Have you ever had something that impacted your life so greatly that you didn’t know how you lived before it? Perhaps you wondered how people survived, like those who got on before the ‘invention' of fire. Have you experienced something that moved you to tears within a second, only to disappear before your very eyes, even though you wish you could have that one thing, that one moment, forever? Indeed, those of us whose palates have been tainted — no, blessed with the wondrous flavors of the world understand. And while it will take us time to come face to face with heaven above, we all can take sanction in our one heaven on Earth — food. Food, among the other many glorious things one can experience while abroad, is my favorite part about traveling. It is not only a testament to culture, whether local or national, but also a bonding factor for people in bridging many cultural differences between ethnicities. As I’ve been reflecting over my summer in the Land of the RIsing Sun, here are my top picks for foods I’ve had this past season:
1. Okonomiyaki
If you don’t like this food, I don’t like you. This is like a Japanese pancake with lots of cabbage, pork, and octopus grilled together with bonito flakes and delicious Katsu sauce and mayo drizzled on top. This is like the soul food of Osaka, where I think okonomiyaki tastes best. It’s hot and flaky, while simultaneously being moist and fluffy on the inside. There are many variations to this wonderful food, yet each and every one of them is just as mouthwatering as the next.
2. Sea Urchin/Eel
If you’re in an area that has good seafood, please do not pass up the opportunity! I was in Ishikawa for the duration of the summer, and it has really opened my eyes to seafood. While Osaka has a pretty good selection, it’s still relatively inland, and so my experience with seafood there wasn’t the most wonderful one. Don’t get me wrong, it was really good, but I didn’t actually eat it that often at all. On the contrary, in Ishikawa, seafood was abundant, and actually one of the prefecture’s main source of revenue. My friends and I have had the opportunity to try seafood that literally made you cry from the freshness — it is not something the I have ever tasted before. Everything was incredibly elegant, polished and delicious. I particularly love sashimi, and this summer got to try sea urchin for the very first time. I was initially dubious about the whole affair, as the food itself was a bit of an off putting orange hue, but I knew that it would be one of those foods in which done right, would taste right regardless. Indeed, it was decadent. The creamy consistency mixed with the sauce was absolutely the most fire thing I’ve had.
3. Takoyaki
Whether it’s eaten from a stand in the streets or ordered at a high end restaurant, these bad boys are the best balls you’ll have. Similar to okonomiyaki, takoyaki is based with a flour batter. Takoyaki is a word comprissed of two things: tako, which is octopus, and yaki, which means fried or grilled. They’re grilled into little balls and have octopus, ginger, and perhaps scallion in them. They’re so good and easy to eat, you’ll really never have enough of them in your belly.
4. Kushikatsu
Osaka is part of the southern portion of Japan, and like stereotypes about Southern food in the US, many foods are fried/grilled. Kushikatsu is no exception. Just imagine taking vegetables, and meat, which are inherently healthy, and deep frying it in a vat of oil. That is a meal in itself. It is different from the well-known tempura, because the outside breadings are different from each other. While tempura usually is eaten without sauce or perhaps a bit of soy sauce, kushikatsu is a heavy deal drenched in a sauce blasted with umami flavors. Honestly, the only vegetables I ate from that meal were the bowls of cabbage on our tables, which serve to contrast the meat-heavy servings of kushikatsu.
5. Ramen, Ramen, Ramen!
I can’t let this list go by without having mentioned ramen at least once! It’s just as you imagine it - the ramen noodles are cooked just right, and the bowl comes with the egg — which I think is the best part, next to the chiashu itself. Slurping is a heavenly game as far as ramen is involved, and I think I can let pictures speak for themselves.
6. Oden
Perhaps a much healthier option on this list is oden, which is a bunch of ingredients boiled in a light dashi broth. The options are endless — eggs, daikon, tofu or fish balls. It’s a great winter food to warm you up, and is super convenient to eat!
7. Tamago Gohan
This dish is actually life. It’s incredibly versatile and simple to make! You have white rice, and literally just crack an egg on top of it, mix it up, add some soy sauce and perhaps some furikake, and you’re good to go! It’s a popular breakfast dish in Japan and is quite nutritious. I really enjoyed adding some natto to this mix as well, which totally changes the flavor and consistency game. Might I add this is also one of Yuzuru Hanyu’s breakfast go-to’s?
8. Natto
Many people hear of this food and are immediately skeptical. Natto at its most basic is fermented soy beans. It’s notorious for its smell and sticky webbiness, and odd aftertaste in the mouth. Oftentimes, it is attributed to people who just have a certain liking for it, or even perhaps a food that requires one to develop and acquired palate for it. It was no different for me: I tried it and didn’t like it all that much. However, now I am much more tolerant of it (might I say I love it?) but not without certain conditions! I do think that if I had to eat this straight, I would be quite challenged, but my host mother in Japan added a raw egg and a little soy sauce to it, making it the best simple dish to make ever.
