When the weather gets cold, we say it’s the season of the root vegetables. The root vegetables grow in the ground, obviously, and the natural course of the things is that in autumn, the fallen leaves fertilize the ground and nurture the vegetables and that makes them taste better. The autumn rains keep things going, aiding the nutrition process. In the winter, the retained heat of the earth keeps root vegetables shielded from the cold. So it is a wonderful natural resource for both wild animals that feed on them and humans in the winter months.

Daikon is indigenous to Japan and other Asian countries nearby. It’s a white, gigantic root vegetable that is one of the favorite vegetables during the winter in Japan. It has a shiny and silky outer skin and contains a lot of water. The part that protrudes from the ground has a slightly greenish color and is firmer in texture, so we like to use it in salads and as a companion to sashimi. The middle part is tender and subtle in flavor, so it is normally poached or braised and easily takes on flavors. The most bottom part of the daikon is spicy, so it can be used to make a sort of spice; you just grate and apply it to fish or meat. It also has a lot of enzymes so it can tenderize the protein and help you digest it.

Gobo or burdock is a long, muddy looking root vegetable that reminds you of a whip. It has a distinctive earthy flavor and it can be used as the star of the dish or even by itself and has a lot of fiber and is beneficial for the digestive system.

Sato-imo is a Japanese taro root and is essentially a hairy, small potato. It is the favorite snack of deers and boars. The texture of this root vegetable is sort of slimy and silky and does not have much of a flavor, but it is packed with protein. If you just bake it and eat it like that, it’s pretty delicious.

Satsuma-imo is a Japanese sweet potato. It has a redish skin and golden flesh and originated in the southern parts of Japan and has a very dense texture and is very sweet. It is buried in hot stones and baked and sold as a sweet snack on the streets of Japan by mobile vendors. As a kid in Tokyo, when I saw these vendors coming out I knew it was winter. That’s how seasonal these vegetables are. It is a good source of fiber, but I have to warn you if you eat too much of it, you could become very gassy.

What is really an aphrodisiac? We, the Japanese, believe that there are certain foods that arouse sexual desire and that it has to do with the actual shape of these foods, their smell and aroma, or even texture.

For example, oysters and clams are reminiscent of the female form, sea urchin is in essence hairy and when opened it reveals succulent flesh. Eel and octopus are symbols of manhood obviously because of their protruding form.

All these foods have a lot of cholesterol or natural fat, but the good kind and they provide your body with instant and powerful source of energy. So we can definitely attribute aphrodisiac quality because of this fact.

Another food that is believed to be an aphrodisiac is the mushroom – in particular the matsutake mushroom. The shape reminds us of the male form and aroma is musky, earthy, which we think is sexually attractive.

Yamaimo, or long potato is a mountain potato that grows mainly in Asia and is the only potato that can be eaten raw. The Chinese use it as a medicine to tonify the body. We believe it is an aphrodisiac because of it’s shape and texture and it contains components that break down protein faster and hence aids the release of energy faster.

We are serving an aphrodisiac hot pot on our fall menu that has many of the ingredients: oysters, mushroom, grated yamaimo and sea urchin among others. We haven’t heard yet from anyone who tried it whether it helped them or not but we hope it did….

When you start to feel the fall wind, you know that the mushroom season has arrived. In Japan, the most sought after mushroom is the matsutake mushroom because it has a distinctive flavor. It is extremely elusive so only professional pickers can find it and unfortunately there is no way to cultivate it yet.

The mushroom has a very woody, aromatic flavor and very fungussy; I love that smell, its sexy! Luckily we can find this mushroom here in the United States, namely in Oregon, Washington, and Maine so we don’t have to pay the exorbitant prices to import matsutake from Japan.

The best way to eat matsukate is to grill it and season it with yuzu juice or some other citrus juice and a touch of soy sauce. That fungussy flavor really compliments sake so it’s a natural pairing. We also make a strong sake broth/soup called dobimoshi with the mushroom. You can also sauté it with butter and season with a touch of soy sauce.  Another way to enjoy it is to prepare it tempura style. This fall we are serving at Matsuri a matsutake clear soup with dashi broth and a shrimp dumpling.

It is not very well known that fish have their seasons just like vegetables and fruits. For instance during the summer time the fish that are in season are: jack mackerel (aji) aka horse mackerel, abalone (awabi), yellow jack mackerel (shima aji) and eel.

The jack mackerel’s flavor is strong and of the sea (or to put it bluntly, “fishy”) and is not too oily. When it is hot outside you definitely want something that’s lean and clean and jack mackerel fits the bill.

The best way to enjoy jack mackerel is to try tataki style sashimi chopped with scallions and ginger. Ask your sushi chef to prepare it for you that way and just use soy sauce for dipping.

Right now, The Santa Barbara area sea urchins are in season and delicious so ask your sushi chef where their sea urchin is from.

The Japanese believe that eating eel in the summer gives you stamina to endure heat and we even have specially designated days during the summer to eat eel.

Jack mackerel or shima aji

Jack mackerel filet

Jack mackerel tataki tossed with scallions and ginger.

Right now is the best time to enjoy Japanese cucumber as they are in season.

Japanese cucumbers are skinnier, smaller and harder than the regular cucumbers that you find in your local supermarket. It got a thicker skin but it is not too bitter, it has denser flesh, less seeds and is less watery. It is much more flavorful than the regular kind.

In Japan we eat it fresh as well as pickled. When we eat it fresh we use a technique to reduce the bitterness of the skin by scraping the cucumber first with a handful of salt. Take a look at the video to see how we do it.

A delicious and easy way to enjoy Japanese cucumber is to first scrape it, then cut the cucumber into sticks the size and shape of French fries then dip the sticks into a little bit of miso.

At Matsuri we use it fresh in our salads. We also just debuted a new summer cocktail called gin kyuri (kyuri is Japanese for cucumber) in which we puree the cucumber. It is deliciously refreshing.