How to Make Taiwanese Dougan from Momen Tofu in Japan
A practical home method for making Taiwanese-style dougan from Japanese momen tofu: press out water, color with soy sauce and five-spice, then dry in a toaster oven or microwave.
Category Ingredient Prep
How to prepare and handle ingredients
Can You Make Salted Eggs with Chicken Eggs? Brine Ratio and Curing Days
Yes, chicken eggs can be used for salted eggs when duck eggs are hard to find. Use a 3–4:1 water-to-salt brine, test from day 21, and cook fully before eating.
How to Reduce Bitterness in Okinawan Bitter Melon: Remove the Pith, Salt, Blanch and Ice-Chill
A practical Japan kitchen guide for reducing the sharp bitterness of Okinawan goya: scrape out the white pith, slice thinly, salt at 4–5%, then blanch and ice-chill if needed.
Japanese Cucumber Season, How to Pick and Prep It, and How It Differs From Taiwanese Cucumbers
Japanese cucumbers are available year-round, but late spring through summer is the best time to buy them. This guide covers seasonality, how to choose them, how to prep them, how to store them, and how they differ from Taiwanese cucumbers in texture, water content, and flavor.
How to Remove Shrimp Smell: Complete Guide from Prep to Kitchen Cleanup
Just finished peeling shrimp and your hands smell like the ocean? Kitchen air still carrying that seafood scent? This complete guide covers everything: how to de-smell shrimp before cooking, removing fishy odor from your hands, cleaning the kitchen, and handling…
How to Remove Pork Smell – 5 Sources, 7 Steps, and the Japan-Specific Guide
You just started cooking pork ribs, and suddenly — there it is. That funky, off-putting smell that makes you pull back from the stove. If you’ve been living in Japan for a while, you’ve probably noticed that Japanese pork smells…