The Mayans’ use of Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) traces back 4,000 years. Despite colonial shifts in diet, it is a staple of Yucatec Maya cuisine, valued for its nutritional richness and earthy flavor. This native leafy green, also known as “tree spinach or Mayan spinach,” is an important superfood in the Yucatán. Its persistence in backyards […]
“And this was the beginning of the formation of the people. Yellow corn and white corn were the food. From these, they made the body and the flesh. Ground was the corn, and made drink of, nine times was it washed. Their flesh was of the yellow corn, their blood of the white corn. Thus
The People of Maize Read More »
When I started as a sushi chef 18 years ago, the types of fish I would see coming into the restaurant were what you expect on a sushi menu: tuna, salmon, Japanese yellowtail, freshwater eel, and white fish. I am using the general label, “white fish” because even then, with less than 10 varieties of
Sushi. What fish are they actually serving you? Read More »
I had just finished my shift and plopped down in front of my 30 inch tv set a top cinderblocks and cracked open a miller lite and chewed on a microwaved pizza. I hit play on my VHS player and adjusted the tracking. One of my chef friends has let a dubbed copy of Iron
My journey to dry aging fish for sushi Read More »
After learning about dry aging and purchasing a UX1000 from DryAger, my next task was to learn the limits of dry aging fish. I had so many questions: I had my questions. Next, I used my science background to for a hypothesis: The dry ager would obviously dry out the fish alittle bit and the
44-Day Dry-Aged King Salmon Challenge by Chef Jay Huang Read More »
Seed oil is to 2025 what gluten-free was to the 2010s. More and more, I get asked in my restaurants: “Do you use seed oils?” or “Are you seed oil free?” It’s no longer a fringe question—it’s mainstream. And I get it. After doing a ton of research and reading The Big Fat Surprise by
Seed Oil Free Restaurants: Is It Worth the Cost? Read More »