Japanese Food

I've picked up quite a few habits here in Japan.

For example, I never used to get naked in public in the US. I do that now. I never used to bless my food before every meal. I do that now. I would only occasionally bring gifts to my friends if visiting their homes. I'm always with several gifts when I visit friends now.

And, I never used to take pictures of my food before pawing into it. I'm obsessed with capturing the culinary concoctions spread before me everywhere I go. Restaurants. Dinner parties. Even home-cooked chow. I think I started because Japanese food seemed so exotic and colorful when I arrived. It's a habit I just can't break. (Lots of my Japanese friends do it too!)

The way one displays their savory fare is important here as well. I'm sure I'd take fewer pictures if there wasn't a distinct artistic quality to the grub that goes past my smiling lips and into my grumbling belly.

Here is a collection of Japanese food. C'mon, tell me now.... This looks good.

This is the spread from The principal of Hokushou Nishi High School's retirement party. All of these dishes are for one guest. They skipped the chowamushi in this place setting as well. A lot of these dishes were slimy. I don't like slimy food. It probably tastes great, but I just can't get past the texture.

Cookies prepared by the "graduating" sixth graders. They invited me to their "Thank You" party for the elementary school teachers. I felt horrible when they had to explain to me that they spelled out "hello." I kept saying, "He. Who's he? Luv? What?" I'm not good with hyphenating. My brain just doesn't process it.

makizushi . This "rolled sushi" is made with lettuce, crab meat, egg, cucumber and topped off with mayo. It's oishi yo!

The fried food / icky stuff plate. Some of this is really, really good. Some of it turns my stomach. I adore deep fried shrimp. That's just plain tasty. And lettuce, ham and potato salad wraps! My taste buds rejoice. However, the raw horse meat and processed fish paste leave things to be desired.

It's a fuzzy picture, and I apologize for that, but every time I try to capture basashi (the raw horse meat) I can't seem to get a clear shot. It's as if someone, somewhere with super powers is creating some sort of doubt that this stuff actually exists, and that people eat it.

Sashimi. It's funny how I think raw fish is delicious, but I'm horrified at the prospect of raw horse. It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose. This plate included raw squid, raw abalone and raw mackerel.

More sushi. Sorry for the fuzziness.

This was lunch at Ms. Oka's house on Saturday. These are udon noodles. She served a fish-based broth to us and we helped ourselves to the noodles from the center of the table which we dipped into the broth, and then ate. (Ms. Yoshihara grabbed my camera, of her own accord, and snapped this shot. See! I told you my Japanese friends do it too!)

Temakizushi. This is an outrageously orderly plate of food. Counterclockwise from the shrimp, we have an omelet, sprouts, cucumber and crab meat. The middle, of course is vinegared rice. Temakizushi is one of my favorite Japanese dishes. You basically put together your own sushi roll with the fixings you like. It's usually served at celebrations, but I make pathetic attempts at it at my house sometimes.

Mini chicken sandwiches and potato salad. Yup. This was a home-cooked meal. (Home as in my home.)

Lastly, some funky pasta and vegetable dishes made by some of the junior high school staff. I'm not sure if there are official names for these pleasing plates, but they were tasty. (I like broccoli with my spaghetti. Who doesn't?) My attempt at chili using Japanese ingredients and spices is off to the right.

Come on now. Be honest. Who's hungry?