Food questions for those living in Japan

[Hiroyuki]

Amino acid beverages are one of the hottest items in Japan, and there are a lot of Japanese athletes who drink them.

http://www.tbs.co.jp/moukari/oa20041212-mo3.html

(Sorry, Japanese only)

The health risks of MGS are highly exaggerated by the media. I'm not on the Ajinomoto's side, but I believe we should stick to facts.

You can learn about glutamate from:

http://www.glutamate.org/

A webpage of Ajinomoto on amino acids:

http://www.ajinomoto.com/amino/index.html

[torakris]

I personally have no problems with msg but I also don't buy a lot of packaged foods and don't see a need to sprinkle aji no moto on everything I eat.

Here is an interesting website (obviously one sided by the name) but it has a lot of information about msg in Japan and the site in in both English and Japanese:

http://www.noaminosan.org/indexE.html

[torakris]

and just another note on ekisu, somethings that we call extracts in English like vanilla or almond extracts aren't ekisu in Japanese they are called エッセンス (essensu)

[Hiroyuki]

Here is an interesting website (obviously one sided by the name) but it has a lot of information about msg in Japan and the site in in both English and Japanese:

http://www.noaminosan.org/indexE.html

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Yeah, after browsing through all the pages of the website, I find the site rather biased, to say the least of it.

[Hiroyuki]

and just another note on ekisu, somethings that we call extracts in English like vanilla or almond extracts aren't ekisu in Japanese they are called エッセンス (essensu)

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Just another note on ekisu from me too:

Ekisu is sometimes preceded by ten'nen (natural), thus 天然エキス (ten'nen ekisu).

Artificial is jinkou 人工 in Japanese, as in 人工甘味料 jinkou kanmiryou (artificial sweetener).

[Sobaicecream]

and just another note on ekisu, somethings that we call extracts in English like vanilla or almond extracts aren't ekisu in Japanese they are called エッセンス (essensu)

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Just another note on ekisu from me too:

Ekisu is sometimes preceded by ten'nen (natural), thus 天然エキス (ten'nen ekisu).

Artificial is jinkou 人工 in Japanese, as in 人工甘味料 jinkou kanmiryou (artificial sweetener).

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Hmm, I've never seen 天然エキス (ten'nen ekisu) before. Does that mean any other "ekisu" mentioned might be artificial?

I'm not a health nut or anything, but I guess I do get worried when everything I eat these days seems to have "amino" and something-"ekisu" in the ingredients list. And I really do love my hon dashi --I use it for *everything*.

[Hiroyuki]

Hmm, I've never seen 天然エキス (ten'nen ekisu) before. Does that mean any other "ekisu" mentioned might be artificial?

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Sorry, I must have confused you. By definition, any ekisu should be, and is, natural, not artificial. The word ten'nen is used just for emphasis.

I'm not a health nut or anything, but I guess I do get worried when everything I eat these days seems to have "amino" and something-"ekisu" in the ingredients list. And I really do love my hon dashi --I use it for *everything*.

As you may know, hon dashi contains MSG like any other instant dashi. The word hon (authentic or real) is deceptive!

I must admit I'm like you - I use instant dashi for almost everything.

[torakris]

If you look around a bit you will see some products labeled

無添加調味料

mutenka choumiryou

These are additive free products and I have seen them popping up more and more.

[easternsun]

i cant remember if it was at national azabu super or food magazine, but i was elated to find yves veggie products (i am from vancouver, bc where the company is located).

i dont eat meat but i do like veggie back bacon!

i have not been able to find it anywhere in kansai. i did contact the company, but they never replied to my requests for information

if anyone comes across it, i would love know where.

[torakris]

it looks like you can order them online

I am not familiar with these products though...

[easternsun]

it looks like you can order them online

I am not familiar with these products though...

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thanks!! i didnt know about that site. wish i could read it

i will get a friend to help me out

[Kiem Hwa]

thanks!!  i didnt know about that site.  wish i could read it 

i will get a friend to help me out

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This is what I use for translation of Kanji:

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/jwb/wwwjdic?9T

Its not perfect as far as being able to translate all Kanji combinations, and it wont help you with grammar, but you can at least get the jist of it. Theres also a place to translate english or romanji into Japanese (Kanji).

With this website, (plus some knowledge of Japanese grammar), plus the "translating" abilities of Google, you can get pretty far in reading Japanese websites!

[torakris]

in another thread totoro asked:

I am wondering if you know any place in Tokyo that sells decaf coffee powder or beans?

decaffeinated coffee is not very common in Japan and can be quite hard to find, it also goes by a couple different names:

カフェインレス (kafeinresu) caffeine-less

カフェインフリー (kafeinfurii) caffeine free

ノンカフェイン (nonkafein) non-caffeine

デカフェ (dekafe) decaf

I know that a couple of years ago a friend of mine used to buy decaffeinated beans at a Starbucks near our house but I don't know if they still sell them.

here is an online source that has a couple different kinds (scroll down a bit)

another one

[easternsun]

it seems that healthy village is no longer...does anyone have a new web address as i cant seem to find it

[prasantrin]

I'm thinking of bringing some small quantities of processed meats (bacon, hard salami) back to Japan. I've been doing my reading, and it looks like pork products are fine, beef products (from Canada and the US) are not. I guess that eliminates beef jerky from my list of omiyage...

According to the animal quarantine service I should have an Inspection Certificate from my federal goverment before bringing in any meat products. Has anyone ever tried bringing processed pork products into Japan, and did you have to have an Inspection Certificate? Or could you walk right through customs with no problems at all?

For those wondering why...bacon is Can$12 for a four pack at my Canadian Costco, but Y900 for one pack at my local Costco in Japan. Also, gypsy salami, genoa salami, all those good salami(s?) are so hard to find in Japan!

[helenjp]

salami...classically made salami (that is cured, but not heated) is not supposed to be brought into Japan, if I remember correctly. I think it's the one issue that might cost my salami-loving husband his citizenship...

[sanrensho]

Is there any chance you'll be going through YVR? I don't really have any info for you, but you could try asking at a Japanese butcher like Nikuya Meats here in Vancouver.

I imagine the staff would know a little about the import issues into Japan.

[CalorieLab]

I've brought plant products through Narita. The Plant and the Animal Quarantine are at the same desk just before you go through the customs lines.

Earlier this month I brought a couple dozen packets of vegetable seeds through, and everything was passed. They opened every package and looked at all the seeds. But while I was waiting a woman brought up a big box of tropical fruit, and they confiscated the whole thing after looking at it.

In the case of my seeds, I was considering mail ordering them earlier this year. I called the Japanese Plant Protection Service and they told me I needed to get a "phytosanitary certificate"; the U.S. seed company also said the same thing. In a later call to the PPS, they told me that "in principle" I needed the certificate, but small quanitities imported for non-commercial use could be hand inspected upon entry. As I said, I took a chance, and they let them through. In the past I have also brought in tulip bulbs, garden-collected cilantro seeds, and acorns, and they have passed them.

I was told that for seeds, a few types (like watermelon and corn) would not be allowed unless there was an inspection certificate from the field they were produced in.

For meat, I would say to just give it a try if you can afford the possiblity of having some or all of it confiscated.

Mark

I'm thinking of bringing some small quantities of processed meats (bacon, hard salami) back to Japan.  I've been doing my reading, and it looks like pork products are fine, beef products (from Canada and the US) are not.  I guess that eliminates beef jerky from my list of omiyage...

According to the animal quarantine service I should have an Inspection Certificate from my federal goverment before bringing in any meat products.  Has anyone ever tried bringing processed pork products into Japan, and did you have to have an Inspection Certificate?  Or could you walk right through customs with no problems at all?

For those wondering why...bacon is Can$12 for a four pack at my Canadian Costco, but Y900 for one pack at my local Costco in Japan.  Also, gypsy salami, genoa salami, all those good salami(s?) are so hard to find in Japan!

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[prasantrin]

Thanks for all the information and suggestions! I've actually brought seeds into Japan without even thinking I had declare them (so I didn't). I guess I'm lucky my bags weren't checked, because I could have gotten into big trouble!

I wish I were stopping over in Vancouver--I'm sure some Japanese butcher/grocery store would know exactly what to do, or what I might be able to bring. Unfortunately, it's just a short stop-over for me.

I tried to write to the animal quarantine service and to my surprise, they wrote me back--in English! They say:

Based on the Japanse animal quarantine regulations, meat products derived from the ruminant (like cattle, sheep, goat, deer) are prohibited to import into Japan because Canada is not free from BSE and CWD. Therefore, beef jerky and bacon and salami derived from beef are prhibited to import.

However, in case of meat products derived from non-ruminant(like swine), it is admitted to import if the meat products are inspected for export to Japan by the goverment of Canada and bearing an inspection certificate. When you arrive at Japan with the meat products, please show the animal quarantine officer the meat products,

So, it looks like I should be able to bring pork products, and if I can get non-beef salami products, salami is OK, too! I just need to get the appropriate certification. I got some information about getting that, too, and it does sound like you have to go through a bit of red tape to get it. As long as it's free, though, it may be worth it for all that bacon and hard salami! I'm going to be the envy of all my co-workers!

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

So, it looks like I should be able to bring pork products, and if I can get non-beef salami products, salami is OK, too!  I just need to get the appropriate certification.  I got some information about getting that, too, and it does sound like you have to go through a bit of red tape to get it.  As long as it's free, though, it may be worth it for all that bacon and hard salami!  I'm going to be the envy of all my co-workers!

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Most of the salami and pepperoni I get here in California is pork, not beef. I've only ever seen one type of beef salami.

[_john]

slightly off topic but... what is the availability of bacon in japan? I ask because I am planning on moving there and I believe I have developed a physical dependancy to BLTs especially those made with thick bacon that I cut from the slab myself. Is this an item that most stores have? are you considering importing it because of the quality or the price?

[sanrensho]

slightly off topic but... what is the availability of bacon in japan? I ask because I am planning on moving there and I believe I have developed a physical dependancy to BLTs especially those made with thick bacon that I cut from the slab myself. Is this an item that most stores have? are you considering importing it because of the quality or the price?

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Bacon is widely available in Japan and is not in any way an unusual ingredient. As she mentioned, price is the issue.

To put things in perspective, although the price might be higher in Japan, so are the wages.

[thelobster]

National Azabu supermarket in Hiroo, among many other places, sells "caffeineless" coffee beans.

[easternsun]

COFFEE AND TEA

Select Foods Mart Kataoka ( mostly coffee & teas but some other foods as well)(online)

http://store.yahoo.co.jp/kataoka/index.html

Pao Coffee (online)

http://www.paocoffee.co.jp/

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Thanks, torakris, for the wonderful list. I am wondering if you know any place in Tokyo that sells decaf coffee powder or beans?

totoro

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alishan / tengu sells decaf online or by fax/phone order

http://www.alishan-organic-center.com/

if all else fails, you can get it at starbucks.

[prasantrin]

I've searched through the pinned food links, but could not find it, even amongst the Middle Eastern stores (at least one of which does not seem to carry any food at all!). Does anyone know where/if pomegranate molasses is available in Japan? I'd prefer a location in the Kansai area, though on-line would be fine, as well. It's looking more and more as though I should have brought some back from my trip to Minneapolis!