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eG Foodblog: torakris - Pocky and the geisha

torakris

By torakris
in Food Traditions & Culture

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torakris

torakris

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Now you are probably wondering about the title.... :biggrin:

My past two blogs covered big events here in Japan

New Year's blog

Undokai (sports day festivities) blog

Currently there is no major event going on in Japan so I have decided to focus this blog on modern and traditional Japan and how they are combined in daily life.

There are a couple things going on this week.

Today (April 5) is the first day of school, the Japanese school year runs April- March) so in about 15 minutes I will go outside with my daughters to send them off to school. (yeah :biggrin: ) Mia is going into the 4th grade and Julia the 2nd. My son Hide will go back to preschool on Thursday.

This time of year is one of the most beautiful in Japan, it is cherry blossom (sakura) season and the trees will all be in bloom by the time my blog is over. I will take tons of pictures of these trees as the area I live in has them lining all of the streets. it is just gorgeous.

oh yeah and we will talk about food too! :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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The trees in my area are about 20% in bloom as of yesterday. Today is going to be quite warm, 20 C ( almost 70 F) and tomorrow even warmer so they should be in full bloom in a couple days. Today I am going to a hanami (sakura blossom viewing) party with friends and a nearby park famous for their blossoms, unfortunately they aren't going to be at their best yet....

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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Why Pocky?

First of all Pocky is pronounced poe-key (there is your daily nihongo for the day! :biggrin: )

There are a couple reasons why I picked Pocky to focus on:

--This is probably one of the most well known foods to come of Japan in modern times.

--It just tastes good.

--I just recently learned that SobaAddict70 has never eaten it!

So Soba this blog is for you! :biggrin:

and why geisha?

I just liked the sound of it......

and no, you will not see pictures of me in a kimono!

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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Every day I will discuss a different kind of Pocky. We will start with the original Pocky that started it all.

gallery_6134_1053_40081.jpg

This was breakfast, I had 6 sticks and a large glass of iced coffee.

I am not a breakfast person. I start every day (no matter what time of year) with an iced coffee then I sort of pick at various foods until lunch.

The kids all had toast. Mia with cinnamon-sugar and Julia and Hide had peanut butter.

I make a breafast onigiri (rice ball) and a bento lunch for my husband 6 days a week, both of these are eaten at work. This morning's onigiri was made with wasabi furikake and lunch was fried rice made with leftover pork and bean sprouts from last night as well as eggs and scallions.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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the kids on their way to school

gallery_6134_1053_14741.jpg

from the left:

Hide (age 4), Julia (age 7) and Mia (age 9), on the right is is their friend Natsuki who lives upstairs.

In our school district all children are assigned to a han (a small neighborhood group) of about 10 kids, these groups meet every morning at an assigned area and an assigned time and walk to school together. Our group consists of 11 kids this year and I am the chikurenraku-in, which is basically the mother leader of the group, this year. This job has various duties and you will here more about them as the week goes on as I have a couple meetings to be attending tis week.

my washing machine just started singing, time to hang out the laundry.....

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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Daddy-A

Daddy-A

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Every day I will discuss a different kind of Pocky. We will start with the original Pocky that started it all.

gallery_6134_1053_40081.jpg

This was breakfast, I had 6 sticks and a large glass of iced coffee.

Awesome idea! Pokey & iced coffee for breakfast! I knew there was a way to work Pokey into that one remaining meal. I'll try to follow along at home with your daily flavour.

Really looking forward to this Kristin.

A.

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helenjp

helenjp

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Your kids are growing up!!!

You're very brave to start blogging on the first day of the school year.

For a while it looked as if Pocky were going to slowly disappear...on the one hand, the same nationalistic fervor that saved Apollo chocolates probably helped, on the other hand, they've certainly changed the face of Pocky as we used to know them!

How popular do you think the original Pocky are? And am I just imagining it, or do Pocky definitely have a "girl" image? ("Men's Pocky" notwithstanding!).

Helenjp

* Pickles foodblog

* New Year foodblog

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torakris

torakris

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How popular do you think the original Pocky are? And am I just imagining it, or do Pocky definitely have a "girl" image? ("Men's Pocky" notwithstanding!).

Good questions.

I have to admit when I bought that package of original Pocky yesterday it was probably the first time in over 10 years!! Most of the Pocky I buy nowadays is usually the different flavored one.

It definitely has a girl image, can't explain how or why though.... I wonder if that is why they created the men's Pocky?

For all of you who have never tried it, this is your chance! :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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I've never tried it either, but I have seen it here in London, ON.

Im curious, your kids have American names, or are those the Japanese translations?

Those are their names, there are written with kanji (Chinese characters) in Japan though

Mia 未衣杏　Katherine

Julia 珠理杏　Rose

Hideyasu 秀康　Robert

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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bloviatrix

bloviatrix

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For those of you who might be unfamiliar with Pocky, click here to find out.

I haven't seen this in New York.  Guess I have to go find out where now.

Soba

There's a place on the the south side W. 56th between 5th and 6th aves that has it. Otherwise, try Katigiri.

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

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Jake

Jake

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Kris, so glad you're blogging again. I admit to being a pocky addict (I can always sneak one of those when I can't sneak a cig!) and I have introduced my SO to the joys of pocky as well. Of course, he often insists we buy the "Mens pocky". I'm not sure if it's because he likes it better, or if it's just the name. You 'd think by 40 they'd get over that! :biggrin:

Your kids are still beautiful, although I can see how much they've grown since I last saw a photo. Really looking forward to the blog.

Barbara Laidlaw aka "Jake"

Good friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.

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Jason Perlow

Jason Perlow

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Chocolate Pocky -- the original and the classic. An apt way to start off a Pocky blog.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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docsconz

docsconz

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For those of you who might be unfamiliar with Pocky, click here to find out.

I haven't seen this in New York.  Guess I have to go find out where now.

Soba

They can be had at Han Ah Rheum in N.J.

They are good, but the ones I had (Men's Pocky, of course :laugh: ) were basically chocolate coated wafer cookies - not terribly unlike many others of that ilk. Nevertheless, somewhat addictive.

Edited by docsconz (log)

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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torakris

torakris

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I am about to run out the door to our hanami on this beautiful day but wnat to show our bento lunch before it gets eaten.

gallery_6134_1053_46876.jpg

on the top is a bag of frozen (pre-boiled and pre-salted edamame) I use this as an ice pack

on the right is a pack of cookies made with adzuki beans

and the bento futomaki (fat rolls) with sausages and cherry tomatoes (for color).

This is a good example of modern Japan meeting traditional.

The bento has been around for ages but the sausages, and you will be hard pressed to find too many homemade bentos with out them, are a very modern addition.

the futomaki before rolling

gallery_6134_1053_11215.jpg

and just a bit ago my Tuesday co-op delivery arrived

gallery_6134_1053_22324.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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Pan

Pan

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Kristin, one of the things I like best about your blogs is we get to see adorable pictures of your children. :wub:

Soba, it's my impression that all big Chinese supermarkets in Manhattan's Chinatown and Flushing sell some flavors of Pocky. Try Hong Kong Supermarket, for example. I'm almost 100% positive they have several flavors. A&C Supermarket in Flushing has a bunch of flavors.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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AmyDaniel

AmyDaniel

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Kristin, one of the things I like best about your blogs is we get to see adorable pictures of your children. :wub:

Soba, it's my impression that all big Chinese supermarkets in Manhattan's Chinatown and Flushing sell some flavors of Pocky. Try Hong Kong Supermarket, for example. I'm almost 100% positive they have several flavors. A&C Supermarket in Flushing has a bunch of flavors.

As well as some stores in Pan's neighborhood - JAS Mart on St. Mark's between 3rd and 2nd Aves., Sunrise Mart right off of 3rd Ave. around 9th St. (hopefully Pan can give a more specific address!), and M2M on 3rd. Ave. aaaand...I want to say 10th or 11th Sts.? (not quite sure)

And also a JAS Mart on Broadway between 111th and 110th Sts. :biggrin:

Kristin, I love your blogs!

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Pan

Pan

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Courtesy of www.superpages.com:

JAS Mart

133 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003

(212) 420-6370

JAS Mart LLC

2847 Broadway, New York, NY 10025

(212) 866-4780

Sunrise Mart

29 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10003

(212) 598-3040

M 2M Mart Corporation

200 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003

(212) 353-2698

M 2M Mart Corporation

2935 Broadway, New York, NY 10025

(212) 280-4600

M 2M Mart Corporation

25 West 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001

(212) 947-3760

I know only the 11th St. location of M2M, not the other two locations. But I guess this is probably just about enough of New York in Kristin's blog.

[newscaster voice]Back to Kristin in Yokohama.[/newscaster voice] :biggrin:

Edited by Pan (log)

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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torakris

torakris

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well it is 6:30 pm and I should be making dinner.....

We had a really great day today we had about 8 women and 20+ kids show to our gathering today, unfortunately the cherry blossoms weren't quite ready yet. Of course that didn' t stop us from enjoying ourselves. :biggrin:

the view

gallery_6134_1053_14797.jpg

all the trees with a pink tinge are cherry blossoms and when in full bloom are just breathtaking.

a zoom in on one of the trees

gallery_6134_1053_51961.jpg

you can see that just a small amount are in full bloom

Hide with ice cream

gallery_6134_1053_31815.jpg

Julia rolling down a hill

gallery_6134_1053_59703.jpg

Mia with a friend

gallery_6134_1053_14714.jpg

For lunch we had the bento and snacks I had prepared as well as about 5 bought drinks and the kids all had ice cream cones.

My belated breakfast was all the end pieces of the futo maki rolls.

Dinner to come soon, my husband just walked in the door.....

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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