eG Foodblog: Hiroyuki - Home-style Japanese cooking

[Pan]

Hiroyuki, I ate at a local soba-ya called Soba Koh tonight in your honor. (Well, truth be told, it's about the 5th time I've been there and I've liked it every time, but I do think you inspired me to go back.) One of the things I love about Japanese food is that it doesn't shrink from the fishy taste, either of fish (as in delicious dashi broth) or seaweed. It's just part of the flavor profile. Of course, I speak from considerable ignorance as a mere casual consumer of some Japanese food. Do I speak the truth?

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Very hard for me to answer.

First of all, any food can be smelly if handled improperly.

Beef can be beefy, pork can be porky, onion can by onion-y(?), and so on.

I understand that even properly handled fish is described as fishy by people who don't regularly eat fish, right?

Think of ramen, for instance. Most American hate ramen with aromatic, "fishy" broth simply because they think it's fishy.

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I don't mean the taste of improperly handled fish; I mean an intentionally fishy taste that I like. I don't like bad fishiness and do like what I consider good fishiness. No hard science here; it's all a matter of taste.

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki, I ate at a local soba-ya called Soba Koh tonight in your honor. (Well, truth be told, it's about the 5th time I've been there and I've liked it every time, but I do think you inspired me to go back.) One of the things I love about Japanese food is that it doesn't shrink from the fishy taste, either of fish (as in delicious dashi broth) or seaweed. It's just part of the flavor profile. Of course, I speak from considerable ignorance as a mere casual consumer of some Japanese food. Do I speak the truth?

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Very hard for me to answer.

First of all, any food can be smelly if handled improperly.

Beef can be beefy, pork can be porky, onion can by onion-y(?), and so on.

I understand that even properly handled fish is described as fishy by people who don't regularly eat fish, right?

Think of ramen, for instance. Most American hate ramen with aromatic, "fishy" broth simply because they think it's fishy.

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I don't mean the taste of improperly handled fish; I mean an intentionally fishy taste that I like. I don't like bad fishiness and do like what I consider good fishiness. No hard science here; it's all a matter of taste.

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All I can say is that you are an exceptional American in terms of the perception of a fishy taste.

[prasantrin]

Chicken breasts are very cheap because they are flavorless and the Japanese don't care for them. I never pay more than 28 yen per 100g and last week I picked up a 2kg pack for 398 yen (4 1/2 lbs for $3.30).

I often tell people the only things that are cheaper in Japan than the US are chicken breasts and cigarettes.

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You are lucky! I was able to get chicken breast for similar prices up until two years ago (when they were on sale), but no more.

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And in the Kansai area, I don't think I've ever seen chicken breast for that price! We usually pay at least Y78/100g when they're on sale. I hate chicken breast, though, so I buy thigh/leg meat, and at Costco, it's Y78/100g. Haven't seen it for much cheaper than that, though.

Hiroyuki, do you know why Kansai prices are more expensive than Kanto prices? Kristin mentioned getting 1.5L of Pepsi at a discount drugstore for something like Y138(??), but in my area, even at the discount stores, it's Y178. What's up with that?

[Hiroyuki]

I've never heard of a Japanese sausage before.  Is that a traditional food, or does it reflect Western influence?

I love maitake, although it's hard to find here.  How did you prepare it for breakfast?

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I missed this one .

Separate it into manageable sizes, and wash very quickly. Some say you need not wash it if it's cultured. Put in a pot of water, add instant dashi, bring it to a boil. Turn off heat in a few seconds (not minutes, or all the flavor is gone!) Add miso.

Done!

Another favoriate use of maitake is, of course, takikomi gohan (rice cooked with other ingredients).

Edited April 27, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[helenjp]

Does my husband get sick of eating meat? No, because he grew up in a rather isolated inland part of Hokkaido. He only eats fish because I insist on cooking it (I grew up beside the sea)!

Yes, I put fish in curry. I like mackerel (saba) curry best - but it tastes best with a sour, light home-made curry, not bought curry roux.

I agree with the comment that beef can smell beefy, etc - when I go back to NZ, I notice the smell of raw meat much more since I've been living in Japan. Also, even though we eat meat very often in Japan, we don't eat as much meat per person/serving - 2 weeks of good Kiwi tucker makes me feel ill these days! But of course my sons are delighted to eat sausage, steak, huge flounder and snapper every day. I feel like crying when I see one tiny flounder for 360 yen here, and think that I could buy a whole bag of BIG fresh flounder for that price in NZ!

Easily digested hulled sesame seeds? Hmm, absorbing 100% of nutrition from my food is not a priority for me! - though maybe for my skinny husband . I like the crunchiness of unhulled sesame, and the fact that it grinds to a powder.

Prices here are closer to what Prasantrin pays - cheapest I see is about 50yen/100g for chicken breast, and that's *very* cheap around here.

Hiroyuki, do you remember the shop near Kita-Kogane that sold "white" or pale soba? It closed down !

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki, do you know why Kansai prices are more expensive than Kanto prices?  Kristin mentioned getting 1.5L of Pepsi at a discount drugstore for something like Y138(??), but in my area, even at the discount stores, it's Y178.  What's up with that?

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That's what I want to know! I did some googling, not no clue. One possible reason is that Kansai people are accustomed to paying more for meat than Kanto people.

As you know, "meat" (niku) is beef (gyu-niku) in Kanto, while it is pork (buta-niku) in Kanto.

[Hiroyuki]

Tour of Yuzawa (Snow Country) and surrounding areas:

Bokushi Doori (Street), under construction:

Visit the Niigata thread in the Japan Forum from here for more pictures of this street.

Shiozawa Koshihikari made by a single farmer:

The farmer's name is indicated on the label.

This and other bags of rice are sold here, Shojiki Mura (Honest Village) in a museum called Imaizumi Museum:

Asa ichi (morning market, similar to farmers' market?) of Honest Village, on the premises of the museum:

Sorry, nothing!

The sign says, it opens today, April 27. Everything must have been sold out.

Kome Taro restaurant:

The sign on the right says, "Japan's best Shiozawa Koshihikari".

Orange Heart, an exceptional convenience store chain found in only Niigata and other few prefectures:

They sell self-made onigiri, bread, bento, etc.

Jashu Mon, coffee house:

Lawson, a major convenience store:

Yukiguni Koboku Kan, a private museum dedicated to strange-shaped trees (because of snow):

A tree before the entrance:

Other strange-shaped trees:

Adjacent to this museum are:

"Fresh Fish Center" and "Uono no Sato" (restaurant/souvenir shop)

The resort condo (center of the photo) where my family lived until two years ago:

This is the one:

Ishiuchi Station, which has seen better days:

Opposite side:

They make ekiben (bento sold at railway stations)

Next to the building:

Doraemon, Pokemon, and... I don't know.

Statue of the man who contributed to the construction of the railway line, Joetsu Line:

More to come.

[Hiroyuki]

Apology: I have uploaded all the photos I selected, but there are so many of them that I just post some of them here. Please go to ImageGullet to view other photos.

Meet the geisha Komako again

together with carp streamers, this time.

Boys' Day is May 5.

Today's lunch: Men's flavor and salmon, which I bought at the Orange Heart convenience store, shown in my preceding post:

What is men's flavor? Spicy cucumber pickle.

Are you familiar with this?:

[Hiroyuki]

Today's supper.

Miso soup's ingredients: Enoki mushroom and tofu (silken):

Karasu karei (a type of flatfish):

Carrot, abura age (fried bean curd), and hijiki:

I made all the three dishes in thiry minutes!

Dishes used to serve simmered hijiki:

Cherry blossum petal-shaped

Supper's ready!

Leftovers:

My son ate his karasu karei, but my daughter didn't eat any. She said she didn't like it . My son had some of hers.

Simmered fish is a favorite of my son's.

I also had some kimchi.

Both my children also had natto. Children are unpredictable!

I'm exhausted. This is my last post today. Good night.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[srhcb]

Orange Heart, an exceptional convenience store chain found in only Niigata and other few prefectures:

They sell self-made onigiri, bread, bento, etc.

Is that your car in the center of the photo?

I spotted it, or one just like it, in several of the pictures.

SB (loves the pictures of your locale! )

[Abra]

Thanks so much for all the pictures of your town - it somehow looks just like mountain resort town in the West, only through a Japanese filter. Do people come there for skiing in the winter?

Will you tell us more about the shop in a museum? Does its location indicate that the rice they sell is more "artisanal" than what you can buy in the regular store? Do they sell other food products as well?

I'm also intrigued by the "men's flavor" onigiri which sounds really good to me, although I'm a woman. Is there a "woman's flavor" as well?

[Pontormo]

Hiroyuki: Good morning! I hope you are well rested after last night's exhaustion. Please accept my best wishes for your wife and for you and your children.

I am not sure I've read more than four works of Japanese literature, but Snow Country is one of them. I took a copy from my shelves last night after catching up with your blog and found it almost unbearably heart-wrenching and beautiful. That final image....!

about a 15-minute ride from my house.

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The region seems transformed when compared to the remote world of inn, spa and village that Kawabata described more than sixty years ago. This photograph reminds me a bit of what it was like to live in Colorado. Running errands on the weekend, going to a chain supermarket after a trip to the hardware store, you walk across asphalt down aisles of parked cars, then look up and see that you are surrounded by mountains. I never got used to them--nor how out-of-place the large, boxy commercial buildings seemed in their presence.

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The lid on this jar of umeboshi was probably photographed upside down because we have always read English from left to right rather than than the reverse. We tend to "read" images the same way and the most prominent feature of the graphic design (light yellow box) appears on the left in this photograph. (I understand that the modern system of writing Japanese switches from the traditional style of columns running from right to left, but maybe commercial artists don't follow the new system? I have no idea how prevalent yokogaki is.)

Finally, your meals interest me a great deal because you purchase so many items that come in small sealed packages that contain mixtures and at least partially prepared ingredients. I remember a scene in a fairly recent movie by Hirokazu Koreeda in which a young boy shops to feed his siblings, picking up one bright, shiny package after another in a small market.

I can't quite figure out how to distinguish the differences between my limited understanding of the use of packaged foods in Japan and how people shop and cook in the United States. What I am about to say is simplistic or a gross generalization. But there seems to be a cultural difference when it comes to preparing meals.

Here, the emphasis is on convenience. We may take cans of fried oniony bits and condensed mushroom soup and bake a casserole after combining these with frozen green beans, but many Americans like to avoid the hassle of cooking altogether and just pop a fully prepared packaged dish into the microwave for a quick meal.

You seem to be more creative in combining numerous packets of stuff with raw ingredients. Even when the meal is quick and improvised such as:

Ingredients:

Very basic ones.  Carrot, onions, and potatoes.  Leftover curry roux.

Tonight's supper:

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In other words, you're cooking.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Pontormo (log)

[sanrensho]

The resort condo (center of the photo) where my family lived until two years ago:

Is that Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort in the background? If so, I've been there once.

[Hiroyuki]

Orange Heart, an exceptional convenience store chain found in only Niigata and other few prefectures:

They sell self-made onigiri, bread, bento, etc.

Is that your car in the center of the photo?

I spotted it, or one just like it, in several of the pictures.

SB (loves the pictures of your locale! )

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Yes, Detective srhcb!!

I shouldn't have parked my car there...

My car is the golden one.

I bought it in 1990, when I was still 30. Now I'm 46.

Few Japanese people keep driving the same car for that long.

[Catherine Iino]

Ah, that's why Americans by Japanese cars--because one can keep driving them that long.

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks so much for all the pictures of your town - it somehow looks just like mountain resort town in the West, only through a Japanese filter.  Do people come there for skiing in the winter?

Will you tell us more about the shop in a museum?  Does its location indicate that the rice they sell is more "artisanal" than what you can buy in the regular store?  Do they sell other food products as well?

I'm also intrigued by the "men's flavor" onigiri which sounds really good to me, although I'm a woman.  Is there a "woman's flavor" as well?

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Yuzawa town is very famous for its ski resorts. The Naeba Ski Resort is very popular. So is the former Shiozawa town.

"Shojiki Mura" (Honest Village) is one example of machi okoshi (town revitalization) projects. It's run by a former town council member and local farmers. They bring rice, vegetables, and other farm products there, and local people and tourists go there to buy them.

Unforntunately, no. Only men's flavor. I had imagined that men's flavor is garlic-flavored meat or something, and I was slightly disappointed. But the rice balls were quite good, made by 100% Shiozawa Koshihikari rice, known as Japan's best rice.

[Hiroyuki]

The resort condo (center of the photo) where my family lived until two years ago:

Is that Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort in the background? If so, I've been there once.

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The condo is near Maiko Korakuen Ski Resort.

Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Report is on the opposite side of Route 17.

You can see it here (last photo in post #69).

[sanrensho]

The condo is near Maiko Korakuen Ski Resort.

Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Report is on the opposite side of Route 17.

Thanks for correcting my geography. I need to dig out my old ski resort guides. My knowledge of Japanese geography is pretty poor, and most of what I know is based on the location of ski resorts!

[Hiroyuki]

Ah, that's why Americans by Japanese cars--because one can keep driving them that long.

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In Japan, we have this notorious "shaken" (car inspection) system, in which you are required to have your car inspected three years after you purchase it and then every two years. The cost of shaken varies depending on the size of your car, and for my car, it's about 130,000 yen! That's why some (many?) people sell their car three years after they purchase it to avoid the shaken and buy another. I'm really exceptional, any Japanese would call me stupid, but I think it is eventually the least expensive to keep using the same car.

Edited to add: On a similar note, in Japan, houses are built and scrapped in an average of 26 years!

But let's get back to food-related topics, right?

Edited April 27, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[helenjp]

I bought it in 1990,

Snap! Our car is practically old enough to vote, too! Shaken coming up in a couple of months!

So do your children make their own breakfast on the weekends?

[Hiroyuki]

I bought it in 1990,

So do your children make their own breakfast on the weekends?

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No, I wish I could say yes. I'm busy!!

[srhcb]

Orange Heart, an exceptional convenience store chain found in only Niigata and other few prefectures:

They sell self-made onigiri, bread, bento, etc.

Is that your car in the center of the photo?

I spotted it, or one just like it, in several of the pictures.

SB (loves the pictures of your locale! )

←

Yes, Detective srhcb!!

I shouldn't have parked my car there...

My car is the golden one.

I bought it in 1990, when I was still 30. Now I'm 46.

Few Japanese people keep driving the same car for that long.

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Cars and cooking are equal passions with me. In fact, I wish everyone who did a eGullet food blog would include a photo of their car.

SB (or else .... their feet )

[Hiroyuki]

Shusai (main dish) for today's breakfast:

Shishamo with roe in them. 78 yen per 100 g.

Compare the prices:

Top: Chicken breast, 58 yen per 100 g

Bottom right: Another chicken breast, 48 yen

Bottom left: Ground pork, 78 yen

Fuku-sai (sub-dish):

Seasoned menma (a type of bamboo shoot). A favorite of my daughter's. She ate almost all of them. I had a few pieces. My son? I don't know.

Mozuku (a type of seaweed) from Okinawa seasoned with black vinegar:

A favorite of my wife's. (Why do women like sour foods?) No other family members care for it, but someone has to eat it. I asked my children if they wanted to have it, they said No.

It looks like this:

Shishamo, grilled in my reliable toaster oven for ten minutes:

Today's breakfast:

together with leaftover iri tamago (a type of scrambled eggs).

My son had a pack of natto, too. As I said above, my daughter had almost all the menma.

My recent new assignment:

My son started to wear dental bridges two weeks ago. I have to clean them with this special detergent at least once a week.

The dentist suggests cutting foods in large chunks, so I followed his suggestion when making curry two days ago.

[heidih]

Coming in late here although I have been reading from the start. Sending out good healing thoughts to your wife and your family. Your english is excellent - don't "sweat it" as they say. (meaning don't worry about it) The opportunity to see real day to day family meals is one of the incredible things these blogs provide. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I also love the tiny harvests your son gets from the veggie garden. To treasure those is something we try to do as well- love that brocholi that is not a tight fist but more open like he picked- the weather did not permit it this year and I missed it. Also am interested in the mushroom logs. Is that common? I see them advertised here in California and wonder if they really work. Also love the simplicity of your mushroom dashi miso soup. "Blog on" as they say.

[Hiroyuki]

Also am interested in the mushroom logs. Is that common?

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I'm in a rural area of Japan, so I would say yes. What do you say, other members stationed/living in Japan?