sk_ward
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Posts posted by sk_ward
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I thought that it was strange that it was impossible to find Japanese yogurt in the States and upon asking, I was told that yogurt couldn't be flown overseas because the live cultures would explode at such high elevations. Is that true?
That seems like a strange argument to me...Could it be that they just don't want to bother with sending over such perishable goods?Well, I'm glad to hear that the live cultures don't actually explode during the flight over the Pacific! But, the question remains...why no Japanese yogurt in America??? I wonder if the following quotes from melonpan and MomofLittleFoodies (from the candy thread) have anything to do with it. However, I find it hard to believe that all Japanese yogurt is non-pasteurized.
due to regulations, milk based products from japan are not allowed here in americaIt's not a Japan-specific thing. The FDA doesn't allow unpastuerized milk products. That's why it is very hard to find a truely authentic camembert cheese in the US, and why the American military base exhcanges in Japan fly in ultra pastuerized milk.What will I do after I have to go back to the States?!?
I wonder if anybody has ever made Japanese style yogurt at home, and if so, can this be done outside of Japan? Or, is the flavor partly attributable to Japanese cows? I would actually buy myself a yogurt making contraption if I could duplicate the flavor at home! -
Matcha candy!! 
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I'll be visiting Tokyo next week and I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a kitchen shop/department store/supermarket in Tokyo (Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya area) where I could find bento accessories? I'm looking for some cute egg molds, mini sauce bottles, sausage cutters and nori hole punchers. TIA
Marcia
Loft would be my first stop. It probably isn't the cheapest option, but I doubt that you'll be disappointed by the selection of cute bento goods!! There is a smaller Loft inside of the Matsuzakaya in Shinjuku and there's a huge Loft in Shibuya. Tokyu Hands will probably have a good selection too. If you run into any 100 yen shops, you might find something cute for cheap! If you're in Harajuku anyway, I would try out the big 100 yen shop on Takeshita dori. Happy hunting!
Sorry, I meant Mitsukoshi in Shinjuku. It's very close to the Isetan on Shinjuku dori.
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A square watermelon!
Here is a previous thread of square watermelon in the Food Media and News Forum:
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=45320&hl=
According to this webpage, a square watermelon is 12,600 yen, a pyramid one 84,000 yen (not 8,400
), and a human face one is 84,000 yen.If I remember correctly, square watermelons were first conceived to make them easier to store in the fridge.
sk_ward, I appreciate your efforts. I enjoy your photos in the Japan Forum.
Too bad, I thought that I found something new and interesting!
I'm surprised that they have been around for so long because I don't remember ever seeing them before during previous trips to Japan. But then again, I don't really go shopping at fruit salons all that often! Thanks for the link, too. -
Sometimes bentos are almost too pretty to eat...
Sometimes bentos are almost too pretty to even open...
Sorry for the messy table kind of marring the beauty of the bento!
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A square watermelon!
I was having an internal struggle about whether I should take a picture in the middle of a high-end shop, but finally I whipped out the camera, snapped the picture, and bolted. (The things I do for the Japan forum!
) I bolted so quickly that I didn't catch the price! But, seeing that it was a Sembikiya melon (see above post), I am sure that it was very expensive. Anyone lucky enough to have ever tried one of these? I wonder if it tastes as interesting as it looks. And I really wonder what kind of rational being would buy one of these and how many a day Sembikiya is really able to sell. -
I was surprised to see that this is what an azuki plant looks like! I guess that making the connection between the sweet stuff smeared onto dango and stuffed into daifuku or dorayaki and a plant is hard for me to make...
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I'll be visiting Tokyo next week and I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a kitchen shop/department store/supermarket in Tokyo (Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya area) where I could find bento accessories? I'm looking for some cute egg molds, mini sauce bottles, sausage cutters and nori hole punchers. TIA
Marcia
Loft would be my first stop. It probably isn't the cheapest option, but I doubt that you'll be disappointed by the selection of cute bento goods!! There is a smaller Loft inside of the Matsuzakaya in Shinjuku and there's a huge Loft in Shibuya. Tokyu Hands will probably have a good selection too. If you run into any 100 yen shops, you might find something cute for cheap! If you're in Harajuku anyway, I would try out the big 100 yen shop on Takeshita dori. Happy hunting!
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Hmmm...here's the picture.
This was on the tray on which my Loco Moco Don was served. Instructions on how to eat it!
Also, a small correction. I think that for eating method #2, it says that you should mix evenly (rather than not so evenly), until the sauce is blended with the rice.
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From a trip to Shakey's sometime last year, when uploading photos was a still a big mystery!
Crab pizza. There was a "Crab Fair" going on. I actually really liked the toppings, but the crust was a little too chewy for me.
Taco Rice. A typical accompaniment to Japanese pizza? The meat on top of the white rice was ground beef flavored like taco beef.
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Loco Moco Don...Originated in Hawaiian and gradually gaining its popularity in the mainland.
This was on the tray on which my Loco Moco Don was served. Instructions on how to eat it!
Here's my attempt at translating:
1. Delicious way to eat #1. To eat like Junkosan: Start off by eating it like a regular donburi. Have one bite of each of the toppings. Then mix so that the sauce thoroughly covers the rice. This may look like bad manners, but this is the genuine way to eat Loco Moco!
2. Delicious way to eat #2. To eat like Tatsuosan: Start off by mixing everything together. You don't have to mix so evenly, just enough that the sauce blends with the rice a bit. Then mash the half-cooked egg yolk and eat! This creates a great harmony with the half-cooked egg, the toppings and the sauce.
On the left side is a brief description of Loco Moco. It says that "loco" is from "local" and that "moco" means "to mix." On top of the rice are a lot of toppings, such as hamburger and chicken. In its homeland Hawaii, it's a very popular dish. Mix well and eat!
Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the dish itself.
I feel like Torakris discussed Loco Moco Don somewhere, but I can't find it... -
I ate this in an izakaya in Tokyo rather than in Toyama, but I think that it's a Toyama specialty, so I decided to add it to this thread. Hotaru ika (firefly squid) is an acquired taste, I think! Maybe there are other ways to prepare it, but this particular dish was very salty and the squid was really slippery. I felt like if I wasn't careful, it would just slide right down my throat! It has been awhile since I took this picture, but I don't remember it being as chewy as other squid I've eaten. It went very well with beer, and despite it's different taste and feel, I was intrigued enough to go for seconds. I'm still not sure if I would ever order it on my own, though. Apparently in Toyama, you can go on boat sightseeing tours to see the hotaru ika lighting up. That would be neat to see!
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Here is a picture of the "Matcha Milk" I drank at a cafe in Azabu Jyuban. They served all kinds of straight green teas, hojicha, more modern innovations such as this drink, cha soba, and desserts. Sorry, but I can't remember the name of the cafe off the top of my head right now. Pretty though, don't you think? I love the cafe culture in Tokyo!
That looks huge! I see there is a spoon with it, did you drink it like a soup or actually pick it up and sip it?
I only used the spoon to mix in the sugar. I know...sugar and matcha?!? But, with the milk, it seemed okay and they gave me sugar, so I figured that adding it wasn't a faux pas. After that, I picked it up and sipped it.
Also, I should probably revise my previous statement which said that no other city compares to Tokyo in terms of variety of cafes. I should have said that no other American city compares. I can't speak for the rest of the world!!! Sorry for the America-centric comment!
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Yogurt is one of the first things I make sure to put in my grocery basket during trips to Japan. I love Japanese yogurt!
I know that there are all different kinds of flavors, but I am referring to the general taste of Meiji Bulgaria (?). Why is it that Japanese yogurt tastes nothing like yogurt in the States? The closest thing I have ever had was an Italian brand yogurt that I got at Trader Joe's. I can't remember the name, but it comes in packs of 3 little glass containers that look like mini vases. I thought that it was strange that it was impossible to find Japanese yogurt in the States and upon asking, I was told that yogurt couldn't be flown overseas because the live cultures would explode at such high elevations. Is that true? That seems like a strange argument to me...Could it be that they just don't want to bother with sending over such perishable goods? -
No, I mean the complete opposite of Starbucks. And I don't think that I mean kissaten culture either. When I think of kissaten, I imagine kind of old fashioned, often smoky, coffee shops that serve expensive coffee and morning sets with toast, egg, ham and shredded cabbage. And, they are typically run by older husband and wife teams. Is this anybody else's image of kissaten culture? The cafe culture that I am referring to seems much younger and more modern. I really doubt that many of these cafes have been around for longer than ten years. They are often very small, occasionally found in obscure alleys and buildings, and seem to be run by very young people. I love that there are so many types and they each have entirely different atmospheres. Outside of Seattle or New York City, there is nowhere that compares in having the variety of cafes as Tokyo. Even then, I think that Tokyo comes out far ahead. But, I think that I love that they aren't chains most of all! Many of them are cafes by day and transform into bars by night. Most of them serve great desserts, either cakes, pastries, or wagashi. Also, many of them serve a limited menu of food like sandwiches, pasta, curries, etc. Of course, they are much more expensive than Starbucks (maybe similar to kissaten), but I love the atmosphere and it always seems like a little bit of an adventure trying to find these places. Although, occasionally I do appreciate the nearby Starbucks because I know that I can go there and stay for a long time without feeling guilty about occupying a precious table for too long. And, the best thing about Starbucks is that it is smoke free, which is a huge bonus!! Sorry, this kind of diverged away from "ocha"! Hmmmm....today I went to a cafe in Shibuya called Antenna Cafe, located in a sketchy alley and a sketchy building and I had a very delicious hojicha parfait. I forgot my camera
but it was layered with bits of jelly, fresh cream, hojicha ice cream and was topped with a sprig of mint and had a really cool cookie shaped like a spoon stuck into the ice cream. And recently I bought some kukicha (Hiroyuki's favorite!), which I am enjoying very much. Between all of these cafes, the variety of bottled teas available in the stores, and my tea at home, I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to drink as much tea as I would like. I've basically cut out soda (not a big loss) and fruit juice because there just isn't any room for them anymore in my diet! However, I don't think that I could ever kick the morning cup of coffee habit. -
Here is a picture of the "Matcha Milk" I drank at a cafe in Azabu Jyuban. They served all kinds of straight green teas, hojicha, more modern innovations such as this drink, cha soba, and desserts. Sorry, but I can't remember the name of the cafe off the top of my head right now. Pretty though, don't you think? I love the cafe culture in Tokyo!
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A snack along the way during my walking tour of Odawara. It was a little bit decadent to buy two, but honestly, I planned on only buying the fish. But I couldn't resist the perfectly shaped mizu yokan! I had tried to make mizu yokan on my own earlier, and it looked nothing like this, so I bought it out of admiration.
It was so hot outside and both were perfect! I don't know what the fish wagashi is called. Isn't it so cute? I can't find any similar pictures on any wagashi website so I wonder if it is a local specialty?
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Kamaboko is really a handy thing to have around when you need a side dish or to fill up some space in your bento box! During a trip to Odawara, I picked these up. The variety of kamaboko there is staggering. If it weren't for the pretty bamboo basket packaging, I would have had a very difficult time figuring out what to get! The trio was actually really tasty, much better than any kamaboko I've purchased from the grocery store. I never appreciated that kamaboko can actually be somewhat complex before I ate these. Very noticeable flavors and a very nice texture. I just sliced them up and ate them on their own.
From the upper left, going clockwise: Sakura ebi, yuzu, aonori. I don't know what "chikubu" or "chikusei?" means. Help!
Cute bag that says "kamaboko"
"Gomoku age" I'm not sure exactly what gomoku means. It's associated with a lot of different dishes. 5 ingredients? I always wondered how "5 eyes" became a way to describe a flavor! I think that it is usually a mix of vegetables and some kind of meat, I'm assuming fish in this case...
Can you tell I finally figured out how to post my images??? It was like a miraculous breakthrough!
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I was wandering around Nezu and ran across this osembei shop fairly close to the train station. It is such a nice surprise to run into family shops such as these, especially in the craziness that is Tokyo. I wonder how these sorts of shops stay financially afloat as having so few people making products on such a small scale seems to not be the most efficient business model. Even though department store products are so beautiful and almost glamorous seeming, I would be much happier to buy my osenbei from these people and feel as though I know at least a little bit of the story about how the osenbei ended up in the packaging and also to feel that I am supporting actual people and not some mega corporation! Sorry, but I was too excited to eat my osenbei, I forgot to take a picture of it! You can see it there in the fishbowl like container for 190 yen! Come to think of it, that's pretty pricey for one osenbei! Oh well...
At least it was tasty!! 
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I wondered the same thing about babies and Japanese food so I'm glad that this topic was brought up! I was also curious about when Japanese children are typically introduced to green tea. I only asked one person, but she said that she gave it to her kids occasionally while they were still using bottles.
Is this customary practice? I was expecting to hear something more along the lines of elementary school! I suppose I thought that the caffeine wasn't something that you would want to give to a baby. -
I didn't realize that eating your meals in turn bit by bit had an actual name! I remember when I went to Japan for the first time when I was five years old to meet the Japanese side of my family for the first time. It was the first time I had experienced a real Japanese meal, meaning all Japanese food and not miso soup and gohan served with very typical American food. I think that at home my mom just wanted miso soup and gohan on the table, regardless of what went with it! Maybe it was because she realized that in the way she typically served it at home, the flavors of the miso soup and rice didn't really complement the other "side dishes," or maybe it was because we were in the States, but it wasn't until we were actually in Japan that she felt the need to correct my bad manners and convert me from bakkari tabe to sankaku tabe! That, along with discovering the joy of well chilled somen on a hot summer Japanese day are some of my earliest Japanese food memories. Now, I eat sankaku tabe without thinking about it, probably bringing much joy to my mom!
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I might like natto with tomatoes, it's probably already a recipe in a health magazine! I like to mix it with cucumbers and takuan over brown rice.
Guess what I found in a recipe book I bought recently? Sure enough, on the cover is the word "Health", but the actual title is "Nan to ittemo washokuzai." The recipe combines raw onion, tomato, natto and cole slaw dressing. The combo of raw onion, vinegar, and natto is supposed to work wonders on your blood. Hmmmm,
I'll stick with natto with okra or natto with cherry tomatoes alone. Any adventurous takers out there?Also, today when I went to the supermarket (in Japan) to drop off my styrofoam trays in the recycle bin, I noticed that somebody put a large pile of the natto trays in there too. Can those go in there? I guess I never considered it because I thought that only the meat trays went in the bin. If so, I feel really guilty because I've eaten enough natto to fill up a small landfill with horrible styrofoam trays!
Now that I've opened up the recycling topic, can you put black styrofoam trays in there too, or do they have to be white? Nobody seems to put black trays in the bin...am I missing something, because they sure seem like styrofoam! -
How do you eat natto without the strings getting allover? That stuff's like crazy glue.
Natto is kind of unwieldy to eat, that's for sure! But a handy trick is to hold the bowl fairly close to your mouth and eat it with chopsticks. After you take a bite, make little circles with your chopsticks and wrap the sticky strands around the tips. You look a little strange, but much less of it gets wasted on your face! I guess you don't have to use chopsticks, but I can't imagine eating natto with a fork... Once you master this, you'll really look like a pro
Another trick is to put little pieces of nori on top of the natto and then use your chopsticks to pick up some natto and rice from both sides. Then you get natto, rice and seaweed all in one bite, with less mess!I love natto and eat it practically every morning. It's the breakfast of champions!! Call me crazy, but I think that it's tasty with cherry tomatoes, too!
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If you are in the SF Bay Area and are curious to see the person behind the books and magazine articles, Elizabeth Andoh is making a guest appearance in Napa, at Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & The Arts on March 24th from 3:15 to 4:15. Taken from the Copia catalog, she "will share stories, lore, and tastes from Japan's home kitchens where Washoku is a way of life." It's supposed to include "talk, tasting, and book signing." I wonder what treats she'll offer the crowd?
The best part is that during the month of March, admission is free (usually it's $12.50) and there's no extra charge to see her. Copia is doing a month long feature on the splendors of Spain
, so if you get there earlier in the day you can go to a free discussion about Spanish olives and almonds and taste some Spanish wines!
For God's Sake! Is There a Sake Sommelier out There?
in Spirits & Cocktails
Posted · Edited by sk_ward (log)
I was looking at some recipes on Yahoo Japan and I saw a couple that had "À¶¼ò" (seishu?) as an ingredient. Is this a special type of sake?