Japanese Oden......Never Judge the Book by Its Cover

Something I really enjoy while living in Japan is tasting new food every time I have the chance. It is amazing to know that it doesn’t  matter how much new food I have tasted , there is still plenty to discover and to explore with.

Last week I went to the supermarket with my husband, and I saw something that immediately called my attention.  There was a stand with lots of bags with many odd things inside. I took one,  and I  read the name was oden. Even though, it look kind of weird, I decided to buy one for my dinner that night. I asked my husband if he would join me in this new tasting experience, but his answer was a definitive no…….after having a look to that bag.

Oden bag from the supermarket.....

When most non Japanese people first see oden, they usually start by swearing to themselves that it will never, ever enter their stomachs. Newcomers to Japan are most likely to see it in their local convenient stores sitting in big metal tanks (next to the nikuman).  The smell that goes along with it is usually gagging, and you'll be forgiven if you think it looks more like a bad science experiment gone really wrong. It's unfortunate that people have to see it in such a setting. Convenience store oden is of course, swill, but if you're daring enough to try it in a real restaurant, or better yet an oden restaurant, you might just become an oden lover like me.

So what is oden? Taking a look in the pot below, it appears to be a bunch of mainly unrecognizable things boiled in murky water. You are correct in this assumption.

Good oden restaurants aren't that common though, and if you've got a craving you might be tempted to go to the convenient store. Luckily for me, before I sunk to those depths I found an oden package set in my local supermarket. Oden in a bag! Mmmm, looks pretty gross....I am sure that’s why my husband refused to eat it…..

Oden in the pot

Ok but you're probably thinking 'What the hell is some of that crap made out of'? Allow me to explain you on what you can expect to find in a regular serving of oden:
Can't get much more normal than a boiled egg right? The brownish color comes from being boiled in brown colored soup. Probably the most common oden ingredient. You'll always find an egg or two in your oden. Yum!

Hard boiled egg

First time for me to see a chicken leg in oden, and after seeing this one, I hope I never do again. It looked like it had already been boiled for a few million years before it made it to my apartment. Grisly tendons and grey bone stuck out everywhere making me think this was some zombie chicken or something. However like most things you find in oden, it ended up tasting so good…... Just close your eyes, and don’t judge the book by the cover….

Still in the realm of normality, although this may look a bit scary, it's actually just a chicken meatball called a 'tsukune' in Japanese. Pretty tasty!

Chicken leg

Looking quite threatening at first glance, you're actually in for a treat. Although it may appear to be a slab of monkey brain or maybe jellyfish, it's actually only a slice of 'daikon' which is just a big radish. Next to eggs, this is another staple. You'll always find daikon in your oden. Very nice!

Daikon

Back home, any plant that comes out of the water is automatically 'seaweed' but here in Japan, they have names for each different one! Not only that, they eat some of them! Living far from the ocean in El Salvador, seaweed never entered my diet, but some of it is actually pretty tasty. Here we have some 'konbu' tied in a pretty little knot. You might know it as that thick rubbery seaweed called 'kelp' (the only seaweed name that I know in English) that always washes up on the beach and stinks. Yeah it's food here.

Oden Konbu

Ok now we're getting into the realm of the bizarre. Cheerfully known as a 'fishcake' in English, this unrecognizable log is pressed and processed fish paste wrapped around a piece of burdock (an unknown vegetable in the Western world). I'll admit this one takes some warming up to, but tasty all the same. Burdock, known as 'gobo' in Japanese, is one of those things that tastes much better than it looks.

Oden Goboumaki

Oden Tsukune

Is it a piece of octopus that's had the crap boiled out of it? A dead and peeled piece of bloated snake? Nope, it's fishcake again. This one is called a 'chikuwa' in Japanese and no one today can figure out why it was ever invented. I suppose the shape is supposed to resemble an octopus leg? Not sure. Anyway despite its horrid appearance, it's also pretty good. Be brave!

Oden Chikuwa

Last on the list of the eight items in my oden bag is perhaps one of the strangest members of the team. Called 'konnyaku', this grey, speckled lump is always cut into a triangle shape but don't ask me why. It may look like a shark fin but it's just a lump of gelatin, completely tasteless gelatin at that. This is another oden staple which you'll almost always find, but definitely tasty. 

Oden konyaku

Although there were only 8 different items in the bag, this is by no means a complete list. When it comes to oden, pretty much anything that can be boiled until it's just on the point of becoming mush is fair game. 
So what's the verdict on oden-in-a-bag from the supermarket? Well although I do like oden, supermarket bag oden is only one step up from the stuff at the convenient store. If you have a chance to go to a real oden restaurant, take it! You'll thank me later. Don't forget the karashi (spicy mustard), when your sinuses are on fire you'll know you've used the right amount. It's all part of the fun!

WHY IS ODEN SO POPULAR IN JAPAN?

HOW TO PREPARE ODEN AT HOME

Bento Boxes: An exquisite choice when you visit Japan

In my time living and studying in Japan, I heard many opinions from different foreigners around the world. It is strange but interesting to discover that women immediately fall in love with Japanese food. I did!!!!!

The reason is simple…..Since Japanese food is healthy, it helps you to lose weight and to look great. In the other hand, it is common to hear cry baby university students who always complain missing their mothers’ food. Nevertheless, there is a male minority, who has a unique taste, that likes Japanese food taste.

Let me tell you that there is a great option for foreigners who don’t know what to eat in Japan. This option is ………………..bento boxes!!!!

It is so convenient and easy to find them everywhere in Japan  for a very reasonable price. They are around ¥300 and ¥1200 (that would be $2 and $10).

When you buy a bento box, you can have many types of food arranged in a perfect and singular way. I said once that Japanese food is too beautiful to be eaten…….

Now I will explain you what a bento box is and the varieties you can find. I hope you like them.

What is bento?

Bento (written 弁当), or obento (お弁当) to use the honorific term, is the Japanese word for a meal served in a box. Beyond that basic definition though, just about anything goes as to what kind of box or container is used, as well as what is put inside that box. Bento, or o-bento, refers to a packaged, single-portion, portable meal that is usually eaten at lunch, but also comes in larger sizes meant for use at picnics, dinner, and parties. A bento generally consists of rice or noodles and some form of protein (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, tofu) accompanied by side dishes of raw, simmered, or pickled vegetables. There are many different types of bento boxes, ranging from traditional handcrafted wooden lacquerware to disposable containers. Most bento boxes have compartments or internal dividers for separate dishes.

Bento is an art form in Japan. Japanese women spend a good part of their mornings preparing bento for their families – there is even a sense of competition among mothers to see who can produce the cutest, appetizing, and healthy lunch for their children. Modern Japanese culture virtually revolves around compact cuteness. The variety of designer bento boxes, food liners, wiener and cookie cutters, egg molds, food picks, and other bento-ware used to create these mini-masterpieces is amazing and overwhelming.

Different types of bento

There are several different kinds of bento, with different purposes.

1.   Makunouchi bento are elaborate bento meals presented at formal meals, meant to be eaten at table. This is the type you will see served in restaurants, arranged in elegant lacquered boxes. Kouraku bento are picnic bento, to be shared by a group of people enjoying themselves outdoors - the most popular settings is while enjoying the cherry blossoms in spring (hanami).

2.   Ekiben (a shortened form of eki bento) are boxed meals sold at train stations for travellers (though nowadays you can buy ekiben at many other places, such as department store food halls or convenience stores).

This is a place that sells bento boxes in a station. It is a very common view in Japan.

This is the way bento boxes are arranged for people to choose their gavorite. there are bento boxes with different kinds of meat. You choose the kind you like....and there are vegetarian bento boxes as well.

For the ones who love to travel and visit all the beautiful places in Japan, don't worry about eating or spending so much muney in restaurants.....You can have a bento box anywhere........

3.   The kind of bento that have garnered the most attention recently, especially outside of Japan are what are called kyaraben or charaben, ‘cute bento’ ‘art bento’ or ‘entertaining bento’ (entertain-bento), extremely elaborately decorated small works of art, as exemplified by the work presented on sites like e-obento (Japanese). These are usually made by mothers for their small children. There can be a high level of competitiveness in this arena - there are tons of contests and such that feature these bentos.

4.   Finally, there’s the plain simple bento that most people bring to work or school for lunch. It’s important to note that most Japanese people do not spend their time making elaborate charaben or ‘cute bento’ - that’s more in the realm of a hobby and craft rather than practical everyday living. The type of bento that JustBento concentrates on for the most part are practical, tasty, healthy everyday bento lunches.

     HOW TO PREPARE YOUR BENTO NO MATTER THE PLACE YOU ARE.....

    If you are interested in preparing a bento box for your kids, you can do it in a simple way and give them the surprise. In this way, you can make them forget the junk food, and have a more balanced diet with vegetables. Watch the following video. It is great!!!!!!

     I hope you understand now why I love bento boxes so much. Here I leave you more pictures to show you once again the beauty, creativity, convenience, and good flavor of bento boxes. Itadakimasu!!!!!!!

Japanese food.......delicious and healthy.

While I was living in Japan, I met so many people I shared so many experiences with. Something interesting that called my attention was that most foreigner women love Japanese food not only because its flavor is great, but also because it is healthy, and it helps women to be in shape. In the other hand, most of the foreigner men don't like Japanese food that much since they miss their country flavors, and they seem never to be satisfied with it for its small servings. Anyway, Japanese cuisine definitely it is exquisite and so diverse. There are so many kinds to please the most exigent and sophisticated taste. Here I am sharing with you some of my favorite Japanese food. Hope you like it.

1. Miso Soup

Misoshiru is a basic part of the typical Japanese breakfast. This nourishing soup is eaten alone or with eggs, rice, fish and pickles. A simple version of the soup, lightly garnished with tofu and scallions, is most popular for the morning meal. But misoshiru can also be part of a larger midday or evening meal, often with added garnishes. I won't forget my miso soup in the shoukudo of the university with my friends. Simply delicious....

2. RAMEN

It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as sliced pork (チャーシュー, chāshū), dried seaweed (海苔, nori), kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn. Almost every locality in Japan has its own variation of ramen, from the tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen of Kyushu to the miso ramen of Hokkaido. You can find a ramen shop everywhere in Japan. I love ramen so much.

3. SASHIMI

Sashimi : 刺身 is a Japanese delicacy. It primarily consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces, and served only with a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste or such condiments as grated fresh ginger, or ponzu), and such garnishes as shiso and shredded daikon radish. It is absolutely delicious.

4. SUKIYAKI

Sukiyaki (Japanese: 鋤焼 or more commonly すき焼き) is a Japanese dish in the nabemono (Japanese hot pot) style.
It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Before being eaten, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs.
Generally sukiyaki is a winter dish and it is commonly found at bōnenkai, Japanese year-end parties.

5. TOFU

Tofu or bean curd is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is of Chinese origin, and it is also a part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has been processed in some way. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, so it can be used either in savory or sweet dishes, and it is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish.
Tofu contains a low amount of calories, relatively large amount of iron, and little fat. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the tofu may also be high in calcium and/or magnesium.

6. TAKOYAKI

I wil never forget my dirst Japanese food......I love it so much.
Takoyaki (たこ焼き or 蛸焼) (literally fried or grilled octopus) is a popular ball-shaped Japanese dumpling or more like a savory pancake made of batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan (see below). It is typically filled with diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion.
In modern days, it became common to be brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and topped with green laver (aonori) and katsuobushi (shavings of dried bonito).

7. YAKITORI

Yakitori (焼き鳥/やきとり/ヤキトリ), grilled fowl, is commonly a Japanese type of skewered chicken. The term Yakitori can also refer to skewered food in general. Kushiyaki (skewer grilled), is a formal term that encompasses both poultry and non-poultry items, skewered and grilled. Both Yakitori and Kushiyaki mean the same, so the terms are used interchangeably in Japanese society.
The average yakitori is made from several bite-sized pieces of chicken meat, or chicken offal, skewered on a bamboo skewer and grilled, usually over charcoal.
Diners ordering yakitori usually have a choice of having it cooked with salt (shio) or with tare sauce, which is generally made up of mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar. The sauce is applied to the skewered meat and is grilled until delicately cooked.

8. TENPURA

Tempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅, tenpura), is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. My favorite is shrimp tempura. Oishii ne.

9. ONIGIRI

Onigiri (お握り or 御握り; おにぎり), also known as omusubi (お結び; おむすび) or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (umeboshi), salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a natural preservative. Because of the popularity of onigiri in Japan, most convenience stores stock their onigiri with various fillings and flavors. There are even specialized shops whose only products are onigiri for take out.

10. DANGO

Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made from mochiko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.
Dango are eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Three to four dango are often served on a skewer. I love dango.

11. WAGASHI

Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.
Wagashi is typically made from natural (mainly plant) ingredients. The names used for wagashi commonly fit a formula—a natural beauty and a word from ancient literature; they are thus often written with hyōgaiji (kanji that are not commonly used or known), and are glossed with furigana.
Generally, confections that were introduced from the West after the Meiji Restoration (1868) are not considered wagashi. Most sorts of Okinawan confectionery and those originating in Europe or China that use ingredients alien to traditional Japanese cuisine, e.g., kasutera, are only rarely referred to as wagashi. Most wagashi are made entirely of plant-based ingredients.

This is just a taste of Japanese food. I hope you like it and don't be afraid of tasting it. I guarantee you will love it as much as I do.....Itadakimasu!!!!!