Sen O Kaku: Japan: One Bite at a Time

I'm short on time tonight, so this is another image-laden post, but it's on one of my favorite topics of all time...

FOOD!

Oh my god, I love food. I love cooking and experimenting and harnessing the challenge of cooking in my microscopic "kitchen." I've masterfully overcome this challenge by relying heavily on eating out and using the microwave. Once upon a time in America, I had the freedom to cook on my mother's full range stove and in the enormous oven. There were acres of counter space (in comparison to the index card size counter I have now) and cavernous cabinets for storing the myriad spices and dry ingredients.

But alas, Japan is seriously lacking in the now-popular ingredients flooding American shelves including quinoa, flax, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, stone-rolled oats, quality hard cheeses, real peanut butter or honey,...the list goes on and on. Some clever shopping can root out some similar products but oh, it's just not the same.

Japan, in its own defense, offers a wide variety of new and interesting ingredients that I wouldn't otherwise get to use in America. Nori (dried seaweed for wrapping, cutting, and garnishing), taro root, lotus roots, all kinds of noodles from soba to some sort of clear, slimy noodle popular in nabe because it boils well without getting mushy...

Eat me, Seymour!

It doesn't get any fresher!

Over the winter holiday, I'll be cruising some local stores and shamelessly photographing some more of the wondrous oddities because honestly, I don't know what half of it is or how to describe some of the stranger items.

Anyone up for some deadly blowfish?

Want breakfast? That's cute. Have some chicken.

But for now, here's a small glimpse at what I've put in my body over the past few months.

Perverts.

Izakaya: where weird shit happens

First, 居酒屋 (izakaya). Izakaya's only comparison in America would be your neighborhood dive or bar. You go for the familiar faces, the drinks and the little snacks. Izakaya seldom offer full meals, so you get little tidbits from grilled meat or veggies to noodles or grilled onigiri!

One of the best izakaya I've been to has a little woman running the place. She sits down with her customers, knows everyone by name and has a smile as big as Mt. Fuji. She has a garden where she grows a lot of the fresh ingredients for her snacks. By far, her best snack is her gyuutan...grilled cow tongue! Salty, tender and delicious!

And oh my lord, the beer!

すし (sushi). Who doesn't like sushi, or even sashimi? Weirdos and people who are not to be trusted, that's who. Quality product is good tasting and good for you: low calorie and full of tasty vitamins and minerals, come on, what's not to love???

豚カツ (tonkatsu). Okay, simply put, it's fried meat. More elaborately put, it's deliciously seasoned, tender cuts of meat (usually pork), battered, dipped in flaky, crunchy panko breadcrumbs and then fried in a wok big enough for bathing. You can get your veggies and rice too, but who cares...TONKATSU!

どんぶり (donburi). Rice in a bowl with meat on top. Lots of variety, by my favorite is with beef and onions.

Okay, let's break it down. Udon is thick, white wheat noodle soup. Soba is brown usually and made of buckwheat. Ramen goes by "curly noodle soup..." oh, what...am I the only one who called it that as a kid? Like ramen and soba, it comes in a variety of types and styles, hot and cold, with meat or not...soba is healthy for you too, so bonus!

焼肉 (yakiniku). Literally translated to "grilled meat." Also called Japanese BBQ, it's very popular in Japan because at most restaurants, it's a DIY deal. You order your set and cozy up to the stove or grill embedded in the table while the kitchen gets your order together. When it all comes out, you use long metal tongs to lay out your veggies and meats and watch the live coals grill your dinner in front of you! You can do this with okonomiyaki (Japanese style "omelet"). Order your ingredients, receive a bowl of goodies with an egg in it and then you scramble everything with spatulas. Top it with rich brown sauces, octopus flakes, onion or that most popular of Japanese ingredients...mayonnaise!

Sweets and snacks. Oh Japan loves their sweets. Ice cream, soft cream, cake, たいやき (fish shaped, sweet bean paste filled pastries) and the most majestic sundaes you've ever laid eyes on!

International deliciousness: chestnut creme brulee!

All kinds of snacks are available too...and in some of the weirdest flavors. Ever had octopus jerky? How about little fish mixed with almond slivers? Next time you find it, munch on octopus crackers. How tasty!

Onsen are great for quality foodstuffs, too. Most onsen offer some sort of cafe or restaurant for patrons who are only there for a few hours as well as for the overnight guests. They usually taste extravagant and add to your luxurious and tranquil feelings post-soak...but typically, they're pretty affordable!

べんと (bento). The Japanese style lunch box, it's so much more than a paper sack with a baloney sandwich and a Capri Sun. Parents labor over their children's bento, including favored treats and even going so far as to cut nori, sausages and carrots into pretty shapes or anime characters! No joke, bento is an art form! Look up bento art and blow your mind...then look at your PB&J and shed a little tear of envy.