Autumn Kitchen

As Japan’s summer temperatures cool, autumn’s milder weather and rich harvest bring the phrase shokuyoku no aki (lit. ‘autumn of appetite’) to mind. Popular autumnal produce includes chestnuts, sweet potatoes and mushrooms, and the smell of matsutake gohan (wild pine mushroom cooked with dashi and short-grain rice) is an aroma typical of the season. Warming dishes such as nabe (hotpot) bring friends and family together around a donabe (clay pot), and heartier meals such as Japanese curry and stews become regulars on the menu.