seasoning is very versatile!
Ajishima Furikake Seaweed Nori Rice Seasoning 1.7 oz
I prefer to make my own miso soup or miso sauces using raw miso instead of instant miso soup packets. It keeps a pretty long time due to the fermentation process and just tastes better and fresher!
Miko Brand Mutenka Kinugoshi, White Miso Cup 26.5 oz
Dry Ingredients
These are essential for Japanese cooking and baked goods!
Instead of flour, try potato starch for frying in order to get a lighter fried coating - perfect for agedashi tofu and as a base layer for karaage or katsu.
Taihaku Katakuriko Potato Starch 10.58 oz
While panko isn't a substitute for an American fry batter for fried chicken, it is very important to make good katsu, so I always keep some on hand!
Shirakiku Panko Bread Crumbs 198 g
A garnish that adds a bit of flavor, if you're into plating and food staging, you need some sesame seeds to make your dish look Instagram worthy.
J-Basket White Sesame Seed 226 g
If you're into making mochi or mochi-based baked goods, you need mochiko. It's also a great thing to use if you're gluten free or gluten intolerant as a flour substitute! It will make your baked goods more chewy though!
Koda Farms Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour 16 oz
Japanese pancake mix is a bit different from American mix - it's a bit lighter and creates fluffier pancakes, making it a versatile to create other baked goods!
Morinaga Pancake Mix 600 g
Generally used as a topping for warabi mochi, Kinako flour has a very nutty taste that is refreshing and nostalgic!
Welpac Kinako Soy Bean Flour 7 oz
Takoyaki has its own unique flour blend that is used to create these balls of magic. You can create it on your own but if you're making takoyaki at home and don't want to deal with the fuss, this is a convenient and easy product to use!
Otafuku Takoyaki Flour 16 oz
Not going to lie, I'm not a fan of tempura in the states, so if I am going to make it at home, I want the light crispy batter that you can find in Japan. A lot of restaurants outside of Japan just don't do it right, so I have to find my own ways to c...
Nissin Welna Tempura Batter Mix 600 g