From Mom’s Kitchen to My Plate: The Best Bacon Ever

smoke both the bacon and the baby

Even though I teach Japanese cooking and run food tours in Tokyo 🇯🇵🥢, I have a huge soft spot for bacon 🥓❤️. Recently, my mom made her famous homemade bacon again—one of my all-time favorite treats. And this time? I got to do what I do best: eat it 😋🔥.

The process takes two full weeks: pork belly is salted, soaked in a sweet brine, dried, and finally smoked in our garden 🌿🔥. The smell fills the house, sticks to your clothes, and instantly makes you feel like you’re at a cozy campsite 🏕️.

I love how food connects different cultures. In Japan, we cherish subtle flavors and seasonal ingredients, but there’s something universally joyful about rich, smoky bacon. On my food tours, I often share both worlds: authentic Japanese dishes like sashimi, and little surprises like mochi bacon 🍣🥓. It’s a fun way to explore how tastes and traditions cross borders!

No matter how much I love sushi or ramen, a bite of my mom’s smoky bacon always makes me grin—and sometimes I just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy being a “taste tester” for a change ❤️✨.