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As a Japanese nutritionist surviving successful the U.S., I emotion buying for traditional foods that I grew up eating, specified arsenic seaweed, beans, matcha, multigrain rice, and saccharine potatoes.
I sometimes spell to Costco to bargain those staples successful bulk. But during a caller travel to Japan, I had the accidental to store astatine the Costco Yawata Warehouse successful Kyoto, which you tin sojourn utilizing your U.S. rank card.
I was funny to spot however it compared to the American stores, and I ended up being precise surprised.
The layout was precise akin to the Costco stores successful the U.S. I saw galore of the aforesaid items, too, specified arsenic Kirkland trash bags and Duracell batteries.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
While the layout and galore of the products were akin to the U.S. stores, the assortment of Japanese foods was incredible. There were determination items, seasonally sourced ingredients, and healthier snacks that I seldom find backmost home. It was amusive to browse done the foods and brands that were exclusive to stores successful Japan.
Here are six things I privation U.S. Costco stores carried much of.
1. A wide assortment of seaweed
Seaweed is simply a staple successful Japan. It's packed with minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols, making it 1 of the astir nutrient-dense, plant-based foods you tin eat.
No repast is implicit without seaweed. It's truthful delicious and casual to prepare.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
I recovered a wide selection, including:
- Mozuku: A noodle-like, slippery seaweed that's affluent in fucoidan, a fibre known for supporting gut health, immunity, and even bone strength
- Nori: Crispy seaweed sheets cleanable for sushi and atom balls
- Aosa: I emotion sprinkling it implicit soups oregon salad
- Wakame: Often utilized successful miso soup
Okinawan mozuku seaweed! If I could, I'd person brought backmost truthful overmuch with maine to the U.S.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
Other varieties included kombu, hijiki, aonori, and kanten — each of which I similar to support successful my pantry.
2. Lots of tofu and different soy-based foods
Tofu is 1 of my favourite foods. It's a large root of plant-based macromolecule and is precise versatile crossed cuisines. You tin devour it plain oregon propulsion it successful soups oregon salads. Even my dogs bask it!
Thanks to my beloved cousin, Masahiro Sakata, who accompanied maine connected this Costco trip! His immense container is afloat of veggies and snacks for his household and friends.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
Japanese Costcos merchantability an astonishing assortment of soy-based items, galore of which are vacuum-sealed for freshness and shelf-life. Options included:
- Freeze-dried koya tofu: Great for engaged families. It rehydrates rapidly and holds spirit well.
- Fried, powdered, and frozen tofu: These variations are delicious, versatile, and casual to cook.
Tofu is simply a large root of protein, without immoderate of the cholesterol. It's besides precise versatile; you tin adhd it to soups oregon disturbance fry!
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
One of my go-to recipes involves soaking koya tofu, cutting it into cubes, past simmering with kombu, dried shittake mushrooms, carrots, peas, and ginger. I decorativeness it with homemade miso paste for a satisfying, balanced dish.
3. Seasonal Japanese produce
I ever promote my clients to incorporated a wide scope of vegetables, roots, and herbs into each meal. Greater works assortment means much fiber, antioxidants, and indispensable nutrients for a agelong life.
The Goldstar is the basal rank level, and it gets you into immoderate Costco determination astir the satellite — each for little than $40 a year.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
I was excited to spot each kinds of nutrient that are a small harder to find successful American supermarkets:
- Japanese eggplants and cucumbers
- Mushrooms similar enoki and shimeji
- Leafy greens like, mizuna, komatsuna, and hakusai (Napa cabbage)
Even the potatoes from Hokkaido, known for their precocious quality, were disposable successful bulk.
I grew up eating tons of Japanese saccharine potatoes! They're subtly saccharine and person a nutty spirit with chestnut-like undertones. I emotion baking them, but you tin besides propulsion them successful soups.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
4. Ready-to-eat Japanese meals
A container of assorted "onigiri," Japanese atom balls made of steamed rice. They are often compressed into triangular, ball, oregon cylinder shapes and wrapped successful seaweed.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
I emotion to cook, but sometimes beingness gets engaged and I request fast, steadfast options for myself and my clients.
I emotion multigrain atom balls with tuna wrapped successful seaweed, which is packed with important minerals specified arsenic iron, calcium, folate and magnesium.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
Costco Japan offered a astute scope of ready-to-eat items, including (my favorite) microwavable multigrain atom bowls, pickled vegetables, instant miso soups successful some powdered and paste signifier (just adhd blistery h2o and propulsion successful immoderate seaweed and tofu), Japanese-style cooked fish, and galore unsocial condiments.
We saw tons of ready-to-eat brownish atom selection. These are truthful convenient to person connected engaged days erstwhile you don't person clip to cook.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
Of course, you tin find immoderate of these items successful American stores, similar Whole Foods, but they're often pricier.
5. Traditional atom crackers (senbei)
There are implicit 35 Costco locations successful Japan. We visited the 1 successful Kyoto.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
Rice crackers (soy-flavored atom crisps) are 1 of my favourite snacks. At Costco Japan, I saw kakino-tane, crescent-shaped crackers often mixed with peanuts. Other atom crackers were made with sesame seeds, seaweed, soy powder, nuts, and adjacent immoderate herbs.
6. So galore antithetic brands of greenish tea
In Japan, greenish beverage is much than conscionable a beverage — it's a regular ritual. You'll find it successful vending machines, restaurants, and beauteous overmuch successful each home.
We saw boxes and boxes of bottled matcha greenish tea. There are countless wellness benefits! Studies person shown that matcha tin trim the hazard of cardiovascular diseases.
Photo: Michiko Tomioka
At Costco Japan, I saw bottled greenish teas, beverage bags and loose-leaf options, and powdered teas successful family-sized packages. Almost each shopper had a greenish beverage merchandise successful their cart.
Green beverage has been associated with better bosom health and longer beingness in many studies. I ever urge swapping it successful spot of soda for a low-calorie, antioxidant-rich alternative.
Michiko Tomioka, MBA, RDN is simply a certified nutritionist and longevity expert. Born and raised Nara, Japan, her attack focuses connected a plant-based diet. She has worked successful nutritional roles astatine substance betterment centers, charter schools and nutrient banks. Follow her connected Instagram @michian_rd.
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