Both Japanese and English eggplant varieties grill well. Try these basting sauces on either.

Japanese snow cones feature a colorful assortment of flavors like green tea, condensed milk and the ever popular red azuki bean paste (anko).

There are fantastic Japanese food sites by knowledgeable chefs, gastronomes and foodies on the Web that are rich in text, recipes and photographs. Be sure to check them out!

Thinly shaved slices of ginger pickled with rice vinegar are served with sushi for a palate cleanser so your taste buds can distinguish between the subtle flavor differences of raw fish.

Panko bread crumbs and seasoned nori flakes combine to create a flavorful, crunchy coating for all types of fish filets. Baked or fried, furikake fish can be eaten at room temperature which makes it an excellent addition to a bento box lunch.

The Japanese often adopt foreign recipes and this sorbet is a good example. Peaches are enjoyed throughout the summer in Asia and they don’t require much added sugar in this delicious, natural frozen dessert.

The eggs of fish and sea creatures are sushi bar staples. Here is a short primer so you can know the basics.

There are many specialty tools but these are considered the essential tools for preparing authentic Japanese food.

An easy way to beautify your dish comes straight from nature: scatter on fresh flower petals or whole flowers! They add beauty, fragrance and flavor to simple dishes.

Use a rice cooker to steam the mochi gome (glutinous rice) and then a stand mixer or food processor will do the work of a mallet.