JAPANESE PANTRY

Whether it’s seasoning, sauce or a hearty addition to soups and salads, these cupboard essentials are the heroes of Japanese cooking, says Hayden Quinn.

TOGARASHI: “Sansho pepper, black and white sesame seeds, nori flakes, salt... it’s just a burst of flavour in your mouth. Head to your local Asian grocer – there are so many varieties that are all a bit different. Or you can make your own!”

MISO: “The most common varieties of miso are white (shiro) miso and red miso. I love white miso, it has a sweetness that matches the salty, umami flavour. Red miso is a more pungent style… it has a hit to it.” PICKLED GINGER: “The pickling liquid in pickled ginger is the mother of all flavour enhancers. There’s so much packed into pickles, whether it’s ginger or cucumbers or cocktail onions. If you’ve finished your jar of ginger, save the liquid to make more pickle, or use it in a dressing for a salad.”

NOODLES: “Two of my favourite noodles are soba and udon. Soba is a buckwheat noodle, great for salads and fresh dishes. Udon is made from wheat, and it’s perfect in soups or dry ramen.”

NORI: “To take your nori to another level, place it over a bit of heat – on the barbecue or in a dry pan. The nori gets crispy, crunchy and toasty. It changes it from being something that’s just out of a packet into something that has life.”

KEWPIE: “My fridge is never without a bottle of Kewpie! It’s creamy, sweet, savoury, a little salty… it’s a great all-rounder.”