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Author: Diego Maldonado
The Japanese Pantry II
The Japanese Pantry Part II: New Products
New Year, new awesome products. New items below, link to the full lineup at the bottom of the page.
From master vinegar maker, Iio Jozo, comes Purple Sweet Potato Vinegar with Honey. If it sounds like it has a lot going on, that’s because it does. First, they make a sake from purple sweet potatoes. Then, they turn it into vinegar. Finally, they finish it with honey. The process takes two years. Tasting almost like an expertly crafted shrub, but more intense, the uses of this vary from the bar to the pastry station, to Momofuku’s vegetable cookbook, page 178, in a recipe for Nishi Sweet Potatoes. Also, it’s amazing. 500 ml bottle. Note: we will have a non-sweetened version (no honey) available as well, if you’d like that please be very specific on your order-thanks!
Okinawa Brown Sugar, also known as Okinawan black sugar. This treat from Hateruma island is sugar, with terroir. This almost-savory, almost salty dark brown sugar tastes a lot like molasses, because it’s essentially boiled sugar cane, barely refined. High in iron and potassium, it’s sometimes touted as a health food. But for our purposes, the thing to know is that it’s complex, delicious and perfect for those who like their sweets to lean a little savory. Any recipe utilizing this sugar should be showcasing it, not covering it up. 500 gram pouch.
Roasted Golden Sesame Paste, from Wadaman, is made from unhulled, roasted sesame seeds. There are three types of sesame seeds in the world- white, gold, and black. The golden seeds, from Turkey, are roasted by master sesame roaster Wadaman before being ground to a rich paste. Rich and full-bodied with a strong mid-palate presence. One kilo pouch.
Smoked Soy Sauce, from Yubeta. This sauce, squeezed out by the drop from the bottle, is beautifully smoked over cherry wood, and while the smoke is front and present, the care and nuance put into this will impress you. Anywhere you’d want to add a few drops of smoke and umami. 210 ml bottle.
Yuzu Shichimi Togarashi. This very special togarashi is yuzu-dominant, thanks to the dried yuzu peel. The blend itself is expertly made. Speaking from personal experience, this was pretty amazing on Nantucket bay scallops and would complement other fish as well. With its citrus and chili aspects, it’s a natural for ceviches and crudos. 10-gram pouch.
Sansho Pepper. A member of the prickly ash family, sansho is similar to Sichuan peppercorn and green in color. This is actually a blend of three different sansho peppers, and its effect is direct and precise. The balance is spot-on, and the numbing presence is there but not overwhelming. If Sichuan peppercorns are a machete, this is a scalpel. 15-gram pouch.
White Tamari. Made from only wheat, Japanese sea salt, koji, and mountain spring water. This differs from dark tamari in a few ways: it has no soy, it is gluten-FULL, and it is great to use when you want the umami-richness of soy without the dark notes. The nose is malty and distinctly evocative of white miso. This is a great pantry staple to have on hand for all kinds of purposes, especially raw fish, more delicate mushrooms, finishing sauces or soups, or anywhere you might think of sneaking in a little white miso. From Nitto Jozo, who has been making this since 1938.
Liquid Shio Koji. Perhaps it’s cliche to call this umami in a bottle, so maybe we should call it a cousin to msg you can feel good about. But that doesn’t quite cover it either. It can be your salt, your msg, your brine, your secret pantry staple you use to build layers of flavor, the thing you add to your mayo to finish it, the thing you brine your fish in before you smoke it, the thing you marinate your chicken in before you grill it, the thing you add to your soup to season it….guys liquid shio koji is like six bucks a bottle and it’s the bomb, just grab one. Basically, it’s shio koji (which is usually thick and porridge-like) pushed through a sake press, so that it’s ready to use.
Salty Black Sesame Seeds. From Wadaman, the sesame roaster you’ve read so much about here. In this case, they take premium black sesame seeds sourced from Bolivia and brine them before roasting them, resulting in crisp nutty seeds with a salty pop that is great for finishing legumes and dips, as a fleur de sel alternative, or frankly just snacking on. Also in house: regular (non-salty) roasted white and gold sesame seeds from Wadaman.
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NYE 2018
These gorgeous County Line Mixed Chicories belong on every winter menu. It’s like a tiny chicory jewel box offering a juicy, slightly bitter counterpoint to sweet things like dried fruits, sour things like heirloom citrus, and salty things like pecorino or ricotta salata. First of the season Knoll Rapini and Cardoons expected ***Saturday***. Crosnes are here. Also known as Chinese Artichoke, Knotweed, and perhaps coolest of all, Artichoke Betony, these have the winning nuttiness of a sunchoke, textural pop like a water chestnut, and taste really good with other white winter root veg, or prepared in the style of carbonara. Last of the season fresh Yuzu in house. Rising C Ranch Blood Oranges are in. Red currants are gapping and should return next week, though not necessarily in time for nye . Heirloom winter squashes are basically done, and only the commercial varieties, plus a little delicata and sugar pumpkin, are all that’s left to be had. Wild mushrooms now include Hedgehog and Yellowfoot. This is the last week for Chanterelles. Black Trumpets are limited.
First of the Season
French Crosnes
Knoll Farm Cardoons (SATURDAY)
Knoll Farm Rapini (SATURDAY)
Rising C Ranch- Reedly, CA
Buddha Hands
Satsuma Tangerines
Cara Cara Pink Navels
Meyer Lemons
Fresh Yuzu last of the season
Blood Oranges
Frog Hollow Farm- Brentwood, CA
Warren Pears
Pink Lady Apples
Scott Farm Apple Orchard- Dummerston, VT
Winesaps
Rhode Island Greening
Hudson Golden Gems
County Line Harvest- Petaluma, CA
Baby Mixed Heirloom Chicories
Green Sunshine Farm- Hodgdon, ME
Yellow Sun Carrots
Purple Haze Carrots
Russian Banana Fingerlings
Bintje Potatoes
Sparrow Arc Farm- Copake, NY
Watermelon Radish
Purple Boar Radish
Green Daikon
Black Radish
Sugar Hill Farm- Columbia, ME
Maine Heirloom Cranberries
Also In Season
Israeli Fuyu Persimmons (Sharon Fruit)
Sunchokes
Gilfeather Turnips
Baby Purple Brussels Sprouts
Baby Brussels Sprouts
Celery Snowflake
Fioretti Cauliflower
Romanesco Cauliflower
Red/Green Little Gem Lettuce
Red Watercress
Red Baby Kale
Trevisano
Finger Limes
California Kumquats
Fresh American Chestnuts
Cold Hollow Vermont Apple Cider
Black Trumpet Mushrooms (ltd)
Fresh Oregon Yellowfoot Mushrooms
Fresh Oregon Hedgehog Mushrooms
Comice Pears
Sekel Pears
California Quince
Honeycrisp Apples
Pomegranates
Cured Meats
benton’s aged country ham
iberico hams
serrano ham: redondo, fermin
guanciale & lardo
prosciutto & speck, la quercia
mortadella, fra mani
salami toscano, nostrano & salametto, fra mani
hot sopresatta, ndjua, finochiona, new england charcuterie
Finishing Touches
nut oils: almond, argan, hazelnut, pistachio, pumpkin seed, walnut
finishing oils: bergamot agrumato, smoked olive oil, real white truffle oil
jacobsen flake sea salt & smoked salt
black lava salt from hawaii
chestnut, agrumi and acacia honey from mario bianco
yuzu shichimi togarashi
sansho pepper
aged Japanese tamari
piment d’espelette
urfa & marash chili
grains of paradise
indonesian long pepper
soom tahini and date molasses
Japanese black and gold sesame pastes
salty black sesame seeds
cold-pressed white sesame oil
Native Roots, Heirloom Apples, Rising C Citrus
Fresh Yuzu. Roxbury Russet Apples. Baby Purple Brussels Sprouts.
Rising C Ranch heirloom citrus has started up, and we have fresh Buddha Hands, Fresh Yuzu, Makrut and Finger Limes. Equinox Mesclun greens are here. New England roots are going strong, including Chantaney Carrots, Yellow Kimbe Carrots, Purple Dragon Carrots, Celery Root, Salsify, Macomber Turnips, baby Hakurei Turnips, Black and Watermelon Radishes, Green and Purple Daikon, and Organic Sunchokes. We also have some really flavorful, deep-red Maine Cranberries.
Rising C Ranch
Buddha Hands
Finger Limes
Makrut Limes
Fresh Yuzu
Now In
New!
Celery Snowflake
Scott Farm Apple Orchard- Dummerston, VT
Dolgo Russian Crabapples
Lady Apples
Roxbury Russets
Hudson Golden Gem
Baldwin
Esopus Spitzenburg
Rhode Island Greening
Cortland
Macoun
Village Farm- Freedom, ME
Purple Kohlrabi
Crossroads Farm- Jonesport, ME
Organic Sunchokes
Frog Hollow Farm- Brentwood, CA
Fuyu Persimmons
Warren Pears
Green Sunshine Farm- Hodgdon, ME
Chantenay Carrots
Yellow Sun Carrots
Purple Haze Carrots
Russian Banana Fingerlings
Bintje Potatoes
Sparrow Arc Farm- Copake, NY
Watermelon Radish
Purple Boar Radish
Green Daikon
Black Radish
Four Town Farm- Seekonk, MA
Macomber Turnips
Equinox Farm- Sheffield, MA
Native Mesclun Mix
Ward’s Farm- Sharon, MA
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
Georgia Candy Roaster
Speckled Hound Kuri Squash
Sugar Pumpkins
Delicata Squash
Honeynut Squash (Mini Butternut)
Sugar Hill Farm- Columbia, ME
Maine Heirloom Cranberries
Also In Season
Red Watercress
Baby Red Russian Kale
Baby Purple Brussels Sprouts
Little Gem & Red Little Gem
Baby Brussels Sprouts
Japanese Cauliflower (Cauli-lini)
Orange/Purple/Green Cauliflower
French Breakfast and Easter Egg Radishes
Baby Turnips
Celery Root
Salsify
Fresh Oregon Matsutake
Fresh Oregon Chantarelles
Stem & Leaf Satsuma Mandarins
Comice Pears
Sekel Pears
French Butter Pears
Black Mission Figs
California Quince
Pomegranates
Australian Blood Oranges
Meyer Lemons
Cold Hollow Vermont Apple Cider
Autumn’s Best
market update
First of the Season
- Fresh American Chestnuts
- Native Cranberries
- Baby Brussels Sprouts
- Concord Grapes
- Warren Pears
- French Butter Pears
- Comice Pears
- Sekel Pears
- Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
- GA Candy Roaster Squash
- Sugar Pumpkins
- Cinderella Pumpkins
- Native Hen O’ the Woods
- Matsutake Mushrooms
Scott Farm Orchards- Dummerston, VT
- Cox’s Orange Pippen Apples
- Reine de Reinette
- Holstein
- Dolgo Russian Crab Apples
- Macoun
- Gala
- Cortland
- Calville Blanc d’Hiver
Fresh Start Farm- Lisbon, ME
Husk Cherry Tomatoes, aka Ground Cherries, aka Cape Gooseberries
Brokaw Farm- Soledad, CA
Gwen Avocados
Village Farm- Freedom, ME
Mixed Red/Green Kohlrabi
Green Sunshine Farm- Hodgdon, ME
- Bintje Potatoes
- Russian Banana Fingerlings
Stevenson’s Farm- Wayne, ME
- Native Corn (ending soon)
Fishbowl Organic Farm- Bowdoinham, ME
- Mixed Rainbow Carrots
- Mesclun
Frog Hollow Farm- Brentwood, CA
- Warren Pears
- Emerald Beaut Plums
Ward’s Farm- Sharon, MA
- Concord Grapes
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Green Romano Beans
- Green/Yellow Wax Beans
- Baby Turnips
- French Breakfast Radishes
- Easter Egg Radishes
- Nasturtium Flowers
- Nasturtium Leaves
- Purslane
- Heirloom Tomatoes (ending)
River Dog Farm- Guinda, CA
- Mixed Medley Tomatoes
- Sungold Tomatoes
Now in season
- Squash Blossoms
- French Butter Pears
- Native Cape Gooseberries
- Oregon Chantarelles
- Matsutake Mushrooms
- Native Chicken Mushrooms (ltd)
- Native Hen o’ the Woods (ltd)
- CA Plums
- ID Peaches
- CA Nectarines
- Quebec Strawberries
- Fresh Black Mission Figs
- Tri-color Pole Beans (last of the season)
- Russian Fingerling Potatoes
- Black Radishes
- Watermelon Radishes
- Fairy Tale Eggplant (ltd)
- Oregon Pousse Pied