May 28, 2021

Tonkatsu, popular both at restaurants and at home, may look like a Western dish, but it was actually born in Japan.

Tonkatsu, popular both at restaurants and at home, may look like a Western dish, but it was actually born in Japan.

"Tonkatsu" has its roots in the French cuisine of côtelette, or cutlet in English, which was then pronounced "katsuretsu" by the Japanese. A côtelette is the bone-in back meat (loin) of veal, sheep, or pork. Today's tonkatsu was born a little over 100 years ago, when a Western-style restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, called "Renga-tei," introduced "pork-katsuretsu" to its menu, a restaurant that is also the creator of numerous Western-style dishes such as "omuretsu" and "ebifurai."

Motojiro Kida, founder of Renga-tei, arranged pork cutlet, which was originally similar to a stir-fry, to be breaded and fried in plenty of oil. It is said that Kida came up with this method of deep frying, taking a cue from the Japanese cuisine of tempura, because the traditional method was time consuming to make.

Further, while it is common in Western cuisine to serve a pork cutlet with hot vegetables, Kida replaced it with shredded cabbage. This was the birth of the prototype of the "tonkatsu" that we see today. Cabbage contains a nutrient called "cabagin" that protects the stomach and intestines, and helps the digestion and absorption of oil, making it ideal for eating with juicy meats and crispy fried batter.

At our store, we offer a variety of plates and cooking utensils that are perfect for making and serving tonkatsu with cabbage. Please have a look at our online page for more details.

Ichiyougama's Deep Plate
https://www.shokunin.com/en/ichiyou/deep.html
Hasami's Plate
https://www.shokunin.com/en/hasami/plate.html
Sori Yanagi's Stainless Steel Bowl
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yanagisori/bowl.html
FD Style's Frying Pan
https://www.shokunin.com/en/fdstyle/fryingpan.html　
Yamada Kogyosho's Uchidashi Katatenabe
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamada/　

References:
https://www.momak.go.jp/Japanese/about/momak50th.html
https://www.nipponham.co.jp/recipes/meat/zoomup/tonkatsu/03.html
https://www.kyotodeasobo.com/art/venues/museums/momak/
https://tenki.jp/suppl/okuyuki/2016/10/19/16331.html
https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/10686?page=2
https://www.rekishoku.jp/ja/story/136

May 28, 2021

Ceramic Japan's Constellation is a unique and entertaining cup that is recommended for customers themselves as well as a gift.

Ceramic Japan's Constellation is a unique and entertaining cup that is recommended for customers themselves as well as a gift.

As the name suggests, the external surface of the cup depicts constellation, with which the moon-like handle matches. With regards to the white and yellow mugs, some of the stars could shine in different colors according to the content, as some parts of the surface appear transparent.

The simple form and interesting design of the cup would not only entertain the users, but would surely make your everyday life as bright and beautiful as the stars on the sky.

Ceramic Japan's Constellation
https://www.shokunin.com/en/ceramicjapan/seiza.html

May 27, 2021

Takada Kozo Shoten's Scrubbing Brush made of palm come in various forms that suit a wide range of users with various hand sizes and different situations.

Takada Kozo Shoten's Scrubbing Brush made of palm come in various forms that suit a wide range of users with various hand sizes and different situations.

The largish Scrubbing Brush L is recommended to people who use large frying pans and pots, and it could also be used as a body-scrubbing brush. Scrubbing Brush Nejiri is a unique but useful brush that could easily remove dirt stuck inside vessels such as cups without damaging it. Products with holes and grooves, such as bamboo baskets, which are difficult to be cleaned using normal sponges, can be washed using the Scrubbing Brush Hosome.

There are many other forms of scrubbing brushes offered by Takada Kozo Shoten other than the mentioned which are unique to each other and useful in different ways. Please check our website for more information.

Takada Kozo Shoten's Scrubbing Brush
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kozo/tawashi.html

Shokunin.com Blog

May 2021

Tonkatsu, popular both at restaurants and at home, may look like a Western dish, but it was actually born in Japan.

Ceramic Japan's Constellation is a unique and entertaining cup that is recommended for customers themselves as well as a gift.

Takada Kozo Shoten's Scrubbing Brush made of palm come in various forms that suit a wide range of users with various hand sizes and different situations.