MSG is one of those things that people hear about, know it is in Chinese food and that it either makes them feel sick after consuming or it does not. Very few people have any idea what MSG is or from where it comes. I was one of those people. I was recently discussing, with a coworker, how I could not eat certain foods with MSG because they give me a headache. She balked. She said there was nothing wrong with MSG being added to food. I mistakenly guessed that she knew details regarding MSG.

“What is MSG?” I asked
“Monosodium glutamate, “says my coworker.
“What is monosodium glutamate?”
My coworker then says, “I don’t know. They put it in food.”

Uh, huh. I realized I must research this mysterious food additive since I know I ‘m not the only one who gets headaches because of it and it is odd that only certain foods with the additive bother me. Further investigation seemed like the right thing to do. In a very tiny nutshell, as there is a plethora of information out there, here is what I found:

MSG or monosodium glutamate is a salt of the amino acid called glutamic acid (glutamate). MSG is commonly added to Chinese food, canned soups, vegetable and processed meats. Over a thousand years ago Asian cooks began adding a type of seaweed (Laminaria japonica) found in the Pacific Ocean to their soup stocks. They had discovered that foods cooked in this seaweed broth tasted good. Most ocean creatures have to balance the salty seawater and do so by filling their cells with amino acids and amines. One of these amino acids is glutamic acid in the form of monosodium glutamate, which is savory. Some fish, particularly shellfish, are high in pleasant tasting amino acids.

In 1908, the link between glutamate and the seaweed was discovered. A professor at Tokyo Imperial University, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, isolated glutamate from the seaweed (Kombu). Dr. Ikeda studied which form of glutamate produced the taste preferred for seasoning. He also studied how to produce it for commercial use. What he discovered was monosodium glutamate.

Glutamate is also found in abundance in virtually all natural foods – from meat, poultry, fish, cheese and milk to tomatoes, mushrooms and many other vegetables. Glutamate is the most commonly found amino acid in nature. But, glutamate can also be manufactured.

MSG was first produced in Japan in 1909. Since then, food manufacturers and home cooks have used MSG to augment the flavor of a wide variety of foods. Pure MSG does not have a pleasant taste by itself if it is not combined with a consonant savory smell. As a flavor and in the right amount, MSG has the ability to enhance other taste-active compounds balancing the overall taste of certain dishes.

Monosodium glutamate is produced through a fermentation process that begins with molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets and food starch from certain cereals. They are fermented in a controlled environment. The sodium is added later through a neutralization process.

Manufactured MSG has been used for over 100 years. Yet, it has had its fair share of controversy. Many studies have been conducted to determine if MSG is safe. The FDA states that MSG is “generally recognized as safe.” But, there is a gray area regarding the use of MSG. Many people, like me, find they have adverse reactions to MSG. The MSG Symptom Complex, originally known as the Chinese restaurant syndrome, has been debated.

The FDA admits that MSG has been proven to induce asthma attacks in certain individuals. And, the FDA has received many reports regarding reactions to MSG such as headaches, nausea, chest pain and heart palpitations. Yet, the FDA claims that MSG is generally safe.

According to a 1995 U.S. Food and Drug Administration study, some foods naturally contain higher levels of glutamate than those typically added to foods during manufacturing. For example, the natural glutamate level in aged Parmesan cheese was found to be up to 10 times that found in chicken broth with added monosodium glutamate. If MSG occurs naturally in food then can it be said that manufactured MSG is the problem?

According to MSGTruth.org , which was created by former food process engineer and food scientist, Carol Hoernlein:

“There are contaminants in processed MSG. An analogy that can be used is that there are right-handed amino acids and left handed ones. They are like mirror images of each other. Processed MSG contains not only the kind of amino acids the body is used to handling, but mirror image ones too. This may cause problems because it is like putting the wrong glove on your hand. It’s not quite the same. We don’t exactly know what problems this may cause.

On the other hand (so to speak) the fact that glutamate the body is used to handling is also in MSG may present a problem because an excess of naturally occurring glutamate is well known by neuroscientists to be a problem in many disease states. Natural glutamate can cause problems we already know about. The reason food processors “free” glutamate from its bound form is that it acts as a neurotransmitter in its free form. The food industry’s claim that free glutamate is as harmless as bound glutamate is disingenuous at best. If it was exactly the same, they wouldn’t need to hydrolyze vegetable protein (split the amino acids apart).”

Since MSG occurs naturally in many foods the placing of “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG” on food labels has been deemed by the FDA to be false and misleading under section (403) (a) (1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act when the label also lists any hydrolyzed protein as an ingredient since it also contains MSG.” To advertise “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG” when there is processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in a product is illegal.

I am inclined to ask the following 3 part question: Do people, who complain of adverse reactions, do so when they have (a) consumed products containing processed MSG only (b) naturally occurring MSG only or (c) both processed and naturally occurring MSG? If glutamic acid (MSG) is naturally occurring and it does not cause adverse reactions then can it be said that manufactured glutamic acid (MSG) is the culprit? Or, if a person is consuming both types of MSG can it be overload?

I’m inclined to believe that manufactured MSG is behind many of the adverse reactions. We are living in a time of over processed foods, formed in a way that maybe our bodies aren’t meant to absorb. But, for the sake of fairness, I do want to keep in mind the following: If we look at the thousand years that Asians added the seaweed to their soup we could say, well, heck, they were fine. But, do we really have proof that they were fine? Did someone say, “Hey that soup gave me a headache?” Maybe. We won’t know.

White Miso Soup with Tofu (serves 2-3)
2 TBS of White Miso soup (please experiment with various miso’s, red is one of our favorites) (You may want to increase or decrease the amount of miso paste used, to a lighter or heavier broth.)
1 package Of silkened Tofu (drained, and cubed)
Small Bunch Watercress

Directions: A pot of 4-6 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, dissolve the miso paste, place the tofu in the pot, with a handful of watercress.

Enjoy this simple, quick, healthy soup.

Photo Details:
Featured Guest Photographer: Marco Mayer
ApertureFNumber: f/11.0
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3S
ExposureTime: 1/160
FNumber: 11/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 125
MaxApertureValue: 32/10
MeteringMode: 2
LightSource: 0
Flash: 0
FocalLength: 105/1

MSG is one of those things that people hear about, know it is in Chinese food and that it either makes them feel sick after consuming or it does not. Very few people have any idea what MSG is or from where it comes. I was one of those people. I was recently discussing, with a coworker, how I could not eat certain foods with MSG because they give me a headache. She balked. She said there was nothing wrong with MSG being added to food. I mistakenly guessed that she knew details regarding MSG.

“What is MSG?” I asked
“Monosodium glutamate, “says my coworker.
“What is monosodium glutamate?”
My coworker then says, “I don’t know. They put it in food.”

Uh, huh. I realized I must research this mysterious food additive since I know I ‘m not the only one who gets headaches because of it and it is odd that only certain foods with the additive bother me. Further investigation seemed like the right thing to do. In a very tiny nutshell, as there is a plethora of information out there, here is what I found:

MSG or monosodium glutamate is a salt of the amino acid called glutamic acid (glutamate). MSG is commonly added to Chinese food, canned soups, vegetable and processed meats. Over a thousand years ago Asian cooks began adding a type of seaweed (Laminaria japonica) found in the Pacific Ocean to their soup stocks. They had discovered that foods cooked in this seaweed broth tasted good. Most ocean creatures have to balance the salty seawater and do so by filling their cells with amino acids and amines. One of these amino acids is glutamic acid in the form of monosodium glutamate, which is savory. Some fish, particularly shellfish, are high in pleasant tasting amino acids.

In 1908, the link between glutamate and the seaweed was discovered. A professor at Tokyo Imperial University, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, isolated glutamate from the seaweed (Kombu). Dr. Ikeda studied which form of glutamate produced the taste preferred for seasoning. He also studied how to produce it for commercial use. What he discovered was monosodium glutamate.

Glutamate is also found in abundance in virtually all natural foods – from meat, poultry, fish, cheese and milk to tomatoes, mushrooms and many other vegetables. Glutamate is the most commonly found amino acid in nature. But, glutamate can also be manufactured.

MSG was first produced in Japan in 1909. Since then, food manufacturers and home cooks have used MSG to augment the flavor of a wide variety of foods. Pure MSG does not have a pleasant taste by itself if it is not combined with a consonant savory smell. As a flavor and in the right amount, MSG has the ability to enhance other taste-active compounds balancing the overall taste of certain dishes.

Monosodium glutamate is produced through a fermentation process that begins with molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets and food starch from certain cereals. They are fermented in a controlled environment. The sodium is added later through a neutralization process.

Manufactured MSG has been used for over 100 years. Yet, it has had its fair share of controversy. Many studies have been conducted to determine if MSG is safe. The FDA states that MSG is “generally recognized as safe.” But, there is a gray area regarding the use of MSG. Many people, like me, find they have adverse reactions to MSG. The MSG Symptom Complex, originally known as the Chinese restaurant syndrome, has been debated.

The FDA admits that MSG has been proven to induce asthma attacks in certain individuals. And, the FDA has received many reports regarding reactions to MSG such as headaches, nausea, chest pain and heart palpitations. Yet, the FDA claims that MSG is generally safe.

According to a 1995 U.S. Food and Drug Administration study, some foods naturally contain higher levels of glutamate than those typically added to foods during manufacturing. For example, the natural glutamate level in aged Parmesan cheese was found to be up to 10 times that found in chicken broth with added monosodium glutamate. If MSG occurs naturally in food then can it be said that manufactured MSG is the problem?

According to MSGTruth.org , which was created by former food process engineer and food scientist, Carol Hoernlein:

“There are contaminants in processed MSG. An analogy that can be used is that there are right-handed amino acids and left handed ones. They are like mirror images of each other. Processed MSG contains not only the kind of amino acids the body is used to handling, but mirror image ones too. This may cause problems because it is like putting the wrong glove on your hand. It’s not quite the same. We don’t exactly know what problems this may cause.

On the other hand (so to speak) the fact that glutamate the body is used to handling is also in MSG may present a problem because an excess of naturally occurring glutamate is well known by neuroscientists to be a problem in many disease states. Natural glutamate can cause problems we already know about. The reason food processors “free” glutamate from its bound form is that it acts as a neurotransmitter in its free form. The food industry’s claim that free glutamate is as harmless as bound glutamate is disingenuous at best. If it was exactly the same, they wouldn’t need to hydrolyze vegetable protein (split the amino acids apart).”

Since MSG occurs naturally in many foods the placing of “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG” on food labels has been deemed by the FDA to be false and misleading under section (403) (a) (1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act when the label also lists any hydrolyzed protein as an ingredient since it also contains MSG.” To advertise “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG” when there is processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in a product is illegal.

I am inclined to ask the following 3 part question: Do people, who complain of adverse reactions, do so when they have (a) consumed products containing processed MSG only (b) naturally occurring MSG only or (c) both processed and naturally occurring MSG? If glutamic acid (MSG) is naturally occurring and it does not cause adverse reactions then can it be said that manufactured glutamic acid (MSG) is the culprit? Or, if a person is consuming both types of MSG can it be overload?

I’m inclined to believe that manufactured MSG is behind many of the adverse reactions. We are living in a time of over processed foods, formed in a way that maybe our bodies aren’t meant to absorb. But, for the sake of fairness, I do want to keep in mind the following: If we look at the thousand years that Asians added the seaweed to their soup we could say, well, heck, they were fine. But, do we really have proof that they were fine? Did someone say, “Hey that soup gave me a headache?” Maybe. We won’t know.

White Miso Soup with Tofu (serves 2-3)
2 TBS of White Miso soup (please experiment with various miso’s, red is one of our favorites) (You may want to increase or decrease the amount of miso paste used, to a lighter or heavier broth.)
1 package Of silkened Tofu (drained, and cubed)
Small Bunch Watercress

Directions: A pot of 4-6 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, dissolve the miso paste, place the tofu in the pot, with a handful of watercress.

Enjoy this simple, quick, healthy soup.

Photo Details:
Featured Guest Photographer: Marco Mayer
ApertureFNumber: f/11.0
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3S
ExposureTime: 1/160
FNumber: 11/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 125
MaxApertureValue: 32/10
MeteringMode: 2
LightSource: 0
Flash: 0
FocalLength: 105/1

Last year, Japan experienced one of the biggest natural disasters. Last March 11, 2011, 15,782 people died from the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting tsunami. As of this September, 4,086 are still missing.

For anyone who has been a part of such a tragedy, I can only imagine that everyday is a struggle to pick up the pieces of your life and go on living. I found myself contemplating “giving thanks” when it was Thanksgiving this past year. Although Thanksgiving is a holiday is predominantly celebrated in the United States for the end of harvest season, hence being thankful for the good harvest. I believe that Thanksgiving, in a manner of speaking, should be a universal holiday where people can celebrate by being thankful for whatever good fortunes they have experienced in life. New Years is more widely celebrated all over the world.

For the many people who live in Japan, I myself included, we are extremely thankful for having survived the tragedy. Words escape the scenes I’ve witnessed, almost like the aftermath of war. Although what I experienced is nothing compared to what those in North East Japan went through in the Tohoku Region. The problem is still ongoing and people are still displaced, and I can’t imagine what they have to live with.  We are living in fear (hence selling our house, too close to the ocean.) Although I knew this was a possibility and having gone through so many earthquakes, little, big, medium sized, as they happened here every day, the next time the ground shakes, it still jolts me out of what I am doing because it’s that constant state of “how big will this one be.” I try and estimate each quake by the shuddering of my surroundings, and the intensity of the motions matching the pounding of my heart.

For pure mental sanity, I can’t bare to hear or watch the news anymore when people start mentioning quakes. The Tsunami warnings that were going off and blaring here was eerie, it sounded like those Tornado warnings or those World War II sirens. Even though we had a drill the other day, I felt on edge.

Last Thanksgiving, in a country that does not celebrate this holiday, I was, and will always be thankful for this precious thing called Life that I sometimes take for granted. I will be thankful for the people that have been saved and those who helped in the relief efforts. I will be grateful for the love that surrounds me, lifts me up, and blunts the edges of fear. This is a New Year! I choose to represent my adopted country Japan with Wagashi. A traditional Japanese Sweet Confection.

Last year, Japan experienced one of the biggest natural disasters. Last March 11, 2011, 15,782 people died from the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting tsunami. As of this September, 4,086 are still missing.

For anyone who has been a part of such a tragedy, I can only imagine that everyday is a struggle to pick up the pieces of your life and go on living. I found myself contemplating “giving thanks” when it was Thanksgiving this past year. Although Thanksgiving is a holiday is predominantly celebrated in the United States for the end of harvest season, hence being thankful for the good harvest. I believe that Thanksgiving, in a manner of speaking, should be a universal holiday where people can celebrate by being thankful for whatever good fortunes they have experienced in life. New Years is more widely celebrated all over the world.

For the many people who live in Japan, I myself included, we are extremely thankful for having survived the tragedy. Words escape the scenes I’ve witnessed, almost like the aftermath of war. Although what I experienced is nothing compared to what those in North East Japan went through in the Tohoku Region. The problem is still ongoing and people are still displaced, and I can’t imagine what they have to live with.  We are living in fear (hence selling our house, too close to the ocean.) Although I knew this was a possibility and having gone through so many earthquakes, little, big, medium sized, as they happened here every day, the next time the ground shakes, it still jolts me out of what I am doing because it’s that constant state of “how big will this one be.” I try and estimate each quake by the shuddering of my surroundings, and the intensity of the motions matching the pounding of my heart.

For pure mental sanity, I can’t bare to hear or watch the news anymore when people start mentioning quakes. The Tsunami warnings that were going off and blaring here was eerie, it sounded like those Tornado warnings or those World War II sirens. Even though we had a drill the other day, I felt on edge.

Last Thanksgiving, in a country that does not celebrate this holiday, I was, and will always be thankful for this precious thing called Life that I sometimes take for granted. I will be thankful for the people that have been saved and those who helped in the relief efforts. I will be grateful for the love that surrounds me, lifts me up, and blunts the edges of fear. This is a New Year! I choose to represent my adopted country Japan with Wagashi. A traditional Japanese Sweet Confection.

To marry ingredients from every continent in the world does not make a continental dish, rather an eclectic one. Your senses will surely be receiving an explosion of flavor, and you simply won’t know what hit you. Grilled chicken is always considered a healthy dish to prepare. But if you don’t use your imagination, it can be bland and totally not worth the calories that you might as well eat cardboard. Eating smart and healthy need not mean you have to sacrifice taste. In fact, creating the perfectly healthy and delicious dish should always be your end goal.

Chicken breast is the leanest part of the chicken. It has a tendency to get dry if not cooked properly. My secret ingredient to keep the chicken breast moist is to season it with fig sauce as well as to seal in the juices with potato starch. I serve the grilled chicken with Japanese potato salad, Japanese broccoli salad, and what I think is not only a garnish but a wonderful side dish that adds texture to make a perfect meal… fried lotus root.

Lotus root (renkon in Japanese) is the rhizome of a lotus plant. It’s a popular vegetable in Asia and is a rich source of fiber. It has become part of my everyday life and I love sautéing it with Japanese nasu (eggplant). Like most Asian eggplants, the Japanese kind has thin skin and has a sweet and delicate flavor compared to the American kind which is a lot bigger, with seeds which give of a slightly bitter taste.

Here is a simple recipe of fried lotus root that would add crunch to every dish. It has mirin, which is a basic ingredient in Japanese cooking. It’s made up of 40-50% sugar and is a kind of sweet rice wine. Chicken recipe can be found here and Japanese Potato Salad here. Please note that the broccoli salad is the same as the potato salad with ingredients used.

Ingredients:

Lotus root (Recipe Adapted from Cookpad by MOJ: Japanese Language Only, you can use the google chrome browser to automatically translate the site)

Water with a little vinegar to prevent lotus root from darkening.
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp starch
Salt according to taste

Peel and slice lotus root and put cut pieces in water mixed with a little vinegar to keep it from darkening. Mix with all the rest of the ingredients, coat with starch, then fry until golden brown.

To marry ingredients from every continent in the world does not make a continental dish, rather an eclectic one. Your senses will surely be receiving an explosion of flavor, and you simply won’t know what hit you. Grilled chicken is always considered a healthy dish to prepare. But if you don’t use your imagination, it can be bland and totally not worth the calories that you might as well eat cardboard. Eating smart and healthy need not mean you have to sacrifice taste. In fact, creating the perfectly healthy and delicious dish should always be your end goal.

Chicken breast is the leanest part of the chicken. It has a tendency to get dry if not cooked properly. My secret ingredient to keep the chicken breast moist is to season it with fig sauce as well as to seal in the juices with potato starch. I serve the grilled chicken with Japanese potato salad, Japanese broccoli salad, and what I think is not only a garnish but a wonderful side dish that adds texture to make a perfect meal… fried lotus root.

Lotus root (renkon in Japanese) is the rhizome of a lotus plant. It’s a popular vegetable in Asia and is a rich source of fiber. It has become part of my everyday life and I love sautéing it with Japanese nasu (eggplant). Like most Asian eggplants, the Japanese kind has thin skin and has a sweet and delicate flavor compared to the American kind which is a lot bigger, with seeds which give of a slightly bitter taste.

Here is a simple recipe of fried lotus root that would add crunch to every dish. It has mirin, which is a basic ingredient in Japanese cooking. It’s made up of 40-50% sugar and is a kind of sweet rice wine. Chicken recipe can be found here and Japanese Potato Salad here. Please note that the broccoli salad is the same as the potato salad with ingredients used.

Ingredients:

Lotus root (Recipe Adapted from Cookpad by MOJ: Japanese Language Only, you can use the google chrome browser to automatically translate the site)

Water with a little vinegar to prevent lotus root from darkening.
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp starch
Salt according to taste

Peel and slice lotus root and put cut pieces in water mixed with a little vinegar to keep it from darkening. Mix with all the rest of the ingredients, coat with starch, then fry until golden brown.

Maki Sushi is a no-nonsense and all-business type of dish. What you see is what you get, but what you should always expect and look for is the quality and freshness of the ingredients used. Sushi is considered to be a popular Japanese viand that is composed of rice mixed with vinegar, sweet mirin and other ingredients. There are several variations of sushi presentation; the most common is made with seafood. The origins of sushi were first developed in Southeast Asia and spread to China and finally reaching Japan. The work sushi literally means “sour tasting” from an ancient archaic form of language. The vinegar used is from fermented rice that breaks down the proteins in the fish and turns it into amino acids, resulting in the unique taste that develops which is called Unami in Japanese.

The modern version of sushi that we enjoy today was developed by Hanaya Yohei (1799-1858). You can probably say it was the earliest form of fast food. The early fermented form of sushi heavily relied on vinegar to lengthen its shelf life. The contemporary version was not fermented but rather prepared with freshly caught fish, made fast, and can be eaten with your fingers while on the go. Sounds familiar?! Some of the Japanese varieties include Chirashizushi which consists of rice topped with different kinds of sashimi and other garnishing, Inarizushi which is fried tofu stuffed with rice, and Makizushi which is rolled sushi.

Western-style sushi is an offshoot of the traditional sushi with the typical Western flair. For example, the ever popular Spam sushi in Hawaii! When the Japanese began migrating to the islands of Hawaii, they greatly influenced the Hawaiian natives’ culinary tastes, or is it the other way around? Imagine a FRESHLY opened can of Spam rolled with rice and wrapped in nori (black seaweed wrappers). Well, who can say no to Spam? The increase in the popularity of sushi has given birth to many other variations that are much enjoyed such as California roll, B.C. roll and Dynamite roll.

Maki Sushi is a no-nonsense and all-business type of dish. What you see is what you get, but what you should always expect and look for is the quality and freshness of the ingredients used. Sushi is considered to be a popular Japanese viand that is composed of rice mixed with vinegar, sweet mirin and other ingredients. There are several variations of sushi presentation; the most common is made with seafood. The origins of sushi were first developed in Southeast Asia and spread to China and finally reaching Japan. The work sushi literally means “sour tasting” from an ancient archaic form of language. The vinegar used is from fermented rice that breaks down the proteins in the fish and turns it into amino acids, resulting in the unique taste that develops which is called Unami in Japanese.

The modern version of sushi that we enjoy today was developed by Hanaya Yohei (1799-1858). You can probably say it was the earliest form of fast food. The early fermented form of sushi heavily relied on vinegar to lengthen its shelf life. The contemporary version was not fermented but rather prepared with freshly caught fish, made fast, and can be eaten with your fingers while on the go. Sounds familiar?! Some of the Japanese varieties include Chirashizushi which consists of rice topped with different kinds of sashimi and other garnishing, Inarizushi which is fried tofu stuffed with rice, and Makizushi which is rolled sushi.

Western-style sushi is an offshoot of the traditional sushi with the typical Western flair. For example, the ever popular Spam sushi in Hawaii! When the Japanese began migrating to the islands of Hawaii, they greatly influenced the Hawaiian natives’ culinary tastes, or is it the other way around? Imagine a FRESHLY opened can of Spam rolled with rice and wrapped in nori (black seaweed wrappers). Well, who can say no to Spam? The increase in the popularity of sushi has given birth to many other variations that are much enjoyed such as California roll, B.C. roll and Dynamite roll.

Japanese cuisine can sometimes be thought of as bland, to the point of being boring. The whole point of Japanese food is to focus on the sheer freshness of the ingredients that are complemented by the simplicity of what is mixed with them. Take the variations of sashimi. It’s slices of the freshest fish, from tuna to salmon, served raw! To accentuate just how fresh the fish is, you can squeeze a bit of lemon on it and lightly dip it in soy sauce mixed with wasabi. That’s it!

This makes me wonder, what if components from Japanese cooking were mixed with traditional Western cuisine such as Italian, much like Soy Sauce and Butter Spaghetti. Sounds catastrophic? Well, guess again. It is simply divine! It is no wonder that the increase in popularity in preparing Japanese and Italian food is because they are pretty much straight forward. You can practically imagine the clean, sometimes rich, and always promising flavors that abound.

Much like Japanese cooking, Italian cuisine is characterized by its simplicity and its roots can be traced as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine was also heavily inspired by other cuisines such as Greek, Roman, Arab, and Jewish. Diversity in ingredients such as tomatoes, potatoes, corn, and bell peppers was embraced with the discovery of the New World in the 18th century and still remains an important part of Italian cooking. Most of the Italian dishes are composed of only four to eight ingredients with freshness being a top priority. So the marriage between Japanese and Italian influence and ingredients would ultimately be a culinary explosion of delightful and orgasmic flavors that come alive with every bite. Having tried this via frozen cuisine once, I was determined to recreate it.

As should be said when you taste such a gastronomically delightful dish… esquisita oishi! For the recipe, really it’s so simply, just add a bit of butter and soy sauce (to taste) to the pan, toss it a bit, and place any toppings that tickle your fancy!

Japanese cuisine can sometimes be thought of as bland, to the point of being boring. The whole point of Japanese food is to focus on the sheer freshness of the ingredients that are complemented by the simplicity of what is mixed with them. Take the variations of sashimi. It’s slices of the freshest fish, from tuna to salmon, served raw! To accentuate just how fresh the fish is, you can squeeze a bit of lemon on it and lightly dip it in soy sauce mixed with wasabi. That’s it!

This makes me wonder, what if components from Japanese cooking were mixed with traditional Western cuisine such as Italian, much like Soy Sauce and Butter Spaghetti. Sounds catastrophic? Well, guess again. It is simply divine! It is no wonder that the increase in popularity in preparing Japanese and Italian food is because they are pretty much straight forward. You can practically imagine the clean, sometimes rich, and always promising flavors that abound.

Much like Japanese cooking, Italian cuisine is characterized by its simplicity and its roots can be traced as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine was also heavily inspired by other cuisines such as Greek, Roman, Arab, and Jewish. Diversity in ingredients such as tomatoes, potatoes, corn, and bell peppers was embraced with the discovery of the New World in the 18th century and still remains an important part of Italian cooking. Most of the Italian dishes are composed of only four to eight ingredients with freshness being a top priority. So the marriage between Japanese and Italian influence and ingredients would ultimately be a culinary explosion of delightful and orgasmic flavors that come alive with every bite. Having tried this via frozen cuisine once, I was determined to recreate it.

As should be said when you taste such a gastronomically delightful dish… esquisita oishi! For the recipe, really it’s so simply, just add a bit of butter and soy sauce (to taste) to the pan, toss it a bit, and place any toppings that tickle your fancy!