Japanese Food! Comments, suggestions, feedback!

[Claies]

My food life consists of:
1) Rice
2) Asian noodles of all kinds (udon, thin Chinese noodles, ramen, lamian)
3) Curry
4) Beef stew
5) Korokke and Tonkatsu
6) Potato chips

And everything I eat must include the above. Everything else is sidelined and not a meal.

By the way, Japanese Nissin cup noodles ftw. They're bloody out of their minds when they made the American varieties. Utter rubbish.

[Desiree Disaster]

I've recently become a major fan of bento box lunches, and found a lovely site full of bento recipies. Some are simple, some are hard, all that I've tried are delicious!

Link here.

[WhiteWings]

One good thing about Asian countries like Japan is that often as long as one lives in a at least somewhat suburban region getting very cheap but very tasty meals ready to eat like bentos by just picking it up nearby work or just having it delivered quickly and easily. Not a absolute nor does it happen in all the Asian countries but its more common in Asia than in the US.

As for my earlier comment. Many countries have dishes that might have ingridients from overseas and such but over a hundred years or more have become truly unique. I am not saying Japanese food suck or lack creativity.

But compared to Korea or China for example Japan has historically incorporated and adapted food from other countries.

I mean Ramen is more of a Japanese/Chinese blend though Japanese Ramen is certainly tastes Japanese (whatever that means). Tempura is said to have originally come from Portugal (so a Japanese friend told me). Breaded foods with fish, vegetable, and meat (cutlet or -katsu) are heavily modified into something Japanese. Curry dishes from Japan seems uniquely Japanese but a Indian might say otherwise.

I am not saying Japanese food is bad. I am just saying Japanese food seems to have more hybrids than any other countries.

At least Japan does have diversive collection of food one way or another. The other famous major island nation Britain is suprisingly simple considering it was the center of a vast empire all over the world.

Oh and P.S. I am not ranting. When I rant I rant mindlessly and is pretty much spam, spam, spam.

[Tri-ring]

What most people do not realize nor will ever be close to actually make comment of traditional Japanese like "Cha Kaiseki", which is equivalent to a dinner at a French 3 star restaruant or Manhan Quanxi.

Dishes like Unagi no kabayaki/shiroyaki, Taimeshi, Tororo, natto, umeboshi, kinome ae, unohana, shio konbu, kirihoshi daikon, komatsuna no nibitashi, shira ae, kaburamushi, junnsai no osuimono, sakana no nitsuke, soba, etc.(I can go on forever) doesn't even come to mind and still thinks that Japanese has nothing to offer in terms of uniqueness.

[Claies]

Originally Posted by WhiteWings

One good thing about Asian countries like Japan is that often as long as one lives in a at least somewhat suburban region getting very cheap but very tasty meals ready to eat like bentos by just picking it up nearby work or just having it delivered quickly and easily. Not a absolute nor does it happen in all the Asian countries but its more common in Asia than in the US.

As for my earlier comment. Many countries have dishes that might have ingridients from overseas and such but over a hundred years or more have become truly unique. I am not saying Japanese food suck or lack creativity.

But compared to Korea or China for example Japan has historically incorporated and adapted food from other countries.

I mean Ramen is more of a Japanese/Chinese blend though Japanese Ramen is certainly tastes Japanese (whatever that means). Tempura is said to have originally come from Portugal (so a Japanese friend told me). Breaded foods with fish, vegetable, and meat (cutlet or -katsu) are heavily modified into something Japanese. Curry dishes from Japan seems uniquely Japanese but a Indian might say otherwise.

I am not saying Japanese food is bad. I am just saying Japanese food seems to have more hybrids than any other countries.

At least Japan does have diversive collection of food one way or another. The other famous major island nation Britain is suprisingly simple considering it was the center of a vast empire all over the world.

Oh and P.S. I am not ranting. When I rant I rant mindlessly and is pretty much spam, spam, spam.

That's because the world only knows of these hybrids. I would like to venture a guess that the well-known Japanese dishes are so exactly because they have foreign counterparts, so people can easily relate to them and not be turned off. Unique dishes are usually a bit off to a foreigner, and thus off from international popularity, and you probably have to be a native to even know of them.

I'll hand in a quick example for China: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish_cake

And I'd like to see people from other nations submit their own examples. I'd love to learn of a dish that I've never heard of.

[Vexx]

The Japanese simply love cool things from "outside" and they love to take them and transmogrify them into their own. Sometimes Japan seems to have an odd xenophillia/xenophobia going simultaneously.
( but then... so do many countries).

[KimmyChan]

I'm suffering from major melon bread withdrawel symptoms lately, lol! :P

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by KawaiiKimmy

I'm suffering from major melon bread withdrawel symptoms lately, lol! :P

If you're willing to bake your own Melon pan then here is a link;

http://hidehide.net/melon-english.shtml

As you can see it's in ENGLISH so

Go for it !

[aohige]

Originally Posted by KawaiiKimmy

I'm suffering from major melon bread withdrawel symptoms lately, lol! :P

If you know of any Mexican sweet pastry bakeries around, ask for "conchas".

They look and taste exactly the same as melon bread.
If you're in US, there are plenty of places you can buy them at.
I don't know about UK though.

[KimmyChan]

Thanks for the advice there guys And thanks for the recipe there also Tri-ring

[rabbitthief]

I want to get my GF something she's been always wanting and was figuring easter would be a great time to add it but i can't find anywhere to buy it, i tried alot of japanese candy/snack sites and haven't found any to order
kind of looks like: http://www.jlist.com/IMAGE/4a1vn
butthats the grape, cheery looks like that just cherry instead of grape
anyone know a place that sell em?

[Shadow Kira01]

Why don't you make it yourself?

http://www.midorikai.org/sakuramochi.html

If you insist on buying it, check these places:

sakuramochi (Google search results)

Edited: Actually, I had spent a few minutes googling it for you, but I failed to find any sites. Sorry...

[KimmyChan]

I haven't bought any more Pocky since a few months back either

I MUST MUST MUST find the time to go and get some more soon!

[Miko Miko]

Pocky <333

Question: is it really hard to make Sushi? I am making it in Catering for my coursework I want to know how hard it is.

Thanks x

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by Miko Miko

Pocky <333

Question: is it really hard to make Sushi? I am making it in Catering for my coursework I want to know how hard it is.

Thanks x

Yes and No.

Making sushi as a rice ball is not that difficult but making sushi as a professional would take practice.
The key is to make the rice ball not too hard so it desolve once you put it in your mouth but hard enough so it doesn't break up when you pick it up.

[Vexx]

I'd also be really wary of making sushi with raw fish on your own. The fish has to be really fresh and from a reputable fishmonger that knows sashimi and sushi requirements. It will cost more.

The various non-meat sushi or sushi using cooked meat (faux crab, etc) is better suited for home use.

Sushi rolls are fun to learn to make... but it takes some practice and it helps to have someone teaching you. 'riceball' sushi is also fun, especially if you have a mold to shape it in.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I'd also be really wary of making sushi with raw fish on your own. The fish has to be really fresh and from a reputable fishmonger that knows sashimi and sushi requirements. It will cost more.

The various non-meat sushi or sushi using cooked meat (faux crab, etc) is better suited for home use.

Sushi rolls are fun to learn to make... but it takes some practice and it helps to have someone teaching you. 'riceball' sushi is also fun, especially if you have a mold to shape it in.

Talking about sushi with raw fish.....is it possible to find fugu sushi in Japan?

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Talking about sushi with raw fish.....is it possible to find fugu sushi in Japan?

Yes but I won't recommend it since Fugu have a very delicate taste that becomes washed out with rice. Fugu also have tough meat so the balance between rice and meat is off.
The best match is for the meat and rice to desolve in the mouth at the sametime.

[Vexx]

This recipe seems typical of the dozen or so I found... I'm assuming that "Mochiko" rice flour is fine as well?

http://sailormoon.takeuchi-naoko.com...ble/index.html

Spoiler for recipe in case link goes down:

Materials:
- a pot
- bamboo skewers
- a spoon
- a strainer


Ingredients:
- 1 cup Shiratamako Sweet rice flour (you should be able to get this at an asian food store or a supermarket, no substitute.)
- 1/2 cup water
- water to fill the pot
- Sweet bean paste or soysauce.

Instructions:
1. Put the water into the pot and start it boiling.
2. Combine the water with the sweet rice flour. (It's best if you combine it slowly) You should get a dough that isn't too soft and is well combined. (sort of like hard bread dough)
3. Roll it into an dango shape i.e. sphere. They should be about an inch across. (warning: do not place on top of your head as it may leave rice flour in your hair)
4. If the water is boiling let the balls of dango in gently with a spoon.
5. Boil them long enough for them to float and then cook them for about a minute more.
6. Test one by cutting it in half. It should be cooked on the outside and sort of off-white in the inside. (Eat it now to check it, but don't eat them all before serving. You'll look like Usagi then.) If they are ready, strain the dango in a colander.
7. No, don't put them on top of your head, put them on a bamboo skewer. About three to four each. Then serve with soysauce and sweet bean paste.
8. Now look out for Usagi and eat!
Note: These don't store well or microwave well, so don't bother "saving" them, eat them all.

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I'd also be really wary of making sushi with raw fish on your own. The fish has to be really fresh and from a reputable fishmonger that knows sashimi and sushi requirements. It will cost more.

The various non-meat sushi or sushi using cooked meat (faux crab, etc) is better suited for home use.

Sushi rolls are fun to learn to make... but it takes some practice and it helps to have someone teaching you. 'riceball' sushi is also fun, especially if you have a mold to shape it in.

Traditional style Edo-mae nigiri is actually all pre-prepared fish.
Anago(sea eel) is boiled in a sauce, Tako(Octopus),ebi(prawn) and Shako(?) are all boiled in hot water, Maguro dsuke is marinated in soy sauce based liquid, Hikari mono(blue skined fish like Mackrel) are all pickled in vinegar, Tai(Sea snappers) are salted and washed with sake, awabi(abalone) is steam in sake and so on.
The introduction of actual raw fish is a recent invention when refrigerators were popularized.