Be part of us by cooking up scrumptious recipes impressed by Netflix’s Japanese drama – The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko Home. From comforting one-bowl oyakodon to soulful dumpling soup to bread pudding, we’ll take you on a culinary and cultural journey as we comply with alongside the episodes.
After Midnight Diner, we’ve been hungry for a Japanese TV present that can once more transport us again to Japan so we might be immersed within the tradition and meals. Think about our pleasure after we discovered that Netflix brings us The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko, a nine-episode sequence portraying the internal world of aspiring geisha (geiko).
Whereas the subject material is in regards to the tradition of maiko (apprentice geisha) in modern-day Japan, meals is on the coronary heart of this candy, coming-of-age drama. Its humanities are relatable—friendship and empowerment, goals and struggles, collisions between custom and modernity, life selections and love.
No matter how the day goes, we all the time come again to meals. Meals that nourishes and brings us pleasure. Meals that gives heat and evokes reminiscences. You’d be handled with slurp-worthy scorching noodle soup, custardy bread pudding lined with deep caramel sauce, cozy healthful soup brimming with seasonal greens, and a colourful sandwich that’s as fairly as a cake.
If you end up salivating and secretly wishing that you just had been proper there tasting and consuming with the characters, we’re right here for you. On this submit, we’ve put collectively the recipes—with transient background tales—of every dish proven within the episodes. And we’d like to ask you to hitch us and Kiyo (one of many lead stars) to prepare dinner alongside. Up for the problem? Now collect your loved ones, associates, or colleagues to embark on this scrumptious journey.
The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko Home is offered for streaming on Netflix worldwide.
About The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko Home
Tailored from a best-selling manga by Aiko Koyama, The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko Home is a nine-episode sequence set within the conventional geiko district of Kyoto, portraying the internal world of aspiring geisha generally known as maiko.
The story follows Kiyo and Sumire, two 16-year-old ladies from Aomori prefecture in northern Japan, who transfer to Kyoto to pursue their goals of changing into maiko. They be a part of a gaggle of younger ladies to dwell within the Saku Home the place the entire maiko prepare and dwell collectively.
As they start their coaching, Sumire proves to be a pure expertise within the conventional arts, whereas Kiyo finds herself stumbling via the teachings. When the prepare dinner of the home fell unwell, Kiyo stepped in to take over the position and began making ready meals for the group. As destiny would have it, Kiyo discovered her life ardour as a chef, cooking and feeding the ladies that grew to become her household.
What’s Makanai?
Makanai (まかない), brief for makanai ryori (賄い料理), means in-house meals made for the workers and workers at eating places, typically at lodgings and dormitories. The meals is commonly made by younger cooks in coaching. Makanai-san refers back to the chef who makes the makanai.
What’s Maiko?
Maiko (舞妓) are apprentice geisha (芸者), additionally referred to as geiko (芸子) within the Kyoto dialect, who’re nonetheless coaching to good their cultural and leisure expertise together with dancing, enjoying shamisen, and performing tea ceremonies. They’re normally youthful than 20 and dwell within the lodging home (okiya) with their mom (okaasan) for five years.
Episode 1: Change
Nabekko Dango
Kiyo’s grandma serves the ladies nabekko dumplings in pink bean soup as their good-luck meal earlier than they go away Aomori for his or her new journey.
Nabekko dango is a standard dish from the southern a part of Aomori Prefecture that accommodates rice flour dumplings referred to as nabekko. The form of the dumpling resembles a pot (nabe), so it’s referred to as “nabekko dango.” Within the outdated days, nabekko dango was typically made with new adzuki beans and rice flour to rejoice harvesting on the finish of autumn and in addition made as an providing to wish for profitable farming.
The meals and cooking technique is nearly equivalent to Zenzai or Japanese pink bean soup. The one distinction is that nabekko dango makes use of rice flour for the dumplings whereas zenzai makes use of glutinous rice flour (or mochiko).
🍳 Recipe: Zenzai with Shiratama Dango
Yaki Imo
Later, on their bus trip to Kyoto, Kiyo shares with Sumire the baked candy potato (or yaki imo) their shut buddy Kenta gave them as a snack for the journey. The ladies heat their fingers by holding the candy potatoes and fall into appreciative giggles as they benefit from the snack.
🍳 Recipe: Japanese Candy Potatoes (Yaki Imo)
Japanese Chilly Somen Noodles
Japanese summer season can’t cross with out consuming chilly somen noodles! That’s how we keep cool within the warmth. On a midsummer day, we see maiko of the home sitting on the porch slurping somen from tiny noodle cups whereas Kiyo helps out within the kitchen.
🍳 Recipe: Japanese Chilly Somen Noodles
Tomato Curry
Accompanied by an upbeat tempo, we see Kiyo making her grandma’s tomato curry. She blanches the tomatoes which have been scored with cross marks so she might peel the pores and skin off simply. As she finishes cooking, she offers it just a few stirs and takes a fast style of the curry.
The tart and candy tomatoes present the proper distinction to this distinctive curry, making it an ideal meal to heat you proper up.
🍳 Recipe: Tomato Curry (Recipe Coming Quickly)
Episode 2: Guardian Spirit
Oyakodon (Rooster and Egg Rice Bowl)
That is the primary dish Kiyo makes for the ladies within the absence of the prepare dinner. We watch her reducing the onion into skinny slices, drizzling the whisked eggs to prepare dinner with the hen, and letting every part simmer in a sweet-salty sauce. Lastly, she spoons the cooked hen and egg combination onto bowls of steamed rice and everybody can lastly have a correct dinner as an alternative of cup noodles.
“It’s bizarre, but it surely’s so good!” exclaims one of many housemates. That’s precisely what oyakodon is all about. An epitome of Japanese soul meals, oyakodon is excessive in protein, fast to make, and a staple dish of Japanese households.
🍳 Recipe: Oyakodon (Rooster and Egg Rice Bowl)
Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
Onigiri (rice balls) making is a compulsory kitchen ability for Japanese house cooks; nonetheless, it is usually an artwork in the case of making the proper ones. It requires a stage of focus and a focus to element. And Kiyo reveals us that with love and fervour, your rice balls are going to style simply as superb.
When you want to find out about its position in Japanese tradition and enhance your rice ball making generally, I’ve all the ideas and methods for you!
🍳 Recipe: Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
Episode 3: Taboo
Japanese Breakfast
This episode opens with Kiyo beginning her first day because the chef for the Maiko home. She works seamlessly by slicing the okra into fancy cuts, fluffing steamed rice within the rice cooker, including miso to the tomato and tofu soup pot, and flipping skinny cuts of salmon on the grill grate.
It’s a full unfold of the feast she placed on the breakfast desk for her adopted household! In modern-day Japan, conventional Japanese breakfast is a feast to the senses.
With a little bit of planning, you can also create this expertise at house. Learn all about Japanese Conventional Japanese Breakfast and get the recipes under.
🍳 Recipe: Inexperienced Bean Gomaae (Use okra as an alternative), Tomato and Tofu Miso Soup (under), Japanese Salted Salmon, Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette), Simmered Hijiki Salad.
Tomato and Tofu Miso Soup
This straightforward miso soup highlights the sweetness and tartness of tomatoes. When paired with easy silken tofu, each spoonful presents you a distinct mouthfeel and style.
🍳 Recipe: Tomato and Tofu Miso Soup (Recipe Coming Quickly)
Umeboshi (Japanese Pickled Plums)
“Beginning at present, I’m going to guard all of you for 3 days,” whispers Kiyo to the little balls of yellow-looking fruits as she lays them on a bamboo tray for solar drying. What’s she making? The fruits are Japanese ume plum and Kiyo was drying them to make umeboshi, a hottest Japanese pickle that has a distinctly bitter and salty tang.
Umeboshi is a centuries-old conventional Japanese meals and is well-known for its many well being advantages. You will discover ready-made umeboshi at Japanese/Asian markets and even at Complete Meals or some well-stocked native co-ops. I even have a recipe only for you in case you want to attempt your hand on the pickled plum or to study in regards to the course of.
🍳 Recipe: Umeboshi (Japanese Pickled Plum)
Bread Pudding
Oh…this one has us drooling too, particularly when Kiyo swirls the properly brown caramel sauce into the bread custard. She makes use of Japanese milk bread (shokupan) to make this bread pudding or what they name pan pudding. You possibly can see the pure pleasure on Tsurukoma’s face as she takes a chunk out of the pudding. She is in heaven! Don’t you would like that you possibly can have this on your weekend brunch, too?
🍳 Recipe: Bread Pudding (Pan Pudding) (Recipe Coming Quickly)
Different Recipes in This Episode
🍳 Recipe: Simmered Kabocha, Pickled Cucumber,
Episode 4: Want
Matcha Souffle Pancake
On their time off, Kiyo and Sumire go to town and cease at a stylish cafe for a break. When the server brings their matcha soufflé pancake to the desk, the ladies gleam in pleasure and tuck in immediately.
If you want you possibly can have these on your Sunday brunch, mark this soufflé pancake recipe down! Flavored with earthy candy matcha, the pancakes are tremendous ethereal and fluffy such as you’re consuming cottony clouds! So good with selfmade whipped cream, maple syrup, and an additional sprinkling of inexperienced tea powder.
🍳 Recipe: Matcha Souffle Pancake
Eggplant Agebitashi
Eggplant agebitashi consists of deep-fried eggplant soaked in mild dashi and soy sauce-based broth. It would look assuming, however you’d be stunned by the contrasting texture and the scrumptious juice at your first chunk. Even a grown man like Sumire’s dad couldn’t assist however cry his coronary heart out by the style of the eggplant.
🍳 Recipe: Eggplant Agebitashi
Episode 5: Alternative
Tempura
We see Kiyo shifting effortlessly in entrance of a scorching pot of oil as she fried up mushrooms, lotus roots, candy potatoes, and so on. for a platter of tempura. How do you retain the tempura batter crisp and light-weight? Kiyo reveals that the key is to place the batter within the fridge to maintain it chilly. That’s so true! I’ve all the ideas so that you can make the proper tempura. And with some observe, you’d be frying up ultra-crisp tempura as superb as Kiyo’s.
🍳 Recipe: Vegetable Tempura, Shrimp Tempura, Gluten-Free Tempura
Korokke (Japanese Croquettes)
Can you notice the scene during which the ladies are munching korokke? It’s a quick scene, however you wouldn’t miss it. These oval-shaped, Japanese variations of deep-fried mashed potato and beef patties are critically addicting. And I’ve no disgrace to confess that it’s my absolute favourite Japanese meals.
🍳 Recipe: Korokke (Japanese Croquettes)
Karaage (Japanese Fried Rooster)
Love fried hen however really feel daunted to make it at house? Then attempt karaage (Japanese fried hen)! Are available bite-size items and fitted to house cooking, karaage is completely value hanging out on the range for. As Kiyo proves it when she makes karaage for Sumire to get pleasure from. I’ll present you the straightforward methods on the way to make the very best karaage with cracker-crisp pores and skin at house.
🍳 Recipe: Karaage (Japanese Fried Rooster)
Episode 6: One-sided
Cream Stew
When Ms. Momoko meets Kiyo and calls her rival, Kiyo distracts the awkward second by inviting Ms. Momoko to remain for lunch. Cream stew is on her menu and so Ms. Momoko accepts the invitation.
The white look of the dish may not be essentially the most enticing, but it surely has a wealthy and savory taste that hits the spot each time. Right here, we now have tender hen, mushrooms, and colourful greens simmered collectively in a creamy white sauce. The comfortable issue is massive. Ms. Momoko even asks for a second portion after tasting the stew. You might additionally add rice and sprinkle cheese on high of the stew and rework it right into a baked gratin dish referred to as doria.
🍳 Recipe: Cream Stew and Meat Doria (Baked gratin dish; Cream stew with rice and cheese on high) or Seafood Doria.
Amazake
When Kiyo learns that Sumire would have a tough time sleeping after her first mai efficiency, she makes some amazake to heat her up and assist along with her sleep.
A standard Japanese drink manufactured from fermented rice, amazake (甘酒) has a creamy, thick consistency with a candy style. You possibly can serve it both chilled or heat/scorching, and with low-alcohol or non-alcohol. It’s a common drink throughout New 12 months’s and Hina Matsuri (Doll Competition).
Amazake is the proper winter drink and it’s identified for a lot of well being advantages.
🍳 Recipe: Amazake (Fermented Rice Drink)
Fruit Sando
Have you ever seen a sandwich as fairly as a fruit sando? Kiyo nails it once more when she artfully arranges strawberry and orange slices set in whipped cream atop gentle white bread. The ultimate results of the sandwich appears similar to a cake!
Odd as it could appear, this model of the sandwich may be very common in Japan and it’s stated to have originated in Kyoto across the early Twenties. Curious to attempt it? You gained’t remorse it.
🍳 Recipe: Fruit Sando (Japanese Fruit Sandwich)
Episode 7: Sickness
This can be a particular episode as you’ll study so much in regards to the Japanese New 12 months and its traditions and the meals that we eat throughout this festive vacation.
Toshikoshi Soba (New 12 months’s Eve Soba Noodle Soup)
“It’s New 12 months’s Eve and we should eat soba noodles.” says the road peddler to the ladies. In Japan, we now have the custom of consuming toshikoshi soba on New 12 months’s Eve as there are lots of enduring symbols related to consuming buckwheat noodles. We get pleasure from it in its easiest kind by serving soba in a scorching dashi broth and garnishing it with solely finely chopped scallions.
🍳 Recipe: Toshikoshi Soba
Osechi Ryori (Japanese New 12 months Meals)
Osechi is the normal New 12 months’s unfold and it’s thought-about an important meal of the 12 months. The assortment of colourful dishes is packed collectively in particular bins referred to as jubako, which seem like bento bins.
All the ladies are house for New 12 months and there are solely Kiyo, Sumire, Ryoko, Mom Azusa, and Mom Chiyo round in the home. They feast on osechi collectively as an everyday household would.
🍳 Study extra or make: Osechi Ryori (Japanese New 12 months’s Meals)
Ozoni (Japanese New 12 months Mochi Soup)
Ozoni is a particular soup that we eat within the morning on New 12 months’s Day in Japan. It normally consists of mochi (rice cake) and the preparation varies each by family and area. Within the drama, Kiyo prepares Kyoto- model ozoni by sprinkling katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes) on high.
🍳 Recipe: Kansai-Model Ozoni (New 12 months Mochi Soup), Kanto-Model Ozoni (New 12 months Mochi Soup)
Kakimochi Rice Crackers
To complete off the Japanese New 12 months celebrations, we now have a convention referred to as kagami biraki (鏡開き) and it includes breaking the decorative mochi and consuming it for good well being and fortune for the New 12 months.
On this episode, Kiyo asks Mr. Hiroshi to assist her break the mochi into items so she might fry them as much as make kakimochi rice crackers. Relying on the area, we’d season them with salt or soy sauce. Each kinds are simply as scrumptious!
🍳 Recipe: Kakimochi Rice Cracker
Scrumptious Dashi (Japanese Soup Inventory)
When Sumire falls unwell, Kiyo plans to make rice porridge (okayu) however Mom Azusa reminds her that in Kyoto they’d eat udon when one’s not feeling properly. She takes it as her duty to take excellent care of Sumire, and with a purpose to make the very best udon soup she goes searching for the very best components out there.
Whereas dashi (Japanese soup inventory) is straightforward to make, every ingredient and the standard and seasonality you utilize play an vital position to yield the very best soup inventory. We study this from the store proprietor on the provision store as he shared his knowledge with Kiyo.
🍳 Recipe: Kombu and Katsuo Dashi
Kyoto-Model Kitsune Udon
Kiyo makes Kyoto-style Kitsune Udon for Sumire. It consists of sunshine broth, a deep-fried tofu pouch (aburaage), and lengthy inexperienced onion. The broth may be very flavorful however mild in colour as we use light-colored soy sauce within the recipe.
🍳 Recipe: Kitsune Udon
Episode 8: Carnival
In early February, earlier than the start of spring, we transition from the Japanese New 12 months to an annual pageant referred to as Setsubun (節分). Setsubun is a bit like Halloween for the Japanese since folks could be observing a ritual by throwing roasted soybeans at anybody who placed on the oni (demon) masks. It’s meant to thrust back the evils, leaving worries behind and making a brand new begin.
Yudofu (Scorching Tofu)
This scene begins with cubes of tofu gently cooked in a picket serve ware. Because the digital camera zooms out to a restaurant setting, we see Koji asking Yuko, the returning geiko to return house with him.
The tofu dish appears plain and easy, however it’s flavored with umami-rich kombu dashi and is supposed to be loved with dipping sauce. This preparation spotlights tofu’s delicate texture and its place in Japanese delicacies. Anybody could make this heat and nourishing dish at house. We had Yudofu in Kyoto and it was fairly memorable how tasty it was. In case you are to go to the restaurant within the present, it’s Nanzenji Yachiyo.
🍳 Recipe: Yudofu (Scorching Tofu)
Kaki Fry (Fried Oyster)
At Momohana (Sumire)’s first eating out, she actually desires to eat kaki fry however is aware of she has to have the identical factor as Ms. Momoko. When she returns to the home, she is so delighted when Kiyo occurs to prepare dinner kaki fry for her. What a deal with to get pleasure from these crunchy, juicy briny morsels!
I exploit the oven-baked method for this recipe, so you possibly can get pleasure from crunchy fried meals with out having to deep-fry them!
🍳 Recipe: Kaki Fry (Fried Oyster)
Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup)
The ladies are wrapping up their rehearsal for the annual costume occasion and Yuko is just not blissful about her position assigned by Momoko and makes a fuss about it. Within the warmth of their argument, Kiyo is available in with a tray of tonjiru (pork miso soup) for his or her late-night snacks. Everybody pauses and enjoys the soup in silence till Yuko brings again the subject once more. My favourite half is when everybody makes comparisons of their roles with every ingredient within the soup.
Tonjiru is a traditional soup we make at house. Not solely is it scrumptious, however the soup additionally packs in numerous protein and vitamins.
🍳 Recipe: Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup)
Episode 9: Passage
Japanese Sandwich
On this finale episode, because the solar shines in via the window, Kiyo wakes as much as bowls of components and a bottle of mayonnaise on the kitchen desk. The digital camera spans and reveals us that she has stayed up late to make sandwiches as breakfast for the maiko.
Japanese sandwiches (or blended sando) may be made with totally different fillings however they’re all the time tucked inside fluffy slices of crustless bread and served as a set.
🍳 Recipe: Japanese Sandwich with Egg Salad, Ham/Cheese/Cucumber, Tuna, and Japanese Potato Salad)
Tamago Sando
When you’d recall, Sumire has particularly requested Kiyo to make tamago sando for her the second she graduates to develop into maiko. Kiyo fulfills her want by making her essentially the most delicious-looking egg sandwich.
What makes a Japanese egg sandwich so particular? The creamy egg filling wearing Japanese mayonnaise and the gentle pillowy shokupan (Japanese milk bread) all play a component in yielding a really superb sandwich.
Now, what did Kiyo do with the leftover bread crusts from dinner? Let’s discover out within the subsequent recipe.
🍳 Recipe: Tamago Sando
Shokupan Crust Rusk
That is it! The deal with that Sumire comes again to after she makes her debut because the official maiko. We see Kiyo fry up pan no mimi (shokupan‘s crust) to make tremendous crunchy and sugary rusk. We see two finest associates—bonded over meals and real love for one another—indulging within the fried bread sticks as they replicate on their day. Such is life’s easy pleasure.
🍳 Recipe: Shokupan Crust Rusk (Recipe Coming Quickly)
We hope you get pleasure from The Makanai as a lot as we do! And in case you managed to make any of the recipes above, we’d like to see your creations. Depart us a remark under (with photos, in case you’d like) and share with us your expertise.
