Hiroko Shimbo

Zaru

Bamboo Baskets

Appears in
top 1000The Japanese Kitchen
The Japanese Kitchen

By Hiroko Shimbo

Published 2000

  • About
Steaming, simmering, and grilling techniques are dominant in the Japanese kitchen. To drain off cooking liquid and rinse the cooked foods, a large sieve is indispensable.

The Japanese strainer or sieve, zaru, is a shallow basket made of woven bamboo. The traditional Japanese kitchen contains baskets in various sizes, depths, and shapes, to suit various culinary purposes.

After using a zaru, brush off any food residue under running water, and clean the basket with a little detergent. Let the basket dry completely before storing it.