Similar to salted salmon, dried mackerel is another popular Japanese food that is rarely available outside of Japan, but can be easily made with simple ingredients at home. In this variation, you’ll need fresh horse mackerel, some salt, and skewers. Carefully remove the scales of the fish, then slice the fish open from its back, remove its innards, then clean and pat it dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle some salt on both sides. Put a skewer through the fish horizontally to keep it flat and open as it dries, and hang it up, leaving it to air dry for a day in a well-ventilated place (just like hanging out your laundry). Pan-fry or grill it and you’ll have an authentic Japanese home-cooked dish!

Umeshu (plum wine) is a type of Japanese alcohol that can be easily made at home. Although umeshu can be bought at supermarkets or convenience stores in Japan, many families enjoy the process of concocting their own variation at home when plums are in season, usually from June through July.

Even if you reside overseas and have no access to Japanese liquor, you can easily make your own umeshu out of fresh plums, vodka and rock sugar. Wash and dry the plums (you could also use apricots as an alternative if you can’t get ume plums), layer the plums and rock sugar proportionally in a large jar or plastic container, then pour in the vodka. Make sure the container is sealed air-tight. Let it soak for at least three months before enjoying your homemade umeshu. Patience is the key! The alcohol-soaked fruits can also be eaten! Have them with your glass of umeshu, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey as a classy dessert!

Udon, the thick, chewy Japanese noodles popular among Japanese and foreigners alike, takes a good kneading to achieve its characteristic texture, but requires nothing more than medium ground wheat flour, water and some salt to make! Traditional methods involve stepping on the dough in order to make it nice and chewy. If you have children brimming with unspent energy, or would love some interesting interaction at a home party, here’s the recipe for this marvelous kitchen activity!

If you’re a fan of traditional Japanese sweets, you must be familiar with mochi. It can be challenging to make since it involves strenuous pounding of glutinous rice flour, but warabi-mochi, on the other hand, can easily be made by heating potato starch, sugar and water over a stove. It’s so easy to make, we won’t even bother writing it out, just check out the video above!

Of course, the almighty seasoning that represents Japanese cuisine, miso! Anybody who loves Japanese food knows about miso soup. But did you know that the Japanese use miso in a multitude of ways? Miso is used in stews, stir-fry and even grilled dishes. It’s barely even exaggerating to say that the Japanese can’t live without it. But like many of the items listed above, miso is difficult to get, or expensive, in many countries apart from Japan. You’ll need koji (fermented rice) in order to make your own miso, and it takes quite a bit of time and effort, but if you’re a Japanese person living overseas with limited access to miso, this could be the best way out!

If you are proficient in Japanese and want to get all the details straight from the horse's mouth, you can visit Madam Riri's website.

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