Welcome to Nakagama's

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Nakagama's Bosch Kitchen Center!

Looking for our line up of kitchen equipment and Bosch machines?
Go to Nakagama Bosch Kitchen Center

Japanese Food & Grocery

Our staff with helpful, friendly advice can help you make a simple Japanese dish or a full course meal.

Please feel free to shop or simply browse through our store to experience a little part of Japan right here in Lethbridge.

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Giftware & Rice Cookers

We carry a wide array of ceramic dishware, tea sets, sake sets as well as fans, dolls and chopstick sets.

We also have many novelty items like key chains, cell phone charms, and origami paper. Come in and browse our extensive line of Japanese themed giftware.

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NutriMills

The NutriMill Family of grain mills offers everyone a fast easy and affordable way to mill your own grain and legumes into fresh nutritious flour. Pre-ground flour often pales in nutrition with essential oils removed to protect from rancidity and then often has artificial additives and preservatives inserted to imitate desired manufacturers characteristics.

Nakagama Bosch Kitchen Center

The Bosch kitchen machine can replace many of the appliances in your kitchen. The available added attachments can make it your mixer, blender, food processor, meat grinder and much more.

View more at Nakagama’s Bosch Online Store

Nakagama Bosch Kitchen Center

 

Shopping from Calgary?

Nakagamas offers, by pre-order, our complete line of products with drop-off delivery to the Calgary Nikkei Centre!

Drop Off Dates

With the kind permission of the CJCA (Calgary Japanese Community Association), Nakagams has been bringing up a selection of products to the CJCA center on the last Wednesday of certain months from 11am to 3pm. All friends and customers are welcome to drop by.  

December 4, 2019

April 2020 (Sakura Tea)

July 4,2020 (Stampede Breakfast)

August 2020 (Omatsuri Festival)

December 2, 2020

 

Loyalty Program

Membership is free and we start every new account with a signing bonus of 2500 points. Points earned are kept in the account forever unless there is no activity in the account for one year; then the account reverts to zero.

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To sign-up and join, we will assign a membership number placed by barcode on your membership card. With your permission, we can also access your account with your telephone number. You can then, either show your card or tell the clerk your phone number to earn points in your account. (In this way, you do not always have to show your card and anyone can assign their purchase to an account if they know the phone number.) Same household members for example, can then make separate visits and still earn points.

We will absolutely not call you or give this information to any other party for any reason whatsoever. (In the event, you do not wish us to use your phone number, the assigned 10 digit number is used but you will then need to have the card so it can be scanned to award points.) Effective Dec. 1, 2015, with each regular grocery purchase, the clerk will scan your membership card and points will be added to your account. You will earn 750 points for every $10 purchase or portion thereof.

As points accumulate, you earn higher levels of rank as designated by the color of belt on your card. Everyone starts with a white belt and can move up in rank to eventually be at the highest rank of black belt where the reward is greatest.

At each level, gift certificates are awarded to use as cash dollars for future purchases. Phone numbers are used only for the purpose of awarding points to your account.

Reward levels

  • White belt upon sign-up starting with a 2500 point starting bonus.
  • 25000 points earns a $5.00 certificate and a yellow belt.
  • 50000 points earns a $5.00 certificate and an orange belt.
  • 75000 points earns a $10.00 certificate and a green belt.
  • 100,000 points earns a $10.00 certificate and a blue belt.
  • 125,000 points earns a $10.00 certificate and a brown belt.
  • 150,000 points earns a $10.00 certificate and a black belt.

Every 25,000 points earned from this point on receives a $10.00 certificate.

Recipes

Miso Soup

4 cups Dashi (soup stock)
½ piece Ageh, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 Tablespoons Miso Paste
3 oz. Tofu, cut into bite-sized blocks
4 tbsp. Green Onions, chopped

Bring the dash to a full boil, add the ageh and cook for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat and add the tofu. Simmer for 1 minute, do not boil the tofu. Place the miso paste in a ladle or small strainer, and while holding the utensil suspended in the soup, stir the miso paste into the soup until it is dissolved. Bring the soup just up to boiling point but do not boil. Add chopped green onions.
Note: Boiling the tofu or miso will reduce their food value.
OPTIONAL: Dashi is generally a fish based soup stock but vegetable broth is a good alternative. For a heartier soup, other vegetables may be added such as wakame seaweed, bean sprouts, taro root, white potatoes or carrots, spinach, Chinese cabbage, etc. These should be added in order of cooking time needed to reach desired tenderness after the ageh is added but before the tofu and miso paste.

Sunomono – Cold Noodle Salad

4 inch strip of thinly sliced English Cucumber
50 grams of Harussame Noodles
1/2 cup of Tiny Cooked Shrimp (or crab meat)
7 tbsp. of Rice Vinegar
3 tbsp. of Sugar
2 tbsp. of Water
2 tbsp. of Mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine) – optional

Mix the vinegar, sugar, water, & mirin together for use as a dressing. Slice the cucumbers and place in cold water until ready for use. Soak the noodles in cold water for 5 minutes and then boil them in water for 2 minutes. Drain & cool in colander. Squeeze the water from the cucumbers and mix thoroughly with the noodles. Place the cucumbers & noodles in salad bowls, dress the top with the shrimp and pour the dressing on top. Serves 4.

Sushi Su (Vinegar Dressing For Rice)

(For 3 rice cooker cups (2/3 regular cups) of raw rice)

4 oz Japanese Rice Vinegar
5 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon M.S.G (optional)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly until all seasonings are dissolved. Heating or microwaving the solution is acceptable to dissolve ingredients more quickly.

Sushi Rice

Introduce to the rice, the Sushi Su, gently stirring it into the rice and fanning the mixture. Use a large bowl but preferably not metal, since metal retains its heat so well.

Folklore

THE STORY OF THE CRANE

The crane is a symbol of longevity and fidelity to the Japanese people. The bird lives for many years and Japanese legend says it can live for 1000 years. The crane also only has one mate during its’ lifetime.

Giving birthday, wedding and anniversay gifts with the symbol of the crane on them is particularly appropriate to the Japanese.

THE DARUMA DOLL

This robust character is a symbol of good luck, good fortune, and strength. The Daruma’s physical presence is strong, and in most cases, the doll is difficult to knock over due to it’s rotund figure. As a result, it is said that the Daruma will never fall to defeat or failure and will always bounce back to stand upright again.

Merchants and shopkeepers will often paint one eye of the Daruma with hope for a prosperous business. When success does come their way, they will paint in the second eye.

People starting a new project, a new career, or new lifestyle, will also follow this practice with hopes for success in their venture.

KOKESHI NINGYO DOLL

The Kokeshi Ningyo dolls are the most popular of all Japanese folkcraft. They come in all sizes and shapes, and their specific forms, facial features and painted patterns identify the region where they are made. The art is passed from master to apprentice, and while the basic carving of their distinctive shapes is done by the apprentice, each is hand-painted by the master.

The origin of Kokeshi is thought by some scholars to invoke the protection of the gods. It is said that in very olden days during years of famine, girl children often had to be sold as indentured servants for the family’s survival. Girl children were not considered as important as boy children who had the responsibility of carrying on the family name and heritage, while girl children were inevitably “given away” in marriage. Thus the Kokeshi Ningyo is almost always a girl; a memorial to the child lost through hardship or perhaps even through marriage. Today they are considered collectors’ items.

History of Nakagama’s

Ryutaro Nakagama started the business on 1st Avenue in 1947 serving mostly Japanese-Canadian citizens living in the surrounding area.  Over time however, we have been privileged to serve an ever growing customer base and now serve many customers from different ethnicities, backgrounds, tastes and lifestyles.

Come in to Nakagama’s and experience a little part of Japan right here in Lethbridge.

Ken Nakagama

Owner, Nakagama's

 

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Store Hours:

  • Monday: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Thursday: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Friday: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Saturday: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Sunday & Holidays: closed

 

Nakagamas