Hi and Welcome to Give Me Umami!
I’m Kurumi – the voice, author, and creator of this blog, Give Me Umami!
My mission is to spread Japanese food to more people by creating a “virtual guest house” where everyone—no matter how familiar they are with Japanese food—can learn Japanese recipes and culture. I want to create a fun, inviting, and cozy space where I share my recipes and knowledge in both entertaining and professional ways.
* “Umami” is a Japanese word that describes the depth of flavors… something like “salty” and “sweet.”
If You…
- Are interested in Japanese food and culture
- Want to learn Japanese cooking techniques and tools
- Want to make delicious, authentic, yet easier than traditional Japanese recipes
- Want ideas for Japanese menus and meal plans
- Are busy but want to eat balanced and healthy Japanese meals
… then you have come to the right place!
What You Can Expect to Find Here
Easier (compared to traditional) and delicious Japanese recipes
I like Japanese food but I don’t have time to follow every detail of traditional recipes because I work full-time!
So most of my recipes use shortcuts such as using dashi powder instead of making dashi by myself or utilizing a microwave instead of a steamer which takes more time and adds more dishes.
However my recipes preserve the delicious flavors of traditional ones, so you won’t feel like you’re sacrificing the flavors for time!
My recipes also include detailed information such as step-by-step photos and substitutions for vegans, so anyone can make them without getting confused or lost.
Menu ideas
One of the biggest challenges about making Japanese recipes is that you need to pair one recipe with others most of the time to make it a complete meal.
I know, making two or three dishes for one meal sounds crazy… so I’ll give you some ideas that don’t take a lot of time to make by adding quick and easy side dish recipes.
This way you can experience an authentic Japanese meal (teishoku style) AND you can eat a balanced meal!
Meal plans
Butttt some people (including me😜) don’t have time to make full meals every day.
So I created meal plans that you can do most of the prep on the weekend to make your weekdays easier.
You can also save money and reduce food waste by following meal plans (especially if you follow seasonal meal plans!).
Japanese food-related information
Besides these recipe related articles, I will teach you Japanese cooking techniques, the ways to use seasonal veggies, and restaurants and food information about Japan.
My goal is to make you feel comfortable with making Japanese food daily… so I’ll post articles that help you achieve that!
Let’s Be Friends!
If you like the content on this blog, please sign up to get email updates whenever new recipes/articles are published!
Please also follow me on social media to stay in touch🙂
A Little Bit About Me
My name is Kurumi and I was born and raised in Nagano, Japan.
Cooking and food have always been my passion. I have cooked a lot with my mom since I was a kid (my mom is a baking teacher) and I LOVE food. I plan everything around food… trip plans, date plans, weekend plans, etc.
I came to the States to study abroad. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and work full-time as a software engineer.
After living in the States for a while, I realized that Japanese food isn’t known as much as other cuisines such as Chinese and Korean food. So I decided to share my love and knowledge about Japanese food here, Give Me Umami.
Currently, I live in Wisconsin with my American husband and have enjoyed the delicious cheese here🙂 I’m obsessed with Indian curry, dark chocolate, and fitness.
Team
My hubby
He is my editor and a taste tester checking my draft posts to correct my grammar mistakes and taste-testing my recipe prototypes!
His favorite Japanese foods are gyudon and sushi. He likes to play golf and video games during his free time.