Depending on the amount of mineral elements in the water, there are two types of water.
One type of water that contains a lot of minerals is called hard water. Generally, the water in Europe is ‘hard water’. It is good for making stews of meat, fish, and so on.
On the other hand, there is soft water, which contains fewer minerals, and the water is suitable for Japanese cuisine, cooking rice, etc.
How to use hard water for Japanese cuisine
Prepare the soft water from the hard water beforehand.But HOW?
If you use bottled water from the grocery store, check the ingredient label first, especially for hydrocarbonates. If you see this on the label, the tips below may be useful.
What you need to do in advance is “just boil” it and let it cool.
It is possible to remove the mineral that remains as carbonate.And you can use this water as soft water once you get it.
In general, the water in Europe is hard. Thus, this method above is helpful in most cases.
For cooking rice
Provide water (transform from hard water if necessary).
Raise the rice and soak for a while (30 minutes or so).
Turn on the cooker if you are using it, or light the gas stove.
For making miso soup
Provide dashi soup with soft water.
Add miso to the dashi soup and finish.
At the moment of this step, you can add your favorite foods, such astofu, wakame (kelp), etc.
