A quick coconut soup that blends leftover green curry sauce with tom yum kha paste, prawns and vegetables, plus from-scratch and other variations.
カミラ
Kamila founded Oishya after a trip to Sakai left her unable to look at a supermarket knife the same way again. She splits her time between Europe and Japan, working directly with the bladesmiths whose knives the shop carries, and writes about the people, workshops and small rituals behind Japanese craft — the parts that never fit on a spec sheet.
How to Peel Dragon Fruit (and Creative Ways to Enjoy It)
How to peel and prepare dragon fruit with a sharp knife, plus creative ways to serve it as sashimi, carpaccio, smoothie bowls and frozen treats.
Moroccan Beef Stew with Red Lentils And Black Jasmin Rice
A Moroccan beef stew with red lentils, warming spices, apricots and honey, served over black jasmine rice. The lentils thicken it beautifully.
Spicy Gochugaru Cucumber Salad
A quick spicy gochugaru cucumber salad with soy, garlic, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Salt the cucumbers, toss, and let the flavours meld.
4 Ways To Hold A Kitchen Knife Safely
Four ways to hold a kitchen knife, from the pointed finger grip for detail work to the familiar hammer grip, and when each one actually helps.
Japanese Knives and Food Safety: Professional Standards at Home
How Japanese chefs handle razor-sharp knives safely at home, from grip and stance to caring for reactive carbon steel and keeping food pristine.
The Science of Sharpness: Why Japanese Knives Are Different
Japanese knives use harder steel and a 10 to 15 degree edge, so they cut with less force than thicker Western blades. Here is the science behind it.
Is R2 and SG2 Steel the Same in Japanese Knives?
Fraternal twins, or the same steel under two names? R2 and SG2 share the carbon-moly-vanadium recipe of powdered stainless, with a few telling differences.
Nature’s Hidden Gems: 15 Edible Flowers to Enliven Your Cooking
Borage tastes of cucumber, thyme blossoms hit harder than the leaves, lavender sweetens honey. Fifteen edible flowers and what each does on the plate.
Why are Japanese katanas curved?
The katana’s curve, or sori, concentrates mass toward the tip for cleaner cuts and spreads impact to resist fractures. Why the blade is shaped this way.
How The World’s Most Expensive Japanese Swords Are Made
Forged from low-impurity iron sand and folded again and again, a nihonto is closer to ritual than manufacturing. Inside the making of Japan’s costliest blades.
The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Sharpening Japanese Knives with Whetstones
Coarse 400-grit for repair, 8000 for the final polish. A first go at whetstone sharpening, from soaking the stone to the finished edge.
Fermented food: Beetroot Sourdough Drink
Four beetroots, water, salt and a week on the counter make a tangy, probiotic-rich drink. Here’s the ferment, its betalains, and how to cook with it.
Okinawa: A Culinary and Cultural Paradise
Okinawan food blends Ryukyu Kingdom trade roots with post-war American influence, from Taco Rice and tropical sushi to prized Ishigaki beef.
Introduction to Nagomi: Harmony in the Japanese Way of Life
Nagomi is the Japanese idea of harmony and balance, applied to homes, relationships, and meals. How the principle shapes a calmer everyday life.
The Difference Between Chopsticks : Japanese Vs. Chinese Vs. Korean
Japanese, Chinese, and Korean chopsticks differ in shape, material, and etiquette. A look at what sets each style apart and the culture behind them.
Upgrading kitchenware: why should you invest in good, sharp kitchen knives?
Cheap blades chip, dull within weeks and tire your wrist. The case for spending more, with Oishya’s Sakai Kyuba damascus as the counter-example.
A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Your First Japanese Knife: A Newbie’s Essential Advice
Santoku means ‘three virtues’: slice, dice, mince. Why it makes a sane first Japanese knife, and what to check in weight, balance and handle feel.
Why Family Cooking Together Matters
Five reasons cooking together as a family matters, from strengthening bonds and building knife skills to teaching responsibility and healthy eating habits.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Sushi?
Can pregnant women eat sushi? Cooked rolls are generally fine, but raw fish and high-mercury species like swordfish are best avoided.
Fish Tacos Recipe
Fish tacos with seasoned white fish and prawns on corn tortillas, topped with cabbage, avocado and a spicy lime crema sauce.
Top 5 Reasons Why Should You Cook With Wooden Spoon
Five reasons to cook with wooden spoons: they resist heat, stay non-reactive with acidic foods, and don’t harbour bacteria the way myths claim.
Knife Techniques With Chef Fulvio Pischedda
Paris chef Fulvio Pischedda demonstrates how to hold a knife, use the claw grip, and master the julienne and brunoise cuts.
Caramelised Onion Chutney
A sweet and sticky caramelised onion chutney recipe that makes one litre, ideal alongside any cheeseboard, and keeps for six to twelve months.
Homemade Granola
A simple homemade granola recipe with rolled oats, nuts, coconut oil and honey, plus baking and storage tips for clumpy, golden clusters.
beauty: homemade masks
Homemade face masks for wrinkles and blackheads using yoghurt, honey, coconut oil, lemon, citrus and egg white with aloe, plus moisturising advice.
Knife Hacks For Perfect Cutting
Five knife hacks for cleaner cutting, using the spine to scoop food, matching the knife to the task, and pinching the blade for control.
12 Things Every Home Cook Should Have In Their Kitchen
Twelve kitchen tools worth owning, starting with two good knives and a sharpening stone, then a wooden spoon, scissors, pans and a saucepan.
Secrets Of Japanese Business Etiquette: Personal Habits
Personal habits that trip up foreigners in Japanese business, from handshakes and nose-blowing to small talk that the other side won’t return.
Macrobiotics: A Japanese Concept for Balance In Your Diet
Macrobiotics is a Japanese diet of balance built by George Ohsawa, favouring whole grains, organic seasonal produce and yin and yang foods.