Gifts for Japanese Food Lovers

All photos on this page are by the author, sockii, unless provided by Amazon, eBay or Zazzle.

Of course, what could make for a better gift than a great cookbook all about the cuisine of Japan? These can provide essential information on cooking techniques, recipes to try, and menu-planning guides for preparing authentic Japanese meals at home.

This is the 25th Anniversary edition of one of the now-classic volumes on Japanese cooking and cuisine - from the simple to the complex. It is considered one of the most comprehensive Japanese cookbooks available today with detailed information on techniques, decorative plating, and the culture and traditions of Japanese food.

For the serious sushi lover, this book may be the ultimate source of information and inspiration. Author Hiroki Takemura is a legendary sushi chef who here shares his knowledge and helps the home chef learn how to prepare many types of sushi including pressed, scattered, rolled and hand-formed. There is also a wealth of information on sushi bar etiquette, ingredients, and beautiful photography displaying the beauty of sushi in all of its various styles and forms.

This award-winning cookbook looks at the traditional food of the Japanese farm: clean flavors, simple meals, seasonal flavors and a style of cooking that will likely be a revelation to anyone who only knows Japanese restaurant cuisine.

Explore Japanese home cooking in detail with this wonderful cookbook, including over 140 recipes, beautiful photographs and detailed information on building your Japanese pantry. This is not a book on "gourmet" Japanese cuisine but on that of the home chef looking to make easy, comforting, delicious meals.

Want to have fun making creative, delicious, Japanese Bento meals? Then this highly-praised book may be your best bet. It includes more than 150 recipes and 25 full bento menus to make "lunch boxes" with a definite Japanese flair and style.

Rice is of course an essential part of Japanese cooking and cuisine whether used in sushi or as a basic side dish. But it can be difficult to master the art of cooking rice perfectly: not too hard, not too mushy, not too wet or dry.

For these reasons, many have turned to using specialized rice cookers in lieu of cooking rice on the stove top. Electric rice cookers today feature advanced technology that cook rice exactly the way you want it every time - and even keep it warm for serving without over cooking it and drying it out!

Zojirushi is a Japanese manufacturer of many consumer electronics for the kitchen - including, of course, rice cookers of many different sizes and special features. For a Japanese food lover, one of their rice cookers would surely make for a great gift that would get plenty of use in the future! Some of their models are spotlighted below:

Mention Japanese food and most people will immediately think of sushi. So of course, a great idea for a present would be a sushi "starter kit" which includes the tools and basic ingredients needed to prepare sushi at home. Even if you don't have a regular source for sushi-grade fish in your area, you can still make delicious rolls and nigiri pieces with vegetables, egg, cooked fish and other items. Sushi kits come in a range of prices and contents; I've highlighted a variety of the possibilities here below.

This set is classic and beautiful for gift giving, especially for someone who may be a "purist" for traditional cookware and tools. 13 pieces made from wood and bamboo, including 2 rice paddles, 2 rolling mats, 3 round dishes, 3 square dishes, and 3 Split Bamboo Plates along with a traditional-style Hangiri.

The "Sushi Chef" line of ingredients is found in supermarkets almost everywhere today. Here their standard elements for sushi are included in one attractive gift package, along with a cookbook, rolling mat and rice paddle.

This "Sushi Magic" set is unique as it features their own patented roller, which allows you to easily make both regular and "inside out" maki rolls at home more easily than when using a traditional bamboo mat. Their nigiri mold allows you to make professional-looking molded sushi as well, making this a great gift item for the real sushi "novice" (note that other ingredients and tools need to be purchased separately.)

"Nabemono" is the term used in Japanese cooking to refer to a number of different soups and stews prepared in a single pot (nabe = "cooking pot" + mono = "thing or things"). One of the traditional vessels used for cooking such meals is a cast iron pot (tetsunabe) which is typically used for sukiyaki. These meals are most commonly enjoyed during the winter months - making a Japanese "hot pot" a great idea for a Christmas gift for the home cooking enthusiast!

This 11" cast-iron pot features an enameled coating for easy cleanup and to keep food from sticking to the surface during cooking. It also features a wooden base for serving and a wooden lid. A perfect size for preparing meals to feed a family or group of 4-5 people.

A great companion gift for the above shabu shabu pot, "Japanese Hot Pots: Comforting One Pot Meals" introduces this style of cooking to the home chef with 50 authentic recipes. There is a detailed introduction to this style of cooking, the culture of hot pot meals in Japan, and how to find (or substitute) ingredients which might not be commonplace in Western markets and kitchens.

The Makiyakinabe is the traditional Japanese pan used for cooking thin rolled omelettes, or tamagoyaki. Japanese omelette preparations often are made combining the egg with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sometimes sake and/or meat and vegetable ingredients. The rectangular shape of the pan makes it easy to create these thin omelettes in a consistent shape for easy rolling, cutting and plating.

Made in Japan, this pan features a nonstick coating over cast iron and a traditional rectangular shape. It's perfect for making traditional tamagoyaki omelette for sushi, bento box lunches, toppings for an egg bowl or just enjoying a fun and different breakfast!

The Bento is basically a "meal in the box" with a long history and culture in Japan. We may be most familiar with the large red-and-black laquered bento boxes often found in restaurants, featuring an assortment of sushi, cooked meat, rice, salad, fruit, and/or pickled vegetables. In Japan, bento boxes may vary from smaller, simple assortments sold in convenience shops to elaborate "lunch boxes" for children featuring rice and other elements shaped to look like animals or anime characters.

Eat out in Japanese restaurants and you will often set delightfully-shaped carrots, radishes and cucumbers adorning your plate, or perhaps as elements in your hot pot meal or bento boxes. These are simple to prepare yourself with a set of vegetable cutters in shapes such as bamboo leaves, a bell flower, the cherry blossom, or pine needles.

The items above are just a few of the fun, original and creative ideas you can find on Zazzle featuring sushi and Japanese food themes.

I have always loved Japanese ceramics and dinnerware for their wonderful artistry and color. Any meal served on them immediately takes on a more elegant appearance, and such a dinnerware set would make a wonderful gift for any Japanese food enthusiast. Just take a look at some of the varieties of designs and patterns available, and you might find it hard to resist buying such a set for yourself!

Beautiful, classic set in green and black. Contains 10 pieces for serving: 2 bowls, 2 plates, 2 soup spoons, 2 sauce dishes and 2 pairs of chopsticks. Also comes with a bonus sushi rolling mat.

Why not get a Sake service set to add on to one of these dinnerware collections? They are the perfect companion for serving hot or cold sake along with a sushi or other Japanese dinner.

For something really unique and special, why not gift that home chef with a Japanese cooking class? There are many available around the world in many major cities, whether just a one-night special introduction to sushi-making or a multi-day/week course designed to really explore and teach a deeper understanding of Japanese cuisine. Just search online and you'll find many, such as the Long Island New York Japanese Cooking Studio and Sushi by Simon who offers in-home private lessons as well as public classes in the NYC area.

Perhaps one of the most unique is offered in Tokyo itself: Japanese Cooking Class - Cooking with Mari is an English-language class that gets high praise on Tripadvisor. It is held in a Japanese home, not a cooking studio, so you can experience what home cooking is truly like in Japan.

Other Sources for Japanese Food and Gift Items

More retailers to check out online - if you still haven't found what you're looking for!