ByFood Boxes

This box includes eight essential Japanese pantry items. Soy sauce, dashi, miso, and wasabi might be ingredients most associated with Japanese cooking, but in this box, we go beyond the basics. We’ve also included other classic pantry stables like shichimi, goma, and yuzu kosho to bring more authentic Japanese flavors into your cooking. 

We hope you enjoy using these ingredients and exploring Japanese cooking in your kitchen.

Included in the box:

MARUNAKA’S BREWING SOY SAUCE (醤油)
Producer: Marunaka Shoyu
Prefecture: Shiga
Amount: 150ml
Soy sauce, or shoyu, is the quintessential ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Yet unlike your typical soy sauce, this shoyu has a depth of flavor that is not overly salty and has a mellow yet savory finish. Just a drop of this premium-quality soy sauce will add umami to your dishes by enhancing and balancing the natural flavors of each ingredient. 

PURE RICE VINEGAR (純米酢)
Producer: Tajima Brewery
Prefecture: Hyogo
Amount: 150ml
An essential ingredient in many Japanese dishes, rice vinegar has a subtle sweet acidity, and can help to balance flavors while softening textures. Rice vinegar is also a key ingredient in sushi rice and is used for making Japanese pickles known as tsukemono. This pure rice vinegar or “junmaizu” is made from rice that has been grown in harmony with its natural surroundings. It’s then fermented to produce a delicately mild and smooth flavor that is less acidic than western vinegar. 

NATURAL MULTI-UMAMI DASHI PACKETS (だし)
Producer: Kimise Soy Sauce
Prefecture: Okayama
Amount: 6 x 11.5g packets
These awase dashi packs allow you to conveniently create your own flavorful dashi at home. Awase means “to combine'' and is one of the most common types of dashi used in Japan. Kimise’s dashi includes a broader spectrum of essential umami enriching ingredients including katsuobushi, iriko (dried sardines), shiitake mushrooms and moromi (the fermented mixture used in creating such things as sake or soy sauce, in this case for traditionally brewed “honjozo” soy sauce), which are uniquely combined with ume (Japanese plum) vinegar. The result is one of the most aromatic and deep tasting dashi you’ll find in Japan!

YUZU KOSHO (AGED 1 YEAR) (一年熟成 ゆずごしょう)
Producer: Kuroiwasou
Prefecture: Oita  
Amount: 60g
In this handmade blend of citrus and spice, Kuroiwasou combines yuzu with green chili peppers, both of which are grown without pesticides and are fully ripened on the tree. They also add sea salt from Japan’s tropical islands of Okinawa and then, unique to this yuzu kosho, they age it for over a year using a secret method to enhance and preserve the natural flavor and aroma of their quality ingredients. 

HONTAKA SHICHIMI TOGARASHI (七味唐辛子)
Producer: Yohgado
Prefecture: Osaka 
Amount: 10g
Shichimi Togarashi, or simply shichimi, translates to seven spice blend and can be found adding zest and heat to everything from a hot bowl of noodles, to seafood and meat, salads and even cocktails! Traditional shichimi can include a variety of ingredients, but it will typically include ground spicy chili peppers for heat, some type of citrus for zest and to cut through fat, seaweed for salty umami and some seeds to add a slightly nutty flavor. 

RAW SHREDDED HON (TRUE) WASABI (生おろしわさび) 
Producer: Tokyo Food
Prefecture: Tokyo
Amount: 40g
True wasabi is a rare gem to find outside Japan. It’s not overwhelmingly spicy but instead has a quick flush of heat followed by a lingering nuanced aroma of spiciness with a herbaceous flavor and subtle natural sweetness.

GOMAAE SEASONING (ごまあえの素) 
Producer: Yamashiroya
Prefecture: Kyoto
Amount: 60g
Goma (sesame seeds) find their way into many Japanese dishes, adding a subtle nutty, buttery flavor. There are three main types of sesame seeds in Japan: white, black and golden, with golden being the rarest and most flavorful. Here it’s combined with umami enhancing ingredients such as soy sauce, katsuobushi (bonito) powder and konbu (powder), along with salt and a touch of sugar, to create the perfect balance of umami, saltiness and sweetness.

MISO (AGED 2 YEARS) (信州古式仕込 ２年熟成味噌)
Producer: Marusho Jozo
Prefecture: Nagano 
Amount: 150g
Although it may be known for its namesake soup, miso is an umami-rich fermented paste that has a place in anything from stews to salad dressings. It has a deep, savory flavor with a fermented salty-sweet tang.

Delivery Time: 10-14 days on average

Pantry Staples Box Producers

ByFood Japanese Pantry Staples Box

There’s more to Japanese snacks than candy and potato chips! In this box, we’ve selected a variety of healthy Japanese snacks. 

Included are classic Japanese snacks like yokan, senbei, and umeboshi. From dashi chips to dried fruit, this mix features both sweet and savory options. Enjoy with a cup of Japanese tea or while on the go for a healthy, umami-filled snack. 

These healthy snacks are a great introduction to natural Japanese flavors. 

Included in the box:

BLACK SOYBEAN KINAKO YOKAN (黒豆きなこようかん) 
Producer: Kona Kohbo Usa
Prefecture: Oita
Amount: 58g
One of the most popular types of wagashi (Japanese sweets) is yokan, a firm jelly dessert typically made from azuki (sweet beans). To make this unique yokan, our producer, Kona Kohbo Usa, includes a rare black soybean called kurodamaru. Kurodamaru are larger than regular black soybeans with a richer flavor and stronger natural sweetness, making them the perfect choice for yokan.

SOUR YUZU PEELS (ゆずスッパイチップス) 
Producer: Suki Tokusan
Prefecture: Miyazaki
Amount: 30g
Japan is home to over 40 different regional varieties of citrus fruits, but one is prized above all others: yuzu. From the outside, yuzu resembles a lemon with its bright yellow peel, but is larger and squatter. Its flavor is best described as a cross between a tart lemon, a sweet mandarin orange, and a fragrant grapefruit. 

HONENYAKI SENBEI (RICE CRACKERS) (豊年焼 煎餅)
Producer: Kitayama Seika
Prefecture: Saitama
Amount: 2 x 25g
Each cracker is baked with a special stock of kelp, shiitake mushrooms and bonito, and combined with traditional flavors from Japan which are so natural and pronounced that you’ll immediately recognize them. The norimaki (seaweed) flavor resembles traditional rice wrapped in seaweed, while the negi (spring onion) and miso flavor is a harmony of domestic spring onions and umami rich miso.

SUN DRIED UMEBOSHI (ぺたんこちょび梅) 
Producer: Maruyama Foods
Prefecture: Wakayama
Amount: 8g
Nothing tastes like spring in Japan as much as tart pickled Japanese plums known as umeboshi. In the early spring months, ume (the firm sour fruits of Japanese plum trees) appear in grocery stores throughout Japan. Ume are related to apricots and plums but are unique as they become sourer rather than sweeter as they ripen. Traditional umeboshi are made by soaking ume in salt brines until they become plump and bright pink. 

DASHIP (SALT FLAVORED) (だしップス)
Producer: Mica Corporation
Prefecture: Shizuoka
Amount: 50g
These daships are a type of Japanese chip made from okara (soybean pulp). Okara is the leftover pulp from soybeans which have been filtered to make tofu and soy milk. Traditionally used to make a side dish called unohana (okara simmered with soy sauce, mirin, carrots, mushrooms, and burdock root), these chips combine the nutritional elements of okara with wheat, an umami rich dashi (broth) made from mackerel and bonito powder produced in Numazu, Shizuoka, and a hint of sweetness, which is then lightly fried in non-GMO rapeseed oil.

SMOKED MENTAIKO (COD ROE) (スモーク明太子)
Producer: Minato Suisan
Prefecture: Miyagi
Amount: 20g
Mentaiko consists of whole Alaskan pollock/cod roe sacs covered in a thin membrane which is cured with salt and marinated in various seasonings and spices. With a taste reminiscent of the sea, mentaiko is not overly fishy in flavor yet is rich in umami. This unique mentaiko is lightly smoked using sakura (cherry blossom) chips to add an extra depth of flavor. 

MATCHA ARARE (RICE CRACKERS) (抹茶あられ)
Prefecture: Kyoto
Producer: Kuramaan
Amount: 65g
These bite-sized arare (crackers made from mochi or glutinous rice) showcase the beautiful bitter-sweet flavors of Japanese matcha from Uji. The city of Uji is located just south of Kyoto and is the second oldest tea-growing region in Japan. Green teas from Uji, considered the most refined in Japan, became popular among Japanese nobility over 800 years ago and remain popular to this day. 

YATSUHASHI (八ツ橋)
Producer: Aoyama Mameju
Prefecture: Kyoto
Amount: 100g
There are several types of yatsuhashi from the soft and chewy to the crunchy baked variety. Typically made from a combination of rice flour and sugar flavored with cinnamon, these baked yatsuhashi also include kinako (roasted and ground soybeans), which adds a sweet, nutty flavor similar to peanut butter. To make the cookies, the dough is rolled into a rectangle and baked until hard, giving the cookies an elegant curve that resembles a Japanese koto (or harp).

Delivery Time: 10-14 days on average

Snack Box Producers

ByFood Healthy Japanese Snack Box

Japan is one of the top tea-producing countries in the world. Each type of Japanese tea has its own distinctive color, flavor, and aroma, making it a wonderfully versatile drink. Full of ​​antioxidants and with less caffeine than coffee, tea is a healthy, tasty, and refreshing drink to enjoy every day. 

In this box, we feature six different Japanese teas. From the everyday sencha to the sea-harvested konbucha, enjoy a culinary journey through Japan's many different teas. 

SENCHA (NATURALLY CULTIVATED) (自然栽培 煎茶)
Producer: Kenichi Nature Farm
Prefecture: Nara
Amount: 40g loose leaf
Sencha is the most widely available tea in Japan. The leaves are grown in direct sunlight and tend to be harvested in the first or second flush. The leaves of the upper shoots, which are the youngest and of higher quality, are then steamed, dried and rolled into needle-like shapes, which helps to intensify the flavor. Sencha has a delicate sweetness and a mild astringency. 

GENMAICHA (BROWN RICE TEA) WITH MATCHA (抹茶入り玄米茶) (Certified Organic)
Producer: Azuma Chaen
Prefecture: Kyoto
Amount: 40g loose leaf
Genmaicha (lit. brown rice tea) is made from unprocessed brown rice that is soaked, steamed, roasted and popped before being combined in an equal ratio with green tea. The brown rice adds a toasted, nutty flavor and results in a tea with less caffeine.  

HOUJICHA (ROASTED SENCHA GREEN TEA) (煎茶ほうじ茶) (Certified Organic)
Producer: Azuma Chaen
Prefecture: Kyoto
Amount: 50g loose leaf
Instead of just steaming green tea leaves, houjicha is made by first steaming and then roasting the leaves in a porcelain pot over charcoal at 200°C, resulting in a tea with a nutty, caramel-like flavor. The leaves have a distinct earthy color and the tea is less bitter than other green teas. It has minimal caffeine making it a great choice even for children or before bed. 

KONBU CHA (KELP TEA/BROTH) (昆布茶)
Producer: Nagaike Konbu
Prefecture: Osaka 
Amount: 40g
This Konbu Cha is a savory, salty Japanese seasoning that can also be mixed with hot water and sipped on as a tea/broth. Using additive-free ingredients produced entirely in Japan, the kelp and beet sugar come from Hokkaido, while the specialty salt is produced in Hyogo Prefecture’s Ako City and is one of Japan’s most highly-regarded salts. Matcha powder, the fine, vibrant green powder used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and is arguably Japan’s highest quality tea, is also added, resulting in an umami-rich, bitter yet salty and sweet seasoning. 

KUROMAMECHA (BLACK SOYBEAN TEA) (黒豆茶)
Producer: A-Net Farm
Prefecture: Hokkaido
Amount: 7 x 3g tea bags
Soba, the Japanese name for buckwheat, is a key ingredient in one of Japan’s most popular noodles. Not actually a type of wheat, soba is a highly nutritious seed that can be roasted to create a traditional Japanese tea known as sobacha. 

Delivery Time: 10-14 days on average

ByFood Boxes

ByFood Japanese Pantry Staples Box

ByFood Healthy Japanese Snack Box

ByFood Japanese Tea Box