Stories

Trip to Rausu in Hokkaido
We don’t know why we’re always surprised. We should be used to this by now. Each and every time we dig deeper into the world of artisanal Japanese ingredients, we are blown away at the care, skill and outright hard...
Finally back in Japan - April 2022
In April 2022 Greg and Chris traveled to Japan for the first time in 2 ½ years. They spent a week together traveling from Tokyo to Shikoku and many places in between. Chris also spent an additional week traveling in...
Katsuobushi Journey
For me, katsuobushi has always been synonymous with the flavors of Japan. There is no substitute for it. Over the years as my Japanese cuisine knowledge has expanded, I have come to understand and taste the differences between the various...
How Artisanal Katsuobushi is Made - Matoba Suisan
In the Autumn of 2016, we ventured down to the southern tip of Kyushu in Kagoshima prefecture with one purpose in mind, finding the best katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna). Our journey led us to Matoba Suisan in the port town of...
Travel Memories - Part II
It’s not always about the food… Periodically when we travel to Japan, we sometimes visit artisans that do not make food items. Incredible things still often just fall into our laps. Knife Maker in Sakai Chris and I have been...
Konbu Journey
The first important thing you need to know is that not all konbu are the same.  We sell 3 different varieties: Rishiri, Rausu and Ma konbu which are thought of as the top konbu for dashi making. All are very...
Travel Memories - Part I
We have a map in our warehouse showing the locations of all of our producers. It sits near our desks, so we can’t help but to look at it every day. It is a nice reminder of our journeys up...
Morning with Shiitake
Early in my culinary career, I remember shiitake mushrooms being the first “exotic” mushroom I had experienced.  It was not until my externship (at a fine dining restaurant in San Francisco) during culinary school, that I fell in love with...
Summer Somen
I cannot remember whether it was 2008 or 2009 when I was first properly introduced to summertime somen noodles.  Oddly enough, it was not in Japan but in San Francisco at a Joy of Sake event held at the St....
Dinner at Doi-san's house
Chris and I sent an email to Doi-san before one of our trips to Japan asking if we could spend some time with him to discuss business, but more importantly, konbu.  We wanted to learn everything possible about Konbu Doi. ...
Not Always Japanese
It is both surprising and unsurprising how many people think our products are just meant for Japanese food. Why is it surprising? Many people are not familiar with working with Japanese food products, so the natural thought process is that...
Perfecting tradition - Horikawaya Nomura
Our first day in Japan is always a whirlwind…we take a redeye that leaves SFO at about 1am and gets into Tokyo’s Haneda airport at just before 5am. After a quick shower at the airport ($10 for 30 minutes!), udon...