Herbs and Spices

Unlike European cooking, where herbs and spices are cooked together with the main ingredients, Japanese cooking uses them mainly for additional aroma and flavour, often sprinkled on dishes or mixed with a dipping sauce.

Shiso, ginger and wasabi are some well-known examples, but there are also various wild plants called sansai, meaning literally mountain vegetables, which are used as herbs and spices for their unique aromas and flavours. These are, unfortunately, difficult to find outside of Japan.