Nara Food Experiences(5)

This was a great experience and I now have new cooking skills!  Yasuyo’s expertise in Japanese cooking and her genuine passion for sharing it made our time together special.  From the beginning, she made us feel at home, and was willing to answer all my questions . What set this cooking class apart was how we started with simple, readily available ingredients, yet crafted a wonderful way to cook and arrange of those with served with sushi rice.  It was the first time for me to make rice in the pan and to make sushi rice. Yasuyo said the recipe came from her grandmother and she often shared wonderful time cooking with her grandmother. I really enjoyed learning how to cook local Nara style “kakino hazushi” and the wisdom that Yasuyo shared with us.   If you're interested in Japanese cooking, I couldn't recommend this class more highly. It's a wonderful opportunity to not only learn about Nara local style sushi  but also connect with delightful hosts in a beautiful setting. This experience inspired me to explore more of the culinary world.

The cooking class with Yasuyo was nothing short of extraordinary and I enjoyed it so much!  From the moment we stepped into their welcoming home, we were immersed in a delightful blend of Japanese cooking and culture. Yasuyo presented the table in a harmony with nature, and we had welcome home-made Japanese sweets and fresh tea before the class. She prepared seasonal vegetables, local tofu, and home made plum wine, plum syrups, and different sake from Nara.  Yasuyo taught us how to cut, arrange, and present each dish. We learned how to use persimmons leaves to wrap the rice and how to arrange them in the bento box.  I was a fascinated not only learning Nara food culture but cooking together and tasting it as we went along.  Yasuyo’s recipes come from her grandmother and she was willing to share those with us. Her deep-fried tofu was so tasty and it is going to be my favorite recipe!  After cooking, we learned how to use Japanese cloth (furoshiki) to wrap the bento box and some other alternative ways of using the cloth. She also taught how to maintain the bento box and we got it as a souvenir. We enjoyed so much cooking and sharing great time together. Thank you Yasuyo and we will keep in touch!    

I don't have words to describe how fun and relaxing this experience was! Both Yasu and Bill were experienced hosts who tried their best to introduce us to some simple, but lovely Japanese home cooking. Yasu kindly explained every step of the process, from how to cut the ingredients to how to decorate. I have of course had many meatballs in my life, but never such juicy and tender ones - the flavor also really surprised me! And the best part of this experience is their wonderful home, which looked cosier than mine honestly! They also live in a magical rural area, close to a lovely temple that you should definitely check out if you have the time. 11/10 experience, I recommend it to anyone.