How to use Japanese wooden steamer to cook healthy food

 

 

A wooden steamer is a cooking utensil that uses steam to cook. It is widely used especially in East Asian countries.

When you think about using a wooden steamer at home, you might have various concerns about which steamer to choose and how to use/care. Here explains the best wooden steamer for your cooking.

 

 

 

 

Good things about steamers

 

There are several reasons why we recommend cooking food using a wooden steamer instead of a microwave.

 

・ Steaming vegetables increases the taste and sweetness

・ Vegetables do not get excessive moisture and are delicious even when cooled

・ Healthy because the nutritional value does not dissolve like boiled vegetables

・ Meat removes excess fat, reducing calories

・ A wooden steamer's scent is good

・ Easy to cook because you just put ingredients inside and steam

・ Easy to serve on a dining table

 

Steamers can be used not only for cooking meat and fish, but also for cooking vegetables, and for heating frozen bread, such as batard and campagne. In addition, although if you cook meat buns or dumplings in a microwave oven, the surface becomes firm, they will soft and delicious if you cook with a steamer.

 

 

Steamer's material, size, and pot

 

 

Various materials of steamers

 

Bamboo, cedar, and cypress are typical materials for wooden steamers. Even if the material is different, the usage and steaming conditions are the same. Yet, there are differences in durability and fragrance.

 

Bamboo: Low fragrance, recommended for those who do not want to transfer the scent of wood to food.

Cedar: It has a nice refreshing scent. Recommended for those who like wood.

Cypress: Has fine grain and high durability. When steamed, it has a slight scent. Steamers sold by ZUTTO are made of cypress with bamboo lids.

 

 

Proper size for family

 

 

 

Steamers sold by ZUTTO are available in diameters of 15cm (5.9in), 21cm (8.2in), and 24cm (9.6in).

 

The 15cm steamer is for one to two people, and the 21cm is for three to four people. The 24cm steamer is recommended for more than four people. You can use 15cm for making side dishes and 21cm/24cm for the main dish.

 

 

 

Which pot to use

 

 

 

To use a steamer, you also need to have a steaming pot. A regular pot can be used as well. In that case, a pot with a spout cannot be used. It is safe to use a deep pot with enough width of the edge because a steamer can be stably placed.

 

 

 

In addition, if the diameter of the pot is not exactly the same as the steamer, steaming will not work well. If the pot and the steamer do not match in diameter, we recommend using a metal steaming plate between them, called Mushi-ita.

 

 

 

How to use a wooden steamer

 

Now, let's start using a steamer. There are some tips to make the steamer last longer when used.

 

1. Wet the steamer before use

 

 

The steamer brand, Yamaichi, recommends soaking a steamer in water for about 15 minutes before use. The inside of the material would be soaked well, and it makes the steamer hard to burn. Even if you do not have time, it is important to make the steamer, including a lid wet.

 

 

2. Add ingredients to the steamer

 

 

 

• Lay a cooking sheet or vegetables with large leaves, such as lettuce and Chinese cabbage on the bottom of the steamer so that the ingredients do not stick to the steamer.
• If you want to cook rice or other small ingredients, wrap them with a cloth
• You can also put tableware in a steamer. In that case, put a cloth on the bottom to remove easily

 

 

By not placing the food directly on the steamer, you can use the steamer for a long time. It prevents the food from sticking, smelling and spots.

※ When you start steaming, water drops may fall on the ingredients from the inside of the lid. Cover the lid with a cloth to prevent it.

 

 

3. Put a steamer on a pot with boiling water

 

The steam becomes very hot, so be sure to use a potholder to hold a steamer.

 

4.Steam with the temperature of steam rising from the lid

5. The cooking time varies depending on the ingredients, so open the lid and check how good they are.

 

 

Here is a cooking example, steamed vegetables and dumplings.

 

 

 

 

Cooking with a steamer is easier than you think. You can make other side dishes while the ingredients are being steamed. You don't need to worry about the heat if you measure the time with a timer.

 

In addition, the smell of the wooden steamer makes cooking time fun. A good scent of wood comes even it is still steaming and even better when you open the lid! Along with the smell of the ingredients, the good aroma of wood is exceptional. It would be a good idea to prepare the table before steaming so that you can eat the dish as soon as it gets ready.

 

 

Yamaichi's cypress bamboo steamer

 

 

The steamer used introduced here is Yamaichi's CYPRESS BAMBOO STEAMER 21.

 

Yamaichi's steamers are all made by artisans in Kiso, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The round shape is made of boiled thin sheets of Kiso Hinoki (Japanese cypress). They are bent by a wooden roller. Then multiple wooden sheets of different sizes are layered. The steamers made of several layers of high-quality Japanese cypress are incredibly durable, and you would enjoy making steamed dishes for a long time. 

 

In addition, Yamaichi's steamers can be stacked simply by placing the lid on the main unit. The steamer has enough height to keep tableware inside.

 

 

 

 

ZUTTO also sells Yamaichi's steamer containers individually. If you use two or three layers of containers, you can make more than one dish at a time. Foods that take a long time to cook, such as root vegetables, should be put in the bottom row.

 

The lid of Yamaichi's steamer is made of woven bamboo. It allows excess steam to go through and prevents water droplets from falling onto the ingredients. Besides, the lid adjusts the moisture inside the entire steamer so that the ingredients would be evenly steamed even at low temperatures. 

 

 

 

 

In the land of Shinshu Kiso, where large trees with high age still grow, Yamaichi produces wood products made of high-quality wood "Hinoki" and "Sawara." The brand produces kitchen supplies such as steamers and cutting boards and bathroom supplies as well.

 

 

 

Care for long use of a steamer

 

 

Yamaichi's steamer is not coated. Therefore, care after use will affect how long it can be used.

 

 

・ Do not wash with dish soap, but with water and scrub brush

 

 

 

After using the steamer, use a scourer or brush to remove oil stains. Do not use dish soap. Washing with salt is also recommended.

 

 

・ Dry in a well-ventilated place

 

If possible, take the steamer outside and dry it so that the wind will pass through. Be careful not to expose it to direct sunlight. (If it is exposed to direct sunlight, it will get too dry, causing cracks and rattling.)

 

 

・ Care about ventilation when stored

When the steamer is completely dry, store it in a location that will not become hot and humid. Do not put it in a plastic bag.

 

 

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