The Only Thing I Wouldn’t Eat
From the unposted rakkity Japan Chronicles
Mike,
Don’t post this around mealtime.
Today I dispersed my food items from the warming cabinet onto a tray without looking carefully at the contents of the dishes. After I had started chowing down, I looked more carefully at the strange things on one of the plate (see attached photo). Had I actually eaten one of those? They look like bugs! Nahh..couldn’t be.¬â€
Mukul sat down, and I asked him what they were. Insects, maybe? He said, “No, if this were India, I would say yes, but in Japan, I don’t think so. We can ask Shibasaki san tomorrow what they were.” Mukul ate them with gusto.
Even with his example, I couldn’t eat any more. I was sure those little tendils are legs or antennas. And are those little beady eyes? Maybe if they were fried and battered, or saute’d in dark chocolate,
I would go for them. But not as they are. Maybe Peter can illuminate me about their vegetable nature..
rakkity shamaru
Hmm. I can’t focus too closely, even with my glasses.
Bugs weren’t part of my experience. But I did have an experience at a sushi bar a friend took me to, where I was served a piece of fish that literally chewed back. Everytime I locked my jaws on the food item them bounced back. It was some marine equivalent of tire. What is this? I asked him. Given the name–I still had no clue, with no dictionary–until he made the sound of a fountain spurting from the top of his head….
On the little critter side, there are those teeny tiny fishies, dried fellas, that end up sprinkled in soup where they almost swim right in to your mouth. I said, “almost.”
On the other hand, you were up North, so who knows what food items might be the specialty of that region.
Glad you made it to the Hot Springs. The towels on the heads are used for privacy when leaving the water, I guess you noticed. On the women’s side, there’s no such practice, or so I have heard.
Other areas, there are the Commons, where both sides can meet, if clouds don’t get in the way, a la Judy Collins and Carly Simon…
It was a great trip you took me no, Ed. Thanks. Get out the magni-glass and let me know what you find… Or was there a label with ingredients???????
Comment by pokaku — December 22, 2005 @ 6:55 pm
I’m happy I posted rak’s mealtime aversion (at mealtime, no less), if only for the above comment. Pokaku’s on top of his game.
Comment by michael — December 22, 2005 @ 7:31 pm
You’re kidding me … ! This has to remain a mystery? You don’t have Shibasaki-san’s email address? Or Mukul’s, to enlist him in research … ?
Comment by el Kib — December 23, 2005 @ 7:34 am
Great idea. I’ll email the picture to Deguchi-san and get an authoritative identification of this mystery meat.
(Mukul was as puzzled as I was. He’s only an expert
on the foods of India (where, he says, they do eat lots of insects).
Comment by rakkity — December 23, 2005 @ 10:33 am