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Ohitsu is a traditional Japanese container for transferring rice cooked in a rice cooker or pot. Wooden ones are the most common, but ceramic ones are also popular.

In the past, when cooking rice in an iron pot was the mainstream method, rice was cooked once a day or every two days, which required time and effort. Rice cooked in an iron pot is fluffy and hot at the beginning, but it soon burns and becomes hard. For this reason, it was transferred to the ohitsu to store it, which also had the advantage of being easy to carry around. Iron pots for rice was introduced in the Edo period, but the history of ohitsu is even older, dating back to the Heian period.

The rice transferred to the ohitsu will not dry out, so it can be served fluffy for a long time. It never becomes sticky in texture, so it tastes good even when it is cold. It is said that they can be enjoyed for about 12 hours.

These days, with the spread of electric rice cookers, ohitsu may not be used as commonly as it was in the past, but it is not just for storing rice, but have the added benefit of making the rice taste better. Wooden ohitsu serves the purpose of removing the coarse heat from the cooked rice and making it flavorful. The ohitsu absorbs excess water and keeps the humidity inside constant, while giving off a soft woody scent.

Ohitsu is not only for storing rice. In the summer, you can fill it with water and use it as a bowl of somen noodles for a cool look, or use it as a sushi tub for chirashi-sushi or temakizushi. The variety of its uses is one of the charms of the ohitsu.

We carry a variety of ohitsu, including ohitsu made from Kiso Sawara, which has excellent water resistance, and ohitsu made from Akita Cedar, which has sterilizing properties. We hope you will try our beautiful and functional ohitsu.

Kurikyu's Magewappa Ohitsu
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kurikyu/ohitsu.html
Yamaichi's Taketaga Ohitsu
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamaichi/ohitsu.html
Azmaya's Ohitsu
https://www.shokunin.com/en/azmaya/ohitsu.html
Rikucho Ogasawara's Fish Pan
https://www.shokunin.com/en/rikucho/fishpan.html

References:
https://kinarino.jp/cat2-%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB%E9%9B%91%E8%B2%A8/38218- 
https://www.olive-hitomawashi.com/column/2017/10/post-548.html 
https://kinarino.jp/cat2-%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB%E9%9B%91%E8%B2%A8/36344-

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A store modeled after Café Paulista in Ginza was featured in the NHK TV series "Hanako To Anne" broadcast in 2014.

At a time when coffee was not yet accepted by the Japanese people, the store continued to search for ways to make it acceptable and challenged itself.

The restaurant has been loved by many famous people, including great writers such as Akiko Yosano and Ryunosuke Akutagawa, as well as John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Morning sets are also available, so you may want to enjoy your breakfast before heading out to see the sights of Ginza. Please visit our Ginza showroom during your walk in Ginza as well.

Café Paulista
https://www.paulista.co.jp/shop.html
Ginza Showroom (Open from 9:00-18:00 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday)
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/ginza.html

Refererence:
https://www.paulista.co.jp/paulista/

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Have you ever heard of "heshiko"? Also called Japanese anchovies, heshiko refers to fishes, such as mackerel and sardine, pickled in salt and further pickled in rice-bran paste for a long period of time. As with other preserved seafood, the salt content is high, but the rich flavor that lies behind the salty taste is very delicious and will make your mouth water.

There are several theories about the origin of the name, including the fact that fishermen used to call it "heshikomu (squeezing)" when they marinated fish in barrels, which was then shortened to "heshiko." Compared to raw fish, heshiko has more flavor. Its unique flavor and salty-sweet taste goes well with rice and snacks. They are soaked in rice bran from autumn to winter, and are ready to eat after six months to a year.

Heshiko is mainly produced along the coast of the Sea of Japan from Ishikawa to Tottori prefectures. Although Kyoto is often given the impression that it is difficult to procure seafood, heshiko has been made and eaten as a preserved food for a long time in the Tango region, mainly in Ine Town, an area which is blessed with good fishing grounds due to the influence of the Tsushima Current and the rivers flowing through the mountains of the Tango Peninsula and the Tamba Mountains. The ones made in Ine Town use mackerel from Japan, Canada and Norway, which are especially rich in fat.

When eating heshiko, the bran is removed, cut into appropriate pieces, and grilled quickly. If you are worried about the bran, you can wash it off with water before baking. Grilled heshiko is usually eaten with ochazuke or on rice. It is also delicious when used in pasta. Be careful not to overcook it, as the flesh will become tough. Further, although heshiko is a food that can be stored for a long time, it should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed as soon as possible.

If you are interested in preparing heshiko, we recommend you use Kokiridashi's Kokiridashi Set, a portable cooking stove suitable for grilling heshiko. You may also use the product to heat various ingredients which you may prepare as nibbles for drinks. Please have a look at our website for more detail.

Kokiridashi's Kokiridashi Set
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kokiridashi/

References:
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/k_ryouri/search_menu/season/winter.html 
https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/suiji/12400033.html 
https://www.kyotango.gr.jp/foods/heshiko/
https://otaku-son.hatenablog.com/entry/2015/08/22/215744