The Art Of Cooking: The Ajinomoto Style
Cooking was pretty simple before. Salt and pepper were the best additives to add flavor to the food until Ajinomoto introduced the monosodium glutamate to the world. MSG creates a completely new taste called umami and it has changed the art of cooking since its introduction. Now, there is nothing more delicious than the food cooked with Ajinomoto style. It will certainly leave your taste buds wanting more.
Aji-no-moto brings out the best flavors of ingredients and creates that umami flavor. This brand delivers the umami taste in food and harmonizes all the different flavors in a dish. The MSG is widely used in different cuisines today. Even the westerners use MSG on their food to create that savory and meaty taste. Aji-no-moto is categorized as umami seasoning that produces umami in cooking. Thus, cooking in Aji-no-moto style is all about enhancing flavors and umami.
There are different ways to use MSG in your food. The versatility of Aji-no-moto MSG is what makes it a household brand. You can do so many things with it in terms of cooking. It enhances your appetite without affecting the original flavor of the dish.
One way to use MSG is to use it as a dressing. You can use it as a vase flavor for meat and fish. Hamburgers and dumpling fillings will taste great when dressed with MSG. In addition, when cooking vegetables, you can add MSG to the water. Another way to use MSG is to add flavor once a dish is cooked. Stir-dry dishes like those that of fried rice will taste great when topped with MSG. Flavors of pickled vegetables will be enhanced with MSG.
MSG is also known for boosting the flavors in soups. Simply sprinkle some MSG on your soup and it will taste more meaty and savory. Lastly, MSG is a good compliment for other seasonings like salt, dressings, sauces, soy sauce and vinegar. As mentioned, MSG harmonizes all the different flavors and makes the dish more delicious.
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Tags: ajinomoto, japanese food, msg, umami | 
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Distinctive Freatures of Apartments in Tokyo
You think you have seen it all in the luxury living but you has not if you have not gone to Tokyo. Apartment Tokyo do much more than your usual fare of modernity that you will be amazed at what is offer in an apartment. These apartments have their distinctive features that they can call their own in their modern city. Apartment Tokyo offer you simply one of the world class residences that you thought was just available in five star hotels but can now be part of your everyday living. Luxury living does not have to be temporary for a summer vacation or for a weekend getaway. It can be right at the comfort of your home.
So what does the apartments in Tokyo offer that makes them stand out? You can expect the usual kitchen appliances, the various types of apartments you prefer from studio to 3 bedrooms units and the heating system on the different areas of the apartment and the 24-hour ventilation system. What will get your attention is you are now offered your own high-speed internet connection, fiber optic tuner connection and your very own cell phone antennae. These are features to make sure that you are really connected to the world even if you are pleasuring in your own little paradise. After all, when you are taking in the luxuriousness, you want to share it to the world.
This luxury level may seem to be out of your reach but with a person like you who seeks that life of comfort and peace, these apartments in Tokyo truly offer you just that and this is one way of living that you cannot miss. In addition, if you must take a break from all their fantastic amenities you can just go down to the basement and hop on the subway to one of the main places in the area near you. Life is short so why not enjoy it with a great view.
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What fruits can you grow in your garden in Japan
Growing fruit and flower is one the most commonly found practice in the rural as well as in the urban areas of Japan. Japanese are especially known for their Bonsai plants which have gained an immense popularity around the world. But it is worth mentioning that besides landscaping and the cultivation of ornamental plants, there is a huge room and market for the fruit trees in Japan. Now what fruits can you grown in your garden in Japan? This question is as significant to be answered as significant it is to be asked. The first and the foremost thing to be taken into the consideration is the climate of the Japanese region you are looking to grow these trees in. one has to look at the ground water table, the soil moisture content and the organic material ratio, the topography and the temperature of that region.
Generally, taking all the above mentioned factors into consideration, experts recommend planting Mangifera indica. This is largely because this tree requires a reasonable quantity of water to survive can yield even at very high temperature and has an ability to produce commercially important fruit. However, in case the region you are planning to plant this tree has short summers and a lower annual average temperature, this tree is not recommended. Furthermore, growing grape vine would be extremely beneficial in your garden. Grape vines are generally planted for commercial purpose in countries like those of Australia where the huge vine industry depends on the extensive production of grape vines at all levels ranging from commercial to domestic levels. In Japan, however, growing grape vines can be a handy way to have good edibles growing at your home as well as having a good ornamental look of your garden. However, one of the disadvantages of growing grape vine can be that it is not a shade providing fruit.
Thus, selection of the fruit trees largely depends on the taste of the grower, commercial requirements of the market as well as the prevailing climatic conditions of the particular region in Japan. Professional horticulturists can be hired for this purpose.
Yokohama Chinatown
Last post, we mentioned Yokohama as one of the top cities to visit. In particular we spoke about Yokohama Chinatown. Regardless of the location of where your Yokohama guesthouse or hotel may be located, you may want to check out Yokohama Chinatown. It would definitely be worth the visit. The history of Yokohama Chinatown goes back at least 150 years. While very few actual Chinese people still live in Yokohama Chinatown today, it still has a population that ranges between 3,000 and 4,000 people. Most of the people who do live in Chinatown today are from Guangzhou as well as some other regions. Yokohama Chinatown is actually the largest Chinatown in not only Japan, but in all of Asia and is one of the largest in all of the world.
As far as the history of Yokohama Chinatown goes, in the year 1859 many Chinese immigrants arrived in Japan when the seaports opened up and they formed settlements within Japan. At first, the government had created regulations that made it so the Chinese immigrants could only live within the foreign settlement area. However, in 1899 these regulations changed while they still kept strict rules on what jobs the Chinese immigrants could have. In 1937 a war broke out between China and Japan, which temporarily stopped the growth of Chinatown. However, once the war ended Chinatown then continued to grow. In 1955 Chinatown started being officially recognized with the goodwill big gate having been built.
There are more than 200 restaurants in all of Yokohama Chinatown. These restaurants serve to be the main attraction of Yokohama Chinatown. It is actually the type of food that is served at these restaurants that attract people to Yokohama Chinatown. Some of the more popular food served are the steamed buns, pastries, dim sum, dumplings, and ramen noodles as well as the great number of other Chinese dishes. However, some of these Chinese dishes have been changed to be somewhat Japanized to an extent.
If you are visiting Yokohama in the beginning of February, you will definitely not want to miss out on checking out Yokohama Chinatown. There will be a lot of festivities going on in Chinatown at that time. The reason for that is the Chinese New Year. Some other festivals that take place in Yokohama Chinatown are Qing Ming and Mid Autumn. Some other events that also occur within Yokohama Chinatown include the birthdays and commemorative dates of Mazu and Guan Gong. These events take place inside of the Mazu Temple and the Guan Gong temples. These temples are the two biggest social locations within all of Yokohama Chinatown.
As you can see, Yokohama Chinatown is definitely somewhere you won’t want to miss out on while you’re in Yokohama. It is overflowing with history. Not only that, but it has quite the large number of amazing restaurants standing at a number of at least 200 that serve only the finest cuisine. If you visit at the right time of year, you can even take part of the festivities for certain important dates in Chinese history including birthdays and commemorative dates. You don’t want to miss the experiences within Yokohama Chinatown.
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Top 5 Cities to Visit in Japan
Tokyo is the current capital of Japan, and consequently, it is also the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the home of the Japanese Imperial Family and their palace, and the center of the Japanese government. There are 23 so-called “special wards” in Tokyo, each considered as a city, together Tokyo makes up to be the largest city of Japan. Among the most visited tourist spots are the Imperial Palace, the East Imperial Garden, Shinjuku (a district that seems to have everything you need located around Japan’s busiest station), and Shibuya (popular among the younger generations).
Osaka was once the center of Japanese politics and economy. It is said that it was here that Japan was introduced to the world. Despite the destructions brought about by WWII, Osaka has preserved some of its most historical sites including the Shitennoji Temple and Osaka Castle. Tourists and locals continue to visit Osaka to commemorate the past and join in the various Plum festivals that announce the coming of spring.
Kyoto was once the home of the Imperial Family before relocating to Tokyo. Being the former capital of Japan, it had been the target of several wars and fires causing much destruction to the city. However, because of several historic and valuable treasures the city holds, it was removed as a target during the air raids of WWII. Among the historical attractions that survived the war are the old Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle (former residence of the shogun), and Kinkakuji (a temple covered in gold).
Yokohama is the second largest city of Japan, and probably has the most variety of population. It is home to Japan’s largest Chinatown, and the Yamate district showcases some former British residences. But by far, the greatest attraction of Yokohama is Minato Mirai, meaning “harbor of the future”, a seaside urban area that is home to some of Japan’s tallest buildings and exciting attractions including Cosmo World, Manyo Club, Queen’s Square, and the Nippon Maru.
Hiroshima is probably remembered by the world as the city that was as good as obliterated when it was hit by an atomic bomb dropped during WWII. However, in Japan, Hiroshima is a symbol of hope. Not many believed that it could rise from the ashes, but it did. Rebuilding the city took years and years of hard work but it was successful; even the historical Hiroshima Castle was successfully rebuilt. Locals and tourists continue to visit the historical sites of Hiroshima today, and commemorate and admire the city’s strength in the Peace Memorial Park built at the heart of the city.
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Katakana for Travellers in Japan
As you may or may not know, Japanese has three alphabets, Hiragana and Katakana, known collectively as kana. As well as Kanji, which are the symbols borrowed from Chinese. The kana are used to represent each of the phonetic sounds in the Japanese language. Basically hiragana is used for native Japanese words and katakana for words borrowed from other languages. Now as a traveller to Japan, especially if its your first trip. You are unlikely to know how to read these alphabets and if you do so, this article probably not of any great used to you.
If you have the time and the interest to try and learn to read a little bit of Japanese for you visit, I would suggest concentrating on katakana, because hiragana is all but useless without a grasp of kanji and kanji is the biggest hurdle in learning Japanese, simply because of the number you are required to know to be literate. However if you can read katakana, you will be able to read some things on menus and in shops. It is actually very useful to know and with a little bit of study can be remembered quite quickly.
One of the things that can be most difficult to get used to, is the Japanese pronunciation of English words. Its really just getting past a feeling of awkwardness about saying a word you know well in a way that doesn’t sound correct to your ears.
Here are a few Example words:
America ???? (amerika)
tour ??? (tsua)
French fries (fried potato) ??????? (furaidopoteto)
Coffee ???? (kohi)
Email ??? ?meru)
Hotel ??? (hoteru)
Cola ??? (kora)
The list of examples could go on but I’m sure this gets the point across.
Below you will see a full chart of katakana, there are many methods you can use to learn them. Do some research to find out what works best for you.
I personally like to make a story or contection that fits the sound and the look of the character. For example ? (me) I think of as the slang meh that is commonly used online and the character looks like a cross, so I think of it as “no good” making a cross with your arms is common in Japan when using the word ?? (dame) which means no good.
I hope this is useful to you.
Enjoy your travels in Japan
Picture Source: Here
Travel Japanese
Ok I am going to start off with something fairly simple that will hopefully be useful to holiday makers in Japan.
Japanese Pronunciation
Japanese pronunciation is actually the easiest part of learning the Japanese language. Try to keep the sounds short, as extending them can lead to confusion as it can sound like you are saying a different word entirely.
Ah (a), we (i) soon (u) get (e) old (o).
There is a link to the pronunciation of each of the basic sounds at the bottom of the page.
Hello.
Konnichiwa.
Good morning.
Ohayou gozaimasu.
Good evening.
Konbanwa.
Thank you.
Arigatou.
You’re welcome.
(a polite way of replying to someone who has just thanked you for something)
Dou itashi mashite.
How are you?
O-genki desu ka?
Map
chizu
May I have a map?
Chizu wo morae masu ka?
I’d like to go to .
e iki tai no desuga.
I’d like to go to Shinjuku.
Shinjuku ni iki tai no desu ga.
iki tai: want to go
Where am I?
Koko wa doko desu ka?
koko: here
doko: where
Where is it on this map?
Kono chizu de iuto doko desu ka?
kono: this
doko: where
I don’t understand Japanese.
Nihon-go wa wakari masen.
I can’t speak Japanese.
Watashi wa nihon-go ga hanase masen.
Please write it down.
Koko ni kaite kudasai.
Do you speak English?
Ei-go ga hanase masu ka?
How much does it cost?
Sore wa ikura desu ka?
I’ll take this.
Kore wo kudasai.
I’d like to buy a ticket.
Chiketto wo ichi mai kudasai.
Yes.
Hai.
No.
Iie.
Izakaya (a common kind of Japanese bar or
restaurant, which serves food as well as drink)
izakaya
Conveyor belt sushi
kaiten zushi
A table for two.
Futari desu.
Excuse me. (used when addressing a waiter or a waitress)
Sumimasen.
I’d like a beer please.
Biiru o kudasai.
May I have some water, please?
O-mizu o kudasai.
Can you recommend some dishes?
Osusume no ryouri wa nan desu ka?
Which dish is good?
Dore ga ichiban oishii desu ka?
Where is the rest room?
Where is a toilet?
Toire wa doko desu ka?
The check, please.
O-kanjou wo onegai shimasu.
Resources:
http://japanese.about.com/library/blhiraganaaudio.htm
http://japanese-phrases.sakura.ne.jp/