Edamame has become fairly popular in the U.S. as a healthy snack, but it is ubiquitous in
izakayas (Japanese pubs). Edamame are baby soybeans in the pod, usually prepared by boiling them in salted water and served cold. You don't eat the pods, but instead pop the beans out by sliding the pod through your teeth. Edamame are low in calories and high in protein and fiber, so I like having them as a snack. However, one day I was eating edamame at work when a Japanese staff member saw me and asked, rather aghast, if I was drinking beer. I said that of course I wasn't. She then informed me that edamame is a beer snack. "So I can only eat edamame when I'm drinking?" I asked incredulously. She simply shrugged and walked away. I later discovered that there are lots of foods in Japan (ones that I happen to love), that label you as a drinker. Often when I list my favorite foods for my students, they say in a knowing voice, "Ohhhh, you like alcohol very much, I think." I suppose it would be the equivalent of me listing beer nuts and stale pretzels as my favorite foods.
Tsukemono is the Japanese word for pickled vegetables and is a popular, tasty accompaniment to most Japanese dishes, as well as a
bento (Japanese lunchbox) staple. Lots of vegetables are pickled in Japan, though cabbage (pictured above), cucumbers, daikon radishes, and plums tend to be the most popular. They are crunchy, sometimes spicy, and add a nice bit of color to dishes. In America we often have a pickle spear, coleslaw, or parsley as a garnish, whereas in Japan they have tsukemono.
Ichigo daifuku is a delicious Japanese confection made with
mochi, wrapped around yellow cake, sweet whipped cream, and a strawberry. Mochi has the strangest texture: incredibly soft, gooey, and slightly chewy. It's used like a fondant, and is essentially pounded glutinous rice (it's not sweet but can be sweetened). I adore it, and ichigo daifuku (a modern variation on
daifukumochi), is my favorite mochi dessert. However, the texture of mochi
is a little off-putting at first. It's a lot like what I imagine the flesh of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from
Ghostbusters would be like.
Edamame has become fairly popular in the U.S. as a healthy snack, but it is ubiquitous in izakayas (Japanese pubs). Edamame are baby soybeans in the pod, usually prepared by boiling them in salted water and served cold. You don't eat the pods, but instead pop the beans out by sliding the pod through your teeth. Edamame are low in calories and high in protein and fiber, so I like having them as a snack. However, one day I was eating edamame at work when a Japanese staff member saw me and asked, rather aghast, if I was drinking beer. I said that of course I wasn't. She then informed me that edamame is a beer snack. "So I can only eat edamame when I'm drinking?" I asked incredulously. She simply shrugged and walked away. I later discovered that there are lots of foods in Japan (ones that I happen to love), that label you as a drinker. Often when I list my favorite foods for my students, they say in a knowing voice, "Ohhhh, you like alcohol very much, I think." I suppose it would be the equivalent of me listing beer nuts and stale pretzels as my favorite foods. 
Tsukemono is the Japanese word for pickled vegetables and is a popular, tasty accompaniment to most Japanese dishes, as well as a bento (Japanese lunchbox) staple. Lots of vegetables are pickled in Japan, though cabbage (pictured above), cucumbers, daikon radishes, and plums tend to be the most popular. They are crunchy, sometimes spicy, and add a nice bit of color to dishes. In America we often have a pickle spear, coleslaw, or parsley as a garnish, whereas in Japan they have tsukemono.
Ichigo daifuku is a delicious Japanese confection made with mochi, wrapped around yellow cake, sweet whipped cream, and a strawberry. Mochi has the strangest texture: incredibly soft, gooey, and slightly chewy. It's used like a fondant, and is essentially pounded glutinous rice (it's not sweet but can be sweetened). I adore it, and ichigo daifuku (a modern variation on daifukumochi), is my favorite mochi dessert. However, the texture of mochi is a little off-putting at first. It's a lot like what I imagine the flesh of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters would be like.
No comments:
Post a Comment