How a Japanese kitchen knife is forged, from Sakai and Seki workshops to layered Damascus steel hammered at 1,100°C through dozens of hand steps.
Haruki Tanaka
Haruki writes about Japanese food culture and the table it's served on — how a knife, a bowl and a way of eating are really one idea. He's happiest explaining the difference between two things that look identical to everyone else.
Japanese Kitchen Culture: Traditions, Philosophy & Craft
The philosophy and craft of the Japanese kitchen, from nagomi balance and wabi-sabi to mottainai and kaizen, and how each shapes how you cook.
Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip)
Muhammara, the Syrian dip of roasted red peppers and toasted walnuts blended with pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper and sumac. Serve with pita.
Prawn Avocado Mango Salad with Sumac Chili Dressing
Cooked tiger prawns with cubed mango and avocado over butter lettuce, finished with a sumac, lime and chili dressing and toasted pistachios.
Baking vs. Cooking: What Your Kitchen Style Says About You
Bakers measure, cooks eyeball. What your kitchen style says about your personality, from the methodical precision of baking to free-form cooking.
A Japanese Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Dream In Snow-Covered Fuji-San
Every Oishya knife ships with a 5 yen coin, a pun on ‘go-en’: five yen and a good relationship. Gift picks from washi-wrapped KATA Damascus to Hiba boards.
How Home Cooking Can Save the Planet
Roughly a third of the food produced worldwide is thrown away. Cooking from scratch cuts the packaging, food miles and waste that industrial meals rack up.
The Great Stainless vs Non-Stainless Debate: A Guide to Japanese Kitchen Knives
Carbon steel reaches extreme hardness and sharpness but rusts easily, while stainless trades a little edge for low upkeep. How to choose between them.
The Art of Kaizen: How Oishya Upholds a Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
Kaizen is the Japanese practice of small, continuous improvement born in postwar Japan. How Oishya applies it to craft and quality.
Where Is Damascus Steel Really From?
Damascus steel traces back to the Near East around 300 AD, prized for its wavy pattern and strength. Here is the history behind the legendary blade.
Japanese knives: how to spot the real deal vs. a knock-off?
How do you tell a real Japanese knife from a fake? Read the steel, the grind and the edge geometry, plus the marketing tells that dress up a cheap blade.
All You Need To Know About Japanese Green Tea
A look at Japanese green tea, from its 8th-century roots and Zen monk Eisai to the main varieties, health benefits and tips for brewing a good cup.
What Is Umami Flavour?
Umami, the savoury fifth taste found in meat, cheese and mushrooms, was identified by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda in the early 1900s.
Muhammara w/ Pomegranate And Walnuts
Muhammara, the roasted red pepper and walnut dip from Aleppo, blended with pomegranate molasses, cumin and lemon for a sweet, smoky spread.
How to make a chilli oil
A quick chili oil recipe: simmer crushed dried peppers in neutral oil with a pinch of salt, then bottle and use within a month.
Tzatziki
A simple tzatziki recipe using Greek yoghurt, grated cucumber, garlic, mint and dill for a fresh Greek dip you can make at home.
Easy Pancakes
An easy pancake recipe using flour, milk, egg and butter, cooked until golden and served sweet or savoury with your choice of toppings.
Mango Coconut Chicken Curry
A creamy mango coconut chicken curry recipe pairing sweet mango with chicken, yellow curry powder, ginger and coconut milk, served over rice.
Eggplant Parmigiana
A classic eggplant parmigiana recipe layering fried aubergine with tomato passata, basil, parmesan and mozzarella, baked until golden and bubbling.
Can Cooking Benefit Your Mental Health?
Five ways home cooking supports your mental health, from a sense of accomplishment and creative expression to building patience and connecting with others.
Ideas For Celebrating Big Occasions At Home
Five ways to celebrate birthdays and milestones at home during lockdown, including video call parties, drive-by parades and booking an online experience.
How to Host An Unforgettable Dinner Party
A practical timeline for hosting a dinner party, from the guest list two weeks out to lighting candles and pouring water before guests arrive.
How To Cut Onions Without Crying
Why onions make you cry comes down to a sulphur compound that turns to acid near your eyes, plus tricks like a fan, freezing and cutting the root.
Secrets Of Japanese Business Etiquette: Greetings And Bowing
How greetings and bowing work in Japanese business, where first meetings run formal and foreign executives are usually judged more leniently.
15 Creative Hobbies to Bring More Balance Into Your Life
Fifteen creative hobbies to bring more balance into life, nine of them Japanese in origin, including ikebana, bullet journaling and kintsugi.
How To Make Sourdough Bread From Scratch (And Grow Your Own Starter)
A step-by-step recipe for making sourdough bread from scratch, including how to grow your own starter and why a slow rise deepens flavour.
What Japanese Kitchen Knife Is Best For Women?
There is no women’s knife, only the right size for your hands. For smaller hands, a 150mm petty knife is nimble and easy to control.
Less (Stuff) Is More (Happiness): The Rise Of Minimalism Over Materialism
Minimalism trades possessions for experiences. A 20-year Cornell study found that lasting happiness comes from what we do, not what we own.
5 Best Kitchen Tools Of All Time (2024 Update)
Beyond a good Japanese knife: the magnetic rack, walnut board, wooden spoons and linen apron that quietly earn their counter space.
Japanese Gift Giving – Customs
In Japan the presentation outweighs the price tag, and every gift received calls for an O-kaeshi return worth about half its value.