BonVivant

October 21, 2023

Bus stop sign on Amami-Oshima island

It could rain whenever. Most bikes are unlocked. At home they would be gone, even if you lock it. I had 1 bike stolen and another bike's chain lock got cut and left on the ground.

There are freeze-fried foods as souvenirs all over Japan, of course they also freeze-dry their speciality "chicken rice" on the southern islands.

Plain sago palm (coarsely ground). At home you can flavour and use this ingredient to your own taste.

Postman on a Honda. Too bad they don't have many electric cars and scooters on the islands. I've seen only 1 or 2 charging ports. Also, petrol is only half the price.

Not a florist. You see this all day long. Some people don't have a big front garden so this is the solution, as long as you keep the plants within your property.

A simple house, heavy rain and typhoon-worthy.

A takeaway kiosk. They sell packaged meals.

Breakfast

Finally found it. Happened to walk past a butcher's shop on the way back to the bus stop. The dragon fruits and guavas still had dirt on them. They came from the butcher's own garden.

We bought all the dragon fruit. Cost about $15.

Lunch was at the fishmonger again, but with someone whom we invited to join us. We are a bit of an attraction in this small town. Some people do a double take, some unruly children stop in their tracks and stare at us in silence. The boss of our new friend asked if he could take a photo of us for the town's news publication! We were taken by surprise. (It had happened before in Mexico at a restaurant we went to every day for clams.). This part of the island rarely sees tourists from "The West". Our new friend works for the town's tourism board and tourist info centre.

Sashimi bowl and tuna tartare bowl.

Last dinner at our rural lodging. After the meal we enjoyed talking with the owner and another guest until bed time. Every day the owner told new guests about us and how we found his place etc.

Preserved pig's tongue the owner made himself. Knowing I am interested in the food he makes sure to tell me about it every day.

Island black pork (and the sauce to go with it)

Pure dashi broth made by the cook

The setup for shabu-shabu (Japanese-style hot pot). I said to the owner my 2 favourite meals involve sitting round a fire (but without the dancing and singing). I meant "hot pot" and cheese fondue.

The last sunset from our deck. We moved on to the another place the following day.

Some photos from a snorkelling tour. Forgot to change white balance to "underwater". Looked amazing in person, though.

October 16, 2023

Kagoshima-style natto is minced and pretty mild (I prefer it strong and the soya beans whole, if I had to choose one version ...). Neba-neba kind of food is something foreigners can't/won't enjoy eating. Japanese are delighted that we like neba-neba (= slimy/sticky) ingredients/dishes.

In Japan you'll be eating neba-neba breakfast at least once, or multiple times. To eat this you mix the natto with included mustard and sauce packages, other slimy ingredients and a raw egg. I have an aversion to slimy texture/foods but it appears to be selective, as I enjoy eating okra and various types of seaweed, and also natto.

At home I slice pineapple into chunks, sprinkle with salt and chilli flakes, eat with a fork. My host would rather make pineapple more presentable.

Gas meters. Mine at home is still analogue-style.

An old telly, someone turned it into a porch light. (The shop now fell in disuse and disrepair.)

I am asthmatic with multiple (potentially fatal) allergies. Here I experience no allergic reactions to plants, foods or exhaust/pollution. One of the reasons is the lack of traffic. My lodging is in a rural area, but these empty streets are in a small town nearby where I first need to catch a rural van and then wait some time for another bus to anywhere else.

This is a "long distance" bus (that goes from the airport and all the way to this town at the far end of the island, where I'm staying. This route takes more than 2 hours.)

After snorkelling (with a tour = us, 2 guides and an Australian resident who's also 1 of the guides' English teacher) we were dropped off at a Kei Han ("chicken rice") specialist.

Sashimi and seaweed

Toppings for Kei Han (chicken rice). Fine threads of egg, pickled gingerroot, cooked shiitake, shredded chicken meat, pickled daikon.

To eat you make a small portion of rice with the toppings, then add the scalding broth. "Chicken rice" is one of Amami's specialities. In the Edo period it was served to (high ranking) government officials and the likes. Now everyone can enjoy it.

Dinner back at the guesthouse.
Sashimi

I think this is how I like pig's ear: pickled. I like okra and bitter melons raw. Vegetables in Japan are often much smaller (in size) than the giant stuff we have at home.

My favourite vegetables again. Okra and aubergine in a nice sauce (I don't know what it is...)

Cube next to the fish is breaded tuna. Looks like a lot of food but it's just 2 bites of each thing. We really don't need more than that.

This is the setup. After the photos I put them all back in their original position on the table.

A special, imaginary bus stop for children. It's an anime loved by Japanese children.

On 10/4/2023 at 1:38 PM, Katie Meadow said:

These islands look incredible. I never knew they even existed. Fantastic trip.

After WW2 the southern archipelagos were under US administration for some years. Islanders would rather be part of Japan so this resulted in much anger and fear. Amami islands were "returned" to Japan in 1953. Other islands were occupied until the early 70's. After that Japanese government started modernising and developing all the southern islands. Before researching and seeing old photos I would never have thought these islands had endured so much hardship for so long. Now it's hard to find remnants from those dark times. Now the southern islands are the Hawaii of Japan.

October 11, 2023

I've seen these 2 flavours in Spain, costs round 5 euros each. Always fun to check out what artificial flavours different countries make. In Japan I've not come across "fried eggs" flavour, which is typical in Spain.

Fried chickens, and onions and cream?

Probably pickled sour plums. I shall try this one next.

Breakfast. Notice the tomatoes are always 3 small pieces and symmetrical in presentation. Like in other south east Asian cuisines, okra are a common vegetable here, usually eaten raw, blanched, or fluffy tempura.

Fish cake (photo above), dried shrimp, raw herring roe and fried mackerel at 7 in the morning.

Used to be a phone box, now a bus stop/shelter. It's big enough to fit a bench. My guesthouse is opposite.

Old buoys became planters. If you are observant you won't fail to notice they have a knack for finding creative ways to give new life to old things.

Some snacks. Ginger for the bus rides (motion sickness, in highly mountainous places). The peel is near transparent and the root is not fibrous, like Taiwanese ginger.

Snacks made from sugarcane. Not for us but wanted to try anyway.

Lunch at the fishmonger, at the ferry port.

Super fresh and high quality seafood. Best part is it's cheap (meal 950 yen/$6,40, draught Orion beer from Okinawa 500 yen/$3,40).

My table next to where the fishmongers work (father and sons)

Lobster and fish tanks next to my table

Half of the shop is the kitchen (mother and daughter run it). There's a queue at lunch time. I came at 3pm, 30 minutes before closing time. Went there the second time on another day and had to join the queue. They have 5 or 6 small tables.

Right in front of the port ("sea station" in Japanese). Blackfin tuna aquaculture is big, no huge, business in this part of the island.

Speaking of fish, many fish packages contain a piece of the head (but there's also whole heads). Eye is clear and not collapsed is a good sign.

Cloudy golden hour seen from my private deck

Time for beautiful dinner again.
Living dangerously... chicken sashimi. The meat is always from the thigh and breast. Not near the guts.

The partner's plate, here you can see the thigh meat and the breast meat more clearly. You eat it with grated ginger and garlic, and a chicken sashimi sauce. Plain salt is also an option.

Oden (a type of stew) with kabocha. I love hot pot type of food. Grandmother of guesthouse owners made this herself.

My request: seaweed tempura. It's common on Amami islands.

A common local fish, I've had them several times in a week, in different ways. To my delight, every single one of them had a pair of roe sacs intact. (Sorry roe were out of focus, these fish are really small.)

I don't eat tempura at home, prefer to eat it in Japan. Assorted vegetable tempura (okra, aubergine, bitter melon, seaweeds, and fish).

And the rest, including miso soup with clams. On the long plate: pickled vegetables, sago palm seed miso with peanuts and strawberry conch.

It's a one man operation. His kitchen and counter, facing the dining area. He has a grill specifically for frying fish in the morning and it's on the lower counter. We talk about food every day, he shows me some stuff he's got and discloses how he gets things done. One of the best guesthouse and home-cooked food experiences in my travels.

The kitchen (behind the shochu "bar" and curtains).

Btw, these are maturing sago palm seeds. The same thing islanders use to make "nari miso". The seed head is absolutely huge. Processing the seeds is labour intensive, and even though food is plentiful now they are not giving up this old tradition. Impoverished islanders turned to the seeds in order to survive in times of hardship. They are poisonous to both humans and pets so you can't just eat them without proper processing.

We don't have cool things at home, because if they can't steal them they will vandalise them. Kerb light/reflector with built-in solar charger.

I include the channel drainage with cement cover. The drainage system has to be efficient and good. With the amounts of heavy rainfall they receive they need it. On the plus side, these islands are extremely lush, moist and dense. Not to mention the free fresh water supply from nature.

On 10/8/2023 at 11:51 PM, Kerala said:

The food looks so beautiful.

I miss that kind of rain. You've made me nostalgic. I might have to perversely go back to Kerala mid-monsoon!

Japanese has this philosophy when it comes to food:

Let little seem like much. So long as it's fresh and natural. (and beautifully presented, I would add.)

It's a balance of beauty, nutrients, flavours, simplicity, enjoyment. (At least what I think.)

October 8, 2023

One of the last things I want to eat anywhere in Japan is "potato salad", and I love all things potatoes. Will not touch "potato salad" or "Russian salad", or anything similar. It most probably contains mayo, an ingredient I deeply dislike.

The cook says one can create several versions of sago palm seed "miso" by adding other ingredients to it. This one is my favourite. It has dried shrimp bits and bonito flakes. I've had versions with peanuts, squid and something else but this tastes the best (to me).

Little pink chunk on the left is uncured (herring) roe and other bits.

Breakfast at 7 in the morning

Shortly after breakfast we took 2 buses to a nice beach where we spent many hours swimming and snorkelling.

The sign right next to the path that leads down to the beach. Danger is never far away. Amami pit viper (Protobothrops flavoviridis) is venomous. They are found all over the island. They come down from the mountains and out of the bushes after heavy rain. They not only attack you on the ground in bushy areas but also from above (such as a branch or tree), a position which you don't usually notice.

Brought fruits and some snacks. Found a shop selling craft beer from a brewery in the biggest settlement on the island.

We passed through a little village along the way where we saw many of these signs. Probably reads "elderly people on the road, be patient". Have only seen 1 elderly person using a 4-wheeled walker all this time, all other (very) elderly people walk without any aid. This always amazes me in Japan. Back home many people the same age are in bad health.

A couple of hours after returning from the beach it was time for dinner.
Fish and octopus sashimi

Soup (daikon and tiny pig's knuckle)

Sesame "tofu"

Turn the piece of fish over, easier to eat. The cook taught us.

Vegetable tempura (?) and daikon kimchi. There's a big enough kimchi section in each supermarket here.

Strawberry conch meat out the the shell

Does not look like a big pile of food like in some other cuisines. We enjoy every last morsel and are so stuffed after every meal. We take our time, especially me as I'm not used to using chopsticks daily.

The last couple of days there's been a lot of heavy rainfall, also thunder and lightning happening the whole time. Our first time experiencing this kind tropical weather so it's quite intense for us. Rainy and typhoon season is supposed to be over but apparently it's not really, yet. Islanders are resilient, their homes have to be rain and typhoon proof (1 or 2 direct hits every year).

Last night it rained so very hard and literally non stop, all night, lightning lit up the sky and thunder rattled the windows until morning. I hardly slept a wink.

On 10/4/2023 at 4:37 PM, heidih said:

Lush Those coral tree trunks are gorgeous. So the crabs live on land it looks - are they eaten? On that breakast how was the ginger marmalade eaten? What paired with or alone?

Crabs leave the water sometimes. The cook says many come on land on days of full moon. Not sure if these local crabs are eaten, they are small. The wild hermit crabs, which can get quite large, are protected.

The ginger marmalade is eaten like other small breakfast components. Use chopsticks to pick up a small amount, eat with rice. Never put a whole big piece of food or portion or eat in one go. Eat slowly and a little morsel at a time.

I was told how to make the ginger marmalade. Easy enough. After the chat he let me try Hiroshima version, with clam meat. Much more intense but a bit different. Ideas for when I get back home.

October 4, 2023

Goya Chanpuru is one of the most typical Okinawan dishes. Amami is a blend of Okinawan, Kyushu and "mainland Japanese" cultures so this dish ("goya chanpuru"/stir-fried bitter melon with eggs, tofu and ham) is also typical on Amami islands. Amami-style does not contain tofu, however.

The rest of breakfast spread (sour plum, fried fish paste, goya chanpuru, crunchy savoury seaweed, pickles and delicious ginger marmalade). Must ask the cook how he makes the ginger marmalade so I can recreate it at home. Pretty sure it has the local brown sugar/sugarcane syrup in it.

This is the dining room. A table is literally a thick, whole piece of wood from a big tree.

The views from where we eat

Went to a neighbouring island on another day trip. Notice how quiet the village and streets are round these parts. This is one of the reasons we come all the way to "the other Japan"!

Danger in paradise is never far away. These signs are everywhere, each indicates the elevation in that area.

There's no one outside or on the street in this village. Someone was visiting an shop owner round the corner just parked her car in the middle of the road. We went to the shop to buy beer and the driver was chatting with the shop owner out front.

Big Indian coral trees, over 60 of them on this path. They are more than 300 years old. That's older than the USA.

So tropical here the plants love it. Dripping flowers everywhere, even the wild weeds are pretty. Empty village street again.

Fire service on Kakeroma island. This is the size of a mini van. The refuse vehicle is just a little bigger, which is less than half the size of one at home.

Time seems to stand still here. Ferry schedule and price list are hand-written

Another beach we had to ourselves

Beer on the deck again during golden hour.

Amami-style somen

Squid with "nari miso". Nari is sago palm, the symbol of Amami. The seeds are used to make "miso", flour etc. This miso is sweet and savoury with a coarse texture. I quite like it. Will buy some to take home as it's only available on these islands. (Some interesting info about sago palm and the role they play in the history of Amami here )

Amami has its own black pork. The guesthouse owner made tonkatsu today with it.

He churns out good meals day after day. He puts me to shame. A former high school teacher who became a guesthouse owner at 39 (15 years ago). He said his food was rubbish in the beginning, so he asked a cook at his regular pub to teach him. He also started learning from cooking programmes and cookery books. Now he's a confident and very good cook, it's also part of his success running the guesthouse business. Japanese guests marvel at his home-cooked meals every time, and we have the same reaction. I changed my plan twice to be able to secure a vacancy at this guesthouse! (There are only 3 rooms)

Across the street from our guesthouse in rural Amami. The green building is a shop that sells fruits, vegetables, preserves etc grown by locals in the area. There are prices on items and you just put money in a piggy bank tin. No one "works" there.

The app translates the characters: "fresh and safe. Direct sale!!" (2 exclamation marks)

Also nearby is a private dragon fruit farm. Japanese love to grow own fruits and vegetables in their own gardens.

A crab stopped in his tracks when he saw us. Immediately the ants tried to attack him. I poked him gently so he could make his escape from the ants.

It really feels like being on a (sub)tropical island. We are glad to be here. No pollution/exhaust, no sirens, more nature and less people.

On 10/2/2023 at 10:51 PM, haresfur said:

Looks like kayaking paradise. Will you have a chance to get out on the water? Do people fish for themselves/pleasure there or is it all commercial? The food looks wonderful. How was the mellon-looking eggplant?

Water activities are popular (SUP, kayaking, snorkelling, diving etc). We swim and snorkel. People fish for themselves, just enough to eat and no more. The aubergine was soft and mild. Goes well with soy sauce and bonito flakes.

On 10/2/2023 at 3:05 PM, KennethT said:

How does one eat a sausage like that (at breakfast) with chopsticks? Is there a knife around to cut it into small pieces?

With chopsticks. Not a knife or fork in sight.

I eat crisps with chopsticks.

On 10/2/2023 at 4:42 PM, Smithy said:

@KennethT asks a good question!

Thanks for bringing us along. I'm with you on the "nightmare scenario" of a crowded beach, and the delight of an empty beach. The scenery and food all look wonderful. Do you know what sort of oil they use for frying the fish? More descriptions of flavor, texture, etc. would be welcome.

What language(s) do you communicate in with your hosts and elsewhere during your travels there?

I asked the cook for you. He uses soya oil. Fish are firm-fleshed and flavourful. They are all new to us and we enjoy the taste.

The owner can speak a few English words, and the rest using a translation app. New tourists arrive almost every day, mostly from Tokyo. They happily act as translators for us. Same situation on previous trip to Okinawa.

We also use a translate app. We are the first non Japanese tourists he's had, and staying a week at his place. Southern islands are not on most non Japanese tourists' itinerary. Another reason we have come here.

October 2, 2023

Amami, island of the morning calm.

I don't even eat breakfast at home, here I eat fried fish and sausage at 7am.

Fried fish is part of a traditional Japanese breakfast. On Okinawan islands I usually got spam ("not for me" is the nicest I can say) so sausage is a nice change, though I would rather leave it out all together.

Owner-cook said the mackerel came from the waters round Kagoshima.

Took the ferry to neighbouring island Kakeroma and spent the afternoon at a beach there.

A giant cement emperor slit shell greets tourists

Someone said to me "Why take so long to get to Amami? You could go to other places in Asia. Cheaper, too."

Thanks for going there, and leaving me this all to myself. The photo above is a nightmare scenario for us.

The best beach is an empty one.

One minute it was burning hot like standing under a magnifying glass in the sun, then the next minute the rain came down in buckets. Took shelter in a tiny shrine up a hill where we ate our lunch. The guesthouse owner made us rice balls filled with leftover seaweed/salted fish etc.

Looking down at the village as we ate our simple but delicious rice balls.

Went back down to the beach after the rain. Many crabs scrammed as we approached, and they were so fast. This one held its breath waiting to see what I would do next.

Had a "sundowner" (or 3) on my deck during golden hour

Views from our room

The room here. Have stayed in traditional tamami room like this a bunch of times. Sit/eat/sleep on the floor hurts my back a lot as I'm not used to it. Ladder to the small loft. (We've moved it sideway leaning against the wall.)

Dinner as the sun was reaching the horizon. It gets very dark very fast after that.
Sashimi

One of the common fish in these waters. I was told it's OK to eat the head, bones and all.

3 tiny fish (cooked in a different way but I forgot to ask how)

Salted fish on soft tofu

Strips of pig's ear in a sour brine

Braised daikon and pork belly

I put the dishes closer together for the photo then put them back when done. In Japan they are particular about the position of each dish on the table.

I brought these from home for the owner. He was very surprised and happy. Okinawan cookery book I bought in Okinawa on a previous trip. In top right corner is some chocolate candies given to me by someone but I eat no chocolate under 99 or 100% cacao content. Also brought with me Okinawan fermented tofu but forgot to get it out of the bag for this photo. Gave it to him later, which he said he also liked to eat it. Many mainland Japanese hate this fermented tofu and can't eat it at all.

I bought the pumpkins recently. Took 3 small ones in my rucksack all the way here.

@Kerala, it's my third visit to Japan. Thanks.

@KennethT, these snacking ones are small, size of small whelks. Pierce the protruding meat using a toothpick and pull it out. It comes out of the shell in one fluid whirl, usually. Texture is a lot like octopus, tastes sweetish and briny.

September 30, 2023

The plane was on time but we took off 25 minutes later than scheduled. Luckily we didn't miss our bus to our final destination. I was so dead tired and about to doze off then partner pointed at something big and black above a sea of clouds. Finally, we saw Mount Fuji! We did try on the very first trip to Japan but it was quite far away (in Hakone).

Yep, that's Mt. Fujji poking its top through the puffy, cottony clouds.

Almost there. Amami-Oshima island. Plane was about to make a turn. The runway is a man-made extension, like many islands, there's no real, totally flat surface that's naturally big enough for a commercial airport's runway.

The flight was gentle and the landing was smooth (the 14 hour one to Tokyo was the same). I had a fright of my life flying from Guadalajara to La Paz (Baja Sur). I think the suicidal pilots busted the landing gear on touchdown, too.

As soon as I exited the aircraft I was blown away by high heat. Thought Tokyo was hot (27C), on Amami it's boiling hot 31+.

Immediately round the corner was a display of Amami island's shochu, one of its specialities.

2 more hours going through many very long tunnels in an old (70's?) bus to the other end of the island to reach my lodging. Bus got full very soon as it was time young students got out of school. Only saw students and elderly islanders use the bus. Everyone else uses own cars here.

Staying at a "minshuku" (family-run small guesthouse with home-cooked meals) in rural Amami where public bus service is limited and no taxis. 15 minutes after our arrival dinner was served. OMG, rice 3 times a day. I don't eat rice at home but will make an exception for Japan. The owner cooks everything himself and presents it so beautifully, too!

Tuna sashimi. Always begin with sashimi. Tuna is a speciality in this part of the island. There's a big tuna statue at the ferry port.

Fried fish. Fatty fish just like salmon but flesh is completely white. This piece is the collar.

Thought it was a type of melon, until I saw the inside, which was young aubergine.

Tender and mellow

Seaweed

Soft tofu topped with crunchy, savoury seaweed.

Strawberry conch. A common starter in the Amami archipelago.

Fried fish paste next to the conch

Miso soup with clams

A piece of coral as chopstick rest and my first Amami shochu (made from sugarcanes, Amami-Oshima is the biggest producer, other Amami islands have their own versions, also made from sugarcanes.) More about this Amamian shochu.

3 days ago I was eating "Oktoberfest food" at home and now I'm eating home-cooked food on a tropical island far away.
Where exactly is Amami archipelago?

This is where the name of the thread comes from. In full it should be "The Other Japan - Strawberry conch, shochu and snorkeling". Japan's southernmost islands have their own cultures and languages. Their kingdom is now a part of Japan. If you listen to islanders when they speak with each other you'll notice it's not exactly Japanese. They speak own languages with each other, but of course Japanese is the administrative and commercial language.

Map of languages spoken in the archipelagos.

I always look forward to returning to this fascinating, complex, ENTHRALLING island nation. National Geographic Traveller magazine April 2023 issue. This is Japan's announcement of the official reopening of the country. Previous travel restrictions have been lifted.

The unofficial number one on my list. One that never ceases to surprise and delight.

Everywhere I go
Everything I go
Everyone I know
There's no one like you

On 9/29/2023 at 3:56 AM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Where is the bridge and tunnel?

In Tokyo.

September 29, 2023

London yesterday's morning, moments before touchdown.

From here it's another 14 hour flight...

Flying over Germany

Good morning, Tokyo! Watching the sunrise from my comfortable seat (JAL/Japan Airlines).

Long bridge that enters an underwater tunnel

Konnichiwa, Tokyo!

Have 4 hours to kill waiting for my connecting flight. I left home on the 27th and sill haven't reached my final destination. That'll be 7 hours from now, if I'm lucky. There's this thing at HND/Haneda airport that looks like a robo-mobility scooter. It goes round the terminal flashing its lights and making noises. Some children get on one for a ride. They all look so happy afterwards.

September 25, 2023

------------ #1 ------------
Plain Leberkäse with sharp mustard

Liver dumpling in a creamy soup with chard

A simple "Wurstsalat" ("sausage" salad)

------------ #2 ------------
Offal cold cuts with pickled silverskin onions

Grated horseradish, pungent Styrian mountain cheese and a salad.

------------ #3 ------------
Roast chicken is one of Oktoberfest classics (at the fest you get half a bird). Red sauce is mojo picon from Lanzarote.

Boiled or steamed bread dumplings in a creamy mushroom ragout is a typical Bavarian dish. This version is a not typical at all... mushrooms and sweetcorn cooked with a bit of cream, and the bread dumplings (previously cooked) are fried cuz I like a crispy crust sometimes.

And now the beers, in my private "Wies'n" (="field")! 2 packs of Oktoberfest beer styles from different breweries. (Can you imagine yourself taking a pack of these home on the back of your bicycle? It's quite normal for us here to bring most things home on our bikes.)

I enjoy checking out different beers each day

FYI, this is the site of Oktoberfest the year it was cancelled. The world's biggest beer drinking event was cancelled due to Corona. Not once, but twice!

Have been to the pumpkin farm 3 times now. 11 kilometres/6,8 miles from my house, first half of the way biking on country roads through a village, second half right through the woods, then exit to this country road to reach the farm (50m/55 yards) behind me).

Second haul.

September 18, 2023

Thanks, @Duvel! Prost!

Konstanz, 2014. No, I didn't do a bike tour.

September 18, 2023

It's time for Oktoberfest, but on a much smaller scale than Duvel's. Don't want to eat only "Oktoberfest food" every day for the next 2 weeks so there will be my normal food in between, too.

Fried sliced bread dumpling with eggs. One of the ways Bavarians use up leftover dumplings.

Peeling off the casing

Raw red cabbage with cream. Sweet mustard for someone else and coarsely grated horseradish in cream for myself as I can't abide sweet mustard (I know it's "traditional").

Much better lighting when I ate this lunch, it was a warm and sunny day.

Fried Leberkäse

Matjes, masago (capelin roe) and apple mixed with quark.

Liver dumpling in broth

Potato salad. I cooked the potatoes together with a bunch of lovage stalks and then steeped them in a vegetable broth that's been boiled with lovage stalks in it so yeah, it's very lovage/Maggi intense in flavour. (Again, not very "traditional" kind of potato salad.)

My last chunk of heavy Lithuanian black bread. (There's a small loaf of another type of Lithuanian black bread still in the freezer then it's really finished.)

Oktoberfest in my private Biergarten.

First box of Oktoberfest beer.

And my first "haul" of the new pumpkin (and squash) season!

In a row on the ground. (There are more pumpkins and squashes in the yard behind me).

FYI, how to properly enjoy Weisswurst (the illustrations are easy enough to understand):

September 10, 2023

Summer decides to come back, who am I to say no?! It's very hot, though, but I'm not going to whinge.
(Several meals in this post.)

Matjes with pickled beetroot and quark.

Lithuanian black bread and the rest of the spread.

Smoked mackerel, boiled small waxy potatoes and salad (buffalo mozz).

Cold beetroot pasta

Broke the burrata when I tipped it over.

Some snacks. Peanut flips from Polish supermarket. "Mexican style" here means a bit spicy.

Oktoberfest is coming... (next weekend)

September 3, 2023

Always notice how people shop in certain places, in this case it's one of my regular Turkish grocers. Many Turkish shoppers picked out the best ones, and I followed. Turns out these figs are sweet, even though they are a bit pale inside. I said to the owner's daughter that one day I would go to Bursa in September just to eat figs. She went "oh wow, really? You know about Bursa figs?!". (FYI, Bursa, about 1 and 1/2 hours from Istanbul, is a big black fig producer. The town produces figs for about 75% of Turkey, and also exports to quite a few countries.)

And this is Bursa black figs I buy by the tray (?) every week when in season. Bursian government announced last week the fig season officially started and exports would begin the following day. They are probably in the lorries on the way here!

---------
#2

Scrambled eggs, North Sea shrimp (Crangon crangon) and Roma tomatoes.

Shrimp shell broth, pumpernickel and butter lettuce.

-------
#3
"Cold water prawns". Probably Pandalus borealis.

Razor clams.

Pumpernickel (German) and horseradish from Styria, Austria. Made a spread with grated horseradish and crème fraîche. The reddish version has beetroot added to it.

September 2, 2023

Also, soaking reduces oligosaccharides (so that it's easier to digest).

You can also do a "hot soak".

August 27, 2023

It's good to have your own maggi plant (AKA lovage). Tear the leaves into smaller pieces and add to anything. Such an intense herb/plant.

- - -
I call this thing Vietnamese "Leberkäse". Steamed pork paste with tendons (I didn't make it myself, the product is imported from France and is readily available in Asian supermarkets where I live).

I usually use a crusty bread but these days I also like these airy and pillowy Polish steamed buns.

And speaking of Maggi... I have here 3 to compare. French version is a bit salty. The other 2 taste almost similar. Both good. Hmm, next time I shall bring back a Mexican version. Look at it on the shelf every time.

- - -
(Beetroot-) cured salmon belly

Potatoes with quark and gherkins

On the right is Matjes

Also, pumpernickel and quark with chopped dill and blow-my-head off grated horseradish.

August 20, 2023

(Several meals)

The rain lasted 2,5 weeks! Hello again, sun!
Santorinian lentils/"fava" (Lathyrus clymenum) with spicy mince.

Totally inauthentic "dakos" (toast with tomatoes and feta, plus summer savoury from the garden).

Photo of the "fava" taken on the day before leaving Santorini to return to Crete. (Down to 2 fava and 2 tomato paste now.)

- - -
First 10. Got another 10 yesterday. Simply boiled til done. I snack on a cob any time, also when biking to/from somewhere.

Another type of Lithuanian black bread

And of course, my favourite, new Matjes. Avocado-beetroot spread is for the black bread. It spreads just like butter.

- - -
1/3 of a kilo of razor clams. Steamed and dressed with a chopped Greek salad, and lemon juice.

And a beer

_ _ _

A common species of whelks round these parts

August 6, 2023

The last time I saw the sun or felt its warmth on my skin was on July 18. The day after this photo was taken the rain started and it's been raining buckets every single day since.

Summer savoury from the garden.

Mushrooms (half chanterelle, half king trumpet). More cream was added to the lentils before eating.

----#2------
Gooseberries, quark, Iranian red pistachios (also in coarsely ground form on left), Cretan honey, chocolate and matcha tea.

----#3---------
Smokey aubergine pulp and "tzatziki" (quark, chopped capers and garlic, lemon juice, cucumber).

Turkish tandoor bread (bigger than a dinner plate)

Fish without chips. Hake fillets from the market fishmonger (the same one I always get oysters from every weekend).

Dreaming of Greece. Mediterranean-style food makes me forget this endless rain for a while.

On 7/23/2023 at 10:53 PM, weinoo said:

What happens to the oysters, which appear to be unshucked? Do they get shucked a la minute?

Sometimes I shuck 1 or 2 but usually don't touch them until after the photos are done. Once opened they release lots of liquid and it just keeps dripping on the table the whole time.

Yesterday. Box of 25, bladderwrack to keep it moist.

August 6, 2023

21 hours ago, heidih said:

Oh that black bread! The swing looks inviing - so a person just wades through the shallow water to hop on it appears. Can you explain those barstools wth the 3 round protrusions? I am puzzled.

Yeah, seems anyone can use the swing. The water is cold.

I don't know why they don't saw off the extra wood. Not just 1 stool but all of them are like that.

August 5, 2023

Last lunch in Vilnius was at this legendary Soviet-era canteen (far from the centre but we enjoyed the walk and photo ops). Had a hard time finding it but we did, eventually, with help from a pensioner in his flat on the first floor. He saw us in the little mirror and poked his head out the window asking what we were trying to find. We looked up the Lithuanian word for "canteen" and told him. He pointed enthusiastically in the direction we had just come from (but we couldn't find the canteen there, obviously). He kept pointing at the other direction said "go back that way, it's right there" so vehemently that we had to try again to find it.

We had been inside this building twice, also round the back twice. But it's where the canteen is located. Looks like a school or government building (complete with 70's/80's font).

Round the back. Only now we had realised this was the way to the canteen because... "valgykla" means canteen (*slap forehead*).

Also saw this twice. A long, dark corridor. The door was closed both times.

There was already a small queue. As we moved closer to the counter I asked someone in the queue what the dishes were on a printed sheet (they serve different typical Lithuanian dishes every day). The boss at the counter called someone from the kitchen to help me with the ordering.

We were lucky a table for 2 had just become available. The place is small and plain, (office) workers and students, also people who live nearby come for lunch (the only time the canteen is open) so you eat and leave when you are done, bring your plates and cutlery to the little hatch door on the way out. Nobody cleans the table (I used napkins) and remember someone is waiting for your table so get going as soon as you are done eating.

Beetroot soup, one is cold and one is hot.

Zeppelins (potato dumplings filled with minced pork).

Cabbage rolls

A kind of fried dough. Not too sweet, nice and airy.

I ordered the meal by pointing randomly at the menu. Everything tasted better than all other places I ate the whole week. And it was ridiculously cheap! Kind staff, also. A good local experience. The place was packed as soon as we sat down at our table. When we left the queue was half way down the corridor. They serve the same food like back in the Soviet days and the quality remains the same, plus the prices are still affordable that's why it's packed every day.

The rest of the last day we did more walking and beer drinking. When I was making this photo an employee approached me and gave me a card with name of the teahouse "can you tag us?". I took the card and said sure. (I am not on "socials", not a part of any of this platform.)

Furniture abstract. It's not a B&W photo.

We went to a favourite pub several times, this swing was on the same street. Popular with the local teenagers.

Many more beers at this nice local pub

The regulars let us try this insane-proof spirit. Even they could barely drink it. We each had a tiny sip.

Later, here at home...

Artisanal black bread. Hand-made loaves, weighing about 3 kilos each.

And smaller loaves from a different shop. I portioned the big loaves and put them in the freezer. Have gone through half the bread so far.

I bought the same charcuterie at different market stalls, this is some of it. The Speck here looks very lean. They are not usually this lean.

Smoked pig's ears (in strips for easy snacking) and more Speck on the left.

Air-dried sausages

Beef jerky (plus more beef jerky in vac pack underneath)

Pork jerky

All the charcuterie is good and of high quality. Unfortunately, the Latvian smoked sprats didn't pass Lithuanian customs clearance. They confiscated all the tins. We paid for extra cabin bags to bring all this home. Next time 1 bag would go in the hold. No other way to bring honey and tinned fish back. We were still eating Lithuanian tomatoes and fruits for a couple of weeks later.

The capital left a good impression on us. Next time we would like to visit smaller towns and the coast for more amazing black bread, beer and whatever else I'm sure we'd enjoy.

Thanks for your patience. This was my impression of the Lithuanian capital and I hope to return and visit other places in the country some day, for the black bread and beer alone is already enough.

August 5, 2023

(Very nice) NEIPA and an OK local lager at a random restaurant that has taps.

Went back to a favourite "Spunka" (a type of local pub that serves only local brews). Friendly staff and regulars, not to mention English-speaking. This one would be my local pub if I lived here.

Tiny place. Pretty much the same regulars we saw on each visit, they came at different times.

And almost every single stool is like this...

On the way to the Spunka/pub... beer shop?

And on the way back from the pub... It's a beer bar that didn't make my list. Many next time.

Yes, please.

No, thanks.

After all, why not.

Egotistical *holes exist everywhere. This one still tried to drive through with all the pedestrians in the middle of crossing at the same time.

August 5, 2023

This is the new/modern commercial centre they are developing. Not going at an insane speed like I saw in the Albanian capital (which is trying their best to erase the whole town and turning it into something ugly modern).

Below the footbridge where I took the photo above. The younger generations don't know what it's like to endure hardship under communism. Now they like to play and and spend money.

2 streets away is the neighbourhood where I made a bunch of photos of traditional wooden houses. This very road used to be a dirt road until 2 years ago.

Found another Soviet-era manhole cover. Hard to find them and no older than 1987.

Old frying pan. Spunka is a typical local pub serving local beers. There are a few locations in the capital.

Throngs of (packaged) tourists in the centre and touristy sites it's nice to find an empty lane.

The bus station is far from the centre, we walked all the way there to pick up black bread sent by the bakery in another town. Came across this (wine) restaurant on the way to the bus station... menu is on the old door. (And the name of the place)

Another old door, much older and a lot more beautiful, also massive.

Typical entrance and doorway

Swing under a bridge

August 5, 2023

Went back to a market we had wanted to visit the day before, it was closed then. This very local market is nowhere near the touristy centre, located in a neighbourhood full of traditional houses with natural wood exterior. Seemed we were the only 2 tourists there. I didn't make many photos as it was crowded. Fish and meat halls are in another section, charcuterie and a couple of cheese stalls share the same hall.

There are 2 wonderful herb stalls immediately after the entrance. Herbs that are hung upside down are drinking or something else.

Looks like fresh yeast I have at home. Turns out it's halva. (The yeast at home comes in a brick like these, also same colour.)

Lithuanian grown strawberries. Good prices, too. We pay twice as much at home.

Doesn't matter that the stalls sell, some of them also have honey. Lithuanians love honey. Too bad I couldn't take any with me. Next time I need to put a rucksack in the hold for honey and tinned sprats.

Not many varieties of tomatoes in the shops and markets (Lithuanian cuisine is not tomato-heavy). But I still enjoy checking them out.

This type is big and heavy. We have something similar at home called meaty/fleshy tomato. Looks and tastes better here, though.

These have more taste than the rest of the bunch.

Some stalls have several types of cherries, but none has the huge, deep dark, fleshy, juicy ones.

Wish we had this at home. Love beetroots, the tops slightly more.

Open air area of the market is where potatoes and plants are sold.
A hot chilli pepper. As far as fresh goes, I prefer scotch bonnet.

So many types of potatoes sold at a typical local market. Lithuania puts us, a potato eating country, to shame in terms of availability.

On 7/23/2023 at 11:19 PM, KennethT said:

I just saw this! Thank you very much for posting your travels. Lithuania (and the other Baltics) is somewhere I may never get to. Do you speak any of the local language or do you find that English is widely spoken?

I don't speak the language but no problem communicating with the younger generations. They speak English quite well. With older people I used a translation app.

The Baltic countries are popular with Scandinavian tourists, also Germans and Poles. Hah! Poles are quick to point out the dishes or food in Lithuania that's actually Polish. Haven't made it too Latvia (yet) but Estonians say Lithuanian food is "not good". But hey, I like Estonian food also.

July 23, 2023

Strammer Matjes/Max ("ShtrAMmer MAKs") from the sea.

One of the eggs I got has the perfect shape of Kinder Surprise eggs.

Where I got the egg above, from a (hobby) chicken keeper, in the countryside 1,5 hours biking from my house. A normal house with a big garden full of chickens, directly left of this country lane.

---------#2---------

Fried eggs with tomatoes and Feta

Chocolate paste/bergamot mamerlade/peanut butter are made by yours truly. Black bread and yoghurt with honey.

---------#3------------
Greek-style salad every day.

From scorching hot to full blown autumn. Grilling on the Weber outside was cancelled. SV lamb leg meat, briefly browned in a pan.

Enjoying my herbs from the garden.

July 23, 2023

Traditional pastry from a town somewhere else in Lithuania but is popular all over the nation, sold at kiosks in various locations. It's OK. Give me Bolivian salteña any day.
I got 1 with lamb and 1 with mushrooms.

Light meal and beer later

From Latvia

Salmon roe

And more beer at a nice local pub earlier

July 23, 2023

Wanted to browse this market but it was closed on this day of the week.

I noticed many (beautiful) old houses in the area of the market so I decided to look round. Picked a side street across from the market and started from there.

Sheds and letterbox station

Letterbox station

All the old/traditional houses have natural wood exterior. Some are well maintained, many are not.

Some are "abandoned". I think so. Doors and windows are boarded up. I approached a young man walking towards me here, asking about the old wooden houses in the area. As I have suspected and the young man confirmed it, nobody takes care of the property after the owners pass away. One day they government will give everyone in this neighbourhood an offer they can't refuse. They'll buy the land and turn it into a new modern commercial district. The young man said only a couple of years ago this very street was just a dirt road. Today it's professionally sealed and has a raised bike lane.

Eerily beautiful.

Here you can see a brand new glass-covered building right next to a wooden house.

And in front of the glass building in photo above is a dirt road, as mentioned by the young man I spoke with.

Whole logs on the sides of the house

Huge house number with street name. The same all the way to Georgia Republic. I guess it's Soviet style.

Next to a Soviet-era flat building is a simple swing set. The seats are very thin now.

Only 2 streets away is the all-new development. They have these wooden pod-like things on the grass, like a private space in the open to chill. If we have this at home they would vandalise it if they can't steal it!