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Local Cooking Experience with Cactus

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Price
From¥5,000
Price
From¥5,000
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Lunch
  • LunchStart Time: 11:00Available: 10 seats
  • DinnerStart Time: 17:00Available: 10 seats
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NEWSLETTER

2.5 hours
Min Age : 7+
Max People : 10
Your Experience at a Glance

Kasugai City, just a couple of minutes by train from Nagoya, is the biggest producer of edible cactus in Japan. 

Join a cooking class and learn about the amazing health benefits of cactus as well as its versatile use and unique taste and texture.

Learn the basics of Japanese cooking, preparing different typical Japanese dishes with the option of adding cactus as a twist.

Experience Price

5000 yen/person

Experience Type

Private Experience

Meeting Location

Kachigawa Station (Google Maps)

End Location

Kachigawa Station (Google Maps)

Start Time and Duration

Start twice a day at 11:00 and 17:00 (2.5 hours)

Languages Offered

English, Japanese

Language Proficiency

English: Business ★★★☆☆
Japanese: Native ★★★★★

Price Includes

  • Pickup by car from Kachigawa station
  • Printed recipes (also a digital copy will be delivered to you via email)
  • All ingredients used during the cooking class
  • All foods you prepare (take home the leftovers)
  • Green tea and sweet

Price Excludes

  • Transportation to and from Kachigawa Station

Additional Information

  • This cooking class is family friendly
  • This cooking class is not wheelchair accessible
  • This cooking class is stroller-friendly

COVID-19 Measures

  • Host will wear a face mask (or face shield) during the experience/tour
  • Host will wash and sanitize their hands regularly before and during the experience/tour
  • Guests are required to wear a mask during the experience/tour except when eating or drinking
  • Guests are encouraged to wash and sanitize their hands before and during the experience/tour
  • For pickup services: Host will ensure that all surfaces in the vehicle are properly sanitized and wiped down before and after the service.
  • For local house experiences: Host will ensure that all the spaces are properly sanitized, wiped down and ventilated before and after the experience.
  • Host will provide hand sanitiser for the guests
  • Host will provide face masks for the guests
What You'll Do

Meet Akiko at Kachigawa Station which is only 15 minutes away from Nagoya. From there she will give you a ride to her home which is only a couple of minutes away.

Start your experience with tea and some snacks, get to know each other, and talk about today’s menu by reading through the recipes. Choose your favorite apron from Akiko’s collection and you are ready to start cooking.

You will start by making your own Dashi stock. Nowadays most Japanese people don’t bother making their own and tend to buy instant stock, but at Akiko’s house, you will get the opportunity to prepare the dried fish and boil your own.

The first dish you will make is Dote Ni, a red Miso stew with meat and vegetables. Akiko will already have prepared the base but she will happily explain to you how it is made. Surprisingly, cactus complements this dish very well as an additional vegetable (together with carrots and burdock).

Deep fry some cactus and other vegetables as well as shrimp to make delicious crispy Tempura. You can eat the Tempura as is or form them into Tenmusu (mini rice balls). Akiko will introduce you to the finer points of rice ball making so your Onigiri or Tenmusu at home will also be light and fluffy from now on.

Tonkatsu is a deep-fried pork cutlet popular all over the country. In the Aichi region around Nagoya, people love serving it with a red Miso sauce. Deep-fry your cutlet battered in Panko to golden crispy perfection and let it soak up the Miso sauce just before serving. This Miso Katsu is especially delicious with a salad made from grated cabbage and raw sliced cactus.

Once all your dishes are prepared it is time to eat. Set the table and enjoy your creations. Akiko will introduce you to Japanese table manners while eating, and tell you how to eat the different dishes you have made. Don’t forget to ask all the questions you have about Japanese food and recommendations for Nagoya!

If you can’t eat up everything that’s fine. Just take home the leftovers, and don’t forget your recipes either. They will be helpful whenever you want to cook your favorite dishes from Nagoya at home.

  • Learn how to make Dashi stock from scratch
  • Learn about the health benefits of cactus and different ways to prepare it
  • Deep-fry Tempura and learn to form fluffy rice balls
  • Prepare Miso Katsu from scratch
Your Experience Step by Step

MeetingKachigawa Station

Meet Akiko at Kachigawa Station and get a ride to her home.

PreparationEnjoy a Drink

Enjoy tea and a snack while being introduced to today’s recipes.

Dish 1Dashi Soup Stock

Make Dashi stock from scratch from two types of dried fish.

Dish 2Dote Ni

Finish up the Dote Ni that Akiko has prepared for you.

Dish 3Tempura and Tenmusu

Deep-fry different kinds of vegetables (including cactus) to make Tempura and form beautiful fluffy rice balls.

Dish 4Miso Katsu

Deep-fry a pork cutlet and drown it in a red Miso sauce. Served with a salad made from cabbage and cactus this dish is simply delicious.

EatEnjoy your Meal

Enjoy eating all the dishes you have prepared today. Get an introduction to Japanese table manners.

Closing UpKachigawa Station

Pack up leftovers and don’t forget your recipes. Akiko will drive you back to Kachigawa Station where you will say goodbye.

Where You'll Be

Meet Your Host
Akiko Okabe

Akiko Okabe

Akiko’s love and excitement for cooking began as a child growing up in a suburb of Nagoya. By the time she was in high school, she could prepare her own bento box and she still has fond memories of Takoyaki, the crispy Octopus dumplings that were cooked in her home almost every day! She has been cooking for almost 40 years now and it is the one thing that truly keeps her happy. 

Akiko is thrilled about the opportunity to share specialties from Nagoya as a lot of people don’t know how to cook Nagoya-style food. Because of this, many Nagoyans themselves eat their local specialties at restaurants.

Your Experience in Pictures

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