Japanese cheese

[cyberninja26]

i know cheese is not traditionally used in Japanese cooking but i'm creating my own style very heavily influenced by Japanese so i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about what kind of cheeses would be best with east asian foods especially Japanese.

[epigene]

There are many Japanese chefs that use foods of Western origin to create original dishes, and I'm sure cheese is no exception.

Personally, I think mozarella is most versatile to use with Japanese cooking because it's mild in taste. I think it can be used very much like tofu, though it may differ in style of preparation because of the difference in texture.

Cheese of stronger scents and flavors can also be used. But, you'll have to learn from the top chefs. Maybe, you'll find clues searching the Web for top Japanese restaurants and chefs around the world.

[cyberninja26]

ok, thanks

[PsychoticNess]

It would seem like stronger cheeses would maybe overpower most Japanese dishes.

[nurizeko]

mozarella

Thats the one I was thinknig of but i couldnt remember its name so I didnt bother replying.

I agree many other cheeses would simply over-power most Japanese dishes and ruin them.

Japanese food works best on subtlety, with light flavours.

Ussually anyway.

At least not as potent as the flavour of many cheeses.

[pipokun]

Miso goes with dairy products, cheese, butter or milk.
Miso soup enhances its flavor after sprinkling Parmesan cheese or adding sliced cheese.
Dashi soup goes well with tomato, so miso soup with cheese and tomato may be an idea.

Without saying risotto, rice and cheese also go well.

[cyberninja26]

ok, cool, thanks...

[bezz]

Miso goes with dairy products, cheese, butter or milk.It was Rokusaburo Michiba (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/rokusaburo_michiba/) who proved that miso and cheese in fact go together very fine, by cooking the legendary hotpot on a TV show in 1994.

An application might be, a Nagoya specialty miso-nikomi udon (http://www.jref.com/forum/showpost.php?p=395962) with Camembert dissolved in.

http://kodawari.lin.go.jp/ryori/karada/image/mc3113.jpg
Ingredients would be like oyster, snow pea, shiitake mushroom and leek.

[ricecake]

I've purchased and eaten Japanese cheese-fishcake,don't ever bothered to read what kind of cheese as ingredient.The brand I really like has a mild " dairy " flavor to it.

[bezz]

Not to mention Philadelphia roll, cottage cheese goes fine with some bold-tasting sushi fish.
An exmple would be, vinegared mackerel nigiri with cottage cheese instead of rice:

http://kodawari.lin.go.jp/ryori/karada/image/mc3070.jpg

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Cooking of Japanese cheese.
Moch cheese Yaki
I put MOCHI in okonomiyaki and bake it.
Two minutes that okonomiyaki finishes baking ago,
I put cheese in it.

[bezz]

Chawammushi with bleu cheese

http://kodawari.lin.go.jp/ryori/karada/image/mc3100.jpg

[bezz]

http://www.j-milk.jp/recipes/recipe/8d863s000006vtta-img/8d863s000006vttz.jpg
American cheese and mustard spinach with soy&wasabi dressing

[misa.j]

That one looks good bezz, I have to try it.

Cheese and seaweed go surprisingly well; my mother made snacks for us with cheese; a cheese stick wrapped in a wanton skin and deep fried; sliced cheese wrapped in seaweed, which were accepted by my father who hates dairy food.

Not traditional Japanese cuisine, but cheese cakes are quite popular in Japan, too.

[bezz]

Cheese and seaweed go surprisingly well; my mother made snacks for us with cheese; a cheese stick wrapped in a wanton skin and deep fried; sliced cheese wrapped in seaweed, which were accepted by my father who hates dairy food.Mozzarella cheese spring roll is the best, a staple izakaya menu (not traditional Chinese anyway.)
Food rolled in nori seaweed sheet then deep-fried/grilled are ususally called isobe-maki.

http://kodawari.lin.go.jp/ryori/karada/image/mc3088.jpg
cheddar cheese "isobe-maki" tempura

[bezz]

http://www.j-milk.jp/recipes/recipe/8d863s0000078roh-img/8d863s0000078rpa.jpg
Dashi-simmered minced chicken, milk and mozzarella cheese paste in abura-age roll

[bezz]

http://www.j-milk.jp/recipes/recipe/8d863s000000pllf-img/8d863s000000plmu.jpg
Whiting fish fillet roll with green perilla leaf and Camembert, pan-fried with butter, on umeboshi plum and yogurt sauce.

[Anohito]

Jarlsberg might be useful with Japanese-influenced dishes. If you haven't tasted it, the flavor is rather like a mild Swiss cheese. Actual Swiss or French Swiss cheese might be a little too strong.

This reminds me of a cheese experience from my 1983-84 period in Japan. I sometimes bought Japanese Emmentaler cheese and liked it. One day I saw and bought some Swiss Emmentaler cheese. It was much stronger than the Japanese product! From then on, I bought the Japanese Emmentaler cheese (which isn't available here in the USA).