Posts Tagged: Food

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29
Jul 11

Japanese Comfort Dishes

Warm foods like chicken soup and vitamin-rich foods like oranges help Westerners clear up their sinuses and build their immunities. When ill in Japan, there are a few cultural comfort foods to which many people turn, much like chicken soup in the West. Whether you want to do as the Japanese do should you fall ill in Japan or your love for Japanese food will give you comfort during an illness, try Japanese comfort foods. (These foods are for colds and other mild illnesses. If something more serious is wrong, seek medical attention.)

Kayu: Also known as okayu, kayu is a warm rice porridge. Since rice is such a staple of the typical Japanese diet, it’s not surprising that rice porridge is more popular than oatmeal, although the concept behind enjoying a warm, easy-to-digest porridge is much the same. You can enjoy kayu on its own or with cooked meat, steamed vegetables, or with cooked or raw egg. Add tea and you have chakayu. Making kayu is as simple as boiling rice and water with a touch of salt until the rice is mushy.

Negi miso: Green onions called negi are another antidote for feeling under the weather in Japan. Vitamin-rich negi can be steamed or enjoyed raw. One particular dish made for the ill with negi as a main ingredient is negi miso. Miso is a Japanese flavoring often used in soup. While you can add chopped negi to a miso soup to make a version of negi miso, the most easily digestible form of the dish for the ill is a negi miso drink. Just boil water with miso flavoring and add chopped negi.

Shogayu: Another hot drink for the ill in Japan is shogayu. Shoga, Japanese ginger, is thought to provide many health benefits, including upset stomach relief and a boost in immunity. Shogayu is a simple drink to make; add a pinch of grated shoga and a dash of sugar to a mug and then add hot water.

Fruit: A common gift in Japan for an ill person is fresh fruit. You may notice in Japanese TV shows that a friend or family member attending the bedside of a person in the hospital will peel an apple for the patient to eat.

Do any of these dishes sound appetizing to you? Do you think they make good meals when you’re ill?

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24
Jun 11

Pan: Japanese Bread

Elsewhere on the site, we’ve discussed manju, “steam buns,” and briefly, we mentioned anpan as well. A look at Japanese food wouldn’t be complete without a more in-depth look at Japanese bread. Due to early Portuguese influence, the Japanese refer to bread as “pan,” the Portuguese word for “bread.” Pan was introduced to Japan by Westerners in the 19th century and did not exist in native Japanese cuisine beforehand. While sandwiches like we’re used to in the West are still less common than rice dishes in Japan, there are a number of Japanese foods made with pan.

The anpan, as previously mentioned, is sweet bread filled with sweet filling. It’s definitely more of a dessert than a meal. However, like manju, there are hearty meal fillings for pan as well. Curry pan is filled with Japanese curry, katsu pan has fried pork cutlets inside (yes, fried, breaded pork inside of the break), croquette pan has a croquette inside (a croquette is fried mixture of potatoes and other vegetables as well as potentially meat and seafood), and yakisoba pan is filled with yakisoba–fried noodles!–and ginger. Operating as both a dessert and a potential meal depending on your mood, the fruit sandwich is another common Japanese sandwich. Fresh-cut fruit is layered in bread with a yogurt cream.

Panko refers not to a sandwich-like treat but to a form of breading. Panko is a popular coating for fried meats, seafood, and vegetables. Panko is a lighter, crisper texture than other Western breading. This is unsurprising due the fact that Japanese bread tastes different than Western bread.

When you order a hamburger, you have to make sure that you’re in an American-style restaurant if you’re looking for a hamburger on a bun. Most Japanese hamburgers are served as patties on plates without bread. Until about the 1970s, foreigners in Japan looking to make hamburgers had a hard time finding hamburger buns!

Have you ever tried Japanese pan? Do you prefer the dessert breads or the meal breads? Do you like hamburgers without buns?

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6
May 11

Yakitori: Skewered Meat

During the Edo era, which lasted from 1604 to 1868, yakitori became a delicacy made with the meat of pricey wild birds, like quails, ducks, and pigeons. Over time, the dish spread to the commoners, who ate sparrow meat and eventually chicken.

Yakitori literally means “grilled bird,” but you’ll find the term referring to variety of skewered, grilled meats and vegetables–although the proper generic term for skewered meats and vegetables is kushiyaki. However, since chicken is one of the most popular yakitori ingredients, the label is often appropriate.

Yakitori make great snack and appetizer foods and they can also constitute a light meal. You’ll find them for sale at festivals, in restaurants, in pubs, and in small food carts lining the streets. You can also purchase small indoor electric grills to make the dish yourself at home, although traditionally they’re grilled with charcoal. Pieces of meat and/or vegetables are slid on a thin bamboo stick and the food is places directly on the grill and rotated a few times. Traditionally, you can choose from shio (salt) alone on the food or tare sauce (a sauce made from soy sauce, sake, and sugar).

There are many varieties of chicken yakitori. Toriniku is the basic white chicken meat variety and mune is the dark meat choice, but you’ll also find types such as nankotsu (chicken cartilage–made soft), hatsu (chicken heart), shiro (chicken intestines), rebaa (chicken liver), and sunagimo (chicken gizzard). Chicken skin is torikawa, chicken tail is bonjiri, chicken wings is tebasaki, and chicken meatballs is tsukune.

The other common varieties of yakitori/kushiyaki include garlic (ninniku), enoki mushrooms (enokimaki), pork belly (butabara), Japanese scallion (ikada), ox tongue (gyuutan), fried tofu (atsuage tofu), green pepper (piman), and aspargus and bacon (asuparabeekon). You can have a yakitori with only one meat or vegetable or you can mix it up and sample a number of what’s available.

Have you ever eaten yakitori? Would you be willing to try something like chicken cartilage? Why or why not?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Muroran_Yakitori.jpg
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11
Mar 11

Tsukemono: Pickled Foods

When discussing Japanese food in the past, we’ve mentioned foods like umeboshi (pickled “plums,” as they’re often called, although the fruit is actually closer to an apricot). Pickled foods are seen frequently in Japanese cuisine. The word for pickled foods is tsukemono.

When you order a Japanese meal set, you’ll often be served a small plate of Japanese pickles. These will not taste or look like the Western pickles to which you are accustomed, as they are usually not pickled in distilled vinegar. They’re softer and smaller than the typical Western pickle and are sometimes made by soaking in a mixture that may include sake, miso, soy sauce, rice bran, mustard, sugar, spices and occasionally, vinegar. However, much of the time, they’re simply placed in a special pressurized container called a tsukemonoki along with some salt. The tsukemonoki uses tsukemonoishi (weight stones) to press upon the vegetables or fruit. The process takes at least ten hours. Juices come out of the produce and the tsukemono pickles in its own juices.

Besides the basic pickled cucumbers to which we in the West are accustomed, the most popular tsukemono include umeboshi, takuan (pickled daikon radishes), beni shoga (ginger pickled with the brine from umeboshi), shibazuke (pickled eggplants), oshinko (pickled Chinese cabbage), and acaharazuke (pickled turnips). You may even find certain types of fish pickled (this is usually called kasuzuke, but you can find kasuzuke made with just vegetables as well, as it refers to the method of pickling in sake lees [yeast]).

Tsukemono can be served as a side dish or they can be thrown together as a salad or within a meal. They also make popular items in rice and onigiri to give the plain rice a touch of flavor. They’re easy to buy in Japanese grocery stores, but they’re also simple enough to make in homes if you have a tsukemonoki. If you don’t have a tsukemonoki, you can try to make your own in a tight container as well by applying pressure to the vegetables.

Have you ever eaten tsukemono? Do you like tsukemono more or less than Western pickles? Would you like to try making tsukemono yourself?

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25
Feb 11

Properly Greeting Your Japanese Host

If you spend a length of time in Japan–or even if you’re just there for vacation–you may be asked to join a Japanese family for dinner at their home. Knowing ahead of time what’s expected of you as a guest can help you leave your Japanese hosts with a favorable impression. Although most Japanese are more lenient with foreigners and won’t be terribly offended if you don’t act like a proper Japanese guest, they’re sure to appreciate the gesture if you take the time to learn basic manners for guests in Japan.

When joining your Japanese hosts for dinner, you’re not expected to bring a food dish to be eaten during the dinner. You are, however, expected to bring a wrapped gift for your hosts, if you’re following Japanese etiquette. Ideally, you will choose a gift that represents the country you’re from, or even more specifically, the state, province, or city you’re from. Gifts that cannot be easily purchased in Japan are the best (although, if invited after you’ve arrived, you may need to purchase them from a US importer or even have the items shipped ahead of time). At least one gift for each family member in the hosting family (in one wrapped package) is even better.

Think small gifts that are neither incredibly expensive nor incredibly cheap, but erring on the side of inexpensive is wise so you don’t pressure your hosts into thinking that they owe you for an expensive gift. Non-perishable foods, beverages, travel books, calendars, stationery items, apparel, and tea (although avoid green tea, as giving green tea as a gift is usually associated with funerals) are just a few good ideas. If you can’t get anything to represent your hometown, at least bring some gift, even if it’s Japanese.

When you arrive at your hosts’ home, present them with your gift with both hands. It’s generally considered more polite to pass anything, especially a gift, with two hands instead of one. Your hosts will likely thank you and then put the gift aside. It’s proper Japanese etiquette not to open a gift in front of the gift giver, so don’t pressure your hosts to open the gift before you leave or be offended when you see that they don’t. Don’t forget to remove your shoes at the door as well.

Have you ever been a guest in a Japanese home? What gift, if any, did you bring? Do you like the idea of not opening gifts in front of the gift givers?

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28
Jan 11

Eating at a Restaurant in Japan

If you’ve read our entry on Japanese table manners, you’ve learned a few tips for dining while in Japan. However, there are a few cultural differences that you may encounter that have nothing to do with courtesy. Knowing what to expect will help you seem less confused. You’ll find most of these differences at just about any restaurant in Japan, whether Japanese or Western in nature.

How to order: When visiting a restaruant, you may be surprised to find that no server is coming to your table. In Japan, the servers give you time to settle in and look at the menu and won’t come over until you’re ready. In family restaurant (famiresu)–restaurants with a wide variety of Western and Asian dishes, somewhat similar in decor to family restaurants you’ll find in the West–especially, you’re likely to find a call button on your table. When you’re ready to order or if you need refills or anything else throughout your meal, push the call button. This will signal to the servers that you would like assistance. If you don’t find a call button on your table, you may call over a server by saying “Sumimasen” (“excuse me”) when a server passes by.

No tipping: Unlike in the West, where servers are often paid less than minimum wage with the understanding that diners’ tips will make up the rest, there’s no tipping food servers in Japan. Servers make minimum wage or more because they do not count on tips. Of course, this means you’ll have no way to show your displeasure if you’re unhappy with service other than complaining to the manager. However, Japanese servers will more often than not provide excellent service and don’t need tips as motivation. (If you tip, you’ll likely just confuse the servers, so don’t feel obligated out of habit to tip for excellent service.)

Eating with chopsticks: Unless you’re eating in a Western restaurant, you’ll most likely be provided only with chopsticks. Taking the time to learn to eat with chopsticks can help you be immersed in the culture. However, if you’re in Japan on a limited basis or you simply can’t master the utensils, you may be able to ask for forks and knives.

Smaller portion size: America in particular is often made fun of by the rest of the world for serving huge portions. If you’re used to American portions, you may be surprised to find that Japanese food portions are much smaller.

Have you ever eaten in a restaurant in Japan? Do you have any funny stories to share about cultural miscommunication? Do you like the idea of not tipping servers and having the servers paid higher wages?

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31
Dec 10

Japanese New Year Food

We’re rounding out our more in-depth coverage of the Japanese New Year celebration with a closer look at a couple of the traditional foods associated with the holiday.

Kurikinton (sweet potatoes with sweet chestnuts): Part of the traditional Japanese New Year meals (osechi-ryouri) is the kurikinton. This simple dish is eaten sometime within the first three days of the new year. The sweet potatoes (which are a little different than the sweet potatoes we consume in the West) are boiled along with jasmine seeds for flavor. The seeds are then removed the and sweet potatoes are mashed along with some sugar. The mixture is then mixed with sweet chestnuts in syrup and simmered on low heat for a few minutes.

Kagami mochi (“mirror rice cakes”): These mochi first act as a decoration before they’re eaten. They consist of two round mochi, one slightly smaller stacked atop a larger one. Atop of the mochi is a daidai (a bitter-tasting Japanese orange) with a leaf. Below the mochi are (optionally) dried persimmons and kelp. The entire dish sits upon a decorative sheet called a shihoubeni and a stand called a sanpou. Owners of the kagami mochi may also fold gohei (sheets of paper) into pointed lightening shapes and attach the gohei to the display.

This edible decoration was originally designed to ward of fires in the home in the new year (at least the shihoubeni part was) and to symbolize the new and the old year. It may also be meant to give the family strength and to symbolize the passage of the family through generations. After displaying the decoration for a few weeks near the home’s Shinto or Buddhist altar, the family participates in a ritual called the kagami biraki (“mirror opening”), in which they break and then eat the mochi. This occurs on either the first or second Saturday or the Sunday following New Year’s Day.

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3
Dec 10

Food During Japanese Christmas

All this month (and probably a little into next month), we’re going to be taking a closer look at the Christmas season in Japan as well as New Year’s, which is way more important than Christmas in Japan. Although we’ve covered this time of year on the site in the past, focusing on the holiday season in more detail via this blog will give us a greater opportunity to share what it’s like to experience the end-of-the-year holidays in Japan.

We’re going to start this week by talking about the stereotypical Christmas (Eve) meal in Japan–which is actually more foreign than Japanese. Christmas Eve is more widely celebrated than Christmas Day, and as we’ve mentioned before, it’s typically viewed as a lovers’ holiday, although children may get a few Christmas presents as well. Christians make up only about 1% of the Japanese population, so there is no national holiday giving people time off from work or school on Christmas Day. Nevertheless, couples and friends look forward to celebrating Christmas Eve together.

The typical Japanese Christmas Eve dinner is a bucket of fried chicken, particularly from the most famous of fried chicken chains, KFC. (McDonald’s is launching a competitive ad campaign this year to get people to order fried chicken from them instead!) People actually make reservations for their large fried chicken orders weeks or even months ahead of time. KFC’s marketing department is likely responsible for this Japanese tradition. In 1974, they began the marketing campaign, “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (“Kentucky for Christmas!”). Since eating turkey isn’t popular in Japan, KFC thought they would step in and offer their own poultry for the holiday. The marketing campaign was very successful and these days you’ll find long lines of people waiting to pick up their Christmas chicken that stretches several blocks long!

Another popular food item during Christmas in Japan is the Christmas Cake. The most popular variety is a sponge cake in multiple layers separated by strawberries and whipped cream. The cake is also frosted with whipped cream and covered with strawberries and other fruits. Bakeries and convenience stores will sell these cakes in convenient ready-to-go boxes right in front of the stores in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

(A strange aside: It was once popular to refer to unmarried Japanese women 25 or older as “Christmas cakes” in Japan. The joke was that they were past their fresh-by date and were unattractive on the marriage scene. It’s pretty offensive to call a woman a Christmas cake!)

Photo credit goes here.

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22
Oct 10

Japanese Table Manners

If you enjoy Japanese food, you owe it to yourself to learn about Japanese table manners. Not only does the knowledge of this aspect of Japanese culture broaden your mind, but if you ever find yourself eating in Japan or with Japanese people, you’ll demonstrate cultural sensitivity as well as manners that your hosts or guests are sure to appreciate.

First, you should be aware that while many Japanese homes and most Japanese restaurants have Western-style tables and chairs for dining, many more have only Japanese style tables, which are positioned very close to the floor. The participants in the meal are expected to sit on the ground, typically in the seiza position, which is a kneeling position in which you rest your shins on the floor and your rear on your feet. When you’re in a more casual setting, it’s socially acceptable for men to sit cross-legged and for women to sit with their legs crossed to one side. Depending on the setting, you may be sitting directly on the floor–on a tatami mat–or on a cushion. You may even have a chair with back support that goes directly on the ground.

Using chopsticks is considered the more polite way to dine in Japan, although you may use knives and forks in Western restaurants. You may still be able to request knives and forks even in Japanese restaurants and households, but your Japanese guests or hosts will be impressed if you use chopsticks correctly.  Chopsticks help you take smaller portions so you won’t be shoveling your food in all at once. When ingesting soup, you can use the chopsticks to remove the large ingredients in the soup and can then sip the soup broth directly from the bowl. Sipping sounds are considered polite, not rude, in Japan when not done in excess.

Many Japanese meals are shared meals, with the food served in the middle of the table. Use your chopsticks to grab a small portion of food to place on your plate and then eat from the plate. Don’t take more food than you can eat, as it’s good manners not to leave any food on your plate.

Like in the West, it’s impolite to burp or discuss gross or distressing topics at dinner. You should also refrain from blowing your nose and excuse yourself to the restroom if blowing your nose becomes necessary. When you’ve finished, try to put your dishes back to the position they started in, with your chopsticks in their holder and dishes and lids stacked as they were served to you.

If you’re enjoying alcohol, be aware that it’s proper table manners to serve others and not yourself. When you notice that a friend’s cup is empty, you can ask if he or she’d like more and pour it for him or her. Do not pour the alcohol for yourself or ask someone else to do so; your friends should notice that you need a refill.

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10
Sep 10

Perusing the Japanese Menu with Fake Food

Today we’re not going to discuss Japanese food–at least not the type of food you can eat. Instead, we’re going to examine the fake Japanese food you’ll find adorning many restaurant windows in Japan. If you live near a Japantown or a Japanese marketplace with a food court or even some Japanese restaurants in the West, you may still see some examples of these fake food displays outside of the Japan.

Japanese restaurants often (but not always) make room for display windows featuring plastic incarnations of most of their dishes. These display cases can take up as much as half of the restaurant’s facade in a food court or even line the entire length of a larger restaurant in a mall. (For example, take a look at this video.) The actual-size replicas of the restaurant’s main dishes include replicas of all of the sides served with the food and even similar (or the same) bowls and plates. Along with the food item is usually a placard indicating the name of the dish, the price and the dish number so that you can order by number instead of item. (Although can still name the item if you wish.)

The fake food is usually so lifelike that you can see glaze where there’s supposed to be glaze or swear you’re staring at broth in a noodle dish. The food doesn’t lie lifelessly on the dish; rather, it’s arranged as if it were the food you’d be ordering, complete with noodles crossing every which way and overlapping main courses. Of course, much of the fake food is displayed vertically so that you can get a good look; this means that you won’t be confusing the food for real food, despite how real it looks!

Most fake food displays are custom-made for the individual restaurant. In fact, there are prominent companies in Japan that specialize in producing these individualized creations, such as Iwasaki Be-I, Japan’s largest fake food manufacturer. Much of the manufacturing process is kept secret, although it’s widely known that plastic is the most often-used material in the creations. Japanese restaurants can spend the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of dollars to have these fake foods made for their menus.

Have you ever seen the fake food in Japanese restaurant windows? Do you think that the fake food can help you make a better choice when deciding what to order?

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