Japanese Food

One of the first things my sister (who is a chef and, of course, a huge foodie) asked me when I told her that I was moving to Japan was . . . "what do Japanese people eat?" And sadly, I did not know the answer to that question.

"Sushi, I guess," I remember responding. Well, I've been in Japan for about 3 weeks and if she asked me the very same question, I think I'd probably be able to add only about 3 or 4 things to that list. Rice, beef, pork and noodles. I have eaten more beef, pork, noodles and most of all rice in the past 3 weeks than I've eaten in my entire life.

And while I love all of those things, I don't think that I have the same kind of enthusiasm for those food items that the Japanese people have. The other day, while at work, one of my adult students asked me with all of the exhilaration that a grown woman could possibly muster, "Do you like rice?" I remember looking at her and saying "uh, yeah. It's okay." But in my head I was thinking I used to like rice. It was when I was on the train later on that day that I saw a young girl eating a rice ball - which is quite popular here - and I thought to myself (because that's what your mind does when you don't speak the national language of the country you're living in . . . you become a more quiet and thoughtful person) so I thought to myself, this rice thing really runs deep with these people. I mean, these people eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and here this girl was on the train, having a mid-meal snack which consisted of a big ball of rice.

rice ball

So yeah, the whole "rice" thing is not a stereotype. If you don't like rice, then you might not want to come to Japan.

Either way, here are some other foods that I happened across while exploring my new surroundings.

Believe it or not THIS is ramen noodles. And I'm not talking about the college dorm, 5 packets for a dollar, chicken, oriental, shrimp, or the spicy flavored (in the purple packet), melt some butter on top and pop it in the microwave type Ramen Noodles. No! This is the real deal! And boy is it greasy! I had the beef Ramen noodles with all kinds of spices which made it extra yummy. The thick, tender noodles sit at the bottom of the bowl, but watch your shirt as you slirp them up. If it gets on your clothes, it's not coming out.

In my city there is a dish that is very famous to the area. It's called Okanomiaki (I could be terribly, terribly wrong with the spelling and pronunciation). Either way, it's basically a big pancake with a bunch of goodies inside. Beef, eggs and all kinds of spices and stuff that I have no idea what. I know my sister is probably reading this and shaking her head. (Sorry sis!) Either way, you're supposed to put mayonnaise on it. The verdict? It was okay. Yes . . .just okay. The Japanese people in my area SWEAR by this stuff, but I thought it tasted a little like a burger, especially when you put the mayonnaise on top of it.

Now as far as food goes, my favorite thing thus far has been what you are about to see in this picture coming up. I wish to God I could tell you what the name of the dish is, but I can just give you a summary of what it is and how it's served. The waiter comes out with a dish full of raw beef, seasoned to the hilt (as my mother would say . . . what a "hilt" is, I have no clue). So he brings out the seasoned (to the hilt) beef and you place it in a burner in the middle of the table.

Usually, I am not a big fan of having to do ANY kind of work when I go to a restaurant besides opening my mouth and inserting food and opening my wallet and extracting cash . . . but let me tell you . . . if they would have asked me to mop up the floors and clean out the bathroom after this meal, I would have done it! This was by far the best beef I have ever had in my life. Point blank! Now the sad thing is that I have not been able to find this restaurant since. That's the thing about Japan. There are so many little shops and stores, and small back alley restaurants hiding in little nooks and crannies of the city that you can walk out of a place and never find it again. It's like Brigadoon. The restaurant is not destined to appear again for 100 years. Either way, I will continue my search for that small, back alley restaurant where they served the best beef (pretty sure it was beef) I could have ever tasted in my life.

Last but not least is another personal favorite of mine. This little gem of a dish is not signature to Japan, but I'm glad that they serve this stuff in my little city. It's shaved ice. Yes, plain ole fashioned shaved ice. As someone with an ice addiction, this is like discovering a crack house right down the street. I come here and get ice so much that I'm pretty sure my nickname is probably "mizore" now. That's what I say when I walk into the door and sit down. "Me Zor Ray" and then this heavenly little mountain of pure, white snow is placed in front of me.

Num, yum, YUMMY

All right, well, I'm sure this is the most annoying food post ever but that's what's been popping on the food scene in Japan (as far as I'm concerned). No worries, though, I will be sure to post more in the food category as I expand my horizons and eat at more places.