About Me


My name is Hiroko Liston. I am a Japanese born Australian, currently living in an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Australia.

I moved to Australia in 1994 and started teaching Japanese at local primary schools in Victoria.

I wrote some books for teachers of Japanese. They were published from KYOZAI – LOTE Teaching Aids. The books are called ‘Idea Books – Teaching Japanese For Juniors’. They are collections of primary school curriculum samples, lesson ideas, flash card and worksheet masters, game and activity ideas.

I also wrote a book called ‘Japanese Cooking In The Classroom’ to help teachers to let their students to experience some Japanese food. In those days, it was quite difficult to find Japanese ingredients, even the basics for making sushi.

The closest Japanese grocery store was more than one hour drive from my home. I needed to challenge myself to create Japanese dishes using locally available ingredients.

More and more Japanese and Asian ingredients are available from many supermarket stores these days. And also because of the popular TV cooking shows, more people are interested in different food.

I was often asked about Japanese food, how to make Dashi Stock, how to make Sushi Vinegar, how to cook Sukiyaki, which Miso they should buy, etc.

So I decided to make a website to share my knowledge about Japanese cooking and ingredients, and my family recipes with everyone.

I am just a cook, who loves food and cooking for my family and friends. My cooking is home style for everyday meals. Some are good for entertaining friends.

I hope this website can help you to enjoy Japanese cooking. If you have any questions or requests, please feel free to ask me. Or you may wish to share your cooking ideas and recipes on my Facebook page.

Let’s enjoy cooking.

Hiroko