Cucumber Rolls and the Legend of the Kappa

Whether you’re a vegetarian or simply somebody looking for a simple, mild sushi to go with your meal, you’ve got a friend in the cucumber roll. It’s a classic favorite at Sushi Hana’s Bothell Japanese restaurant, consisting of a piece of cucumber rolled up in a layer of rice. In Japan, the cucumber roll is […]


The Value of Supporting Farmed Fish

It’s easy to take the ocean and its bounty for granted. The Earth is roughly seventy percent water, after all, so it’s hard to fathom that it might actually run out of fish. This is, unfortunately, a problem that we need to deal with in the modern world. Unsustainable fishing practices and pollution are putting […]


Is Sake a Wine or a Beer?

Have you ever considered the nature of sake? Though rice-based liquors like this Japanese favorite are frequently identified as “rice wine”, there is a bit of ambiguity as to what category sake actually falls under. On one hand, sake is very much like a beer in that it is made out of fermented grains. It […]