Chad Clift was raised practicing the basics of traditional Japanese
cooking while growing up in Seattle, Washington. His father, who was
born and raised in Japan, taught him everything he knows about
traditional Japanese cuisine. As such, Clift became familiar with the
basic ingredients of most Japanese dishes. He later learned in culinary
school at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland how to challenge
these traditions in a creative and productive way and bring in new
ingredients to create bold, new tastes. Clift now works with complex and
advanced dishes in his kitchen at his restaurant, Futoji Aji, in
Seattle’s International District, but he learned the basics using the
same ingredients that many people have in their home and use
frequently.
Chad Clift wants to continue the traditional of Japanese cuisine. In addition to teaching his daughter Sadako how to cook in the traditional Japanese fashion, he also encourages everyone curious about Japanese cuisine to try it for themselves at home. In order to cook traditional Japanese meals with an authentic taste and texture, you have to first collect these three essential ingredients for Japanese cooking:
Chad Clift wants to continue the traditional of Japanese cuisine. In addition to teaching his daughter Sadako how to cook in the traditional Japanese fashion, he also encourages everyone curious about Japanese cuisine to try it for themselves at home. In order to cook traditional Japanese meals with an authentic taste and texture, you have to first collect these three essential ingredients for Japanese cooking:
- Japanese Rice. Believe it or not, rice from different places in the world has different qualities. Japanese rice doesn’t have a particular smell as Thai or Jasmine rice does, and it’s sticky enough to be used in dishes such as sushi. Chad Clift says the first key ingredient to any kind of cuisine is to get the most authentic staple ingredient first and go from there. True Japanese rice is the first staple for Japanese cuisine.
- Japanese soy sauce. Again, Japanese soy sauce is different than soy sauce that is produced in other parts of the world. You will usually want soy sauce that has a deep black color. Some chefs also use Usukuchi soy sauce, which is lighter in color and saltier than others. Chad Clift grew up learning to distinguish between these different kinds of soy sauce and learning which flavors it can bring out in different dishes.
- Sake. A traditional Japanese rice wine, Sake is a delicacy to drink in Japanese restaurants. It is also used in Japanese cooking much in the same way that white wine is used in many European cuisines. If you’re preparing Japanese meals at home, you’ll find that sake is called for in many recipes as you find more advanced dishes.
