"" Writer's Wanderings: Stretching Your Palate

Thursday, November 09, 2017

Stretching Your Palate

Having a son who lives in Japan with his family and is married to a Japanese lady who grew up in Japan, we have been challenged many times to try new foods. Most of the time it works out well. When I saw a list of 13 things you really need to try in Japan, I wondered if they had introduced us to all of them. We need to go visit again. I think there are a few we haven't had yet.

Mention sushi and a lot of people will wrinkle their nose and shake their head or they will order California rolls. They've never tasted the true wonders of sushi or shashimi. Yes, there is raw fish involved but until you have tasted salmon or whitefish that is truly fresh and made correctly with the right seasonings, you cannot imagine the wonderful buttery taste.

Yakatori is a favorite. It's often chicken (sometimes chicken parts) on a stick and is an amazing treat. There are other meats that get grilled on a stick and are tender and wonderful with great seasonings.

There are lots of dishes that I would never have tried if we had visited on our own. Restaurants specialize in things like shabu shabu and okonomiyaki (one of our grandkids favorites). Shabu shabu is served with hot pots of broth and you cook your meats and vegetables in them--quickly because the meats are sliced thin, and then dip them in different sauces.

Okonomiyaki is like a pancake that is cooked on a hot griddle in the middle of your table. When we went to the restaurant, our grandkids (even the littlest) took turns cooking the pancakes. You order the different ingredients that you want and then make your own pancakes.

There are many foods that I see my son trying while he is there. I shake my head in wonder. He was my picky eater. It just proves that you don't know if you'll like it unless you try it. But if you're going to try it, make sure it is authentic. Tokyo is a great place to find any kind of restaurant you might want whether Japanese or not. Just remember that a Mexican or American restaurant may not be quite the same as you are used to back home. It's like trying to find good authentic Japanese food in America.

Here's the link to the 13 Japanese Snacks list. The writer suggests taking a tour with guide who will help you through the taste testing--that's if you don't have the privilege of family members to guide you.

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...