FOOD & DRINK

With its thick, soft, sweet flesh, the beauty of the manganji pepper is it can be successfully cooked in a number of ways.

Salty, sweet, sour and bitter are familiar terms to describe taste. Yet a fifth, umami, is less well-known but just as prevalent.

Sake is probably the best known Japanese drink in the world.

Umeshu plum wine is one of the most popular of Japanese liqueurs. It's made from a base alcohol such as sake and Japanese plums, and has a very nice, sweet flavor.