Onions are eaten throughout the world, but in Japan, they're cooked with original techniques and used in a variety of Japanese dishes. This time, we bite into some of those dishes, including one available for just a short time in spring and another that features onion leaves. How have onions influenced Japanese cuisine? Join us to find out!

This time, we dive deep into soba, Japan's iconic buckwheat, which is used to make soba noodles. Soba long supported the lives of mountain dwellers who could not grow rice or wheat. It also has deep ties to Japanese culture, and is eaten to pray for long lives and more. Ever wondered why you slurp soba noodles in Japan? We discover the very special reason. We also visit a traditional production area and see the various ways soba is prepared there.

In Japan, peanuts are often eaten as-is, without flavoring or processing. That's because consumers want to taste the peanuts' own sweet, aromatic flavor. This time, we visit Japan's largest peanut production area, Chiba Prefecture, and learn about a traditional, machine-free drying method that gets the most sweetness out of the peanuts. We also sample a variety of local peanut dishes, meet scientists who spend some 15 years perfecting each new variety, and even try peanut ramen!

Daikon, Japanese radishes, are often over 30cm long, large and white, but there are also colorful types ranging from pink to green. They're an essential ingredient used in stews, salads, miso soup and more. We visit the Miura Peninsula, where half the daikon eaten in the Tokyo region are grown. There, we discover a "curtain" of thousands of daikon drying on a beach, soil supplemented with ground tuna, and the skills of those involved in daikon production. (Reporter: Jason Hancock)

Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan's large northern island, is known for its rich nature and great, Oishii food. Its expansive farmlands, about a quarter of Japan's total, yield fresh produce, while its bountiful seas are home to some of Japan's best seafood, including fish, marine plants and more. And don't forget dairy: Hokkaido is Japan's largest producer! Today, we showcase the best of our Hokkaido trails so far.

Today we focus on Furikake, rice's best friend. Invented by a pharmacist a century ago, it was originally intended as a health food. Furikake is a mixture of dried ingredients like chopped seaweed, eggs and fish flakes. With an ever-increasing variety of flavors, it's even great on salad and pasta. Follow our American reporter Jason to a Furikake manufacturer, and try making some at home! He also chats with a Japanese resident of Cambodia working to promote the topping there.

Winter is hot pot season in Japan. A single pot of veggies and seafood boiled in soup is all you need to stay cozy and warm. This episode focuses on the seasonal delicacies used in some of the most beloved recipes. Visit a port in Aomori Prefecture to see how a fish is prepared on the snow, and join sumo wrestlers for a traditional breakfast at their stable. From poisonous fish to radishes that grow in tuna fertilizer, discover the many winter gifts from the sea and land.

Curry in Japan mainly comes as a thick sauce poured over white rice. With the development of roux cubes, curry rice became easy to make at home and in schools, launching the food into national stardom. Specialty shops across the country also began cooking up their own versions of the popular dish. Once ready-to-eat pouched food hit the market, Japanese curry became a tasty regional souvenir. Discover more about the unique world of Japanese curry!

Japan has a number of carrot varieties resulting from selective breeding. Discover carrots grown beneath the snow and savor an array of dishes from French to Japanese.

Kabocha, or squash: over 160 types are grown in Japan, many of them native. Visit passionate farmers across the country, including those who utilize grape trellises and extended ripening methods.