News

There are many options for eating, paleo, gluten-free, vegan and so on….. Have you ever heard of Macrobiotic?

It is not only a way of eating, but also a philosophy of life based on Japanese tradition.

Today we will feature a professional macrobiotic chef, Yayoi, who is visiting Toronto, and will share the world of Macrobiotic food and lifestyle.

We met super-photographer, mom, and perogi maker Rebecca Sandulak on Instagram. We are fascinated by her amazing uses for OKAZU, and the beautiful photos she shares. We sat down to chat.

Abokichi: Who are you, and what do you do?

There are two main heating methods for rice cookers, with two pricing tiers.

Electrothermal Heating (“Maicom”) Rice Cooker (economical option)

In Japan, it’s known as a maicom rice cooker, short for micro-computer. The maicom rice cooker has an electric heater in the bottom of the pot, and the heat isn’t distributed well. Compared to an IH rice cooker, the heat is weaker and it often used for small size rice cooker for singles. Larger machines, like 5.5 cups and up, are being produced less.

One of the most frequently asked question we get during our onigiri-making workshops is "Which is the best rice cooker?". So, we will explain some points about rice cookers to help you make the best decision when shopping for yours.

As it is with many other products in this modern era, when it comes to rice cooker options, we have too many choices. If you visit Amazon.com, you will find 180 pages for this category. Each brand emphasizes the unique benefits of their products, and with prices ranging from around $20 to over $1,000 for one machine, it really becomes difficult to make an informed decision.

Determining what size of rice cooker you need is the first thing to consider when shopping for a machine. When measuring rice, Japanese people use a unit of measurement called gou (合), roughly 180ml. Gou is part of the shakkanhou (尺貫法) system of measurement, a traditional system that is no longer commonly used, but maintains its legacy as the standard for measuring both rice and sake. When you see the term “cup” in a rice cooker's description, it is likely 1 gou, not a metric cup (250ml) typically used in cooking and baking.

(Also, please note that 1 cup in modern Japan is equal to only 200ml, so please sure to adjust your recipes while cooking in Japan, and likewise if working off a Japanese recipe in the west.)

The shakkanhou system works like this:

Onigiri Society in Tokyo debuts in Canada by launching original Canadian Onigiri at a sold-out foodie event as next global project following Expo Milano and Doha.

General Incorporated Association Onigiri Society (located in Tokyo, Japan; Yusuke Nakamura, Representative Director) known as the performer and exhibitor at Expo Milano 2015 is pleased to announce the launch of “Local Onigiri” for Canada as its 3^rd global project after the success in Milan, Italy and Doha, Qatar. The association aims to globally spread information and an appreciation for Onigiri as a Japanese fast, slow, and soul food.