Trails to Oishii Tokyo

Today we focus on mochi rice cake, an indispensable part of Japanese New Year's celebrations. It's offered to the gods and eaten in traditional Zoni soup as families pray for a healthy and safe new year. The ingredients found in Zoni can differ greatly depending on the region and family. Learn about mochi's rich history and culture, and how families of years past used to prepare it. Also, feast your eyes on some of the hundreds of mochi recipes from Iwate Prefecture. (Reporter: Alexander W. Hunter)

Bananas - a tropical fruit also grown in Japan. Technological advancement has allowed their cultivation in snowy areas. Visit a plantation in one of Japan's snowiest regions, and check out a wide variety at a wholesaler in Tokyo's Ota Market. See how the ripening process is carefully managed in massive warehouses from the time of import to market release. (Reporter: Janni Olsson)

Bean sprouts are harvested all year and have long been a favorite addition to a healthy diet. All they need is water to grow, so during a food shortage, harsh temperatures, or even after disasters like the Great East Japan Earthquake, bean sprouts are here to save the day. Our reporter, Kyle, visits a farm in Aomori Prefecture that cultivates 40-centimenter-long bean sprouts using hot spring water. Also, feast your eyes on local dishes featuring the produce. (Reporter: Kyle Card)

Winter is hot pot season in Japan. A single pot of veggies and seafood boiled in soup is all you need to stay cozy and warm. This episode focuses on the seasonal delicacies used in some of the most beloved recipes. Visit a port in Aomori Prefecture to see how a fish is prepared on the snow, and join sumo wrestlers for a traditional breakfast at their stable. From poisonous fish to radishes that grow in tuna fertilizer, discover the many winter gifts from the sea and land.

Japan is third behind Germany and the UK in terms of chocolate consumption. It's also home to the second-largest number of the world's top 100 chocolatiers after France. The use of ingredients like yuzu citrus and Sansho pepper also spreads as the world turns its attention to Japan. This episode provides the latest on the country's chocolate industry, from the use of domestically-produced cacao, the development of a way to preserve flavor even after melting and hardening, to the evolution of affordable snacks. (Reporter: Kailene Falls)

Nori seaweed is an indispensable Japanese ingredient. Its flavor is influenced by elements from the sea as well as the nutrients that flow down from mountains. Our reporter Janni tries a selection at a 150-year-old shop and is shocked by how flavors can vary. Visit a plant that makes nori using a process inspired by traditional methods. Then, feast your eyes on colorful sushi rolls and see how nori can be used in French cuisine. (Reporter: Janni Olsson)

Ame – Japanese candy – is seemingly simplistic sugar candy that can be found in a variety of flavors, textures and shapes. It's also an important part of Japanese tradition and culture. Visit a Tokyo shrine where it's handed out to kids as a symbol of healthy growth, and check out some jaw-dropping, crafty production methods. Ame can also be used in savory dishes! Feast your eyes on new wave sukiyaki enhanced by cotton candy! (Reporter: Alexander W. Hunter)

Tsukemono, or Japanese pickles, have come a long way from being just a simple dish paired with rice. They're made using a variety of ingredients and seasonings from all regions of Japan. There was a time when Nukazuke, the most common type, was being prepared in nearly every household. Its mild aroma — a product of fermentation — always evokes a feeling of nostalgia. In recent years, tsukemono has gained traction as a health food. Learn quick and easy recipes and check out an interesting collaboration with Danish food preservation culture. (Reporter: Kyle Card)

See brewers in action at a 300-year-old brewery, and sing along to a traditional tune that ensures a successful batch. Writer and "sake evangelist" Ota Kazuhiko, will then show you how to enjoy sake at home. He'll teach you about the beauty of sake cups, how to heat the drink and why all of that matters! We also hear from France about their own locally-produced sake and restaurant trends in Paris. (Reporter: Kyle Card)

Discover Nerimono, traditional ingredients made by processing ground fish meat. A product of age-old wisdom, the food allows large hauls from Japan's surrounding seas to be stored for long periods. Different production methods offer a variety of colors and flavors, making Nerimono the perfect addition to any festive menu. Learn more about the hassle-free ingredient's impact on home cooking, and enter the expanding world of a paste called surimi. (Reporter: Kailene Falls)

Takenoko, or bamboo shoots, are the flavor of spring. Our reporter Janni is put to work on a steep grove where skill and timing are key to harvesting young stems before they harden in direct sunlight. Afterward, enjoy the various textures and flavors the ingredient adds to exquisite Japanese cuisine, and see how it's used in place of meat in innovative French dishes. (Reporter: Janni Olsson)

Silvery-white Shirasu, or baby Japanese anchovies, are caught along Japan's coasts in the spring and fall. Find boiled and dried ones at your local supermarket, or head closer to a fishing port to savor raw Shirasu. Hauls from a Kanagawa port get eaten up locally before they can reach markets in neighboring Tokyo! Join us on a fishing trip to see how Shirasu are processed, and check out an Italian restaurant that incorporates the ingredient. (Reporter: Kailene Falls)

We focus on Sazae, or turban shell sea snails. Japan is no stranger to shellfish, but consumption of Sazae dates back millennia. Their appearance is distinguished by shells with jagged horns. Along with meat that packs a light sweetness and satisfying crunch, their slightly bitter innards are also favored. Sazae are commonly eaten as sashimi or grilled Tsuboyaki-style. They're rich in protein and vitamins and are a great source of taurine. Dive in to learn more about this peculiar sea snail. (Reporter: Saskia Thoelen)

Affordable and voluminous, cabbage is the star of the Japanese dinner table. The all-purpose veggie is great raw or cooked, and you can't have deep-fried pork cutlets in Japan without a mountain of the stuff. Spring cabbage is particularly loved for its soft leaves. Try sushi with sweet, fresh cabbage at a local producer, and see how once discarded cabbages are used in sustainable aquaculture. Also try tasty Italian meals featuring the versatile veggie. (Reporter: Kyle Card)

Dip into the vibrant world of Japanese tea to sample different aromas and flavors at a specialty shop. At a tea farm using a novel method, a shop owned by a former researcher selling 70 types of leaves, and a restaurant teaching the principles of food and tea pairing, discover how today's experts are keeping tea's evolution alive. (Reporter: Zack Bullish)

Salt isn't just an ingredient in Japan, it's used for purification rituals in sumo and at temples and shrines. It all started with an ancient sea salt extraction process. On the northern shores of the Noto Peninsula, registered as a globally important agricultural heritage system, grab your buckets and get to work collecting sea water! Also feast your eyes on seasonings, preserved foods, flavored salts, and more savory delights unique to Japan. (Reporter: Michael Keida)

As an island nation, Japan has enjoyed a plethora of seafood since ancient times. In natural form, some may not look particularly appetizing, and some may even frighten you! But preparation and cooking methods have evolved over the centuries to transform these strange creatures that you may not have imagined were edible into tasty delights! Join us on a recap of some of our coolest seafood discoveries!

Sakura—the beloved cherry blossoms that symbolize the coming of spring in Japan. More than just eye candy, the blossoms and leaves are also salted and consumed. Sakura farmers scramble up trees to collect the best ones before everything falls to the ground. Reporter Saskia lends a hand before visiting a 300-year-old sweets shop depicted in woodblock prints to find out more about the flower's culinary roots. She also meets an individual responsible for the popularization of sakura as a flavor. (Reporter: Saskia Thoelen)

Eating sweet, refreshing watermelon is a popular way to combat the summer heat. In Japan, seasonal festivities wouldn't be quite the same without it. Appropriately named, watermelon consists of 90% water and is filled with nutrients that protect the body against heat fatigue. Visit a top production area where farmers are hard at work making the largest, sweetest watermelons possible. Also feast your eyes on colorful varieties and innovative dishes that make use of the rinds. (Reporter: Kyle Card)

Umami emerged from Japan's culinary culture to become the fifth basic taste, and its star ingredients are attracting worldwide attention. A Japanese company expanded katsuobushi production to Spain, allowing the food to make its way onto menus across Europe. Kombu kelp is inspiring top chefs in New York. When rehydrated, dried shiitake mushrooms offer an umami-packed meaty texture loved by vegetarians. Discover more about a Japanese phenomenon that's taking the world by storm. (Reporter: Kailene Falls)

The spotlight is on goya, also known as the bitter gourd. A star of Okinawa Prefecture, the summer vegetable is now grown across Japan. But that's only in the last 20 years or so! See all the varieties an Okinawan farmer's market has to offer, and others that a local research center is developing for nationwide consumption. Learn why farmers in Gunma Prefecture have switched to goya in recent years, and how local high schoolers are working hard to promote consumption through economical "green curtains." (Reporter: Kailene Falls)

Maitake are popular mushrooms packed with aroma and umami. Their uniquely firm texture is perfect for tempura and stir-fried dishes. The development of cultivation technology has taken the once elusive variety from the depths of the wild to local shops, all year round and at affordable prices. Visit a mountain farm outside Tokyo to see how they're grown using natural spring water, then feed your appetite at a French restaurant specializing in mushroom dishes. (Reporter: Saskia Thoelen)

Japanese chestnuts are known for their hearty texture, subtle sweetness, and size! Ones from Obuse are especially large. Experience a harvest there and feast your eyes on traditional "chestnut rice." We also dig into how a European dessert called Mont Blanc evolved into a uniquely Japanese delight. Explore new horizons, including French cuisine featuring fall truffles and Japanese chestnuts. (Reporter: Chiara Terzuolo)

Darwin called ginkgo trees living fossils. In fall, they offer a fun splash of yellow to the colorful landscape. Today, we focus on their nuts! The outer shell may smell a bit funny, but inside is nothing but great flavor. Harvest ginkgo nuts from 10,000 trees at a famous production site and chow down with local farmers. Feast your eyes on traditional recipes, and discover how the nut is paired with champagne at a French restaurant in Tokyo.

Delicate and easy to spoil, figs are often sold dry. But in Japan, raw consumption is growing ever more popular. An orchard in Shizuoka Prefecture, where many of Japan's fruits are grown, is hard at work cultivating new varieties. Each type offers a unique flavor, color and texture to recipes, demonstrating the fig's true versatility as an ingredient. Discover how the fruit is enhancing Japanese cuisine, from sweet to savory. Enter the fascinating world of figs.

Our saba journey begins at Tokyo's Toyosu Market. We then visit Kyoto Prefecture for some festival food that remains a key part of local tradition before heading to Obama, Fukui Prefecture, at the other end of the Saba Kaido, a historic trade route. Regional synergy continues to this day, with sake lees from Kyoto playing a key role in aquaculture at Wakasa Port. Also discover the expanding world of canned saba, and cook outside with our reporter, Michael, using organic veggies from his farm. (Reporter: Michael Keida)

Horsehair crabs — the ones covered with tiny hairs. The high-end crustacean is loved for its sweet, delicate meat and rich and creamy innards, or kani miso. At one of the world's largest wholesale markets, an expert shows us what to look out for in terms of quality. Also join cage fishers in Hokkaido Prefecture during chilly morning hours. After the treasure hunt at the sea, taste the prized horsehair crab in local dishes, and venture back to Tokyo to see how it's used in international cuisine. (Reporter: Kyle Card)

Kaki, or Japanese persimmons, represent fall in Japan. Introduced to Europe in around the 16th century, the fruit is referred to by its Japanese name around the world. Around 60 varieties of nutritious kaki can be found across Japan, with differing flavors and shapes. Visit Wakayama Prefecture to taste local kaki dishes, then head to a village deep in the mountains where curtains of dried kaki hang. Discover a New Year's tradition involving the fruit, and more about kaki's deep roots in Japanese culture. (Reporter: Janni Olsson)