Travelogue: Spirited Away

Yes, tama konnyaku or tama kon for short. A specialty of Yamagata. The packages explicitly say so, 山形名産.

I posted some info on tama kon here.

I'll respond to Peter's questions later, when I have more time.

Being ignorant, we couldn’t quite figure out the etiquette of dealing with our sauce. Our orders came with toasted sesame that we were to grind, and then mix with the sweet or spicy sauces that came on the table (and a third container for the shredded cabbage). So we happily pulverized our sesame, then scooched some of it out into what turned out to be our rice bowls to add the sauce.

My husband and I were similarly baffled by the all the bowls, sauces, dressings, and the suribachi the first time we went out for tonkatsu. We resorted to the old ex-pat trick of not doing anything, looking surreptitiously around the room for someone else who had just sat down, and copying their movements. My back was to the room, so my husband narrated the actions for the seniors at the table behind us -

Husband: "They just sat down. They're reaching for the suribachi......okay, they're grinding their seeds...okay, they're picking up the sauce bowl....oh! They're pouring the sauce into the suribachi!? Is that normal - wait - I'm looking around - no, that woman has sauce in her suribachi was well - okay, put your sauce in your suribachi with the seeds"

Me:"What about ponzu - did people put ponzu on their cabbage, or are they eating it plain?"

Husband: "I can't see - just put it on."

Me:"But the waitress will find it at the bottom of the bowl! She'll think I'm strange!"

Husband:"She already thinks you're strange, eat your damn cabbage with ponzu."

This is what most of our dinner conversations sound like in Japan, sadly.

Yes, tama konnyaku or tama kon for short.  A specialty of Yamagata.  The packages explicitly say so, 山形名産.

I posted some info on tama kon here.

I'll respond to Peter's questions later, when I have more time.

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So, it's "jellied yam cake" simmered in a "soy-based sauce"?

Ah, my base prejudices got in the way of trying something again.

Next to the candied ginger is iwanatto (lit. rock natto).

It's candied beans (ama natto) plus more sugar and shaped like a sembei (rice cracker).

Here is a photo.

Don't confuse ama natto with natto (fermented soy beans). Ama natto is NOT fermented.

Goldfish? Do you call them something likegrilled goldfish rather than grilled tai (sea bream) in Korea?

That guy is selling noshi (= rolled) surume (dried squids).

That woman is selling okota. It's a small version of Karumera (sp?). Karumera is a very nostalgic sweet. (I haven't had it for almost four decades!) It's also called Karume yaki, and it's made from sugar and baking soda.

When I first read "okota", I thought it meant kotatsu (heating equipment used in Japan). I know that people in Kyoto call kotatsu okota.

Yeah, I’m hopeless.  What are the signs saying here? 

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OK,

Top left: Iri mame (roasted beas) tokusen (choice)

Bottom left: Coffee peanuts

Upper right: Rakkasei (peanuts) from Kochi

Center: Ikari mame (fava beans deep-fried and salted) from Niigata(!)

All 350 yen per 100 g

The dried fruits are hoshi gaki (dried persimmons).

The dried fish is migaki nishin (beheadded and degutted herring).

I'm drunk now, and am sorry if I make any mistakes.

Goldfish? Do you call them something likegrilled goldfish rather than grilled tai (sea bream) in Korea?

They're called bung-eo-pan in Korea - carp bread, I think. Peter's right, you have to insist they give you a hot one, or it's just not worth it.

The first time I had cold taiyaki was in San Francisco. Before that, I had no idea that people ever let them sit around long enough to become lukewarm and barely edible.

Apparently in Japan the vendors seem to pick just the right places, and cooking pace, to keep the hot taiyaki coming. If they can't do that, maybe you find steamed manjuu instead, which seem to be able to handle extended periods of exposure to heat.

Goldfish? Do you call them something likegrilled goldfish rather than grilled tai (sea bream) in Korea?

They're called bung-eo-pan in Korea - carp bread, I think. Peter's right, you have to insist they give you a hot one, or it's just not worth it.

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FYI--Cui-daore, the place in Namba where we lunched, is closing. According to the paper, the reasons for closure include "the decrepit state of the facilities, changes in the business environment, and the difficulties of managing the family-run restaurant."

I didn't think it was that bad!

Maybe if they had put that clown inside the restaurant and forced people to eat there in order to have their pictures taken, they wouldn't have had to close.

And, Kohan Kawauchi, the creator of Gekko Kamen 月光仮面 or Moonlight Mask, died on April 6 at 88.

FYI--Cui-daore, the place in Namba where we lunched, is closing.  According to the paper, the reasons for closure include "the decrepit state of the facilities, changes in the business environment, and the difficulties of managing the family-run restaurant."

I didn't think it was that bad!

Maybe if they had put that clown inside the restaurant and forced people to eat there in order to have their pictures taken, they wouldn't have had to close.

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I didn't see anything decrepit about the place!

......maybe somebody complained about me being in there?

And, Kohan Kawauchi, the creator of Gekko Kamen 月光仮面 or Moonlight Mask, died on April 6 at 88.

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Ah, he had a good run.

It was interesting, reviewing Kohan Kawauchi's work, that another of his characters, Rainbowman, made a comeback in the Megaman Battle Network series as Shiningman, theme music and all.

The tokusatsu are something I'm going to have to get more into with Tokyo, although we've seen a few of their ilk (more Kaijin - "mysterious people"- representatives) tied in with some of the restaurant photos.

Maybe that would have worked! If Cui-daore had developed a tokusatsu series around the Giant Mecha-Clown fighting to defend Osaka from hordes of evil Health Inspector Puddies intent on closing all the restaurants? Could that have built a fan-base to allow them to weather this storm?

Maybe I should get more sleep?

I haven't given you guys enough food.

Sorry.

Let's do something about that.

March 21 – Kyoto By The Book

The afternoon went very much as a typical Kyoto tour. I took the boy out to Keage Station, and from there we set out to do the temples and the Philosopher’s Walk.

This was the northern route through Higashiyama.

(There’s a photo of me, for those of you who’ve been asking).

We stopped first at the famous gardin of Konchi-In. With all of the urban landscape we’d been taking in these last many days, it seemed like time for a little greenery again.

And, of course, if you’re in Kyoto, you have to do a gravel garden. Given that Scud was relatively shattered from the day’s walking already, this gives one a good excuse to sit down and contemplate the gravel.

Rock on.

From here it was an amiable enough stroll up the hill to Nanzenji, with it’s large edifices.

Edifices such as the Sanmon, with beautiful wood pillars.

I’ve a thing for wood. Coming from B.C., it’s in-grained in me (sorry!).

I was more interested, though, in getting back up behind Nanzenji to the small shrine at the waterfall I’d read about – Nanzenji-oku-no-in. The path to this took us up a trail back behind the temple, through woods spotted with small shrines.

Unfortunately, Scud did not share my interest in this uphill climb, and this was probably the turning point in his tolerance for my walking tour. Descending from the shrine (which at least I thought was very pretty, we made an agreement to drop further temples, other than those that we had to walk through as a matter of course.

Still, I wanted to do the Philosopher’s Walk along the canal. This took us in viewing distance of a number of shrines and temples, and gave us the chance to take in the small shops and cafes up here.

Still, Scud’s mood wasn’t improving, and so, when we came up to the great tourist trap of Ginkkuji we pulled the plug on our day’s touring and headed for home.

I needed to rest him up for dinner.

Okariba

Things didn’t start well.

We’d returned to Keage Station, and I felt pretty good about the directions in hand. Then, outside of the station, I was momentarily nonplussed trying to orient myself properly.

I should point out that the Japanese, when they find a foreigner who appears confused (and I always appear confused) are wonderful about helping out. They’ll drop what they’re doing, and help point you in the right direction.

The only thing was, while the way I had planned to take may not have been the fastest, it was relatively foolproof (even against me).

But what do you do? When someone is kind enough to help me, I feel obliged to accept. And I couldn’t very well hide out somewhere until he’d gone away, and then backtrack? Could I?

What would my son think?

“I think you’re a senile old fool, and I’m putting you in a home first chance!”

Okay, point taken.

Nope, being Canadian I smiled and went with the flow.

So, there we are. Alone, in the middle of the dark of a Higashiyama night, and reliant upon my well honed directional instinct.

Scud was not pleased.

For once, I didn’t care. I had a mission.

The mission was: Okariba, up past the Heian Shrine, near the Okazaki Jinja shrine.

I’d read about this on www.bento.com, recommended by Rona, and a good working reference (except there’s no English version of the maps). They had me at “wild boar”. After listening to Yoonhi drool over boar in Northern Italy, I had to do this.

Scud had to do it to.

Whether he wanted to or not.

Where were we? “Lost, perhaps? In the middle of a dark, semi-forested strip? With no sidewalk and busses flashing past us as we walk on the shoulder?”, says the Boy.

You see, that’s his error. I’m never lost. I’m right where I am. The rest of the universe is just having problems readjusting its coordinate system about me.

I found it, just as I’d expected to find it. Needess to say, I crowed mercilessly over the boy. Doubt me, will he?

“I’m still putting you in a home!”

Okariba is attached, kind of, to the Residence Okazaki, a largish apartment buidling. I say “kind of” as it strikes you more as a wooden hut on the side.

Which makes sense, as the “theme” (although I hesitate to qualify it as such) of this izakaya is that of a small hunting lodge. The owner, Aoki san, hunts a lot of his own food, and brings it back here to cook for his clientelle.

Inside, and I’m in heaven! Solid wood everywhere, rifles hanging on the walls, and bottles, bottles, and bottles. The place has that cheerful clutter that just warms my heart.

Before we could order (or look at the menu) a wonderful dish of pickled mountain mushrooms was presented to us. Crisp, clean vinegard snapping up the natural goodness of mushrooms. At this point, I knew that our chef, Mr. Aoki, was going to be worth the journey.

Aoki san is kind enough to go through the menu with me. He’s travelled a fair bit, and has enough English to walk me through the menu.

And what a menu it is!

First up is a sashimi of horse. This is freezer-crisp, chillingly cold on the teeth, like meat flavoured ice cream. Just look at the marbling on that. The flavour is rich, and satisfyingly like eating butter. A dab of ginger and dark soy, and this settles me into a mode of general compliance.

The house specialty is wild boar, which is grilled over charcoal.

I must say, I liked Mr. Aoki from the start. He reminds me, with his cheerful face and ready smile, of my old friend’s family. And, as he cookes, he stands stoically over the grill, turning the meat when it’s necessary, and then returning to a ready position.

Hey, and check out the arrow-skewers! I want some of those!

While the boar grilled, having demolished Mr. Ed’s remains, we turned to a smoked goose. Fine red meat with a wonderful rind of fat and crispy golden skin. As in Shanghai, there’s something in the taste of smoked goose that reminds me of a good ham.

And I love a good ham.

You didn’t expect me to be impartial about this meal, did you?

The boar showed up in good time, and it was worth the wait. Moist, fatty, well slathered with a sweet sauce….what’s not to like about this? I’ve had boar in other places in Asia, and you can floss your teeth with the hair and gristle on the measly bits of meat, but this was a fine pig, making me think of the gargantuan proportions of a boar on the Princess Mononoke level.

Looking at the picture, I can remember salivating as soon as the smell came up to my nose from the table.

I’m salivating again now.

Afte this I had to try the mushrooms. These were good, and beautifully done, slit open in stars to allow the aroma out, but it was the miso - thick and salty and smooth – that really took my attention. As much as I love mushrooms, they were only a delivery system for the miso.

And now for something completely different. Crickets and bees.

I’ve had crickets before. Laos, and even Houston have these on the menu. But bees?

That’s different.

I’d wanted to order a full dish of both, but Aoki san insisted that I take a free sampler first to see if I liked them.

The crickets were really good, and I made this known in a vocal manner. This is actually what got Aoki san and I talking. The texture, the crisp on these, was just like in Laos, when I’d had these in Vientiane a couple of years ago. He immediately perked up (not that he was lagging in the slightest before), and agreed, so I take it that he’s done at least Thailand at some point.

These were nuty, and the legs were still there. If you read my bit on crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, whatever, in Houston, I wasn’t as thrilled there, as they’d basically husked them, and the resultant texture was more caramelized, giving you the feeling of eating shards of glass……mind you, it was still pretty good. Maybe I should try caramelizing some glass shards?.........

The bees were a mixed bag. On the one hand, it’s something I haven’t eaten before, which always gets big plusses with me. But, on the other hand, they were rather limp, bordering on the wet side. As a bar snack, I prefer things to be crispy.

Still, I had no complaints, and these went well with the sake I was drinking (the brand of which I’d forgotten to write down).

Bugs and dead animal flesh called for something more robust. I asked about rice shochu, and he recommeded this, an Okinawan shochu – kabira.

Ah, nothing like spirits with meat. This worked well with the goose, the flavour of which was definitely changing as it came over from the crispy-cool side of things. Now you could taste more of the smoke, and the overly-fatty meat was, well…..I like it. It’s an interesting comparison of textures on the goose, with the wad of fat greasing your mouth over.

That’s why you need shochu.

This called for more crickets, and I ordered up a full complement. Aoki san was becomign happier by the minute.

As was I.

(heck, I even saw Scud smile, but he dropped it when I tried to point a camera at him)

I was interested in the venison sashimi. Our host did check with us, advising that it was raw game, but we assured him that we trusted his judgement.

Plus, I let Scud eat some first.

This wasn’t as buttery (as you can see) as the horse, much leaner. The feel in the mouth was much “pullier” the meat holding together tenaciously. But, as you’d expect from lean meat chilled down like this, it was very clean on the palate, and a good match to the shochu.

A Japanese meal must include rice, and so our chef grilled a couple of onigiri for us, well crusted with soy, and accompanied with pickles and greens.

We ordered more boar. It had occurred to us that, when we left here, we weren’t going to see this again for a long time.

At this point, the boy and I were both feeling pretty good about life. This was like being back in Canada, with our Korean relatives having brought back a fresh truckload of game. Call it a guy thing, but this was shaping up to be our best meal so far.

Along with the hunting and cooking always goes drinking, and Aoki san had a number of specialty items. I’d wanted to concentrate on sake and shochu, but, with our eating coming to a slow and pleasurable end, I wanted to try his stuff in jars.

On the menu, he’d had his own plum wine. This had been down in the bottle for two years, and was even and sweet. With ice, it made a nice finish.

But we weren’t finished.

Aoki san was kean on pressing more items on me. And I was kean on accepting.

Aoki san shook up a jug, and poured me out a glass of something that looked like an animal-husbandry experiment. This was nigori, home made, unfiltered sake,. A bit on the sweet side, but with the fullness, the ripeness of dongdongju. This was excellent. A good nose, and definitely chewy on the palate. Heck, I’d be tempted to make a sorbet out of this!

I was becoming quite content in this venue. With every approval I gave, Aoki san would run off to get something else to try out on me.

At this point, the stops came out. We’d admired the plums in the spirits, but the he brought out a jar of Korean ginseng soaking in shochu (that brought back memories of Soreoksan) and a bottle with a snake in it (that brings back other memories of China).

And then there was that little jar on the right.

I don’t know why, but for some reason I’d never thought of putting down a bunch of South American killer bees in alcohol.

This is what I call a good evening.

Don’t worry, I didn’t leave anything behind.

Honestly, this was the most memorable meal to date. Perhaps it’s the Korean in me, but a meal of grilled meat, with a good assortment of liquor to go with it, is a hard thing to beat.

Add to that a host overflowing with joy in what he does, and how can you go wrong?

Note: edited to add the close up of the Killer Bees. John Belushi's ghost would've pestered me for eternity if I'd left that off.

And that’s a good point to stop at, for tonight.

Next: Cocktails

In one of those odd coincidences that plague our lives, what should I find, after my last post, but that the disk a friend loaned me - part of his collection of Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Okami) films - that I just popped in, starts with a scene of a pilgrim praying under the waterfall at Nanzen-ji oku-no-in that I was just writing about?

We can now all join in singing "it's a small world".....

What a fabulous meal!

And bee larvae and crickets!

They bring back memories. My father comes from Nagano (aka Shinshu), where people love to eat those things. Silkworm pupae, zazamushi (insects in the river), etc., etc.

I was curious about that restaurant, Okariba, and did some googling. Just as I imagined, the restaurant has close relationships with Shinshu (aka Nagano).

First of all, the interior was decorated to resemble a hut in Shinshu.

Basashi (horsemeat sashimi) comes from Matsumoto, Shinshu.

from here

この猪豚は信州にあるマスターの実家の猪豚牧場から直送されて来るもので、

This inobuta (cross between a wild boar and a pig) is sent directly from the inobuta ranch run by the owner's parents.

The owner was once a truck and bus driver.

and from here

熊,いのしし,いのぶた,馬刺,カモ,岩魚,山女魚,アマゴ,きのこ,山菜,信州味噌,野沢菜,蜂の子,イナゴ,さわび,松の実,クルミ,なめたけ,山芋,焼もち,五平もち,朴葉みそ,とうふアゲ

Many of the items are associated with Shinshu. (Sorry, too busy to translate them into English.)

I was curious about that restaurant, Okariba, and did some googling.  Just as I imagined, the restaurant has close relationships with Shinshu (aka Nagano).

First of all, the interior was decorated to resemble a hut in Shinshu.

Basashi (horsemeat sashimi) comes from Matsumoto, Shinshu.

from here

この猪豚は信州にあるマスターの実家の猪豚牧場から直送されて来るもので、

This inobuta (cross between a wild boar and a pig) is sent directly from the inobuta ranch run by the owner's parents.

The owner was once a truck and bus driver.

and from here

熊,いのしし,いのぶた,馬刺,カモ,岩魚,山女魚,アマゴ,きのこ,山菜,信州味噌,野沢菜,蜂の子,イナゴ,さわび,松の実,クルミ,なめたけ,山芋,焼もち,五平もち,朴葉みそ,とうふアゲ

Many of the items are associated with Shinshu. (Sorry, too busy to translate them into English.)

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Thanks very much for that, Hiroyuki!

After watching the way he patiently stood over his grill, I can picture Mr. Aoki perfectly as a bus driver, serene and in control.

It's a good image.

Is Nagano also famous for bugs as food? I'd seen them in Korean diets, but until this meal I'd not connected them with Japan.

Cheers (and thanks!),

Peter

Goodness! I've been away for a several of days and what fabulous meals you're having Peter! Boar meat? Horse sashimi? Crispy crickets and bees? (Unfortunately, one stung me when it FLEW into my face several days ago triggering a nasty asthma attack). I'm glad I've got my revenge through you.

I didn't know they had Bung-oe-pang (goldfish bread) there in Japan. That's interesting. And I had an aha! moment when you mentioned that you bought mangoes for Scud (which I had the gut feeling where dried persimmons - expensive stuff, aren't they?).

Well, I do hope you're not losing steam as I am wanting more. Oh, BTW, I've succumbed to the dark side... writing a blog that is. I finally have one called a Box of Jalapenos.

Oh, BTW, I've succumbed to the dark side... writing a blog that is. I finally have one called a Box of Jalapenos.

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Please add the link to your signature. We (of course I speak for everyone here...) love your enthusiasm and writing.

Aoki san was kean on pressing more items on me.  And I was kean on accepting.

Aoki san shook up a jug, and poured me out a glass of something that looked like an animal-husbandry experiment.  This was nigori, home made, unfiltered sake,.  A bit on the sweet side, but with the fullness, the ripeness of dongdongju.  This was excellent.  A good nose, and definitely chewy on the palate.  Heck, I’d be tempted to make a sorbet out of this! 

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Did Mr. Aoki say it was homemade nigori zake? Or, did he say it was doburoku?

I ask this because, in Japan, no individuals are allowed to make any alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1% or greater under the stupid Liquor Tax Law. Provided that the district where the restraunt is located is designated a "doburoku tokku" (tokku = special district), the owner can make doburoku if he applies for permission.

Difference between nigori zake and doburoku:

From here

Doburoku (濁酒) is the classic home-brew style of sake and is traditionally a cloudy milky color, as the most delicious flavors are found in the white residue. Doburoku is created by adding steamed rice at the end of fermentation, starting a second fermentation and raising the alcohol level. It is also unpasteurized. Please note that although the kanji for doburoku and nigorizake are the same and both are opaque, they are in fact different styles of sake, with doburoku being the "chunkier" of the two.

Oh, BTW, I've succumbed to the dark side... writing a blog that is. I finally have one called a Box of Jalapenos.

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Please add the link to your signature. We (of course I speak for everyone here...) love your enthusiasm and writing.

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I second that! Let's get the link easier to access! (Hey, you've already got a fair bit of stuff up there).

Okay, I'll stop getting distracted and get more writing up here on my side.

Aoki san was kean on pressing more items on me. 

Aoki san shook up a jug, and poured me out a glass of something that looked like an animal-husbandry experiment.  This was nigori, home made, unfiltered sake,.  A bit on the sweet side, but with the fullness, the ripeness of dongdongju.  This was excellent.  A good nose, and definitely chewy on the palate.  Heck, I’d be tempted to make a sorbet out of this! 

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Did Mr. Aoki say it was homemade nigori zake? Or, did he say it was doburoku?

I ask this because, in Japan, no individuals are allowed to make any alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1% or greater under the stupid Liquor Tax Law. Provided that the district where the restraunt is located is designated a "doburoku tokku" (tokku = special district), the owner can make doburoku if he applies for permission.

Difference between nigori zake and doburoku:

From here

Doburoku (濁酒) is the classic home-brew style of sake and is traditionally a cloudy milky color, as the most delicious flavors are found in the white residue. Doburoku is created by adding steamed rice at the end of fermentation, starting a second fermentation and raising the alcohol level. It is also unpasteurized. Please note that although the kanji for doburoku and nigorizake are the same and both are opaque, they are in fact different styles of sake, with doburoku being the "chunkier" of the two.

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In this instance, my notes work. He'd told me it was "nigori; old style sake" that he had made. I hope this doesn't get him in trouble (and if it does, let me know quickly and we'll erase this).

I would say that what I drank wasn't "chunky", not in the same way that dongdongju is. This had a thickness to it, but it was silkier, more like heavy cloud on the tongue than a cup of mucus.

What is the basis for the 1% rule? Is it basically a protection racket for the established producers, going back to the old licensed associations, or is it a more modern food safety regulation (like those (*&^$*s in the FDA who outlaw unpasteurized cheeses from France).

Also, how has this worked with issues like home brewing of beer and wine? Admittedly, I didn't see any home brew shops in Japan like I would have in North America......mind you, I don't see them here in the Middle East, either.....

Also, how has this worked with issues like home brewing of beer and wine?  Admittedly, I didn't see any home brew shops in Japan like I would have in North America......mind you, I don't see them here in the Middle East, either.....

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I vaguely recall places like Tokyu Hands selling equipment for home-brewing, so there must be a market for it. I don't know much about it, though, since I don't drink much, so I could be wrong!

In this instance, my notes work.  He'd told me it was "nigori; old style sake" that he had made.  I hope this doesn't get him in trouble (and if it does, let me know quickly and we'll erase this). 

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Don't mind, I don't think so (although I'm not 100% sure). I admit that I was a little upset when someone here in the Japan Forum said that he was going to home-brew sake.

About the 1% rule: I'm not sure but I think it's for amazake. People should at least allowed to make amazake, right? And, why the government prohibits home-brewing? That's simple. Because the government wants taxes from liquors.

Maybe I should'nt mention this, but it is said that the prohibition on home-brewing started because the government was in need of money for the Japanese-Sino War.

Ok, ok, I've added the link to my blog to my signature. I was going to use it for only my family and friends and then realized that others might want to read it (for the recipes and such).

Now back to your regular Peter Green programming.

Now back to your regular Peter Green programming.

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"regular"?