Japan: Part One
So, we’re safely home and finally feeling caught up on sleep; the fourteen-hour time difference made for a rough day of jet lag! As I mentioned last post, we had the amazing opportunity to go on a culinary tour of Japan, primarily in the Tokyo and Kyoto areas. The trip was unbelievable. If you haven’t been to Japan, you must put it on your vacation wish list; the closer it is to the top, the better. (Deacon, congrats on your engagement. You are going to LOVE Japan!)
I’m part Japanese, so going into this trip I thought I had a pretty good handle on Japanese food. My grandmother (in Japanese, obachan) would cook us all kinds of dishes like okonomiyaki, sushi, soba, sukiyaki, and curry. I grew up with those foods and felt comfortable with the things other kids looked upon as “strange” like wet, black seaweed on sticky rice or red bean paste for dessert. Eating in Japan, I wasn’t expecting too many surprises. After all, this is part of my heritage…right?
After my first real dinner in Japan, I realized how wrong I was. In the world of Japanese fine dining, there is so much that is unknown. Almost every night (and even for some lunches) we were served the most elaborate multiple-course meals. Each tray would arrive with little dishes, usually holding just one or two bites of food (Japanese amuse-bouche, if you will). And then one after the other, the procession would continue: little soup pots, little trays, slices of sashimi, and squares of marinated tofu. Some dishes were definitely more identifiable than others; I ate the freshest sushi, steamed lobster, rice speckled with whole sardines, wheat-gluten balls(?), and whole baby squids. Plus some of them I’m still not even sure of. We’re talking not even remotely identifiable. Some of it was really delicious. Some of it was more about a “cultural experience” than an enjoyable taste. Either way, it was amazing.
The meal above features different variations of yuba, the skin that is skimmed from boiling soy milk. It’s commonly referred to as tofu skin and it tastes kinda like tofu, but rubberier. To be sincere, I didn’t really love it. The taste was ok, but the presentation was much better. Accompanying dishes included pickled veggies, sashimi, freshly cooked tofu, and thinly sliced raw beef.
There’s so much more to say about Japan and the food we had, so consider this part one with more to come 
Thanks for your patience so far and the kind comments while we were gone! It’s good to be home.
Wow…
I have been doing research all about places to go and things to eat and do, but never thought of the time difference. 14 hours, I will be out for a day when I get back to catch up im sure. I have always heard that most food from other cultures that gets exported out is the food of peasants and the common folk. Its the food that they get to share with the world and we fall in love with it. All except Japanese food and I always thought the guy who told me that was kind of off his rocker and just biased. But man, looking at the meals and reading what you said, its hard not to think that. Wonderful pictures can’t wait to see more.
And thanks about the engagement!
deacon, a very plausible theory! in fact, one of the friends we were traveling who is from japan said nearly the same thing: the food we’re thinking of is the “everyday” japanese food. this cuisine is the higher-end, luxe stuff. i was surprised that there was such a disparity! but i guess you can’t really fancy-up ramen too much
I can’t wait to hear more! The pictures are great!
[...] sense of worldliness – a confidence in my grasp of basic ettiquette and culture. Yeah, the trip to Japan definitely shook that feeling because I walked around quite clueless for two weeks. But, I [...]
[...] It’s luxurious and smooth, sensuous on the tongue, and refreshingly light. After the Japan trip, I was worried that sashimi in the States would never be the same, but this weekend’s dinner [...]