So we recently enjoyed a trip to the crazy, delicious and wonderfully happy place that is Japan. I was so pleasantly surprised with this place. Don't get me wrong, I had heard only great things, but for some reason, it had never been top of my list. Well, it is now. No doubt I will rave on about this trip for months, so here's the first installment which is about the food of Japan. Just a little taster of what will become a bit of a degustation menu.
The Food
Really good. Everywhere we travelled, cities, villages, ski slopes, train stations, the lot. At every place we felt our tummies grumble, we were able to find really good quality food. Here in the western world we are all finally getting our heads around the idea that the less we play with food, the better it is for us and for our environment. Well in Japan, and many other countries I'm sure, they got the gist of this a long time ago. We ate some sublime sushi and sashimi, incredible ramens, noodle soups, gyozas, tempura, terriyakis, tofus and so much more. It sounds strange but of all the very memorable food experiences I had in Japan, one of my most special was being served an exquisite yet tiny bowl of locally grown organic white rice. I can't tell you much more about it than it was just so creamy and wonderful, and it was only a little side dish to be eaten with a main event, that I can no longer remember, but this rice just felt so wonderfully nourishing and clean and good.
There was this one time though... when I felt a bit shall I say, queasy about what was put in front of me. Before we left for Japan I read in my research to "eat first and ask questions later" if I wanted to truly enjoy the Japanese culinary experience. Well, I did just that on almost every occasion, except one. When presented with an 8 course degustation menu at an incredible onsen resort in the little mountain town of Matsumoto, I queried one course asking the waitress what it was. She spoke very little English so went away to get a translation tool (like a Nintendo DS) and typed in the Japanese, then held up the screen to show me what it was in English. The screen read: Testes.
FYI yes, we both tried the testes and no neither of us finished the testes. Lets just say it was an experience.
The Food
Really good. Everywhere we travelled, cities, villages, ski slopes, train stations, the lot. At every place we felt our tummies grumble, we were able to find really good quality food. Here in the western world we are all finally getting our heads around the idea that the less we play with food, the better it is for us and for our environment. Well in Japan, and many other countries I'm sure, they got the gist of this a long time ago. We ate some sublime sushi and sashimi, incredible ramens, noodle soups, gyozas, tempura, terriyakis, tofus and so much more. It sounds strange but of all the very memorable food experiences I had in Japan, one of my most special was being served an exquisite yet tiny bowl of locally grown organic white rice. I can't tell you much more about it than it was just so creamy and wonderful, and it was only a little side dish to be eaten with a main event, that I can no longer remember, but this rice just felt so wonderfully nourishing and clean and good.
There was this one time though... when I felt a bit shall I say, queasy about what was put in front of me. Before we left for Japan I read in my research to "eat first and ask questions later" if I wanted to truly enjoy the Japanese culinary experience. Well, I did just that on almost every occasion, except one. When presented with an 8 course degustation menu at an incredible onsen resort in the little mountain town of Matsumoto, I queried one course asking the waitress what it was. She spoke very little English so went away to get a translation tool (like a Nintendo DS) and typed in the Japanese, then held up the screen to show me what it was in English. The screen read: Testes.
FYI yes, we both tried the testes and no neither of us finished the testes. Lets just say it was an experience.
Pork Ramen
Sashimi
Crab ramen
and the testes... Cod testes.
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