2 December: Favorite Japanese Food

[starlady]

for kindkit 

This question could have a very boring answer, namely, "everything except whale," but I shall endeavor to be more interesting.

The single thing I love the most (and this is very ironic) is parfait. The Japanese have taken parfait to the limits of the art form and then beyond (I've had parfait served with dry ice here, for example) and it is all delicious. Most food in Japan is not very sweet, and in fact is much less sweet than most food in America, but to compensate desserts that are very sweet are readily available. Even a delicious monstrosity like the Hello Kitty Christmas Tree Parfait (the tree part is made of cotton candy) is never too sweet, though. The tumblr tag has many delicious pictures, but I should note that I particularly like the so called "wa-fuu" (i.e. Japanese style) parfaits, which have more traditional ingredients like mochi, red bean paste, and various kinds of jellies alongside the cornflakes and ice cream and which are sadly rather hard to find in Tokyo. When I go to Kyoto the first thing I'm doing is heading to Tofu Cafe Fujino for their parfait of the month. And then I will probably go back for their regular parfait the next day.

GDI now I want parfait even more than usual.

Ahem. Another Japanese food I like that's more difficult to find in the States is okonomiyaki and its various variations--as should surprise nobody, I like the Kansai style (in which all the ingredients are mixed together) much better than the Hiroshimayaki style, in which everything is layered, but I have a surprising soft spot for modanyaki, which is okonomiyaki with a layer of yakisoba. Nomz. I've also discovered monjayaki, which is a Tokyo variation in which they essentially gave up on the idea of making a pancake-type thing and you more or less eat a stir fry of ingredients right off the grill.

Other things that are delicious here and hard to find done well in the States are karaage (marinating the chicken in sake is key, and even in San Francisco, it's hard to find people who do that) and takoyaki. I used to stop and get takoyaki on my way home every so often the last time I lived in Kyoto, and while I always puncture them and wait a bit before eating to avoid the unfortunate "lava mouth" experience which people seem to favor in Osaka, they're so good, but always overcooked or just underflavored in the States.

I also love all the drinks you can never find anywhere but here like amazake, which is a sweet hot winter drink made from sake lees, and hiyashiame, which is an unusual Kansai drink that is essentially cold ginger juice and which is amazing.

Japan is also a great country for bread. This may be somewhat counterintuitive, but it's true; although I've yet to find a really great baguette, Japan has many amazing kinds of bakery bread and I totally believe that it's the second-best bread country behind France. Sadly my neighborhood bakery is small and not as adventurous as they could be, though their Earl Grey chocolate chip bread is delicious. I miss my giant grocery store in Kyoto which had a very large selection of delicious bakery bread and a bakery right next to it (because shopping mall).

Similarly--and this is something that Tokyo is good for--Japan is also really good at classy, Dean & DeLuca style Western food. There are any number of great cafes and such in the retail complexes here which serve fantastic lunch specials, and many cafes that do the same, all at wonderful prices.

Really, I like everything. EXCEPT WHALE.

Comments

[juniperphoenix]

Earl Grey chocolate chip bread? *grabbyhands*

[starlady]

It's a popular flavor this year--Haagen Däaz sells it as ice cream here, among other things.

[lian]

I do of course take exception to your no.1 bread country (it's totally Germany :P), but I was very amused that my UK-based sister brought home authentic German bread from Japan, of all places. Can't get the real deal in London, but in Tokyo, no prob. Heh.

[laurashapiro]

Man, I cannot WAIT to visit you.

Speaking of which, I plan to start booking my trip this month! I'll be emailing you soon about dates and such.

[lnhammer]

hiyashiame, which is an unusual Kansai drink that is essentially cold ginger juice and which is amazing

I must find this and try it.

---L.

[starlady]

I've seen it three places, all in Kansai: Mimurotoji in Uji (but only during hydrangea season), Mii-dera in Sakamoto, and at the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka. it's sooooo goood.

[lnhammer]

Since I'd like to attend the Tenjin Matsuri someday, that sounds like my best bet.

---L.

[swan_tower]

We also had it at a little teahouse halfway up the mountain of Fushimi Inari.

[starlady]

OH RIGHT, the little teahouse with the second-best inarizushi I've ever had.

P.S. You should come visit.

[lnhammer]

Coo.

[rachelmanija]

But have you tried whale?

I wish I had a Japanese parfait right now.

[kindkit]

Yum! I'm now craving pretty much everything you mention. I'm surprised about the bread, and also envious.

About the whale: do you not eat it because of environmental/ethical concerns, or did you try it and hate it? I've heard that it's greasy and gamey, but since most of the descriptions of whale meat I've read come from English people who ate it during the Second World War when it was one of the few meats not rationed, I'm not sure if I believe it's really that unpalatable.

Thanks for your post!

[holyschist]

I've heard pretty much the same thing from Icelanders, although it apparently depends on the whale species and how it's prepared. Last time I went, minke whale was still the cheapest meat in the stores, but apparently not terribly popular.

[starlady]

I've heard from friends who have tried it here that it was basically all gristle. It's not terribly popular here, either--essentially, it was a food that a lot of people ate during the Occupation because the Allies (read: the States) wouldn't give anyone food because "they brought it on themselves." They did give schoolchildren powdered skim milk to drink, though; my old advisor remembered eating powdered skim milk, rice, and whale meat as a child back then because that was what they had. I believe it was also a "desperate times, desperate measures" food in certain locales before that, but I haven't investigated too closely. People who eat it now are basically probably doing it for neonationalist reasons.

I don't eat it because it's environmentally and ethically wrong, and because I find the Japanese government's obstinate hypocrisy on the issue especially frustrating. It's one of the few things I've gotten into arguments about with people here, but I'm always happy to do it.

[starlady]

I've heard from friends who have tried it here that it was basically all gristle. It's not terribly popular here, either--essentially, it was a food that a lot of people ate during the Occupation because the Allies (read: the States) wouldn't give anyone food because "they brought it on themselves." They did give schoolchildren powdered skim milk to drink, though; my old advisor remembered eating powdered skim milk, rice, and whale meat as a child back then because that was what they had. I believe it was also a "desperate times, desperate measures" food in certain locales before that, but I haven't investigated too closely. People who eat it now are basically probably doing it for neonationalist reasons.

I don't eat it because it's environmentally and ethically wrong, and because I find the Japanese government's obstinate hypocrisy on the issue especially frustrating. It's one of the few things I've gotten into arguments about with people here, but I'm always happy to do it.

[thistleingrey]

Interesting about the sweetness calibration. I find Japanese wagashi (the ones I've tried, which range from third-generation Sacramento convenience store to L.A. Little Tokyo + fusion to all-import Minamoto Kitchoan, though not actually in Japan yet, which I hope to rectify someday) almost overwhelmingly sweet, especially when one compares a Japanese treat and its Korean counterpart. IOW to me both Japanese sweets and mainstream US ones are too sweet, but I couldn't differentiate and thus it is useful to have them ranked in general terms in your post.... /wordy

[starlady]

Well, it depends, for sure! The wagashi in particular evolved out of sweets for the tea ceremony, and matcha is actively bitter, so they are basically pure sugar even today. (You probably know all this.) But stuff like cake or whatever is generally much less sweet than the equivalent in the States imo--even in the stereotypical vanilla cake with strawberries, there's just not as much sugar. But yes, from my extremely limited experience of Korean desserts, I would agree that they are less sweet than Japanese ones.

[lilacsigil]

I didn't particularly like Japanese bread - it was too sweet and light for me - but now that you mention it, French bread is very similar, so that's probably why. I only had modanyaki once but it was fantastic!

[torachan]

Huh, well, if you want somewhere in the US where all those foods are easy to find, you could always move to LA. :p

Japan is good for bread if you like white bread. They are not so big on any type of wheat or whole grain bread, though.

[starlady]

That's true! It is possible to find whole grain bread for toast at big grocery stores and that's about it. And it's not very whole grain-y.

I doubt I'll move to LA, but never say never I suppose. :P