@@carlodboyer His wife doesn't like the camera, the one in the video is his sister in law I think, as for why she uses a face mask, one can only guess, reasons goes from "I didn't put any makeup" to "I have a cold, don't want to pass it to you", and there's also the current global 'situation' as well.
To those who are wondering why they have no fruits. Although fruits are expensive compared to other countries, many still have at home! They didn’t show in the video because most are kept in the room temperature to ripe further! Especially Japan eats citrus a lot (Mikan, Iyokan, Dekopon… many native varieties) and these are usually kept outside! Citrus fruits aren’t any more expensive here, especially normal oranges or mikan(satsuma). And if you watch anime, you can see how often these fruits show up!
"Japan's a sad cheese country" Truer words have never been spoken. After 4 and a half years in Japan, I long for some sharp cheddar (preferably Tillamook brand) and crave it daily.
I found the breakdown of the sweet, neutral, and spicy parts of the daikon fascinating! Really enjoyed this video showcasing the different ingredients in the fridges!
From my german perspective the japanese package sizes seem pretty normal. 4L of milk or 1L jam would just go bad. And I think it has something to do with the fact that stores in Japan or Germany aren’t as far away from homes as in North America.
Yes, grocery stores are very convenient to get to in Japan, most are within walking distance or at the very least a bike ride away, even in the rural areas.
Or maybe just because in America we eat more frequently, and eat larger portions, and some of us have no problems with throwing food away if it gets bad...and just buying more. More in America is always better.
Jams and jellys last a really long time in my experience, even left in the fridge for months, I've never had one go bad or change flavour so it's not such an issue to buy a bigger one.
@@harvestmoon_autumnsky I get the impression that in the US it's common for people to only grocery shop once a fortnight/month, especially if you don't live in the city. In Japan it's common for people to do small grocery trips maybe 2 to 3 times a week. Most people take the train, and walk home from there, and you always pass a grocery store on the way home, so it's much more convenient. I was shocked when a friend in US told me her grocery store was almost a 30min drive away 😳
I live in Southern California and frequently visit Japanese grocery stores in the city of Torrance. Very informative to know what is cooked/served in Japanese homes.
This is so interesting and well explained! One thing I especially find surprising is that there are more common points between my Italian/European fridge and a Japanese one rather than a western/american one. A lot of vegetables but most of all small sizes, 1L milk, small jam packages, small everything. The main difference is probably that we use tons of dairy products and especially cheese (ricotta is the cheapest!), I would happily live of only asian food except that I couldn't giva up cheese.
@@lilkitten545 That's right! I eat tons of vegetables, I'd be broke in a week, I'd have to sell my house to afford my usual watermelon consume in the summer. Not to mention that everything is wrapped in plastic and seeing it drives me crazy.
Those types of videos are my favorites of yours ! It is so interesting to see small snapshots of everyday’s Japanese life. I love when a family guest is present too, because you can confront the point of view of someone who is native and yours. Please make a hundred more ! 😁
I'm always amazed at how many different "creamy" salad dressing they use around the world. Here in Italy, our typical salad dressing is only extravirgin olive oil, salt and vinegar/freshly squeezed lemon juice. We want to taste the fresh vegetables! Apart from the soy products and seaweeds, I find that a Japanese fridge is very similar to my Italian fridge. Even the size of milk, butter, jam... are exactly like those in the video. Obviously, in Italy we have an insane number of differt kind of cheese, so it's almost impossible to find a fridge without some of it (just to say: in my fridge, right now, I have fresh and aged ricotta, Parmigiano and Pecorino romano in blocks, four different kind of short/medium-aged cheeses and a couple of fresh ones...) I'm looking forward to see what pantry staples are in Japanese households.
Same in India. We do NOT use so-called salad dressings. Ours is very simple. We don't even use oil. Just salt, some sugar if they like, and lemon juice (Vinegar can be really acidic and have a strong smell. Also not our cuisine). We also have spice mixes we make for raw salads which we love. Indians use spices like Jeera, kashmiri chilli and a lot of other stuff in salads. It's for health reasons. Oil can make the salads greasy, also we eat salad for health. So if oil is added to it..nah. But yeah olive oil is healthy ^^ But Indians don't prefer it as it's not to our taste mostly. In India, we have milk in packets or bottles mostly, not tetra packs. Those are crazy expensive. Milk is supplied to us by govt. Butter we make at home mostly. It's easy and most Indians do it. We also make curd (Yogurt) and buttermilk and home. Our Indian cheese, cottage cheese, is also made at home. We only buy butter outside if we are making lots of sweets or savories. So during festival time, we buy them. Amul dairy products are a fav of India ^^ I know Italians love to cook only with fresh ingredients and keep things simple. Very much like India, fresh food, but yes our cooking involves a lot of labor since lots of methods and spices are involved.
Here in Spain as a Mediterranean country, we use almost the same salad dressings as you do in Italy, extra virgen olive oil, vinegar and salt, although not lemon juice. We also eat lots of cheese, fresh cheese but also many kinds of cured cheese, almost every region in our country has its own typical cheese. I don't like anything spicy, so I'm not sure Japanese food is for me.
@@Raquel_Tejera Japanese food is not spicy if that's your primary reason for avoiding it. Even the chili and garlic oil that was shown in the video isn't spicy at all, it's more of a sweet and garlic flavor. Now the cheese is defiantly lacking here in Japan, as a recent immigrant to Japan, I'm already missing the cheese selection from back home.
@@missplainjane3905 1) Generally speaking Japan is developed and advanced as any other modern developed country. Japan being an advance technological country is a myth, in some ways they are behind other countries. A prime example would be the infamous reliance on fax machines to do business. 2) I'm not going to a number on any of these things, is Japan a perfect country definitely not, is it a country I'm happy to now call my home? Yes! Culturally I like how the Japanese hold on to the traditions of the past, while still living a modern life. The unique technology that is common in Japan that I really enjoy is their convenience technology. For example, heated toilet seats with bidets, self-filling bathtubs, video doorbells, heated bathroom mirrors that remove the fog after a shower, and wireless remotes for ceiling light fixtures. I love the traditional architecture here in Japan. At least once a week I take a trip to a local temple or shire so I can admire the architecture and take pictures. Modern buildings in Japan are just boring and plain, at least it is to me. Japanese food is amazing in my opinion, I'm constantly looking for new things to try. There is a lot of unique food to try in each city and prefecture. There are lots of local products to choose from here. Japanese take a lot of pride in locally produced products. Each area is famous for a certain product, for example, the area I live in is famous for persimmons. Living in a rural area in Japan has its perks since the local scenery/landscape is beautiful. Outside of the cities, Japan has lots of wide-open spaces and beautiful mountain views. The Standard of living I would say is on par with any other developed country. Good health care, easy access to reasonably priced food, good-paying jobs, and a good education system. One thing that stands out about Japan, is how safe you feel everywhere you go, be it a big city or out in the middle of nowhere, you'll always feel safe. 3) My experience with the Japanese people, is that they are very welcoming people, kind, and respectful to others around them. 4) Modern, Traditional, and Convenient
@@missplainjane3905 Anime is a popular form of entertainment, but most enjoy it like someone in the USA would enjoy their favorite TV show. Just watch it and move on with their day. Those who do cosplay and other over the top activities are in the minority.
When I hear English teachers over here complain about food being ‘expensive’ in Japan, I always laugh. Their problem is…not enough soy products! If you try to recreate the fridge that you remember from your home country, then expect to pay for that luxury. But if you just buy what the locals buy at the supermarket, then food is really reasonable here. (Especially if you live in a rural area like me. I get have of my veggies free or cheap from the local farmers.) Great content, as usual Greg! 🍻
@@LybertyZ So do I and I live in the middle of Osaka. We're always swapping veggies with our neighbors and whenever they go to a pick up farm out in the country they gift us a box full.
I always bring some condiments and candies from my trips to JP, but eat as much as I can while there. I don't think Japanese grocery is any more expensive than the US, except fruits. Admittedly, Japanese products have a lot of packaging, so they are deceptively larger than the actual net weight. With the pandemic and Bidenomics, inflation is out of control in the US, so I think Japan may be cheaper than the US now.
3:15 *Kewpie* Mayo is so popular here in the East Coast cities that many Target stores carry it along with S&B Golden Curry roux and snacks like Glico's Pocky and Morinaga Hi-Chew. It's cheaper than the prices found in Japanese grocery stores in NYC or North Jersey.
I am Canadian and watch a lot of Japanese and Korean vlogs. Totally agree about the cheese and bacon. I would miss real cheese and proper bacon if I lived there. Oh and bread. I love good hearty bread made with whole grains and seeds etc and it seems the bread is all white and fluffy.
Japan loves bread and has a huge variety, though, at your average grocery store, it's your typical fluffy white bread. Bakeries are very common in Japan and all over the place, even in rural areas. So finding fancier bread is easy, just don't expect much from the local grocery store.
Seijo Ishii actually has a decent "real", Japan made bacon. A little pricey, but tasty! OK Market usually has fresh, Hokkaido made mozzarella at a very fair price and good quality. You can also find Imported Blocks of Italian Parmesan at Kaldi. It's cheaper at OK if you can find it! There's also a couple cheese specialty shops, I think in Atre Kichijoji, and in Kagurazaka; although quite expensive!
What a great topic! One of the things I love so much about food is how much of a window into culture it is, and I think this especially shows some of the ordinary, everyday stuff that I think is sometimes transmitted a lot less. I know you're in Japan, but this is def a topic I'd love to see for as many countries as possible, it's such a fascinating window into the ordinary everyday things that get taken for granted. Thanks so much!
This was really interesting content! I wonder if you could do a part 2 about how Japanese people organize their kitchen tools, spices and whatnot. I heard Japanese households don't really have big kitchens so I wonder how it all fits.
This was very cool to see it gives you insight about other peoples lives and fresh produce. I think this was really awesome thank you for posting this video!
Great video as always :) I live in Tokyo, and just like many, milk, yoghurt and miso seems to be a staple. One thing though, my Japanese wife also LOVES stocking up on Kayanoya Dashi (茅乃舎出汁) in the fridge. From chicken, vegetable, to Katsuo Dashi, the meals she makes become so flavorful and full of umami 😮💨
Greg, Since I found you I have been binge watching your videos. I want to visit Japan some day (one of two countries I want to spend some time in) and have been looking for videos on Japan and yours is probably the best I have found. As a fellow Canadian, I appreciate your hard work.
During the summer. I do like to make what is referred to as sun tea, which is tea that is steeped in a 2 gallon glass jar and left to sit out in the sun for a few hours, and then mixed with sugar and stored in the fridge.
When I was in Japan, my friend took out the butter and started subbing it into the toast - I thought that was genius. Great coverage on the toast, no need for a butter knife and washing later. Brilliant.
Its always interesting to see how much of the Japanese diet revolves around vegetables, soy products, rice, small amount of protein, and tea. As a fruit, protein and dairy lover, I dont know how happy id be on a Japanese diet, though its certainly a lot healthier.
Sauce type items, catsup, mayo, salid dressings and such are really popular in Japan - I was amazed at how many different ones I saw in Osaka, I was used to catsup, mustard and mayo but they have so many more and I liked most of them. was surprised at no pickled ginger.
This episode is very helpful to me. My family likes Japanese dishes, but since I can't read Japanese, I don't know what products to buy when going to Japanese grocery stores. This video taught me what's what in Japanese fridges. 👍
If you like to cook Japanese food for your family, I suggest you a cooking channel "Imamu room" , she is a Japanese housewife living in Canada, her "husband bento" series are very fun to watch!
Greg, these are my favorite types of videos you make. I love seeing little snapshots into the daily lives of typical Japanese people. Hugs to your family!
I have been watching your excellent channel for some time now, but this video was especially fun for me because I started learning Japanese a while ago and I could actually read some of the words and understand parts of what was said - yeah!!! It made me very happy!!!
The information was very helpful as I always get confused with the soy sauce varieties and the condiment sauces. The Daikon info was especially helpful as I have been a bit intimidated with how to cook it. Cooking Utensils, various cooking methods and dishware would be my suggestion for new videos. Really enjoyed this video!
Videos like this make me realize another struggle my mother had when she came to the US in the 60s. There was no familiar food! Probably explains why I didn’t have a cheeseburger until I was in college!
Wait, I'm confused. Your Mom had no familiar foods, from wherever she was from (but somehow did cook something else) because you never had a cheeseburger until you were in college? I come from the opposite food situation. I have family that ate plain old-style American foods - and meat - but I never liked them - so my food journey (30 years ago) was quite different. Again, I'm just trying to make sure I understood what you meant.
@@suzannes5888 My mom came from Japan. She didn’t know how to make the plain old American food everyone here is familiar with. Knew nothing about our spices, sauces, etc. Plain canned beans from a can heated in a sauce pan, plain meat fried on the stovetop. Very bland! Was not encouraged to cook in a manner she was used to and didn’t for over 25 years. Very sad how she was basically required to assimilate. Dr told her not to teach me Japanese. I basically was raised knowing none of my heritage.
@@banshee1133 It was the early ‘60s and my parents’ marriage was considered a mixed marriage in a mainly white area. Basically, she was encouraged not to be Japanese. She wouldn’t even talk to us about Japan and growing up until she was in her 70 s. I learn alot from Greg’s videos!
@@amyexo That's very sad. I think, though, that it's a common story for immigrants to the U.S. They either want to assimilate, or are encouraged to do so to "fit in." Then their children, who are more confident about fitting in, feel more free to explore the culture their parents left behind.
Absolutely fascinating; I love all of the different aspects of Japanese culture that you explore, but the foodie stuff is my favourite, probably because I'm food obsessed. Your presentation of ingredients by category was a great idea. I think that as a Canadian, you'd probably like British bacon, we have back bacon, streaky bacon, and middle bacon. Our bacon isn't like American bacon. You probably knew all of this already though. Thank you :)
Always have umeboshi, sesame oil, shirataki noodles, pickled veg like cucumber or eggplant sometimes sweet takwan, red pickled ginger for yakisoba or curry. I try to keep kamaboko stocked up for udon, ramen or a hot pot.
I love these videos about every day Japanese life. Its what I was always super curious about as a kid when watching anime or reading manga. Thank you for making!
Thank you so much for this video!! This helps me so much in my research of japanese food's basic ingredients... This video is so organize, neat and clean!! Thank youuuu!
I so enjoyed this! In my part of Southwestern Michigan, there is an Asian grocery store in Kalamazoo. Now I can shop there with more confidence to find different sauces and fresh ingredients. Thank you so much!
So interesting, Greg! In terms of categories of things, the only thing that is different is that North Americans and Europeans probably have fruit in their fridges.
Yeah exactly, European here and I always have more fruits and berries in my fridge. When I lived in Japan too, I ate a lot of fruit as well, but it was a bit difficult sometimes to find fruit that wasn't crazy expensive. But mikans (oranges?) were always at a good price at least!
@@etherdog And as someone who lives here, although fruits are expensive compared to other countries, many still have at home! They didn’t show in the video because most are kept in the room temperature to ripe further! Especially Japan eats citrus a lot (Mikan, Iyokan, Dekopon… many native varieties) and these are usually kept outside!
Thank you! This is the perfect reference guide for Japanese kitchen grocery items. This will embolden me to find and bring back that yummy sesame dressing on my next trip to JP. And those Japanese curry packs...
Depending on where you are located you can find that sesame dressing (even the same brand as the big bottle he held up) in most Asian food stores. At least I was able to find it with no problems while living in the USA and Canada. Also, the curry packs are easy to find in Asian stores.
@@xizor925 Not the same in many cases.. Many products are made outside of Japan, or reformulated to match US standards/rules. You are just getting fooled :)
@@_w_w_ That's true in some cases. My general rule to know if it was imported or reformulated is the label. If the label is 100% in the native language but has a sticker on the back with the ingredients and nutrition facts translated into English then it is probably the original from that country. If the label is 100% in English or in multiple languages, there's a high probability that it's been reformulated for foreign markets. The Sesame dressing I'm referring to I always found with a Japanese label with the sticker on the back. So it's safe to assume it's the same stuff found in Japan. It was even the same style bottle that I find here in Japan.
AFAIK - my Japanese spouse makes sure our refrigerator is like those you shared. We’ve 4 Japanese supers freeway close in Los Angeles - Mitsuwa, Nijiya, Mirukai, & Seiwa Market. Wifey is very big on organic foods.
This has been so helpful , I now have a better understanding of the ingredients that make Japanese dishes so delicious. Perhaps I can now go and find the essentials sauces here in the Uk to make a Ramen successfully;)
Check out the channel Way of Ramen. Steven makes great varieties of ramen, and he's got a bunch of beginner-friendly videos for making ramen at home, even with Western supermarket ingredients.
Oh I LOVED this!!! I LOVE learning new food and I am currently hooked on Japanese foods, and I have just scratched the surface. So this was quite eye opening.... :D I can't believe there is no Ricotta cheese in Japan... it's just warm whole milk with a bit lemon juice (or rennet) - it VERY easy to make at home, so I'm VERY SURPRISED it's rare and expensive there.... You should REALLY look into how to make and it will blow your mind why you haven't done it before. Yes there are certain skills that make each brand unique, but you'll see it's easy. ALSO, I didn't think that Japan didn't have much cheese, I knew that most Asian Nations just have 'processed cheese product' but I figured Japan would be the ONE Asian nation that would have a large cheese market. But it's probably available in specialty shops, with a steep price. Thank you for everything you do on you channel. I have learn SO MUCH about Japan from you and I hope to learn A WHOLE LOT MORE!!! :D
You're right you can find most different kinds of cheese in Japan, but usually only in specialty stores and at a steep price. In the average grocery store in Japan, you can only find the cheese shown in the video. Ricotta is hard to find, but I think it's probably because most Japanese have no idea what to do with it.
there is a great Korean/Japanese supermarket in Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada now where you can find most if not all of these ingredients. i really enjoy this channel, thank you so much.
You can make your own ricotta by putting 2l of milk to a boil (stir it constantly) and adding the juice of one lemon once it is off heat. Wait a while, and they parts will separate. strain this and through a cheese cloth until you have a good consistency. For a very thick type, place the cheese cloth in a sieve over a bowl and whey it down overnight. Many cheeses from paneer to mascarpone (but using cream) can be made similarly. You can use the whey (liquid) to soak grains or to cook pasta, and it will make it more nutritious. You can also use it in baking in place of water if what you are baking has a very strong flavour. I know it has been a yea, but I hope anyone who is cheeseless can discover this.
Wonderful 😄 always wonder what's in the fridge 😊 nice info n the usage of the products. I get blur when I see so many types of soya sauce n paste. 👍 great job, Greg San, hope to see more bcos home cook is the best n safest during this pandemic. Arigatou gozaimasu 😊
This was so interesting! I knew a lot, but I also learned a lot! I enjoyed seeing so many example dishes and methods demonstrated-seems like so much work, but so interesting!!!
This was very informative. I now have a better idea of what the different soy sauces and pork slices are used for. I moved to Japan about 6 months ago. I have a lot of this in my fridge--including the natto! By some luck, my local grocery store has some decent cheeses, so I always have blue cheese, brie, and cheddar in my fridge.
So interesting video. I love to know about everyday life in Japan. I wanted to learn about japanese dishes for long time, but haven't found any "only vegetarian" channel with easy recipes
I've noticed in Japan that there is a lot of plastic packaging....would be interesting for you to do a video on the efficiency/effectiveness of Japan's recycling program
@@btsarmyforever3816 Japan recycles over 80% of its plastic and over half of that is thermal recycling aka burning. Something like 1/7 is shipped out to other countries. Countries that may not have as good a recycling program as Japan. With all that Japan is also the world's 2nd largest producers of single use plastics, (USA is 1). A lot of that is useless plastic packaging that is produced and then burned.
@@adorabell4253 I don't anything about Japan's recycling programs after it's collected, but Japan does a great job when it comes to adherence to recycling programs on the consumer side of things. The USA may produce more single-use plastics overall since it's a larger country with a bigger population, but Japan is far worse with single-use plastics, they individually wrap everything here, even fruits and veggies are wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. So that is an area that japan defiantly needs to improve on.
Was that your sister-in-law? I have seen her on previous videos and she is great on camera. I enjoyed the video and love learning about the differences in the cultures. Thanks for this.
Sorry for the long delay in videos!
Thank you for another interesting video. Hope all is well:)
Glad to see youre doing well and happy to see videos come out no matter how “delayed” stay well from NY!
Why is your wife wearing mask? Some kind of weird s&m thing?
No worries! Your videos are always worth the wait
@@carlodboyer His wife doesn't like the camera, the one in the video is his sister in law I think, as for why she uses a face mask, one can only guess, reasons goes from "I didn't put any makeup" to "I have a cold, don't want to pass it to you", and there's also the current global 'situation' as well.
To those who are wondering why they have no fruits. Although fruits are expensive compared to other countries, many still have at home! They didn’t show in the video because most are kept in the room temperature to ripe further! Especially Japan eats citrus a lot (Mikan, Iyokan, Dekopon… many native varieties) and these are usually kept outside! Citrus fruits aren’t any more expensive here, especially normal oranges or mikan(satsuma). And if you watch anime, you can see how often these fruits show up!
"Japan's a sad cheese country" Truer words have never been spoken. After 4 and a half years in Japan, I long for some sharp cheddar (preferably Tillamook brand) and crave it daily.
I found the breakdown of the sweet, neutral, and spicy parts of the daikon fascinating! Really enjoyed this video showcasing the different ingredients in the fridges!
Same! I never realised that about daikon. I feel inspired to buy some and try cooking with it, now.
I was surprised too! Went out and got some, can confirm.
I grew some and they were hot as radishes. Now I know. They grow super easily too FYI.
From my german perspective the japanese package sizes seem pretty normal. 4L of milk or 1L jam would just go bad. And I think it has something to do with the fact that stores in Japan or Germany aren’t as far away from homes as in North America.
Yes, grocery stores are very convenient to get to in Japan, most are within walking distance or at the very least a bike ride away, even in the rural areas.
Or maybe just because in America we eat more frequently, and eat larger portions, and some of us have no problems with throwing food away if it gets bad...and just buying more. More in America is always better.
Fridges are smaller too.
Jams and jellys last a really long time in my experience, even left in the fridge for months, I've never had one go bad or change flavour so it's not such an issue to buy a bigger one.
@@harvestmoon_autumnsky I get the impression that in the US it's common for people to only grocery shop once a fortnight/month, especially if you don't live in the city. In Japan it's common for people to do small grocery trips maybe 2 to 3 times a week. Most people take the train, and walk home from there, and you always pass a grocery store on the way home, so it's much more convenient. I was shocked when a friend in US told me her grocery store was almost a 30min drive away 😳
I live in Southern California and frequently visit Japanese grocery stores in the city of Torrance. Very informative to know what is cooked/served in Japanese homes.
Cool! Torrance native here!
I'm learning Japanese right now and I really appreciate the speed at which Akko speaks and how well she enunciates!
Videos with Akko are always charged with positive vibes, i love it! Good video, good perspective onto japanese everyday life!
わかりやすいように、沢山の食材の用意と映像が入っていて素晴らしいと思います。海外の方はまだまだ日本人は毎日寿司を食べてると思ってるのかな？(笑)
リアルな日本の生活の紹介ありがとう！！✨👏☺️
Fun video. Just ordered some barley tea bags. Never knew about it before watching this.
Please do more families refrigerator, and pantry videos! Your guest explained her items very good!
This is so interesting and well explained! One thing I especially find surprising is that there are more common points between my Italian/European fridge and a Japanese one rather than a western/american one. A lot of vegetables but most of all small sizes, 1L milk, small jam packages, small everything. The main difference is probably that we use tons of dairy products and especially cheese (ricotta is the cheapest!), I would happily live of only asian food except that I couldn't giva up cheese.
Maria, look at bird bath
Me too. Currently I have four different kinds of cheese in my fridge. Can't possibly live without them. I'm Asian, by the way.
@@bchompoo You even beat me, I only have parmigiano, provola and cream cheese at the moment!
Cheese and fruit are all expensive in Japan which are 2 things I can't really go without haha
@@lilkitten545 That's right! I eat tons of vegetables, I'd be broke in a week, I'd have to sell my house to afford my usual watermelon consume in the summer. Not to mention that everything is wrapped in plastic and seeing it drives me crazy.
Never a flop with this channel
Japanese supermarkets is such a playground for me. There's always something new to try. 🥰
Those types of videos are my favorites of yours ! It is so interesting to see small snapshots of everyday’s Japanese life. I love when a family guest is present too, because you can confront the point of view of someone who is native and yours. Please make a hundred more ! 😁
I'm always amazed at how many different "creamy" salad dressing they use around the world. Here in Italy, our typical salad dressing is only extravirgin olive oil, salt and vinegar/freshly squeezed lemon juice. We want to taste the fresh vegetables!
Apart from the soy products and seaweeds, I find that a Japanese fridge is very similar to my Italian fridge. Even the size of milk, butter, jam... are exactly like those in the video.
Obviously, in Italy we have an insane number of differt kind of cheese, so it's almost impossible to find a fridge without some of it (just to say: in my fridge, right now, I have fresh and aged ricotta, Parmigiano and Pecorino romano in blocks, four different kind of short/medium-aged cheeses and a couple of fresh ones...)
I'm looking forward to see what pantry staples are in Japanese households.
Same in India. We do NOT use so-called salad dressings. Ours is very simple. We don't even use oil. Just salt, some sugar if they like, and lemon juice (Vinegar can be really acidic and have a strong smell. Also not our cuisine). We also have spice mixes we make for raw salads which we love. Indians use spices like Jeera, kashmiri chilli and a lot of other stuff in salads. It's for health reasons. Oil can make the salads greasy, also we eat salad for health. So if oil is added to it..nah. But yeah olive oil is healthy ^^ But Indians don't prefer it as it's not to our taste mostly. In India, we have milk in packets or bottles mostly, not tetra packs. Those are crazy expensive. Milk is supplied to us by govt. Butter we make at home mostly. It's easy and most Indians do it. We also make curd (Yogurt) and buttermilk and home. Our Indian cheese, cottage cheese, is also made at home. We only buy butter outside if we are making lots of sweets or savories. So during festival time, we buy them. Amul dairy products are a fav of India ^^ I know Italians love to cook only with fresh ingredients and keep things simple. Very much like India, fresh food, but yes our cooking involves a lot of labor since lots of methods and spices are involved.
Here in Spain as a Mediterranean country, we use almost the same salad dressings as you do in Italy, extra virgen olive oil, vinegar and salt, although not lemon juice. We also eat lots of cheese, fresh cheese but also many kinds of cured cheese, almost every region in our country has its own typical cheese.
I don't like anything spicy, so I'm not sure Japanese food is for me.
@@Raquel_Tejera Japanese food is not spicy if that's your primary reason for avoiding it. Even the chili and garlic oil that was shown in the video isn't spicy at all, it's more of a sweet and garlic flavor. Now the cheese is defiantly lacking here in Japan, as a recent immigrant to Japan, I'm already missing the cheese selection from back home.
@@missplainjane3905
1) Generally speaking Japan is developed and advanced as any other modern developed country. Japan being an advance technological country is a myth, in some ways they are behind other countries. A prime example would be the infamous reliance on fax machines to do business.
2) I'm not going to a number on any of these things, is Japan a perfect country definitely not, is it a country I'm happy to now call my home? Yes!
Culturally I like how the Japanese hold on to the traditions of the past, while still living a modern life.
The unique technology that is common in Japan that I really enjoy is their convenience technology. For example, heated toilet seats with bidets, self-filling bathtubs, video doorbells, heated bathroom mirrors that remove the fog after a shower, and wireless remotes for ceiling light fixtures.
I love the traditional architecture here in Japan. At least once a week I take a trip to a local temple or shire so I can admire the architecture and take pictures. Modern buildings in Japan are just boring and plain, at least it is to me.
Japanese food is amazing in my opinion, I'm constantly looking for new things to try. There is a lot of unique food to try in each city and prefecture.
There are lots of local products to choose from here. Japanese take a lot of pride in locally produced products. Each area is famous for a certain product, for example, the area I live in is famous for persimmons.
Living in a rural area in Japan has its perks since the local scenery/landscape is beautiful. Outside of the cities, Japan has lots of wide-open spaces and beautiful mountain views.
The Standard of living I would say is on par with any other developed country. Good health care, easy access to reasonably priced food, good-paying jobs, and a good education system. One thing that stands out about Japan, is how safe you feel everywhere you go, be it a big city or out in the middle of nowhere, you'll always feel safe.
3) My experience with the Japanese people, is that they are very welcoming people, kind, and respectful to others around them.
4) Modern, Traditional, and Convenient
@@missplainjane3905 Anime is a popular form of entertainment, but most enjoy it like someone in the USA would enjoy their favorite TV show. Just watch it and move on with their day. Those who do cosplay and other over the top activities are in the minority.
When I hear English teachers over here complain about food being ‘expensive’ in Japan, I always laugh. Their problem is…not enough soy products! If you try to recreate the fridge that you remember from your home country, then expect to pay for that luxury. But if you just buy what the locals buy at the supermarket, then food is really reasonable here. (Especially if you live in a rural area like me. I get have of my veggies free or cheap from the local farmers.)
Great content, as usual Greg! 🍻
You're a gaijin and you get *HALF of your veggies free??
@@LybertyZ I should be holding out for a better deal..?
@@LybertyZ So do I and I live in the middle of Osaka. We're always swapping veggies with our neighbors and whenever they go to a pick up farm out in the country they gift us a box full.
@@BanBanChi Nice!
I always bring some condiments and candies from my trips to JP, but eat as much as I can while there. I don't think Japanese grocery is any more expensive than the US, except fruits. Admittedly, Japanese products have a lot of packaging, so they are deceptively larger than the actual net weight. With the pandemic and Bidenomics, inflation is out of control in the US, so I think Japan may be cheaper than the US now.
*_Your English level is very good and its easy to understand your videos !!!_*
3:15 *Kewpie* Mayo is so popular here in the East Coast cities that many Target stores carry it along with S&B Golden Curry roux and snacks like Glico's Pocky and Morinaga Hi-Chew. It's cheaper than the prices found in Japanese grocery stores in NYC or North Jersey.
I am Canadian and watch a lot of Japanese and Korean vlogs. Totally agree about the cheese and bacon. I would miss real cheese and proper bacon if I lived there. Oh and bread. I love good hearty bread made with whole grains and seeds etc and it seems the bread is all white and fluffy.
Not at all! I suggest you watch the Begin Japanology video on bread in Japan. Crazy diff types of breads! They even have bread made from rice.
@@btsarmyforever3816 I will check it out!
Japan loves bread and has a huge variety, though, at your average grocery store, it's your typical fluffy white bread. Bakeries are very common in Japan and all over the place, even in rural areas. So finding fancier bread is easy, just don't expect much from the local grocery store.
Seijo Ishii actually has a decent "real", Japan made bacon. A little pricey, but tasty!
OK Market usually has fresh, Hokkaido made mozzarella at a very fair price and good quality.
You can also find Imported Blocks of Italian Parmesan at Kaldi. It's cheaper at OK if you can find it!
There's also a couple cheese specialty shops, I think in Atre Kichijoji, and in Kagurazaka; although quite expensive!
Thanks for these tips!
What a great topic! One of the things I love so much about food is how much of a window into culture it is, and I think this especially shows some of the ordinary, everyday stuff that I think is sometimes transmitted a lot less. I know you're in Japan, but this is def a topic I'd love to see for as many countries as possible, it's such a fascinating window into the ordinary everyday things that get taken for granted. Thanks so much!
This was really interesting content! I wonder if you could do a part 2 about how Japanese people organize their kitchen tools, spices and whatnot. I heard Japanese households don't really have big kitchens so I wonder how it all fits.
You're right it's getting easier to access Japanese ingredients - I live in eastern Canada and just yesterday found Kewpie mayo ... in Walmart!
This was very cool to see it gives you insight about other peoples lives and fresh produce. I think this was really awesome thank you for posting this video!
すみません、動画をしばらくは観なかったんですけど、グレッグさんの日本語が急激に上達していて驚きました😲
Great video as always :) I live in Tokyo, and just like many, milk, yoghurt and miso seems to be a staple. One thing though, my Japanese wife also LOVES stocking up on Kayanoya Dashi (茅乃舎出汁) in the fridge. From chicken, vegetable, to Katsuo Dashi, the meals she makes become so flavorful and full of umami 😮💨
I'm a professional chef and I'm always super curios to know which things people have in their fridges so thanks!!
I was very excited when this came up in my TH-cam feed, looking forward to the additional videos
Greg, Since I found you I have been binge watching your videos. I want to visit Japan some day (one of two countries I want to spend some time in) and have been looking for videos on Japan and yours is probably the best I have found. As a fellow Canadian, I appreciate your hard work.
She’s teaching me a lot lol I had no idea that a daikon had different levels in taste. I’m just amazed!
During the summer. I do like to make what is referred to as sun tea, which is tea that is steeped in a 2 gallon glass jar and left to sit out in the sun for a few hours, and then mixed with sugar and stored in the fridge.
Please keep making wholesome educational videos! I love your videos!
When I was in Japan, my friend took out the butter and started subbing it into the toast - I thought that was genius. Great coverage on the toast, no need for a butter knife and washing later. Brilliant.
I love these detailed videos of interesting information that you wouldn't just easily search up!
Its always interesting to see how much of the Japanese diet revolves around vegetables, soy products, rice, small amount of protein, and tea. As a fruit, protein and dairy lover, I dont know how happy id be on a Japanese diet, though its certainly a lot healthier.
Sauce type items, catsup, mayo, salid dressings and such are really popular in Japan - I was amazed at how many different ones I saw in Osaka, I was used to catsup, mustard and mayo but they have so many more and I liked most of them. was surprised at no pickled ginger.
This episode is very helpful to me. My family likes Japanese dishes, but since I can't read Japanese, I don't know what products to buy when going to Japanese grocery stores. This video taught me what's what in Japanese fridges. 👍
If you like to cook Japanese food for your family, I suggest you a cooking channel "Imamu room" , she is a Japanese housewife living in Canada, her "husband bento" series are very fun to watch!
@@yvonneyang5145 Thanks for the suggestion!
Greg, these are my favorite types of videos you make. I love seeing little snapshots into the daily lives of typical Japanese people. Hugs to your family!
I have been watching your excellent channel for some time now, but this video was especially fun for me because I started learning Japanese a while ago and I could actually read some of the words and understand parts of what was said - yeah!!! It made me very happy!!!
3:27 I want that kewpie holder/stand, so cool!
Interesting, as always! I like how you also include ways the ingredients are generally used, it adds a little extra interest to the video 🙂
Akko has so much energy and enthusiasm every video!
Thank you so much for this video Greg! It helps a lot for foreigners living in Japan like me!
The information was very helpful as I always get confused with the soy sauce varieties and the condiment sauces. The Daikon info was especially helpful as I have been a bit intimidated with how to cook it. Cooking Utensils, various cooking methods and dishware would be my suggestion for new videos. Really enjoyed this video!
This video was super interesting Greg! Thanks so much for making these, Japan has so much delicious ingredients
Videos like this make me realize another struggle my mother had when she came to the US in the 60s. There was no familiar food! Probably explains why I didn’t have a cheeseburger until I was in college!
Wait, I'm confused. Your Mom had no familiar foods, from wherever she was from (but somehow did cook something else) because you never had a cheeseburger until you were in college?
I come from the opposite food situation. I have family that ate plain old-style American foods - and meat - but I never liked them - so my food journey (30 years ago) was quite different. Again, I'm just trying to make sure I understood what you meant.
@@suzannes5888 My mom came from Japan. She didn’t know how to make the plain old American food everyone here is familiar with. Knew nothing about our spices, sauces, etc. Plain canned beans from a can heated in a sauce pan, plain meat fried on the stovetop. Very bland! Was not encouraged to cook in a manner she was used to and didn’t for over 25 years. Very sad how she was basically required to assimilate. Dr told her not to teach me Japanese. I basically was raised knowing none of my heritage.
@@amyexo why was she told not to teach you japanese?
@@banshee1133 It was the early ‘60s and my parents’ marriage was considered a mixed marriage in a mainly white area. Basically, she was encouraged not to be Japanese. She wouldn’t even talk to us about Japan and growing up until she was in her 70 s. I learn alot from Greg’s videos!
@@amyexo That's very sad. I think, though, that it's a common story for immigrants to the U.S. They either want to assimilate, or are encouraged to do so to "fit in." Then their children, who are more confident about fitting in, feel more free to explore the culture their parents left behind.
Thank you so much for this!! Japanese fridges have been a mystery to me for a long time :)
Absolutely fascinating; I love all of the different aspects of Japanese culture that you explore, but the foodie stuff is my favourite, probably because I'm food obsessed.
Your presentation of ingredients by category was a great idea.
I think that as a Canadian, you'd probably like British bacon, we have back bacon, streaky bacon, and middle bacon. Our bacon isn't like American bacon. You probably knew all of this already though.
Thank you :)
Really enjoy this "series" of videos. Keep up the good work Greg
This is a fantastic video. Looking forward to your upcoming videos of these series like cupboard, freezer etc.
Always have umeboshi, sesame oil, shirataki noodles, pickled veg like cucumber or eggplant sometimes sweet takwan, red pickled ginger for yakisoba or curry. I try to keep kamaboko stocked up for udon, ramen or a hot pot.
Greg San! Your Japanese has improved considerably! Hats off to you and your teacher!
Interesting subject and I love the format with one person speaking japanese
I love these videos about every day Japanese life. Its what I was always super curious about as a kid when watching anime or reading manga. Thank you for making!
very informative! I've discovered new ingredients from watching @nami vlogs. It was great to recognize them here
Akko san really good with presenting, hope she will appear frequently :)
Thank you so much for this video!! This helps me so much in my research of japanese food's basic ingredients... This video is so organize, neat and clean!! Thank youuuu!
I miss Japan. TY for this great inside look series. Looking forward to many more.
I so enjoyed this! In my part of Southwestern Michigan, there is an Asian grocery store in Kalamazoo. Now I can shop there with more confidence to find different sauces and fresh ingredients. Thank you so much!
Looking forward to finding out what the dry sprinkle that goes on rice is. I need to find some of that!
It’s furikake! Mostly dry bits of sesame, kelp, salmon, but there are many varieties with all kinds of flavor
So interesting, Greg! In terms of categories of things, the only thing that is different is that North Americans and Europeans probably have fruit in their fridges.
Yeah exactly, European here and I always have more fruits and berries in my fridge. When I lived in Japan too, I ate a lot of fruit as well, but it was a bit difficult sometimes to find fruit that wasn't crazy expensive. But mikans (oranges?) were always at a good price at least!
@@Narnendil Good point on the cost of fruit. If fruit is so expensive, I wonder how the diet of Japanese people can be healthy?
@@etherdog And as someone who lives here, although fruits are expensive compared to other countries, many still have at home! They didn’t show in the video because most are kept in the room temperature to ripe further! Especially Japan eats citrus a lot (Mikan, Iyokan, Dekopon… many native varieties) and these are usually kept outside!
In Japan, fruits aren't kept for long. If fruit are bought they are eaten the same day or by the next day.
Thank you so much for your videos, they’re so helpful
You always have such unique ideas and content!! Keep it up.
Thank you! This is the perfect reference guide for Japanese kitchen grocery items. This will embolden me to find and bring back that yummy sesame dressing on my next trip to JP. And those Japanese curry packs...
Depending on where you are located you can find that sesame dressing (even the same brand as the big bottle he held up) in most Asian food stores. At least I was able to find it with no problems while living in the USA and Canada. Also, the curry packs are easy to find in Asian stores.
@@xizor925 Not the same in many cases.. Many products are made outside of Japan, or reformulated to match US standards/rules. You are just getting fooled :)
@@_w_w_ That's true in some cases. My general rule to know if it was imported or reformulated is the label. If the label is 100% in the native language but has a sticker on the back with the ingredients and nutrition facts translated into English then it is probably the original from that country. If the label is 100% in English or in multiple languages, there's a high probability that it's been reformulated for foreign markets.
The Sesame dressing I'm referring to I always found with a Japanese label with the sticker on the back. So it's safe to assume it's the same stuff found in Japan. It was even the same style bottle that I find here in Japan.
This was an EXCELLENT video, and a very unique look into Japanese home life. Thank you so much for making it!
Great stuff ! Loved it - really instructive to a future chef of Japanese food .
AFAIK - my Japanese spouse makes sure our refrigerator is like those you shared. We’ve 4 Japanese supers freeway close in Los Angeles - Mitsuwa, Nijiya, Mirukai, & Seiwa Market. Wifey is very big on organic foods.
I'm in L.A., too. We love to go to Gardena to eat at traditional Japanese restaurants--like Kotohira.
It's so nice to hear you speaking more Japanese! Keep it up :)
I could watch these video's all day! Love your shirt, by the way. 😄
This has been so helpful , I now have a better understanding of the ingredients that make Japanese dishes so delicious. Perhaps I can now go and find the essentials sauces here in the Uk to make a Ramen successfully;)
Check out the channel Way of Ramen. Steven makes great varieties of ramen, and he's got a bunch of beginner-friendly videos for making ramen at home, even with Western supermarket ingredients.
@@ZainxIqbal thank you so much for the recommendation. :) it’s exactly what I need and have been trying to find ;)
This was such a great video Greg. I loved the explanations by Akko, only you could have made a grocery list into such an interesting video.
Who is Akko?
Oh I LOVED this!!! I LOVE learning new food and I am currently hooked on Japanese foods, and I have just scratched the surface. So this was quite eye opening.... :D
I can't believe there is no Ricotta cheese in Japan... it's just warm whole milk with a bit lemon juice (or rennet) - it VERY easy to make at home, so I'm VERY SURPRISED it's rare and expensive there.... You should REALLY look into how to make and it will blow your mind why you haven't done it before. Yes there are certain skills that make each brand unique, but you'll see it's easy.
ALSO, I didn't think that Japan didn't have much cheese, I knew that most Asian Nations just have 'processed cheese product' but I figured Japan would be the ONE Asian nation that would have a large cheese market. But it's probably available in specialty shops, with a steep price.
Thank you for everything you do on you channel. I have learn SO MUCH about Japan from you and I hope to learn A WHOLE LOT MORE!!! :D
You're right you can find most different kinds of cheese in Japan, but usually only in specialty stores and at a steep price. In the average grocery store in Japan, you can only find the cheese shown in the video. Ricotta is hard to find, but I think it's probably because most Japanese have no idea what to do with it.
yes, this is very educated and informative......now we know how to make japanese cooking at home....
I was worried when you started with condiments but I was glad to see vegetables and meat.
Was wondering about those mostly.
there is a great Korean/Japanese supermarket in Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada now where you can find most if not all of these ingredients. i really enjoy this channel, thank you so much.
Thank you soooo much for this video!!!
thanks Greg.. good work!!
Great video! I really enjoyed this one.
Great lessons, I didn't know that about daikon!
Really interesting video Greg, it's good to see Akko again! Thanks for the video ☺️
Your videos are so fun and informative!
I love yuzukosho. I discovered it at a tempura restaurant in Shinjuku. I use it for grilling meats in the summer and mix with mayonnaise for dipping.
You can make your own ricotta by putting 2l of milk to a boil (stir it constantly) and adding the juice of one lemon once it is off heat. Wait a while, and they parts will separate. strain this and through a cheese cloth until you have a good consistency. For a very thick type, place the cheese cloth in a sieve over a bowl and whey it down overnight.
Many cheeses from paneer to mascarpone (but using cream) can be made similarly.
You can use the whey (liquid) to soak grains or to cook pasta, and it will make it more nutritious. You can also use it in baking in place of water if what you are baking has a very strong flavour.
I know it has been a yea, but I hope anyone who is cheeseless can discover this.
This is really interesting thank you! Also I’m from New Zealand so nice to see NZ butter! 😊❤️
I lived in one for a few days.. it was pretty nice
Your videos are really nice and valuable, despite small scale.
Very interesting! Thanks for this!
Wonderful 😄 always wonder what's in the fridge 😊 nice info n the usage of the products. I get blur when I see so many types of soya sauce n paste. 👍 great job, Greg San, hope to see more bcos home cook is the best n safest during this pandemic. Arigatou gozaimasu 😊
Sad cheese country made me laugh!
Thanks for your video, I love seeing thedifferences and also so many similarities to what I have in my fridge now.
This was so interesting! I knew a lot, but I also learned a lot! I enjoyed seeing so many example dishes and methods demonstrated-seems like so much work, but so interesting!!!
This was very informative. I now have a better idea of what the different soy sauces and pork slices are used for. I moved to Japan about 6 months ago. I have a lot of this in my fridge--including the natto! By some luck, my local grocery store has some decent cheeses, so I always have blue cheese, brie, and cheddar in my fridge.
Thank you very much for making the video, very interesting :D
So interesting video. I love to know about everyday life in Japan.
I wanted to learn about japanese dishes for long time, but haven't found any "only vegetarian" channel with easy recipes
This is so interesting! Thank you.
We use daikon in bangladeshi cuisine too, it goes great in fish curries or lamb curry
I've noticed in Japan that there is a lot of plastic packaging....would be interesting for you to do a video on the efficiency/effectiveness of Japan's recycling program
They burn most of it.
They have an awesome recycling method. S.Korea has it too. It's why they use plastics freely.
@@adorabell4253 Wrong. If they did that so openly their air would be toxic.
@@btsarmyforever3816 Japan recycles over 80% of its plastic and over half of that is thermal recycling aka burning. Something like 1/7 is shipped out to other countries. Countries that may not have as good a recycling program as Japan.
With all that Japan is also the world's 2nd largest producers of single use plastics, (USA is 1). A lot of that is useless plastic packaging that is produced and then burned.
@@adorabell4253 I don't anything about Japan's recycling programs after it's collected, but Japan does a great job when it comes to adherence to recycling programs on the consumer side of things. The USA may produce more single-use plastics overall since it's a larger country with a bigger population, but Japan is far worse with single-use plastics, they individually wrap everything here, even fruits and veggies are wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. So that is an area that japan defiantly needs to improve on.
You’re so cute when you speak Japanese 🥰
Was that your sister-in-law? I have seen her on previous videos and she is great on camera. I enjoyed the video and love learning about the differences in the cultures. Thanks for this.
Yes it was!
I can find almost all of that at my No Frills. The rest is available at the local Chinese store. Living in Toronto has a lot of upsides.