torakris

the type of fish eaten is different as well: Japan is not one homogeneous consumer market. There are distinct regional differences with regard to food preferences. For example, annual per-capita consumption of tuna and salmon is nearly 50% higher in the Kanto or Eastern regions (9.2 kg) of Japan versus the Kansai or Western regions (6.3 kg). In contrast, per capita consumption of sea bream and flounder in the Kansai region (4.2 kg) is 90% more than what is consumed in the Kanto region (2.2 kg). from http://webapps.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canadexpo...1955&language=E

In another thread we also discussed that deep fried fish paste patties that go into oden are called tempura in Kansai and ~~ten (the ~~ being the name of whatever is inside, ie gobo-ten) in Kanto. My new next door neighbor just came here from Osaka about 6 months ago and is still lamenting the fact that you can't find takoyaki on every street corner! and when you can find them they are ridiculously expensive....

I love wikipedia and have both the English and Japanese versions bookmarked. The English one has some good information on Japan but of course not nearly as detailed as the Japanese one... I hadn't used it for regional foods, honestly hadn't even thought of looking, thank you Hiroyuki that specific link is a great help to me!

last night with red onions and nira (garlic chives)

mine looks like this

I tried searching for English recipes and came up empty.. lots of recipes in Japanese however. here is a typical one with lots of pictures: http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/hituji/bread/curry.html The bread recipe calls for 280 g flour ("strong"/bread flour/high protein flour) 14 g butter 1 T sugar 1 T skim milk 1 t salt 180ml water (but if it is very hot --in the room--use 150ml of cold water) 1 t yeast it seems to be a basic bread recipe and the filling can be any curry (lthe less soupy the better ) and most of the ones I have eaten seem to be more of Indian style curries rather than the Japanese curry, with keema curry being a popular filling. You mix all of the bread ingredients together, lknead, and et it rise, then roll it out, fill it, brush with a beaten egg, sprinkle with panko and allow to rise for the second time. They are then deep fried. I have never actually made these at home though......

just ran across this site with soeme nice food pictures: http://www.rei.org/JPN/Food.html

word for 11/12: 寒ムツ kan mutsu We have talked about kan saba and kan buri, the "cold weather" fish that are best during the winter months when they are at their fattiest. Well there is kan mutsu as well, this is best during January and February and the season for all the mutsu is all winter long.

I made the kaki jam yesterday with 3 kaki and 12 tablespoons (instead of the 16) and 3 teaspoons of lemon jiuice. I ahve only made strawberry jam beofre and this sort of turned out like candied kaki....??? It isn't bad but quite sweet and after cooling it has completely hardened, I am going to thin it with soem water today and use it as a topping in a bar like cookie.

I just saw this this recipe: http://www.tbs.co.jp/chubaw/en/rec20040626.html (from the links in the Japanese recipes thread, pinned to the top of the Japan Forum, thanks Hiroyuki!) and it calls for Sakura miso, I have never heard of this before... anyone? does it have another name?

nikuman are Chinese steamed buns, the niku (meat) is usually pork. They are a very popular snack here in Japan. picture: http://www.imuraya.co.jp/annai/jigyo/kaon/nikuman.jpg

word for 11/11: クロムツ kuromutsu this is also just referred to as japanese blue fish, or sometimes a gnomefish (this name goes for mutsu as well). kuromutsu: http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki3/mutu.image/kuromutu.jpg

My 8 year old daughter walks up to the nearest combini every month after receiving her allowance to buy a nikuman, I have tasted them a couple times and they are actually quite good. I haven't bought oden in years, but it was always good when I did.

Why don't you join us here in the Japan forum on 12/12 as we all make takikomi gohan!!

according to this: http://harapeko.que.jp/archives/001475.html curry day is 1/22, so let's save curry for that day! so up next is takikomigohan day, how about 12/12? it is a Sunday and should be easy to remember.

I will give it a try today! I think I will try the first one though, 200g of suagr to 1 kaki? that sounds awfully sweet to me....

yesterday's lunch was a bowl of rice and wakasagi (fresh water smelt) tsukudani I also found this site that lists (with pictures) a huge variety of tsukudani: http://www.choshi-uchida.com/tukudanipage.htm

my latest find honey and butter pretz, I didn't really care for it, but then again I don't like either honey or butter.....

takikomi gohan made with the leftovers in the refrigerator, a little chicken, konnyaku, carrots, shiitake (dried) and sprinkled with negi (Japanese scallions)

my two newest finds honey and butter pretz, I didn't expect to really like these since I don't like the taste of either honey nor butter, and I didn't really care for it. My son devoured them though.... meltykiss with matcha filling, now this was good! My son and I are fighting over the box as I type!

It has been a busy day and on my way home from the bank I decided to stop at the convenience store and pick up something for lunch. Covenience stores in Japan really have a great selection of fairly reasonable foods, so I thought I would show all of you (who aren't in Japan) just what you can buy in a convenience store. I will try to do this weekly, not because I am lazy ad don't want to cook, but for all of you who can't be here.... anyone else in Japan, please feel free to post pictures of your "convenient eats". Today's lunch kara-age (fried chicken) salad with a grainy mustard dressing, this included a hard boiled egg and a little side of potato salad, I also picked up a pack of two small onigiri, one is sake (salmon) and the other mentaiko (spicy cod roe). The salad was actually a lot better than I expected, price of the meal was 580yen (about $5)

here is a picture of a typical Japanese meal, just add rice: http://www010.upp.so-net.ne.jp/lelelenolen/bangohan5-151.jpg from a link in this thread on what Japanese people eat daily: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=20784

well... I don't think I would call it either health food nor fast food..... In the US people tend to eat a main dish, usually a meat/protein or pasta and then they may have a side dish or two (maybe even 3), think about the rice and soup being the main and then a couple of side dishes of similar proportions. These sides can be anything grilled/simmered fish, sauteed/grilled/deep fried meats, vegetables either hot or cold, etc

sozai can be translated as little dishes, but don't think of them as really little dishes like the Korean banchan. The sozai are the dishes that together with rice (and probably soup and maybe pickles) make the meal. It is often said that an ideal meal should consist of 一汁三菜 (いちじゅうさんさい ichijuu sansai), i.e., one bowl of soup and three 惣菜 (sozai) dishes in addition to rice.

try this: http://www.himajin.net/diary/p.php3?2993/45#129018