Workshop: Japanese Umami Foods Expert

artisanal katsuobushi

Maybe you’ve made Dashi using instant dashi powder. Too easy? Then maybe you’ve learned how to make it with packaged bonito flakes. But have you ever seen or held true artisanal Katsuobushi that’s as hard as a piece of wood?

A master of Japanese fermented foods is coming to town. Mamiko Niashiyama is the proprietor of Yagicho Honten, a 300-year-old family owned traditional Japanese grocery shop in Nihonbashi, Tokyo and the leading producer of dashi products like dried bonito flakes, konbu seaweeds, shiitake mushrooms, and bean products. Our great friend Sonoko Sakai of Common Grains will act as translator and moderator of a free seminar about these foods. The seminar will be followed up by a workshop that should prove fascinating. All this takes place at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown LA on Saturday March 22

Workshop Menu includes:

• Soups with dried bonito, sardines, konbu seaweed and shitake mushrooms

• Umami-rich chicken and vegetable

  somen noodles

• Gomoku rice (rice with vegetables) and

  tamago (egg omelet)

• A light and clean spinach nori ohitashi salad

• Koji marinated cabbage, carrot and cucumber pickles

*Menu is subject to change depending on availability of ingredients.

Workshop follows immediately after seminar. Dashi sale following workshop. $75 members, $85 non-members, includes admission and supplies. RSVP early, 25 participants max.