Our theme for this episode is “cooking rice,” and we’ll be introducing the Japanese celebratory staple sekihan rice. Its chewy texture is beloved all across Japan. We’ll teach you the secrets to making the azuki beans a beautiful red, and the trick to making sesame salt, the perfect finishing touch to bring out the natural sweetness of the beans. We will make it in a special way that even Japanese people don’t know about! For our side dish, we’ll be making simmered shrimp coated with egg. This dish is a celebratory standard at high-class Japanese restaurants, and Chef Saito will be teaching us every step of how to make it, from preparing the shrimp to cooking it perfectly. We’ll also learn about the history of sekihan: since long ago, it has been said to have the power to drive off evil spirits, so sekihan has long been a special dish in Japanese cooking. Watch as we unravel the mysteries of the special significance of its red color.