Japanese Food is More Than Sushi
I assume that you have probably read a few of my posts by now. If that’s the case, I can only imagine how confused you may be by all the food that I've talked about. Intentionally, I decided to wait on giving you lengthy descriptions of each item as they come up in my stories. This post is all about food. I’m sure it will come as a thrill to some of you; I hope you enjoy it! There will be a link at the end to a stash of pictures of food in Japan. TRY to read the post before diving in.
First of all, food in Japan has been amazing so far! Again, being with a homestay has been a great choice. Not only do I feel obligated to try things that don’t look good or contain food I don’t like, I also have been exposed to all sorts of food that I wouldn't have considered, both at home and in restaurants. I feel like I've had a much different food experience than my friends who live in the dorms.
I’ll start with the one topic that will get the most eye rolls: McDonald’s. To start, I’m a firm believer that you must try McDonald’s wherever you travel outside of the United States. There’s something about it that will make you feel so at home, but in such a foreign way; most things are the same, but some things are radically different. The Japanese menu is almost the same as the American menu with a few additions. The most noteworthy additions are a shrimp burger and multiple Teriyaki flavored chicken burgers. Another difference is in the extreme amount of sauce used on everything. This isn't just at McDonald’s, but Japan in general. Japanese McDonald’s also has far different seasonal offerings. I branched out once and tried the Hawaiian BBQ Pork sandwich, a surprisingly good meal with far too much sauce oozing from the edges. Although I didn’t try it, I also saw Sakura (cherry blossom) flavored french fries at the Nagoya flagship store. I don’t often indulge in McDonald’s in Japan, but I must admit that it’s my go to quick meal, especially during breakfast time.
If you've been reading my other posts, you’re probably significantly confused about what Nabe is and why I’m so in love with it. If you haven’t read other posts, go do it. Nabe is a large pot of boiling broth that is placed on a portable burner in the center of the table. The broth can take on many different flavors and I think I’ve tried over eight in my host family’s house. Traditionally, those around the table put in their ingredients to cook, but my host mom prepares it all in advance of dinner so we don’t sit there waiting. Included in the recipe can be nearly anything. At home, it usually consists of cabbage, sliced pork, tofu, mushrooms, and carrots. I feel bad because I can’t do this description justice. The balance of the flavors in Nabe can be so perfect and the different broths keep it from getting boring even after many times. Each meal is ended with all the extra broth being turned into a rice stew with eggs and cheese, a sort of dessert for the meal. I beg all of you to try true Japanese Nabe if you ever get the chance; you will love it.
But, there is sushi in Japan, right? Of course there is. However, I’ve observed that sushi is perceived to be a much bigger part of Japan than it actually is. I've probably had it five times since being here, mostly at conveyor belt sushi restaurants. These restaurants seem to be the go to place for sushi, and not always cheap sushi. My host mom has taken me to an upscale restaurant of this type a few times. Generally, the sushi is similar to that in America, but better. Obviously the fish is fresh in comparison to that found in the midwest, but there are a lot of times when I can’t taste a tremendous difference. Despite the $300 price tag on dinner, I’d really like to go to Jiro’s restaurant in Tokyo someday, the one featured in the movie “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”
This post would be incomplete without mentioning the meal that I have for lunch probably four times per week: Katsu Curry. When not unbearably spicy, curry is always a flavor that I've enjoyed quite a lot. But before coming here, I hadn't had Japanese curry. My lunch is essentially a plate of rice with a sliced pork cutlet, fried, drizzled in delicious curry sauce. Why do I eat it so often? There are a few reasons I suppose. One is that it fills me up dramatically more than other options in the cafeteria at school. Second, I’ve developed a repulsion of sorts to the various ramen, udon, and soba served there. It’s truly a fantastic flavor and I’m fairly confident that I’ll never get sick of it.
Two recent trips to Osaka and Kyoto have filled me with some of their signature foods, namely Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki. Takoyaki is a fried ball of dough with a small piece of octopus tentacle wrapped in the middle. Sounds horrible, but is one of the best foods here. It’s smothered in a brown sauce and drizzled with mayonnaise. Okonomiyaki is often compared to a pancake. I hate that reference because it’s only like a pancake as much as an apple is like a head of cabbage. They simply share one shape. Okonomiyaki is mixed in a bowl, starting with shredded cabbage, flour, egg and a choice of meat. Often cooked on a heated surface on the table, it is poured into a circle and fried on both sides. Okonomiyaki sauce is spread over the finished food, sometimes mixed with some mayo. Both are delicious foods almost only found in Japan.
Foreign food deserves a section in this post as well. I've noticed that Italian food holds a special place in the hearts of the Japanese. There are hundreds of Italian restaurants in Nagoya and most that I've been to are very good. Pizza restaurants are also plentiful, but they’re often gourmet pizzas that can be quite pricey and not so filling. I have yet to make it to a Dominos since being here. Common chain stores such as Krispy Kreme, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, and Subway also line the streets, especially around large train stations. Missing, however, is Mexican food. I've seen only one Mexican restaurant in all of Nagoya and the portions pitifully small. I’ll be quick to get some Mexican food right when I return to America.
That’s all about food right now. I’ve been here for over three months now and obviously I didn’t cover nearly all the food I’ve had. I hope you’ll look through the pictures from the link below to see a bit more of what kind of food there is here in Nagoya. Thanks for reading and be sure to check out other posts from my Medium home page if you haven’t read them yet!
