Crispy yet juicy, sweet but spicy, tebasaki karaage (deep-fried chicken wings) are extremely popular throughout Japan. They go fantastic with beer and are hard to stop eating once you get started. Moreover, women know they're chock full of collagen that's good for their skin. Said to have originated from Aichi Prefecture, tebasaki are similar to buffalo chicken wings served in the West, but have a Japanese soy sauce base. There are variations on the recipe, but the most popular flavor is sweet and spicy. Why not try authentic tebasaki this summer in Aichi Prefecture!

Japanese slurp their soba (buckwheat noodles) because it tastes better that way. While enjoyed throughout the year, soba is especially satisfying when eaten cold in the summer. Japanese also eat soba on special occasions such as New Year's Eve and after moving to a new home. Soba restaurants were traditionally established in old renovated Japanese houses, but tachigui (stand-up) soba shops are now everywhere, even on train station platforms, reflecting soba's huge popularity. Always delicious, soba can be eaten with sake and hors d'oeuvres to brighten any occasion.

Nasu (Japanese eggplant) became a symbol of happiness in Japan because its pronunciation is the same as for the word "achieve." There is even a popular idiom, "Mount Fuji first, hawk second and eggplant third" that ranks nasu third in the list of auspicious things that can appear in your first dream of the year. Nasu have been cultivated in Japan for the last 1200 years and are commonly eaten in homes as well as at restaurants. They taste great, whether grilled, boiled, baked or fried, and contain potassium that helps cool down your body in the hot summertime. We especially recommend eating them grilled as an appetizer with soy sauce, grated ginger and dried bonito flakes. Simply delicious!