Hiroyuki

I have just come back from my summer vacation. As you say, extra time sounds good. In Japanese, we call it rosu taimu. For your reference, here is a copy of the results of a search with Eijiro: 検索文字列 : ロスタイム 該当件数 : 8 ロスタイム added time〔サッカーの〕 ロスタイム extra time // injury time ロスタイム ；《サッカー》 stoppage time 後半のロスタイム second-half injury time 前半のロスタイムに ；《サッカー》 in the injury time of the first half ロスタイムに決勝点を決める ；《サッカー》 grab the winner in extra time ロスタイムに入って＿分後に ；《サッカー》 __ minutes into injury time ロスタイムに入ってわずか＿秒でXを打ち負かした。 It needed only __ minutes of extra time to beat X Eijoro on the Web: http://www.alc.co.jp/

I like both types, hamburger patty type and 'kyabetsu tappuri' (full of cabbage) type. I usually eat mine in the same way as corokke - with tonkatsu sauce and a lot of shredded cabbage on the side.

Translation: It's summer vacation! Principal! Student: Message from the principal! Principal: Starting from tomorrow, you are supposed to have summer vacation..., but because of you being late for school and dozing off (during class), you have extra time, and we will continue the first term! (Note: The sign says the extra time is 15 days. In Japanese school systems, we have three terms, first, second, and third.) All students: Oh, no! Fanta Sappari Peach is released! *** I will be away for a few days. I will be on my vacation. Bye!

I guess you are talking about something like these: http://www.coara.or.jp/~hilo/chuukahuu.htm http://ww81.tiki.ne.jp/~oyatudo/sonota/musipan2.html http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/seturl?mid=chin...3055&id=U000643 I can't find anything wrong with your recipe, except that I have to agree with torakris about leaving out miso. I'm wondering--is it your special ingredient? And, what exactly do you mean by similar cakes? Store-bought ones? I guess store-bought ones in Japan contain food additives to improve taste.

Thank you very much for your very quick and informative reply.

Could you (or chould anyone else) describe how the Toddy Coffee filter differs from other types of filter?

Sorry, forgot to respond to this. Nakagawa says that with the Matsuya method, the paper filter does not make any difference. So, I guess you can use any type of paper filter.

I know how you feel. I took me a whole week or so to fully understand the properties of superheated steam and appreciate the true value of its application to coffee roasting. The key word is the inversion point, above which superheated steam causes more water to evaporate than dry air does. *** Let me show you a brochure (pdf file) on the Super Steamer although it is entirely in Japanese. http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~nanacafe/image/maruyasu0.pdf At the top of the second page, you can see two photos. The right one shows a bean roasted with superheated steam, and the left one a bean roasted without it. Below the photos, you can see a 3-axis graph. The vertical axis represents flavor (umami), the right one bitterness, and the left one acidity. The blue points indicate the results of beans roasted with superheated steam, and the pink ones the results of beans roasted without it. You can see that superheated steam increases both umami and bitterness.

'Papery taste' is my translation of the term 'kami kusasa' in the original, literally, paper odor. I didn't translate this, but the original text encourages those who wish to know more about this topic to proceed to this page: http://www.flavorcoffee.co.jp/fla-79.html A brief summary is as follows: In the past, paper was bleached with chlorine, and blanching the paper filter in hot water was effective to washing out the chlorine. Besides, the paper filter was of poor quality. Today, however, the paper filter is bleached with oxygen or un-bleached, and what's more, paper making techniques have been improved drastically. He made some experiments, and what he found was: When you talk about paper odor, it is often the odor absorbed by the paper due to poor storage rather than the odor of paper itself.

The following is my translation of part of Nakagawa's reply. I have tried to be true to the original whenever possible, leaving the ambiguities and redundancies as they are. *** (Omitted. Some personal comments.) Originally, the Matsuya drip method is a technique for extracting coffee components selectively, that is, it is basically designed to dissolve 'umami' (flavorful components), which are easily soluble, by taking advantage of the high concentration of the solution. This is, however, the very fundamental form of this method. I mean, judging from the fact that this gentleman used the term 'fruity', I assume that he drinks coffee containing fine particles, as brewed in a French press. For people like him, I must employ the 'Shochiku drip' method, which makes coffee that makes one feel as if it contained fine particles, rather than the fundamental form of the Matsuya method, which makes a clear taste. Coffee brewing techniques are there for you to be able to make the kind of coffee preferred by the drinker at will. I mean, for those who drink it black, it is important to make a clear taste, as with the fundamental form of the Matsuya method, and for those who drink it with sugar and milk, you must employ a brewing technique such as the Shochiku drip to make coffee that makes one feel as if it contained fine particles so that it tastes good when milk is added. Besides, if you want to enjoy the aroma of coffee emitted when you grind it in a mill, you need a brewing technique using a lower water temperature, such as the 'Yasunaga method'. Brewing coffee by controlling the flavor at will according to the preference of the customer is, I think, the whole point of brewing. Probably, some people think that the French press is the absolute coffee maker. This is a matter of personal choice, and I think that's fine. (Omitted. He talks about the 'Sandwich Brewer', which he developed about twenty years ago. He says it is a kind of a combination of a French press and a coffee cartridge, and it makes a fairly good coffee, much better than the one made with a French press. You can see a photo of this brewer by clicking: http://www.flavorcoffee.co.jp/flavor-e.html ) Why did I switch from the French press to drip brew? As a matter of fact, the answer is very simple. I thought that the French press could not make strong coffee. I mean, I thought it was impossible to dissolve more in a solution with components dissolved. When you fill a pan with hot water, put coffee grounds, and stir up, you can only make it up to a certain strength. With a drip brew method, the coffee can be incredibly strong. This is because with a drip brew method, you pour water with nothing dissolved from above and drip water solution with the highest concentration down below. (Omitted. He returns to a further explanation of his 'Sandwich Brewer'.) As for the Toddy Coffee, I think it is something like mere cold-brewed coffee or iced-brew coffee, which I am currently studying. Regrettably, however, considering the fact that there is no step taken for preventing the formation of any paths through which water can easily pass (Translator's note: He refers to the step of removing all carbon dioxide from the bean grounds.), I think that cold-brewed and ice-brewed coffees taste better. I was a bit surprised to find that it has a concept of dilution, though. Besides, you cannot make coffee that will last a long time, using that device without modification. In order that the coffee grounds may become immobile by filling the dripper with solution of high concentration and that water may flow downward gradually by gravity, you must eliminate carbon dioxide from the coffee grounds. (Translator's note: I don't know whether this is the step necessary for helping the coffee last long.) (Omitted. A reply to my question about the paper filter and other miscellaneous comments.)

Nakagawa says the white substance disappears when the coffee gets cool but reappears when heated again. What can it be?

OK, I have no intention of offending you, anyway. Here is a list of most of the 'secret ingredients' that will add a subtle flavor to store-bought curry roux (I guess some of them have already been mentioned in the curry thread, though): - Consomme - Ginger - Chocolate - Instant coffee - Tomato ketchup - Apple, mango, and other fruits - Honey - Mayonnaise - Worcestershire sauce - Soy sauce - Milk - Garlic - Laurel leaf - Yogurt - Wine

Nakagawa of Flavor coffee reports on a similar substance: When he heated up his ice-brewed coffee, he found that it got muddy. He suspected that it was protein at first, but has not yet identified the substance. What he has found about this substance is that it turns into white powder when purified and it easily dissolves in citric acid and acetic acid. Have you identified it yet? I'm curious to know. So is Nakagawa. Ice-brewing coffee: White substance resulting from heating: P.S. Nakagawa says it can't be mold.

Glad to find a post by another novice. I am a novice, but I am also a coffee purist in that I almost always drink it black. I am VERY interested to hear what other members have to say on this topic.

OK, thanks. It's like throwing a wet blanket, but I have to mention this first: You say that Japanese curry is 'addictively tasty'. You know why? Store-bought curry roux contains a lot of fat, 40% lard (by weight or by volume?, I don't know) for some brands, and it also contains a fair amount of MSG and other food additives. So, if you want to serve healthy, low-fat, and MSG-free curry to your customers, using store-bought curry roux is not a good idea. Of course, this is just my personal opinion. What do you think? That being said, I must admit that whenever I make curry at home, I use store-bought curry roux. As you say, it's really addictive!

Thanks, Chef Shogun and phelon56, for your comments. I'm forgettable: I remember I have read the thread provided by phelon56.

Before I can make any comments/suggestions, can anyone tell me if these Heinz curry products are regional and not available in the United States? http://www.at-food.com/curry2.htm http://www.rakuten.co.jp/porto/624708/624872/ (Scroll down to view Heinz products.)

Great thread. I have a question to ask. So you really don't have gum syrup in the United States? In Japan, iced coffee comes with gum syrup Gum syrup in small containers and in bottles: http://www.esupply.co.jp/syohin.asp?sku=EE...054&bun_id1=753 http://www.nakahyo.co.jp/products/gum_syru..._syrup-main.htm From online sources, I have learned that you don't have this kind of liquid sweetener in the States, and I want to confirm whether this is true.

He replied to malachi's comment about the Matsuya method. He assured me that the method is totally different from the Toddy Coffee. His reply is quite lengthy and I have translation problems as a coffee novice. I'll translate part of his reply and post it here, probably much later. Flavor coffee's bulletin board, where I communicate with Nakagawa: http://www.flavorcoffee.co.jp/cgi-bin/minibbs.cgi

Ｔｈｅ　Japanese are great consumers of canned, bottled, and instant coffees, and they are mostly made from robusta. This is again a layman's comment.

Since Helen submitted her recipe, I was of two minds about submitting my version, but anyway here it is. Note that this is not an exact translation of the second link but my original version. I think I'll post it in RecipeGullet later. Fukujin-zuke recipe: Ingredients (5 kg of vegetables in total): 3 daikon (Japanese radish) 3 carrots 15 cucumbers 20 eggplants 1 lotus root (or 2 bags of sliced lotus roots) 300 g ginger 5 burdock roots 3 chili peppers 400 ml Japanese basil seeds (or 1 bottle of seeds picked in soy sauce) (Note: 'Shiso no mi' in Japanese. Photos (of making shiso no mi pickles): http://www.agri.pref.kanagawa.jp/nosoken/n...omi/Sisomi2.htm Seasonings (for 5 kgs of vegetables) 1.8 + 0.9 (= 2.7) liter soy sauce 1 kg zarame sugar (same as demerara?) http://www.michinosima.com/kaimono/kizala-2.html Optional: 70 ml mirin 270 ml vinegar How to make: Finely cut daikon, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, and lotus root into 1 to 1.5-cm (0.4 to 0.6-inch) squares. Cut ginger into julienne. Either whittle or shred burdock roots. Soak them all in 1.8 liter of soy sauce overnight. Next day, drain in a colander. Dissolve zarame sugar in 0.9 liter of soy sauce by bringing the mixture to a boil. Add mirin and vinegar if you prefer. Put drained vegetables in the mixture, mix de-seeded and shredded chili peppers and Japanese basil seeds. Let stand overnight.

Today, I have received a total of three e-mails from the manufacturer of the 'Super Streamer', in which they say they have no English-language literature on the product and that they have no plans to sell it overseas at the moment. They cite several reasons for their inability to sell it overseas, some technical and some marketing. I'm very sorry about that because I think it's a perfect product for those small coffee shops and cafes that wish to distinguish themselves from their competition, especially such giants as Starbucks. Manufacturer's page describing the 'Super Steamer' (Japanese only) http://www.maruyasu.co.jp/seihin/sangyo/kanetu/index.html The 'Super Steamer' has been developed jointly by the manufacturer and Nakagawa of Flavor coffee.

OK, thanks, and I must say I really appreciate your candid opinion. I must confess that the Matsuya method is little known even in Japan, except in Aichi prefecture where it was developed. Being such a laborious one, it can never be a popular method. I personally love this method (I think it's really artistic), but certainly it's not for everyone. For me, one of the greatest advantage of this method is that the dripper is easy to keep clean. Look at the simple shape. I never have to drink rancid coffee, and I think that's great.

Warning: I'm speaking as a layman. I can't discern any major difference between the Kono's conic paper filter, used with the Matsuya method, and the all-purpose paper filter I happen to have at home at the moment. (top: Kono paper filter, bottom: All-purpose paper filter) From several online sources, I have learned that Melitta's paper filter is thicker than that of Kalita (famous Japanese brand; Kalita's dripper has three holes at the bottom whereas Melitta's dripper has one) and that Chemex' filter is thicker than Melitta's. I asked Nakagawa of Flavor coffee about your question on his bulletin board. He may provide us with useful information.

Sorry, I've never used any of those web page translators. Is this the site you are talking about? http://world.altavista.com/ I have just tried doing some translation using this site, but found that the results are quite disappointing. If you need a human translator like me, give me a reply, OK?