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Seasonal Japanese Recipes

Japanese chefs are always changing their menus, using the freshest seasonal ingredients. Here, local cooking instructor Emi Hirayama will be introducing seasonal recipes for us throughout the year. You can try your hand at home, or take her cooking class in person next time you're in Kyoto. See Kyoto Uzuki Cooking

May - Tai no Oshi-zushi

Boxed seabream sushi with kinome (sansho baby leaves) flavoured


Kyoto in May is green with new foliage and enjoys a spring wind. Please try these two typical May recipes. In the Kansai region of Japan, many households cook oshi-zushi from May, and tai (sea bream) is freshest from spring to early summer. Sansho baby leaves are loved by Kyotoites for their fragrance.


Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 8 Step 10
  • 1. Cook 2 cups of rice with a piece (5cm square) of kombu/kelp, with 2 cups of water (less water than usual to make harder texture)

  • 2. Prepare vinegar mixture - put 60ml of rice vinegar, 2 table spoons of sugar and 2 tea spoons of salt in a cup and mix it well
  • 3. Place 1. in a (wooden) bowl and pour 2. over 1. and mix gently without mashing  
  • 4. Put a fillet of fresh raw seabream between the sheets of rice vingar soaked combu/kelp and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours
  • 5. Cut 4. into very thin flat sheets
  • 6. Put plastic wrap over the (wooden) mold and fill and spread 3. (sushi rice)
  • 7. Press 6. evenly with the lid
  • 8. Place some kinome/sansho baby leaves and if you like, some grated fresh wasabi
  • 9. On 8. arrange 5. regularly
  • 10. Once again press 9. evenly with the lid
  • 11. Leave 10. for a few minutes, remove the the lid and plastic wrap and cut in bite sized pieces

鯛の押し寿司

関西では家庭で押し寿司をよく作ります。鯛は春から初夏にかけて、おいし時期です。京都人が大好きな香り、芳しい木の芽を添えて。

  • 1. お米 2カップを, 5センチ角の昆布と共に、普通より少しかために炊く。
  • 2. カップに米酢 60ml、砂糖大さじ2杯、塩小さじ2杯を入れよく混ぜる。 
  • 3. 1.の炊き上がったご飯を飯台に移し2.の寿司酢を混ぜる。
  • 4. 刺身用鯛一作(250g)を、酢でやわらかくした昆布ではさみ、冷蔵庫で2〜3時間寝かせる。
  • 5. 4.の鯛を薄く切る(平作り)。
  • 6. 木の枠にラップを敷き3.の寿司飯を入れる。
  • 7. 6.を型の蓋で押し、平らにする。
  • 8. 7.の寿司飯の上にわさびをお好みで少々と、木の芽を散らす。
  • 9. 8.の寿司飯の上に5.の鯛を均等に敷き詰める。
  • 10. 9.をもう一度型の蓋で押す。
  • 11. 10.をしばらく置いておき、一口サイズに切る。 

June - Matcha Shiradama Dango

Matcha/powder greentea shiratama balls with red bean paste. (2 servings)



  • 1. Mix 100g of shiratama-ko/flour with 2 tea spoons of matcha/powder green tea

  • 2. Place 1. in a bowl, add 90ml of cold water little by little till the dough becomes clay-dough texture (or the earlobe texture)   
  • 3. Make small balls with hands  
  • 4. Boil 3. in hot water for around 3 - 4 minutes, after all the balls float up, still continue boiling a couple more minutes
  • 5. Place 4. in ice water to cool
  • 6. Serve some of ⑤ and strawberries in the serving bowl and top red bean paste (or kinako/soy bean powder)

抹茶白玉だんご 小豆あん添え

つるっとのど越しのよい白玉だんごをすっきりした苦味の抹茶で香り付け。小豆あんを添えて。(二人分)

  • 1. 白玉粉(100g)に、茶こしでふるった抹茶小さじ2杯を混ぜる。
  • 2. 1.をボールに入れ、水(80~90ml)を少しづつ加え、耳たぶくらいの堅さの生地を作る。  
  • 3. 2. を手のひらで丸めて、小さなお団子を作る。
  • 4. 沸騰したお湯に3.を入れ、上に浮いてきた後、もう1~2分ゆでる。
  • 5. 4.を氷水に取り入れ、冷たくする。
  • 6. 鉢に5.を数個盛り、小豆あんとお好みでいちごを添えるか、叉は、きな粉をふる。  
Hatanaka Shozankaku Ryotei Kyoto Garden Ryokan Yachiyo Cafe Cube at Hosomi Museum