torakris

Real bacon? you mean not the supermarket stuff? Have you tried any sausage (especially German style) shops. It is not cheap but it sure is good. At one point about 2 years ago Costco was selling Morton's kosher salt, I keep hoping they bring it back... I picked up 2 3lb boxes this summer. Smoked paprika I also picked up in the US both sweet and hot varieties. Penzey's does ship to Japan but it is really expensive.

Helen, I merged the thread with the existing one. I guess our breakfast or bread, yogurt, fruit and coffee/milk/water is more common than I thought. I wonder how big the differences are between those in the cities and those out in more isolated areas?

At Costco the other day, I noticed they had frozen (from Thailand) soft shell crabs. There were 18 (I think) for about 2500yen (I think), I wonder if this is a new regular product. Back in May I found them in the chilled case, fresh.

The word "mochiko" is mainly used in Kansai, right? I wonder if your friends in Kanto understand you when you say "mochiko". ← Hiroyuki, I am used to mochiko from the time I spent in Hawaii, where it is used for everything, but it took me months of searching to find it here in the Kanto area. I did finally find a bag labeled mochiko, so what is it called in this area? Or is it just not used here? Cheeko, Thank you for taking the time to do the experiments for us!

I am still looking forward to checking out the store as well as the food. The Kohoku one opens on 9/15!

can someone tell me more about this red vinegar.. I have used the black vinegar before but have never heard of red, can you tell me it's Chinese name with characters if possible.

No it is not a "new" curry at all, it is just the first time it has been available in the roux form.

It was a special sale on that day only, they are normally 298 yen. It was because of the sale that I finally bought it.

I picked up this interesting variation on inari sushi the other day. Kokutou inari ("black" sugar) inari My kids didn't really care for them but I liked the stronger flavor.

I made a shirae the other night. I had picked up a pack of carrot tops and was unsure what to actually do with them so I added them to a shirae with blanched julienne carrot. It was really good and everyone really liked it.

A display at the supermarket caught my eye yesterday, at first I was thinking it was a little early for white stew but upon closer inspection I realized this was: WHITE CURRY curry with a cream cream sauce.... I just had to pick it up and will be trying it soon. Anyone else tried this?

I didn't actually find anything yet but I was thinking of using this thread for when one of us living here in Japan does find a food product that the rest of us might be interested in. In a different thread, ogkondansha said he found chilled NZ lamb at Hanamasa rather than the normal frozen stuff. Living not far from a Hanamasa I would love to hear to this kind of information. Earlier this year Costco was selling soft shell crabs, something I had never seen here before and every now and then I happen to stumble in Nissin when they are selling huge bunches of cilantro for only 100yen. So if you happen to run across something that you think would be of interest to the rest of us please post it here!

I saw it but it was a little too much than I care to pay for a book.... I'd love to page through it though, is it available in most book stores?

Cheeko, You won't be disappointed, houtou is really a wonderful dish that I make a couple times a winter. I love the combination of miso and kabocha, I'm not sure why I don't do it more often..

antisocial?? I don't remember you being so antisocial a couple weeks ago.... Didn't you taste all of the desserts at the Heartland gathering, or is that Ronnie's plate I am remembering? Those fried clams are incredible looking, I think I have only had fried clams once or twice and it was from Long John Silver's. Now I have a serious craving.

Onigiri for Thanksgiving?? Be sure to post pictures!!

It was just chocolate coated. It wasn't half bad sort of like any puffed grain (ie rice) product that was covered in milk chocolate.

Absolutely -- not an overall Kitty geek, just for those omiyage style Kitties. They're actually the reason why I started to investigate wagashi... but that's another thread ← cheeko, welcome to eGullet and the Japan forum! I can't wait to hear more about your wagashi!!

I did try the pita mac a couple days ago and it wasn't half bad. The tandoori sauce was just like this bottled one I used to buy and they their yogurt sauce went well with it. What I didn't care for was the texture of the chicken... I would try it again but only because I want to try the version with tomato as well.

I still remember my first kaiseki meal in Japan, it was 15 years ago this month. I don't remember much about the actual dishes except a wonderful piece of beef grilled at the table, grated yamaimo- which I couldn't even look at, and one perfect huge kyohou grape in a bowl of ice. I have never forgotten that grape!

cool!

in essence, then, i would be looking to buy the first type u mention "rakuten" brand or similar? ← yes you would want that first type. Rakuten is not the brand name, it is an online shopping mall operator through whcih the smaller company (Kawamoto) is selling their product.

A Japanese friend who knows I enjoy "unusual" foods picked me up a bag of chocolate covered fu on her summer trip home to Yamagata Prefecture. It wasn't half bad.

Though upthread I said I disliked bastardized version of nikujyaga, last night I did one myself. I needed to preapre a meal from the pantry as I was waiting for my new refrigerator... tuna-jyaga with canned tuna and shishito from my garden It was actually quite good and I would make it again it I needed a main dish in a hurry...

Just another quick note, though I posted a link to this picture of slivered kuki wakame this was not the type I have seen in the store and not the type most people think of when you say kuki wakame.　Every time I have eaten it, it has looked like this. This is what the bag at the store looked like yesterday but looking online it most often seems to be sold like this (salted). This looks like it would be very difficult to julienne....