One of the most important things to me when traveling is immersing myself into different cultures. I disguise myself as much as possible to avoid looking like a tourist so that I can really feel what it’s like to be a part of the country I’m visiting. In 2014 my husband and I booked a trip to Japan to experience life in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka during the famed cherry blossom season.
Japan will always hold a special place in our hearts. It was our last major trip before having a child (we weren’t sure about traveling with kiddos but check us out now!) and while we were there I made a formal wish at a place called Fushimi Inari Shrine that we would have a safe and easy road to pregnancy. Eleven months later we had a little boy named Fox, who was named after the shrine we made our request at in Kyoto.
Here’s a photo from the shrine with a super adorable pair of kid’s training chopsticks that Fox will have to put to good use very soon!
On one of our first days in Tokyo we took a private cooking lesson in an apaato, a traditional Japanese apartment with a sweet local named Mari. We learned to make a variety of dishes from okonomiyaki to miso soup, but my favorite takeaway was crafting a mouthwatering roll of sushi.
Alas, my husband is a fair-weather sushi eater and opts for the westernized California rolls with the occasional Spicy Tuna roll, so we’ve gotten pretty good at making them around these parts.
I’ll let you in on my favorite gift-giving secret: sushi dishware, sake sets, and sushi ingredients make for an amazing hostess gift! Also good for someone who seems to have everything and leaves you stumped with what to give them next.
The first time I met my husband’s family was during Christmastime and we stopped by World Market to pick up just that and it’s been my go-to ever since. They have the best selection of international food brands I have found to date.
Soy Sauce Plates // Sushi Plates // Rice Bowls // Kids Chopsticks // Adult Chopsticks Key players in the Japanese gift basket: Sake // Wasabi // Pocky // Sesame // Soup Spoons // Sushi Roll Kit // Miso Soup // Basket // Bamboo Sushi Set
The best part is that the international favorites pictured in all of the photos above from food items to the basket to dinnerware came in under $100! If I was pressed to choose one item out of the bunch that helped the most with sushi night I’d choose the Sushi Roll Kit. It includes microwavable sushi rice, sushi vinegar, soy sauce, wasabi, sushi nori seaweed, and a reusable bamboo sushi mat.
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Have you ever learned how to make food while visiting a foreign country? Tell me what it is in the comments below!
2 Comments
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I have never eaten Sushi but I heard about that, after getting the recipe I made it at home and enjoyed it a lot.
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