On this special Japan page we give you the full 101. It is a deep dive into the Japanese food culture, and a place to take a sneak peak into kitchen of our Japanese suppliers. Where you see how consistency, patience and high standards are what makes Japanese food so good!
All about Japanese food
What makes Japanese food special?
Mindful and traditional
The Japanese pay a lot of attention to what they eat and how they eat. See how they make tea, for example, but also how they make hatcho miso or tamari. It is perfectly normal for our Japanese suppliers to be busy stirring shoyu 365 days a year. Or that it takes a miso expert days to pile up the perfect pyramid of stones, so that the miso mixture provides enough pressure to the gram for the fermentation. Watch the videos, because you’ll be amazed!
Pure quality
All 100 Japanese products are pure. Our products don’t contain any superfluous ingredients. Precisely because many producers have been using the same recipe for generations, all purity has remained intact. That’s great, because you can really taste it!
Local products
We are transparent about where our Japanese products come from. In the videos you can see exactly how it works in Japan. In the small local production houses, labor and purchase is a fair process. You can count on that for every TerraSana product!
We choose carefully
As much attention as our producers put into making their products, we have put as much thought into putting together our Japanese range.
Want to see how our products are made in Japan? Watch the videos below.
Did you know...
... Japanese is one of the world's most famous cuisines?
The Japanese cuisine, together with Italian, is one of the best known in the world. You can find sushi all over the world, just like spaghetti.
... a typical Japanese meal contains pickles?
A typical Japanese meal consists of rice, vegetables, miso soup, pickles, and fish or meat. Shoyu is commonly used for seasoning, and nori (dried seaweed) is often eaten with rice.
... the inhabitants of Japan are known to become very old?
The Japanese are known for their excellent health, even into old age. This is a mystery to many and it is thought that the good food could be the secret, as well as the active lifestyle.
... slurping in Japan is considered polite?
Slurping noodles (ramen) is polite in Japan. While our table manners here boil down to eating as quietly as possible, in Japan you indicate with a slurp that you like it.
... eating 'on the go' is not done?
Eating out is great, but eating while on the go is not done. For the Japanese, food is also a token of appreciation for those who prepared it. This makes it disrespectful to eat something quickly on the way.
... when you're good at something, it doesn't make you a master yet?
Becoming a sushi chef requires years of training. You cannot simply call yourself skilled in a profession in Japan. It takes many years of training, expertise before you can say that you are somewhat proficient in something (from ceramics to sushi chefs).
How it's made! Check out the videos to see it for yourself!
Ready to cook Japanese yourself? This is how you do that!
A book full of information about Japanese products and recipes such as gyoza, donburi and sushi.
Japanese beginner? See the most frequently asked questions
What is umeboshi?
Ume is a Japanese fruit that resembles an apricot or plum. Ume is not edible raw, so we ferment it for about 6-12 months. After that, umeboshi has a strong umami, salty and sour taste. Pretty intense, but nice!
Is seaweed vegan?
Yes. This may be confusing as there are fish living in the sea. But no animals are used or killed for growing and harvesting seaweed.
What is the difference between arrowroot and kuzu?
Arrowroot comes from the starch of the arrowroot plant, kuzu from the roots of the kuzu plant. The biggest difference is therefore in the raw material. The effect and the binding power are about the same. Arrowroot is cheaper than kuzu and comes in powder. Kuzu comes in cubes and is popular in Japan for its health benefits.
What is the difference between shiitake donko and shiitake koshin?
Shiitake donko has an open hat. The top is rounder and more bulged. Shiitake koshin has a closed hat, which makes the top flatter. If you're a real foodie, you could say that shiitake donko absorbs a little more flavors from your dish, but the difference is negligible.
What is the difference between shoyu and tamari?
We make shoyu from fermented soy and wheat. We only make tamari from fermented soybeans and it is gluten-free. Fermentation takes about a year in both cases. Still, the taste of tamari is slightly more powerful.
What is the difference between agar agar and gelatin?
The main difference is that gelatin is an animal product and agar is vegetable. In addition, the use is different: gelatin is used cold, agar agar only works in warm liquids.
