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The dinner rotation is an unspoken, yet essential schedule. Most of us have five or six reliable recipes tucked away in our back pockets, ready to be pulled out at a moment’s notice. Sometimes this means cooking the same dishes week in, week out. Venturing outside this routine should be an exciting prospect. Maybe you’ve been inspired by a travel documentary or a new cookbook caught your eye. It doesn’t look that hard, right? But hunting down the right ingredients can feel like a minefield when you don’t really know what you’re looking for or even where to find them. Shopping well is crucial for success in the kitchen. God only knows the number of times I’ve come home with the wrong thing or given up because I was overwhelmed by the supermarket aisles. What if I end up wasting money on a new meal that turns out catastrophic? Some cuisines are more daunting than others. Japanese food has such a reputation for perfection that the idea of making anything other than a katsu at home terrifies me. But it wouldn’t be so scary if I had a real-life expert to walk me through the supermarket shelves, show me what to look for and demonstrate that I could indeed be churning out beautiful sushi, delicious broths and other Japanese dishes from my humble kitchen. Enter: cookbook author and teacher, Atsuko Ikeda, who has offered to take me to an Asian cash and carry to teach me how to shop for Japanese ingredients. We meet at Tazaki, a major distributor of Asian ingredients in the UK that has a warehouse in North Greenwich. It was previously owned by SeeWoo but was acquired by Tazaki last year and is currently in the process of revamping stock. However, it still carries just about everything you need to get started on a Japanese culinary adventure. Ikeda, who has authored three cookbooks on Japanese small plates, comfort food and sushi, is a frequent visitor. We begin by perusing the fresh ingredients, like daikon (white winter radish), whole lotus root and mustard greens. The whole lotus root can be sliced thinly and fried to make crispy lotus chips, while the snow-white daikon can be grated into sauce or cubed and added to soups. But we’re starting simpler. Ikeda picks up shimeji mushrooms, small round cap fungi with medium-length stems that grow from a single base. These have an earthier flavour and are denser in texture than regular button or chestnut mushrooms, which means they retain their size and shape a little better. Spring onions, avocado and carrots also make it into the basket, common vegetables that can be found in any supermarket. We move onto carbs and delve into the rice section. As Ikeda is teaching me how to make sushi later, she explains that it is made with Japanese short-grain rice; it has a more glutinous, starchy texture than long-grain rice, which is more popular in the UK. This starchy quality of short-grain rice makes it stickier, an essential feature to make sure sushi rolls and nigiri bites don’t fall apart. A trusted brand for most Japanese ingredients, including sushi rice, is Yutaka, which can be found almost anywhere – I’ve seen it stocked in my local fishmonger. Plenty of other brands abound, with some supermarkets even providing their own brand products, but Ikeda’s recommendation goes straight into my basket. She points out a variety of noodles, and we’re talking much more than udon. There are bouncy shirataki noodles, almost transparent noodles made from konjac yam that can be eaten hot or cold. You can purchase frozen ramen noodles if you’re experimenting with making your own ramen, but Ikeda winks as she tells me she usually just goes to her favourite ramen shop when she’s craving it. Soba noodles, which can be bought dried, are perfect for the summer when tossed into a cold peanut sauce with an assortment of vegetables. The list goes on and on, but Ikeda reassures me that most noodles are versatile and it mainly depends on what type of texture you’re going for rather than flavour. Next is the condiments aisle, where miso resides (can miso be considered a condiment? I’m not so sure). Miso is, of course, a must-have staple. Ikeda points out three types: white miso, sweet rice miso and barley miso. Later, when we taste them, I’m surprised to learn how vastly different they taste from one another. The white miso, which is the most common type used in recipes, has a slight tang and a savouriness that makes your mouth water, while the barley has a deeper, maltier flavour that is mcuh more comforting. I highly recommend buying different types to taste for yourself. Ikeda also introduces me to yuzugosho, a spicy, tart condiment containing the yuzu fruit and fiery green chillies. It brought a tear to my eye, both from the heat and delicious flavour. Ikeda also teaches me that most commercial wasabi contains more horseradish than wasabi, so buyer beware: if you’re seeking the real deal, you may have to be prepared to shell out more money than you initially think. Some brands are 100 per cent horseradish, marketed as wasabi, so checking the label is essential. The same goes for mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine which varies in alcohol content. A good rule of thumb is that the cheaper the mirin, the lower the alcohol content. Soy sauce is another staple for most Asian cuisines, but there are differences. Ikeda prefers to use tamari soy sauce, which is thicker and, I find, not as intensely salty as the soy sauce you usually get in tiny fish-shaped plastic bottles from takeaways. At home, I’m a Kikkoman soy sauce fan, but Ikeda recommends Yutaka’s organic tamari soy sauce for a more mellow, sweeter flavour. In terms of proteins, it depends on what dish you want. We’re focused on fish, particularly sushi-grade salmon, which you can buy from Tazaki or most fishmongers. This is where I’m especially nervous, because it’s easy to get the cut wrong. However, knowledgeable fishmongers are your best friends when it comes to choosing the cut, so ask plenty of questions. Ikeda shows me how to slice the salmon for different types of sushi rolls and nigiri, as well as how to steam the fish in a baking parchment parcel, slathered in miso and accompanied by the shimeji mushrooms we’d purchased earlier. You can also add fish roe or masago caviar to your Japanese dishes. The bright orange spheres add a unique saltiness and a satisfying texture to sushi, but can also be used to top rice dishes or stirred through Japanese-inspired pastas. A reliable brand is Elsinore, which can be found in Waitrose. I still find the idea of making sushi daunting, but the supermarket aisles no longer feel so intimidating now that I have a clearer idea of what to look for. It reminds me of how fun it is to try something new in the kitchen and, armed with cookbooks from the experts, the delicious results will keep me coming back for more. Read More Grace Dent’s quick and easy recipes that only require the microwave Forest Side, review: Cumbrian produce elevated to Michelin-starred proportions Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money

Harry Kane was the latest guest to appear on First We Feast's Hot Ones challenge and proved he could handle the heat off the pitch. The YouTube show sees host Sean Evans interview celebrity guests. During each question, both he and a guest eat a chicken wing that has been coated in different hot sauces, with the Scoville level (the heat or spiciness) increasing each time. Some of the previous celebrity guests include Jennifer Lawrence, Gordon Ramsay, Florence Pugh, and Noel Gallagher. In the latest episode, host Evans began by asking the England captain how he is around spicy food, to which Kane admitted that he's "not great," adding that "it's not something [he] normally [has] a lot". The first wing had a Scoville level of 1,600 which Kane ate with ease and said it was "not too bad," as Evans asked the footballer about his record-breaking season, scoring over 30 goals and becoming England's all-time leading goal scorer. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Kane described the latter achievement as a "dream come true," before having a slight cough and reaching for a glass of milk - was the spice getting to him already? Harry Kane Takes One For the Team While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones www.youtube.com Next up was a wing with a Scoville level of 6,000 and to Kane's surprise he found this one "a little easier". "I do like a curry back home in England, so I'm quite familiar with that taste," he told Evans, appearing more confident in his ability to handle the spice. For the wings with a Scoville level of 15,500, 36,500, and then 49,000, followed by 71,000 and 103,000, Kane took them in his stride, with some coughs, a runny nose and sips of milk along the way. Then came "Da Bomb," hot sauce at a Scoville level of 135,600 which a nervous Kane commented: "I've heard about this. I've just heard it's brutal. Unenjoyable." Though it didn't stop the Tottenham player from taking a bite, before telling Evans that it was "not nice," and "disgusting," and added that he could have the other sauces he's tried with food, but not with "Da Bomb". Despite the discomfort, Kane continued on to eat wings that had a Scoville level of 641,000 before finally making it to the final wing where he join in the tradition of dabbing an extra bit of sauce on the wing. Going straight for it, the footballer noted how the heat "straight up [his] nose". Footy fans loved seeing Kane on Hot Ones and in the comments praised performance for making it to the end. One person said: "Never in a million years did I think I'd see Harry Kane on this show, but I'm all here for it." "Let's be real he surprised every single one of us after seeing his reaction to the first wing. Respect," another person wrote. Someone else added: "Harry seems so wholesome!! And handled the hot sauces so well for someone who doesn't appear to eat much hot sauce." "One of the best episodes ever! Big bites, no complaints and a good talk," a fourth person commented. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.