Chocoholics in Japan

So, everyone is universally pretty crazy about chocolate, but for the most part, chocolate and sweets aren't something we typically consider "Asian". Yet, with the influx of Western culture and desserts, chocolate has risen in popularity in Asia, especially in Japan.

Bear in mind, Japan was isolated for a period of time, and there were very few ports that could actually receive European goods. One of the few European peoples allowed into Japan for trade were the Dutch, and they did bring the drinking version of chocolate with them, but it was largely restricted to the upper classes in Japan. (Tofugu) The first solid chocolate bar was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era, and interestingly:

"... was marketed as チョコレート , but with the kanji 貯古齢糖. Interestingly, those kanji individually mean "save", "old", "age", and 'sugar'." (To

Ice Cream Flavored Chocolate!

fugu)

During the American occupation of the second World War, chocolate was brought along as a treat for civilian children. (Tofugu) In fact, one of the first English phrases that Japanese children learned was often, "Give me chocolate!" (Tofugu)








Japanese chocolates are unique from chocolates around the world in that they are usually individually wrapped to maintain their unique flavors, including but not limited to a special hazelnut flavor (Tofugu), and some of them are not even necessarily chocolate: for example, a Kit-Kat flavor that is popular in Japan is green tea!





Link: https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-chocolate/

Video: To give you an idea of how crafty Japanese chocolatiers are, watch this video, which is a game show that has contestants take a bite! Is it chocolate... or not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEcC7LGXDQc

Everything's Better On A Stick! Kushikatsu!

Fried food is good. Sticks are good. What happens when you put them together?

Well, if you visit the Japanese city of Osaka, you'll find that kushikatsu is what happens! This popular dish is best described as a "fried kebab" (Turtle), and in Osaka, it is an extremely common food to find, with kushikatsu places all over, including restaurants where you can fry your own kushikatsu. Kushikatsu can be anything from pork to chicken, and from seafood to vegetables (even pumpkin!), and then it is dipped in egg, flour, and breadcrumbs before being fried in veggie oil (Turtle) and served on a skewer.

The snack is a fixture at bars due to its greasy nature and quickness (Turtle), but there are also many cafes and ritzy restaurants that serve it too.



If you would be interested in seeing kushikatsu made in real time (and don't mind intermittent language- like PG-13 language), then you should check out Solo Travel Blog's video on kushikatsu in Osaka!

http://www.timetravelturtle.com/2013/04/kushikatsu-japanese-food/


Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aQ1YaPmUjM

Delicious Donburi

Japanese food is often associated with healthy eating, and it's easy to see why: with the lean proteins like fish, healthy grains like rice, and the wide array of veggies used in cooking, Japanese food is diverse, yummy, and nutritious. However, everyone needs comfort food, and what's better than a piping hot bowl of steamed rice covered with (usually fried) bits of your favorite meat, a yummy fried egg, and savory sauce?

Gyudon- Beef donburi

Donburi is a comfort food dish that is served in Japan, and while it varies from region to region: the sauce in some regions is different, though it is typically made with "... soy, dashi and mirin" (Turtle) and the meat that is used can be everything from eel to katsu (breaded pork) depending on what region you're visiting or what your preferences are! The first donburi was a theater snack made in the Edo period that typically involved eel (Turtle), so if you want to go old school donburi, then order the eel! The fried meat donburis came into prominence during the 1800s. (Only Native Japan)

Kaisendon- Seafood donburi

On a slightly darker donburi note, the name for chicken and egg donburi, oyakodon, quite literally translates to "parent and child" due to the "parental" nature of the chicken and the egg!

Links http://onlynativejapan.com/2015/08/24/%E3%80%90food%E3%80%91donbur-rice-bowl-dishes-everyones-favorite/5675

http://www.timetravelturtle.com/2013/04/donburi-japanese-food/

My personal favorite- Katsudon, with fried pork!

Takoyaki: Having A Ball- A Ball of SQUID!

Takoyaki is a delicious snack that hails from the city of Osaka, Japan. They are one of my very favorite snack foods, and is made out of boiled pieces of octopus that are then deep fried in a yummy batter. They are then skewered on a stick and covered in takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise. (Wiren) These are very popular snacks, and takoyaki stands are a common sight around Osaka (and, if you're curious to try this local delicacy, in San Francisco's own Japan Town!) However, in Osaka, it is possible to make the takoyaki at home! There are little grills that have hemispherical pockets so that you can pack the octopi and batter in to make the little balls.



Takoyaki has its roots in seventeenth century Japan, when wheat recipes and French cuisine were beginning to gain influence- there was even a Japanese version of a crepe, which involved red bean paste rolled up into a pastry made out of a thin batter of flour and water. (Wiren) In the 1920's, Japan started experimenting more with Western fried foods, called "issen-yoshoku, which roughly translates to "one-penny Western food". (Wiren)