Okume Condiments 1

Okume

Okume, established in 1871, specializes in kanbutsu dried ingredients, essential for making dashi stock. Dashi is rich in natural umami and is at the heart of washoku Japanese cuisine. Okume has an impressive display of different ingredients for making dashi – up to 36 options – at their retail stores. We visit the Okume shop on my Tsukiji Market tour. There are two shops at Tsukiji. One for dashi ingredients and dashi packs that simple need to be simmered to make dashi. The second shop sells a variety of seafood like black cod, salmon, squid, and mackerel marinated in miso that can be grilled at home.

Dear friends gifted me this lovely box from Okume filled with ready-to-eat items. Keep these on hand for sprinkling over rice or some can be used for topping tofu or vegetables. Introducing four here:

sansho jako 山椒じゃこ 

A classic condiment from Kyoto of dried shirasu small whitebait (a variety of immature fish like sardines) and mi-sansho which are the green sansho (Zanthoxylum piperitum) berry. The shirasu are rich in calcium and have a chewy texture. The sansho berries have a peppery and citrusy punch.

katsuo miso かつお味噌 

A sweet paste that has smoky notes from the katsuobushi powder. Would be lovely slathered over a grilled yaki onigiri.

nori noni のりのに 

Nori laver is simmered with a dashi made from Toyama Bay dried sardines with soy sauce, mirin, and honey. The sweet and salty paste is nice with rice, but would also be lovely tossed over angel hair pasta or somen noodles.

katsuo denbu かつおでんぶ

Denbu is fish that is simmered until tender and falling apart into small flakes. This katsuo denbu is a Tsukudani style with soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, and sweet mirin. I love it over a bowl of rice, but would also be nice mixed into some cream cheese for crackers.

Okume has a new store in the Azabudai Hills mall in the market area. Highly recommend visiting if you are in the area. There is also a branch in Brooklyn! 50 Norman Avenue. Okume also serves a set meal with grilled fish, rice, miso soup, and side dishes.

Okume

Tsukiji Market, Uogashi Odawara Building W02

Azabudai 1-2-4, Azabudai Hills Market

50 Norman Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

#foodsaketokyo #japanesefood #japan #japanfood #japantrip #japantravel #Tsukiji #TsukijiMarket #Okume #rice #Tsukudani #katsuo #dashi #sansho #chirimenjako #denbu #condiments #simplywashoku #nori #尾粂 #築地 #佃煮 #ちりめんじゃこ #のりのに #でんぶ #瓶詰めグルメ #和食 #ごはん #調味料