According to the lunar calendar, the moon will shine brightest on October 3 this year. In countries from China to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, people will gather with family and friends to enjoy the view, give thanks for this year's harvest, and feast on delicious cakes and dumplings. More

If you like cooking Asian food at home, then you should have a bottle of ponzu in your cupboard. It is an essential condiment and marinade with a wonderful, zingy flavor that pairs well with vegetables, seafood, and meats. Sadly, it's very little-known outside of Japan and it deserves more widespread knowledge. More

This month, we're talking about quick meals, and the time-consuming dumpling might not seem to fit the bill. But if you assemble dumplings on the weekend or a quiet evening, by the time that busy weeknight rolls around, you can have a super fast, filling meal in minutes. More

When most of us think "lotus," we may think of the beautiful aquatic flower or the yoga position. But did you know that the rhizome of the lotus plant is edible? On the outside it looks like a long cylindrical brown tuber, but slice one crosswise, and you'll be rewarded with beautiful, lace-like slices of a crunchy and delicious vegetable. More

Chirashi, also called chirashizushi (ちらし寿司) is one of my favorite Japanese meals. The word "chirashi" means "scattered," so this is basically a big bowl of rice mixed with fish, vegetables, and additional ingredients of your choice. I like this dish a lot, because it's a delicious one-bowl meal that is very filling and very versatile. There are almost no limits to what ingredients go in chirashi, and if you're a vegetarian, you could make a vegetable-only chirashi - it does not need to have fish. More

The first time I had sea urchin (uni,) I gagged and spat it out. The texture and the taste of the sea were way too much for me. And then one day, I was flipping through my Nobu cookbook and came across his recipe on tempura sea urchin. In the comments section, he mentioned that he got a lot of people who had refused sea urchin in the past to try the tempura and they ended up loving it. More

Last week was Street Fair Food Week on The Kitchn, which reminded of one of my most favorite street fair foods; takoyaki! Found at almost all Japanese fairs and festivals, takoyaki are yummy little balls of goodness. More

We recently hosted a grilling potluck, and among the foods left by our friends (we couldn't get to everything in one meal!) was a package of ita konnyaku. We had tried konnyaku at restaurants and seen it in Japanese markets but had never really stopped to think about what it is, or how to use it at home. Are you familiar with this ingredient? More

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. I'm nowhere near the level of Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern, but I'm willing to experience strange new culinary delicacies more than most people I know. My parents always encouraged me to try new foods; when I was 3, I had my first taste of escargot, and when I was 6, I had my first linguini with baby squid in marinara sauce. I was not a fussy eater as a child; the only vegetable I didn't like was sweet potatoes. Even as an adult, I still don't like them, but that's okay, since I eat just about any other vegetable. More

Earlier this week I reported on my visit to a depachika (or basement gourmet food hall) in a Tokyo department store. While I was there, I impulsively picked up a small, edible souvenir: a lump of pink rock salt.

But now that I'm home, I'm unsure of the best way to enjoy this tiny treasure. I'm wondering if there are any readers out there who might offer some advice... More