What Are the Best Tips for Cooking with Canned Shrimp?The main thing to remember when cooking with canned shrimp is that the pieces are typically small as well as quite soft from being immersed in water. This means that if you're not careful when mixing the shrimp with other ingredients or when stirring it in a pan to heat, you could break it up into pieces that are just too tiny to be appetizing....

What is Nori?Many Asian foods call for the use of nori, a type of edible seaweed which is dried or toasted, and often sold in sheets. It has been consumed in Japan and China for centuries, and is an important part of Japanese cuisine especially. Most Western consumers are familiar with nori because it is used to wrap sushi, although the distinctive salty, slightly grassy flavor is also delicious e...

How can I Prepare Scallops?Scallops are one of the more popular types of shellfish in many places around the world. As with many fish dishes, there are several ways to cook and serve them. Before beginning to prepare any recipe, it is necessary to clean the fresh shellfish. Here are some tips on working with fresh scallops as well as with frozen product.The first step in using scallops is to remov...

What is Wakame?Wakame is a type of edible seaweed or sea vegetable that is traditionally used in Japanese and Korean cuisines. The seaweed is leafy and deep green in color, and is usually available in a dried, dehydrated form, although fresh varieties that are preserved in salt are also sold. Its taste is mild and somewhat similar to spinach, and it is often used in soups and salads. Wakame is con...

What Are Dried Mushrooms?Dried mushrooms are desiccated versions of normal mushrooms. Drying is used for preservation and bulk order purposes. The process is seen as an alternative preservation method for the mushrooms by preparing canned or bottled foods such as sauces or by including them in freezable food such as pies and quiches. There are two main drying processes: sun drying and cabinet dryi...

The Nutrition of ScallopsScallops are a popular shellfish used in many styles of cooking. At one time, shellfish were avoided because they are higher in cholesterol than other types of fish. However, nutritionally, scallops are low in both calories and fat and a healthful addition to any diet.Calories and MacronutrientsA normal portion of fish is slightly more than that of other animal foods - 4 o...

What are the Health Benefits of Seaweed?Consuming seaweed is not something that most people do; however, the fact of the matter is that consumption of seaweed can be very helpful. Seaweed, typically available via local health food stores or via online health food stores, contains a variety of benefits. For example, the health benefits of seaweed include vitamins, minerals, aided circulation, stres...

What Is a Seaweed Salad?Seaweed salad is a salad made from strips of wilted seaweed, rice vinegar, herbs, and spices. Traditionally an Asian dish, it has gained popularity across Europe and North America as a very healthy, tasty side dish or snack. Many kinds of seaweed are rife with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. It also reportedly contains enzymes that improve hair and skin health, in additi...

What Is Mentaiko?Mentaiko is a Japanese dish made of pollock roe, or eggs, pickled in various ingredients which makes it spicy. It can be eaten plain, often served as an accompaniment when drinking sake, which is Japanese rice wine. It may also be combined with other ingredients in various dishes popular in Japan such as in a sauce with pasta and in onigiri, where it is wrapped in rice. Due to the...

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST SEARED SCALLOPS A scallop is a bivalve, which means it has two movable pieces connected by a muscle. Other bivalve examples are mussels, oysters, clams and basically anything you might have to pry open to eat. Many of the scallops we get in the U.S. come from Japan, China, and other parts of the world. But without sounding like a scallop snob, we could actually pull big plump ...

What Are the Benefits of Jasmine Rice?Jasmine rice is long-grained, with a fragrant, floral aroma. It's the most popular rice in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia, according to specialty food magazine "The Nibble." This aromatic rice is often served with coconut and seafood dishes, and it is sometimes used as a substitute for basmati rice. Although it's sold in both the brown and white variet...

How to Cook ScallopsFamous for their delicate flavor and buttery texture, scallops are the ultimate "starter seafood," says chef and conservationist Barton Seaver. He is director of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Program at Harvard School of Public Health. Scallops are also easy to prepare at home.These nutritious delicacies are packed with protein: One 4-ounce serving provides about half the da...

How To Defrost and Prepare Frozen Squid (Calamari)Frozen squid is a great choice even when fresh is available. Freezing and thawing help break down some of the tough muscle fibers making the squid more tender.Frozen squid is sold as tubes (cleaned bodies) and tentacles or already cut into rings for frying or other recipes calling for rings. Follow these easy steps to defrosting and preparing the s...

Choose The Best Japanese Rice With These Pro–Tips from a Local FarmerIn the land of sushi, rice is the name of the game. The Japanese palate has been known to be very particular about rice since cultivating the highest quality of rice in all of the world has long been Japan’s pride. Here is a list of the recommended rice brands and some tips on choosing rice from the “five star rice master’s” poin...

Nearly every fish or other sea critter is edible, but not everyone is edible raw. Raw fish has been in fashion in the West for some time, but sushi and sashimi have been part of Japanese cuisine for centuries. Follow their lead to see which fish you can eat raw.You will often find me saying that you can use "any fish you'd find in a sushi bar" for any of the raw dishes I feature on this site. What...

1.Look for firm mushrooms without any discoloration or bruises.2.Choose the mushrooms that are free from spots and decay.The whiter the fresher it would be.3.Button mushrooms have white caps but other mushroom varieties come in varying shades of brown and cream.4.Choose the ones with with short,clean-cut stems and caps that are either closed around the stems or slightly open ( as shown in the abov...

Different grain size will affect its starchiness, texture and cooking time. Amylose is a starch component that varies depending on the type of rice. Your body will digest rice with a higher amylose content (usually long grain rice like basmati) slower compared to those with a low amylose content (short grain rice like sushi rice) . Here’s how you differentiate the size:Short – Japanese rice. Usual...

1.What are the physical characteristics of grain? (before cooking)whole and broken grainsshape and size of the graincolor of grainchalkinessweightdamaged and discolored kernelsforeign material like dirt, stonesmoisture content of the grain2.What are the chemical characteristics of grain?The chemical characteristics are about how the grain looks after cooking and how it feels when it is eatengelati...

Brining foods in a saltwater mixture before you cook them adds flavor, tenderness, and reduces cooking times. If this sounds like a good thing then it's time to learn the basics about brining.Brining meat is an age-old process of food preservation. Heavy concentrations of salt-preserved meats were taken on long ocean voyages and military campaigns before the advent of refrigeration. Today, brining...

Different Food IngredientsTraditionally, sushi rolls were made from the freshly caught fish, crabs or shrimp wrapped in a salty, crispy, sweet and spicy seaweed wrap while the patron looked out over the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese culture is best known for its creative sushi rolls. The modern sushi versions has become very popular.Sushi rolls can include a wide range of ingredients, but most have ...

How to make California rolls"This is the most popular sushi roll outside of Japan, and for very good reasons. If you can't have raw fish, or simply don't like this is the roll for you! It is super easy to make and tastes delicious. Enjoy my recipe!"California roll recipeBefore attempting your first California roll, you should be able to make a basic inside out roll. Check out our “How inside out r...

Health Effects of Eating Prawns on the Human BodyPrawns are often considered to be large-sized shrimp, although in reality the two come from different families. Still, prawns taste similar to shrimp and have a similar nutritional profile; one can stand in for the other in recipes. Including prawns in your regular diet means you get their numerous health benefits, but be careful of the high sodium ...