Hey guys, it's Boi 1 (Andrea) here to update you on Japan's local delicacies! Unfortunately, due to the fact that we have class on weekdays and scheduled activities on weekends, I'm not actually able to travel to nearby cities and try some of their delicious cuisine. However, I have managed to try two of the items on my presentation list! These were okonimiyaki (delicacy of Hiroshima and/or Osaka--which region it is actually from is a hotly debated topic by the residents of those cities), and monjayaki, Tokyo's own delicacy.
The okonomiyaki I was fortunate enough to try was actually made during class time, in our dorm. It was led by our teachers and fellow RAs. Now, since this was a student-made okonomiyaki, I'm not sure how authentic it was (though I do believe I heard that Akagi Sensei was from Osaka?), but it sure was yummy. Apparently, the word "okonomi" translates to "what you like" (while "yaki," as we know, means "fried/grilled"), but man, do they mean it! In it, there was cabbage, eggs, onions, flour, and I think we even added seafood to it? There were these little tiny fish it in (the name, I unfortunately don't remember), and fish cakes in it too. However, you can add anything you want to it! Once the ingredients were added and the mixture was thick enough, it was fried in a teppanyaki grill, where we had to be careful to not burn our lovingly made concoction. Once grilled to golden perfection, we added BBQ sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise, bonito flakes, green onions, and shredded nori. It was--to say the least--delicious! However, it was very filling, which left me with limited room to eat more. However, I hope that I am able to eat it again once more in the future.
During my homestay with the Nakashimas, they taught me how to make monjayaki. My host mom, Megumi, told me that it might not look very good, but that looks were deceiving. We bought a mix at the supermarket (very easy to follow, and it didn't have as many ingredients as the okonomiyaki, so it was a quick and easy food to make) and set to it. Once the ingredients were mixed, we grilled it on a teppanyaki grill as we had with the okonomiyaki. This mixture was a lot thinner than Osaka's delicacy, though, which i was a little confused about. Megumi told me that you're supposed to leave it on the grill for a bit and mix it around--it doesn't fully cook, but instead stays chewy and nice. Also, you eat it with these little metal spatulas! It was very different compared to the other foods that I've tried here, but it was very yummy. My host family added shredded cheese to it at some point, and it practically melted in your mouth! I would definitely recommend it to those that liked the okonomiyaki.
Given that we have such little time left, I'm not sure I'll be able to try any more local delicacies of Japan. However, when we went to Kamakura and Enoshima, I noticed that a lot of foods focused on shirasu! It looked interesting, but I was too scared to try it unfortunately. The shirasu look so small I'd feel bad eating them! Maybe I'll give it a try one day, but for now, that's all I've got!
Thanks for keeping up with the blog--see you guys next time!
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