torakris

Fat Guy Congrats on your 10,000 post!

I saw a commercial on TV last night for this cup noodle by Nissin, it is cheese curry flavored, apaprently it is a renewal of a previous product. I don't know how I missed the first time around! http://www.nissinfoods.co.jp/news/news_rel...84&yr=2003&mn=4

There was recently a big controversy (in Korea at least) about ownership over the ISO standard for kimchi. Apparently the Japanese kimchi interests had proposed basing the standard on "kimuchi" (i.e. Japanese-style Kimchi) rather than the South Korean version. As you might expect, there was a huge nationalist uproar in South Korea, as the usual patriots came out to defend their sacred food. I believe that the eventual ajudication was separate standards for "kimchi" and "kimuchi". So the great kimchi war was averted. The general stereotype of Japanese kimuchi in Korea is that it has sugar in it (!) and lacks both garlic and chili. Also that it is only made from baechu (hakusai) and mu (daikon) while Korean kimchi comes in a lot of varieties. From what I understand that may have been the case in the past (i.e. 1990s) but is no longer true. We had a thread on this not too far back: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...chi,and,kimuchi

Kris, its a lot more understandable with all of the news coverage we are getting on our screens of people in Asia walking around everywhere with surgical masks on. It is interesting because we are actually in Asia and we have the same news, images of Hong Kong residents not a piece of face visible on both the front pages of the newspapers and the top stories on the news, yet I have heard nothing about customers staying away from Chinese restaurants. I did a search on Yahoo Japan to see if I was missing something and all I came up with was reports about this happening in Canada and the US.

Bux, that sounds incredible! Let's not forget the fish in japan served with their eggs, or in most cases eggs served with part of the fish! komochi-karei (flounder with eggs) shishamo (small fish served whole, usually grilled, with a swollen belly of eggs)--my kids love these and eat the whole thing head to tail!

I will post a new Japanese word everyday to help give some insight into Japanese food culture and maybe even help you out in restaurants! Who knows, maybe by the end of the year you will be fluent! here is the first word: いただきます itadakimasu (ee-tah-dak-kee-masu) This is said before eating a meal, it is an expression of appreciation for the food and translates as "I will recieve". It is said in the home at every meal, by everybody and is said in group unison at school's before lunch. it can also be said in restaurants, not necessarily to the chef, but to the others at the table to let them know you will start eating. If you plan on eating you should know this word. OK everyone repeat after me: itadakimasu For the duration of this thread please refer to me as Kris-sensei (sensei meaning teacher)!

sawara no karasumi? http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/eizo/vol003/en/a...rea/tyu3/03.htm

Friday night: Just the kids and I spaghetti carbonara dessert: more of the same cake

living on the other side of the world, I was quite shocked to learn of the drop in patronage of Asian restaurants, I really hope people come to their senses soon.

kazunoko--nishin (herring) roe: http://www.kumada.co.jp/hokkaido-kaisen/si...io-kazunoko.htm

Yes ikura did come from the Russian word for coe, but it Japan it refers only to salmon roe. In the US I was addicted to tobiko, I loved the crunch of it, but it is really hard to find in Japan tissue are you maybe thinking of kazunoko? It is yellow in color and is sliceable, it is very popular around New Years, this is my husband's favorite. In Japan young children eat sushi, no problem. My kids have been eating ikura since the age of 1 and all there would probably claim it as their favorite food. The most popular suashi for kids (as seen on the kid's meals at sushi places) is ikura, maguro (tuna), ebi (shrimp-cooked, though my kids prefer ama-ebi) and cucumber roll. My kids ages 7, 5, and 2 eat every kind of fish both cooked and raw. Just a little while ago my 2 year old ate a whole pack of hotate (scallops) while my back was turned!!

Besides finding them uninteresting I also found then not very authentic, but who knows I might give one a two a try. If anyone tries anything let us know!!

I have been here for 13 years and I am still awed by them! It is one of the first places I take people when they come for a visit, of course I will never step foot in one of those places after 4:00, they are mad houses!!!

Food and Wine showcases Japan this month: http://foodandwine.com/invoke.cfm?ObjectID...868134891C5B64A

Interesting article on the depachika (department food basements) of Japan: http://foodandwine.com/invoke.cfm?ObjectID...9A0A6DB33D9DBAD

I am not a huge wagashi fan and only eat them when they are given to me as a a gift (ie I never buy them). I find mizu yokan extremely bland and rarely enjoy it. I do like the shiro-an (white bean paste) much better then the red and if I had to choose a favorite It would be cafe au lait daifuku (not exactly tradional) followed closely by sakura mochi. I picked up some salt preserved cherry blossoms a litttle while ago inteding to make my own, but have yet to do it.

Thursday dinner: fusilli with fresh tomato sauce, basil, and parmasean dessert: marbled not quite a cheesecake not quite a flourless cake, forget the actual name from a Fine Cooking magazine.

anyone have anything new to add?

Unfortunately all of the Korean cookbooks I have are in Japanese, so i can't help with that but using instant dashi in things like miso soup is fine. Heck, I would estimate that 90% of the people in Japan do it!

For me an exotic ingedient is either one I have never heard of before or one that I know will be almost impossible for me to find. So for me something that others might consider everyday foods like parsnips and cardoons are exotic because I have never tasted them before and have yet to run across them in Japan. When i first started Indain and Thai cooking for example, almost everything was exotic, but now my pantry is full with spices/beans/pastes and other ingredients from these countries (and I know where to buy when I run out) so they are no longer exotic. I prefer cookbooks that stick to the recipe as best as they can with out "American-izing" it, there are quite a few recipes in Thai Food that I know I will never be able to make but that does not make me regret buying the book. I also have no problem going to an ethnic grocer if needed.

rcarter welcome to egullet! hope to hear more from you on the Japan board. I know what you mean about those little grapes, they are wonderful and I can never figure out why they are not more popular in the US.

I heard about it through a friend who has done it and recommends it. All of the places are different, some seem more like work while others ssem more like fun,educational experiences. Quite a few of them accept families and once my 2 year old hits about 4 or 5 I hope to make regular vacations out of this!

I know what you mean about prices! We buy watermelons maybe once or twice a year and last year I never bought peaches, they seemed to be so high all summer. I wait for the gifts! Once at the beginning of summer I saw a small bowl of American dark cherries, there wer maybe 14 or 15 in the bowl and the sign said 500yen ($5), I was a little high but I had a sudden craving for them, when i got up to the register it turned out I had neglected to read the fine print that said 500 yen for 100grams (less then a quarter pound) My small bowl cost just under $10! I never ate cherries so slowly in my life.......I savored every expensive bite!

Is this the recipe? http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?...=ginger+catfish

Think Japan is too expensive, yet would love too visit? Check out WWOOF (world-wide workers on organic farms): http://www.wwoofjapan.com/about_e.html In exchange for a couple of hours of work, you are given free boarding and food, stays can be as short as a few days and as long as a year, no Japanese is needed and msot welcome families! You can stay on a working farm, in a old temple, in a bungalow in the mountains, at a soba shop, etc, learn about Japanese foods through first hand experience. Inside the FAQ's is s sample list of some of the types of places you can stay at, My husband and I are going to be going to these places for our family vacations, I can't think of a better experience for ourselves or the children.