When shopping at Asian markets, you might see these long, flat, brightly-colored green leaves sold in big bunches. They look like very long blades of grass. Take a whiff and you'll notice a very distinctive smell of garlic. These are nira, otherwise known as garlic chives and Chinese leek! More

Even if you aren't traveling far this summer, you can take a trip through Asia right in your own kitchen. Here are 15 of our favorite Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes for warm weather, including refreshing salads, barbecue crowd pleasers, and quick-cooking dinners. More

This recipe is a great way to use up cucumbers. Pickled cucumbers are traditionally served as an accompaniment with rice or sushi, but feel free to serve any way you like. More

Q: Went to my favorite sushi spot the other night, and as a starter they served us the yummiest glazed sweet potato. I think it was called Daigakuimo. I've searched a few places for recipes, but none seem to be quite what I'm looking for.

Do you (or other readers) have any good recipes for these yummy little morsels??

Sent by Aimee More

The other day, I posted about Japanese ume plums which are in season right now. In this post, I'll take you through the process of making umeshu, which is a sweet cordial made from the ume plums. Most people call it "plum wine," but it's technically a cordial or liqueur. More

For a brief window in the early summer, Japanese and Korean markets sell these tiny green fruits. Prunus mume, or in Japanese, 梅:うめ, is actually an apricot, but always referred to as a plum. Originating in China, ume are now widespread throughout East Asia and are the main ingredient in the salty pickled plums called umeboshi and in plum wine. More

I guess you could call me a Japanophile. I love learning about Japanese cuisine, and I eagerly collect Japanese kitchen items. I became enamored with bento boxes a while ago, and now I have three different styles of bento boxes that serve various purposes. What they all have in common is that they are convenient, easy to clean, and fun.
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At the hanami picnic I hosted a few weeks ago, one of the foods I served was dango. Dango are sort of like mochi; they are made with rice flour and shaped in balls, and then impaled on a skewer. There are usually three to four dango on a skewer. Usually the dango are coated with a syrup made from soy sauce, sugar, and mirin and then grilled before eaten. More

These long, thin mushrooms with tiny caps are commonly found in Asian dishes, particularly Japanese dishes like nabemono and sukiyaki. Easily cultivated, they are grown and packaged in clusters, have a very crisp texture, and can keep for a week in the fridge. More

Even more teeny than tobiko is masago, which is the roe of the capelin fish. Capelin is a type of smelt found in Arctic waters. Their roe is very small and orange in color, and is a popular addition to sushi. More