Natto Time

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Hawaii Herald Featured Article About Eien’s Natto Demo

Recent natto newsletter

Eien Hunter-Ishikawa is a musician and educator based in Portland, Oregon. He is also a passionate home cook and fermentationist. Born in Japan, Eien grew up in a household with a tradition of gardening, cooking, fermenting, and fishing. He has presented workshops on Japanese knife sharpening, natto, knife skills, and vegetable fermentation in Portland, Mountain View, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Hawaii. His blog shares many of these recipes along with musician interviews and information on a variety of topics, which can be found at www.eienhunterishikawa.com.

Join Natto Time

Natto Demonstration
Eien will talk about natto, the fascinating, delicious, and nutritious fermented soybeans from Japan. The demo will include samples of fresh natto and offer ideas for traditional and non-traditional preparations. In Japan, natto is highly regarded as a ‘superfood’ with many health benefits including cardiovascular health, brain function, bone and teeth strength, and improved digestive system. Because all natto imported into the United States is frozen, this is a very rare opportunity to taste fresh, organic natto, whether you consider yourself a fan or not yet.

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Japanese Knife Sharpening
In this workshop, Eien will teach the basics of Japanese knife sharpening on water stones. Japanese knife culture is distinct in several ways - the blade is sharper and thinner, sharpening is done on stones, and all chefs sharpen their own knives to complement to their individual cutting style. With this introduction of a few techniques, everyone will be able to sharpen their own knives and feel the joy of cooking with a sharp blade.

More info about Japanese knives is on my blog:
https://www.eienhunterishikawa.com/blog/interview-jon-broida-knives

Knife Skills Workshop
This workshop is a natural complement to the knife sharpening workshop. Eien will cover proper cutting techniques on a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. You will learn skills to prepare ingredients in a safer, faster, and more organized way. The vegetables will be provided. Please bring your sharp knife, vegetable peeler, and cutting board.

Vegetable Fermentation and Pickles
Homemade kimchi and sauerkraut are incredibly delicious and nutritious. This workshop will cover the fundamentals of vegetable fermentation where you will learn about food safety, salt percentage, encouraging good bacteria, and how to enjoy the creativity of making your own pickles at home. The raw ingredients and fermentation containers will be provided. Please bring your sharp knife, vegetable peeler, cutting board, and a large mixing bowl.