A la Carte: From my Japanese pantry to yours 

By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST 

Last week, a friend sent me a photo of the rice aisle at Winco, seeking advice on the best choice to make rice balls. This is certainly not the first time I’ve been asked about ingredients. Giving advice on Japanese cooking is not novel in my world. Though I may not look Asian, I am very proud of and connected to that heritage. Loyal readers know I often write about Japanese food and recipes in this column. Still, I forget that not everyone has a similar multicultural upbringing. Most did not grow up watching their Japanese grandmother in the kitchen. I, however, spent quite a bit of time with my grandparents as a kid, to the point my maternal grandmother has always thought of me as more of her child than grandchild.  

Grandma Keiko, who turned 93 this week, was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan. Though it was never her intention to leave home, she fell in love with and married an American soldier after World War II—my Grandpa Jack. She followed the naturally charismatic and handsome American to Army bases around the country before settling in Bozeman, his hometown.  

Grandma Keiko taught me how to make miso soup to taste, to shape steaming hot rice into perfect triangle-shaped “balls,” and to properly bread pounded pork cutlets in panko. She made (mostly vegetarian) sushi rolls, rice cakes and cold somen noodles in a ginger soy broth. She snacked on rice crackers and candies her brother sent in care packages from Japan. 

For me, all this is decidedly normal. It’s not an exotic cuisine if you grew up on the stuff. However, my mom tells me the food of her youth was much different than I experienced, even if much of it came from Grandma Keiko’s kitchen. Why? Access to ingredients.  

It has always been hard to find the ingredients I want or need in Bozeman, even harder in Big Sky. Now imagine Montana of the ’60s and ’70s. They were lucky to be able to get sticky rice, let alone have options available in the stores. Finding the ingredients is easier today, but we are made picky or stifled by choice. Do you trust the limited options in the grocery store? Scour online shops? The whole process can be daunting. 

Cooks usually keep a pantry of staple ingredients, allowing us to make a variety of dishes with ingredients on hand. But what do you keep on hand if you want to cook Japanese food? Let’s dig into some staples. 

Rice: Everyone in my family seems to gravitate toward Kokuho Rose (one of my aunts even has a scheduled monthly delivery to make sure grandma’s rice supply never runs out). Kokuho Rose is a California-grown medium-grain rice. It’s mild, a little sweet, and if cooked properly, perfectly sticky. It never disappoints.  

Soy sauce: There are many options out there, but Kikkoman, “the world’s leading manufacturer of soy sauce,” is decent and easy to find. Plus, it comes in gluten free and lower sodium versions that don’t sacrifice flavor.  

Rice vinegar: The grocery store staple here is Marukan. Unseasoned (the yellow and green label) is best for the pantry.  

Mirin: Just One Cookbook, my first stop for new Japanese recipes, says “We use mirin to add luster, help tenderize meat/seafood, and add a distinct sweetness to dishes.” Sake is also used in cooking, though it is less sweet and has a higher alcohol content. Kikkoman’s mirin is in my cupboard. 

Dashi: This is the Japanese version of stock that brings the umami flavor to so many dishes. It is often made with bonito flakes, dashi pellets, kombu (kelp) or dried shiitake mushrooms. Keep one or all on hand. 

Miso paste: I tend toward the milder “white” miso in stores, and don’t actually have a favorite, though I usually stock up when visiting larger cities with Asian markets that give me a larger variety at a much cheaper price point than what we can get around here.  

Other staples: A full pantry will also have toasted sesame oil, panko, toasted seaweed, and noodles like somen, ramen and udon. In the fridge, stock ginger, green onions and tofu, as well as your normal veggies and proteins. 

Sure, there are spices and pickled things that could add to your selection. There are condiments and sauces the Japanese like to keep around (like Bull Dog tonkatsu sauce). However, the staple ingredients listed are the basis of most of the condiments. I’m constantly amazed at what I can make with them. 

So next time someone asks me what to keep on hand to cook Japanese food at home, I’m sending them a link to this column. I hope it helps you. 

Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.