Potato chip delight

A surprising favorite snack of Japanese people is the almighty potato chip.  I can deduct this based on the vast number of potato chips one sees at the grocery store and convenience store.  The aisle dedicated to potato chips is quite delightful, because there is a whole new world of interesting flavors.  It is important to note the popularity is with potato chips, not corn or any other fancy ingredient.  The preferred texture seems to be thin and crispy, as I rarely see thick chips.  I would compare the texture to Lay's regular chips.

The true excitement is in the unique flavors.  I stopped by the convenience store (combini) tonight to pay some bills (have I mentioned how convenient combini are over here?) and snapped a few photos of the latest flavors to hit the shelves.

This blog post was inspired by the bag of "American Potato Chips" featuring 2 flavors: sour cream & onion and barbeque chips!  I would have bought them based on marketing alone, except I hate barbeque flavor chips!

Then there was the intriguing pizza flavor chips with a "powerful smell."  The package really does say "powerful smell" on it and exclaims it has twice the flavor of regular pizza flavored chips.

Up next there was green onion, grated daikon, and ponzu (citrus flavored soy sauce) flavored chips.  We tried these and thought they were a bit disappointing.  The smell of green onions was pretty overwhelming, but the flavor didn't really come through.  If it wasn't for the smell, we would have never known what flavor these were!  I love ponzu and this definitely didn't have enough ponzu flavor.

Monja (or monjayaki) was the most surprising flavor.  Monja is a regional food that consists of chopped cabbage and other veggies, then tossed into a batter and cooked into a pancake type shape.  It is savory and cooked on a griddle in the middle of the table.  I'm guessing a lot of work went into developing this flavor!

After a bit of research, I learned that Calbee has produced 47 special flavors.  There is one special flavor for each prefecture in Japan.  You must travel to that prefecture in order to buy them, as they aren't available online.  Similar to Kit Kats, they have created a big demand with their exclusive flavors.  Could you imagine if each state had it's own flavor?  Would Washington's chips be apple flavored?  Idaho would definitely have the classic potato flavor.

For a country that doesn't like salty and sweet together (imagine a place where there is no peanut butter and chocolate!!!), I was surprised to find salted chips with chocolate!  Of course I had to grab a bag.  And, although a bit strange, they didn't disappoint.  A hint of saltiness with thin stripes of dark chocolate.

To wrap up the potato chip adventure, I spotted the smoked cheese flavor chips.  These are extra special because they are thick chips!  My husband described them as thick and hard as a rock (also known as crunchy)! 

I love a good potato chip.  While I don't actually enjoy most of the flavors here, I sometimes buy them just for the experience. 

Eat your veggies

Japanese meals often include miso soup.  Sometimes it is basic - onion, tofu, seaweed, dashi (fish broth), and miso paste.  Other times it can get fancy with different types of miso (red or white), or adding whatever kind of vegetable you desire.  Miso soup tends to be simple.  Made with love, it always tastes delicious.

I've never really been one to make miso soup.  Chicken noodle, garden vegetable, beef with barley are all more up my alley.  But when I cook Japanese food, I want to make the classic.  I tried several recipes when I first started cooking here, but since then I've started to wing it. 

4 cups of water.  4 teaspoons dashi powder.  2 tablespoons of miso paste.  Whatever veggies you have on hand - onion, carrot, bell pepper, daikon, mushrooms, potato, whatever!  A variety is always best but just make sure to keep it to a couple choices.  Seaweed is a popular addition, but isn't required. 

My only rule is that I try not to be mundane.  Try new ingredients, see what my family likes.  And, always, just use what is in the fridge (except tofu, which I buy specifically for the soup whenever I think it will really benefit it).

Tonight's soup didn't even have miso in it!  I tossed together onion, gobo (burdock root), eggplant, red bell pepper, and some greens.  Sparked by a suggestion made by my husband, the broth was made with dashi and, instead of miso, Japanese sausages.  The soup was welcomed with rave reviews.

Having soup with dinner always seems to round out the meal for me.  Especially since I love to make sure my family gets a variety of veggies, soup is an easy way to make sure they are.

Rare finds

I love seeing "weird" things that you don't see other places.  Some crack me up, making me smile for hours, others confuse me and leave me wondering.  Sometimes I have to ask my husband for a translation or explanation.  Luckily, he's very kind to explain things to me.  Even when they are beyond explanation.  Here are a couple of those fun finds.

Travel size boxed wine: I've seen my fair share of boxed wine.  But this one really made me smile when I saw it.  Not only was it juice box sized, but included a straw for emergencies.

A place to hang your umbrella or cane at the ATM: Long umbrellas are very popular.  Most entrances to stores and shopping centers have long skinny plastic bags to put your umbrella in while shopping so you don't drip all over the floor.  Then there is also a bin to toss the plastic bag when you leave.  These are very helpful during rainy days.  But they also go one step further.  Shopping carts have hooks to hang your umbrella on and there are also other handy places to hang it while you need both hands - like at the ATM and train ticket machine.

A cat humidifier: This humidifier was too cute for words.  When you're feeling under the weather, it will make you feel better and smile at the same time.

Fruit scented toilet paper: There are two types of toilet paper here - single ply bits of horridness and over the top scented 2 ply.  There are a variety of scents, several floral.  But who wants flowers when you can have a fruit basket?

Pineapple and placenta candy: This one shocked me.  I had to ask my husband to please, please explain this.  Is this really candy that has placenta in it?  Yes, yes it is.  It has pig placenta in it.  Placenta is believed to help keep people looking youthful.  So, if you're interested, just let me know.  I can't tell you what it tastes like because I didn't need to try it.

I'm sure I will see more!  And of course, I will keep you posted with my most interesting finds.

Cooking a classic

I don't know any meat eaters that don't love karrage.  Karrage is marinated, deep fried chicken in bite size pieces.  And it is delicious.  Well, it can be, anyway!  My husband has always been the one to fry things in our house.  So, taking on this challenge was a bit deal for me.

I made a quick marinade of ginger juice (grating ginger and then squeezing it to get juice), soy sauce, sake, and sesame oil.  After marinating the cut up chicken thighs for a couple minutes, I coated each piece with potato starch.  Then it was time to hit the fryer.  Just a couple minutes in the oil and the chicken was done. 

My family raved about it.  And they ate and ate and ate.  I thought I had made enough for dinner and freezing some for later.  But I was wrong.  By the end of the evening, it was all gone. 

In other cooking news, I made my first batch of baked goods - banana muffins.  They were so delicious.  Just a classic banana bread recipe made in muffin tins.  It was fun to use my oven in a different way, because I had basically been using it for reheating and roasting.  I learned that I need to not fill the oven quite so much, as I had to put the muffins on the outside of the pan back in for a little bit longer.  Always testing and learning.

Cooking makes me really happy.  I enjoy creating in the kitchen and feeding people.  As I learn to work in my Japanese kitchen, I'm still finding a new rhythm.  I'm slowly building up my stock of staples like special flours, yeast, and other baking supplies.  It takes time as I decide what I really need.  I've also noticed that when I was giving away spices, I got a little too excited!  So, hopefully those that received spices from me are utilizing them!

Warm me up

Let's face it.  Japanese houses are cold.  They don't have any insulation to speak of; carpeted houses are unheard of; central heat is for the very, very rich (I've never experienced it here); and outside is really cold!  It is a recipe for frigid winters where you don't thaw out for months.  At least inside you aren't hit with the bone chilling wind. 

When I lived in Osaka, I would rush home after work and dive into my futon upon arrival.  I'd stick out an arm or a leg and push the button on my room heater, a portable heater that sat on the floor.  I would then lift of a corner of the futon to let heat between the layers of the bed.  It was the only way I would get really warm.  Even though I would dress in layers and stay close to heaters, I was always cold.  Even the school I worked at didn't have central heat, so I wore gloves and a scarf whenever I was in the hallways or waiting for my classroom to warm up.  I will be interested to see if it is the same at my son's kindergarten. 

I learned a couple tricks back then.  First being the bed trick.  Second was that I needed to invest in some heating supplies.  Since I knew I was only going to be there for a year, I decided not to invest and I suffered because of that decision.  Even thinking back gives me chills.  Third was to drink lots of tea and alcohol, as well as eat lots of soup, because it warms your insides.

Now I am older and wiser.  First off, we bought curtains that are supposed to hold in the heat.  Since putting them up, I've noticed a vast improvement.  Second we purchased a heated carpet.  It is basically a heating pad that goes underneath a soft rug.  We opted for an "Eco" version that only heats up half of the carpet for 90 seconds and then the other half.  This will help save money while still keeping us toasty.  Third, we still wear layers.  Layers are so very important.  But these layers include fabrics meant to keep us warm - like HeatTech from Uniqlo. 

These three things will really help keep us warm without killing our bank balance with huge heating bills.  We've also strategically placed blankets around the house to be able to toss one over our shoulders if needed.  And finally, I stopped at the fabric store today and picked  up fabric to make a rice snake for the one door frame that has a large gap at the bottom.  Keeping the cold air from an unused room out is just as important as keeping the heat it!

We decided against the kotatsu, a table with a heater installed under it with a blanket draped over it to hold in the heat, realizing that it takes up too much real estate.  These are very popular in Japan and are often considered a reason for tightknit family relationships.  After spending 3 months eating, watching tv, doing homework, and simply hanging out at the table together, it brings families together.  Some people even sleep under their kotatsu!  It's a bad habit, but a common one.  We had a kotatsu in the US and will miss having it around.  But the carpet serves a similar function without taking up so much space. 

Kotatsu in a living room.

Photo credit: tokyoweekender.com

Under the kotatsu - a view of the heater.

Photo credit: democraticunderground.com

After all this prep, if I still get cold, at least now I have people to cuddle with to keep warm!

No tattoos allowed

You see the signs all over.  Tattoos are not welcome in Japan.  I have a small one that has always been the butt of jokes in Japan.  I got it in college, and I love it very much.  It has a lot of personal meaning for me.  But every time I walk into an onsen or many other public places, we point out the sign and laugh.  The signs at the front door state in no uncertain terms: no tattoos allowed.  But mine is so small and inconspicuous that I don't usually worry about it. 

Photo credit: https://blog.gaijinpot.com

Today I had my first public shaming for having a tattoo.  My husband was on call for his job, so I took my son to his parent and me swimming lessons.  I didn't see "the sign" anywhere and I didn't think to pack my band aids to cover it up. 

After changing into our suits and donning the regulatory swimming cap, we entered the pool area and sat near the pool to wait for the class to start.  When the teacher was ready to call roll, we gathered in close.  At first I was sitting on my feet trying to sit in a nice Japanese way.  But soon my feet began to feel tingly, so I let them drift off to the side.  Suddenly, the teacher gasped and called one of the other teachers over.  She pointed right at me and said something that I have no idea what was.  She walked up to me and pointed right at my foot and said matter-of-factly that tattoos were not allowed and I needed to cover it up (in Japanese, so this is my simplistic translation).  Next she pointed to my small stud earrings.  Another no-no, apparently.  I felt embarrassed and more than a little annoyed.  How was I to know?  If there had been a sign, I would have covered up (but I still wouldn't have known about the earrings).

I lamely asked "right now?"  And she firmly shook her head yes.  I pointed at my son and another teacher called him over and he jumped into her arms.  I followed one of the teachers (by the way there are 4 for this class) over to the lifeguard office where they gave me tape to cover up my tattoo and earrings. 

At least they didn't turn me away.  I've heard of that happening.

There is a long history of associating tattoos with troublemakers, including the Japanese mafia.  Yep, there's a Japanese mafia.  It doesn't matter how cute or inspiring or ... well, anything.  The stigma is there. 

When there is a next time when my foot needs to be "revealed," I already know - cover it up! 

The gift of autumn

Since we have been spending so much time in the park, I've been enjoying the gifts of autumn.  Despite the cold, there have been many sunny days.  It has been a glorious time to be outside.  Today we once again joined Piyo Piyo for some outdoor playing. 

We dug up some mud and moved it to a sunny location where there was a bench set up with some tools for kids to make mud pies with.  We piled up leaves in another area for kids to make soup or whatever else their imagination allowed. 

My son decided to gather leaves and acorns into a treasure box while on a short walk through different areas of the park.  We first stopped under a bright yellow tree, that was practically lit up with color.  After wandering over a hill, we found a pile of leaves to kick through.  We discovered a small bamboo grove that was exciting for the kids to get "lost" in.  Then we climbed up the biggest hill to sit in the sunshine and look at what everyone had collected.  It was very interested, but quickly dissolved into the children chasing each other around playing tag.  I guess no matter where you are in the world, some things are always the same.

My husband had the day off, and joined us at the park.  It was so nice to be there as a family.  He could see what we are up to all the time beyond just the stories that we tell.

Spending our days in the park isn't a "Japanese experience."  It is something people do all over the world.  However, it is how we are choosing to spend our days at the moment.  Beyond Piyo Piyo, we have joined a group of moms that go to the park every day.  Someone is always there from 10 am until 4:30 pm - rain or shine.  They set up sitting mats in an area near some trees, a pond (the one my son fell into), and a shelter (that they utilize when it rains).  I met these moms at Piyo Piyo and they are quickly becoming my circle of friends.  They are an amazing support system to each other and me.  Every Friday 1/3 of the moms go to an organic produce store, while the other moms stay back and watch the kids.  They have a whole system for shopping, because the moms that go also get the produce for the moms watching the kids.  If one mom is going to a special store, they ask the other moms if they want anything.  Recently, one mom went to a Chinese noodle factory and they purchased noodles and gyoza (potsticker) wrappers for me.  My husband was so excited and enjoyed the noodles very much.  They also bring catalogs and purchase large orders together to get free shipping and extras that they split.  I just bought 5 kg of whole wheat bread flour as part of their order from a flour company from Hokkaido!  I can't wait to bake bread in my oven.

We spend the day taking care of our kids and chatting about anything that comes to mind.  They have answered so many questions for me as I discover this new city.  We don't always understand what the others are saying and whip out our phones for help.  Needing a translator doesn't stop us from being friends and helping each other out. 

By joining this group, I feel like I am discovering a side of Japan I've never been privy to before.  I am seeing families at play and during their daily life.  I am learning about priorities of moms as they tend their children.  I am quickly feeling like I belong to a community and am not just an outsider brought in to entertain or be a trophy.

Thanksgiving - Japan style

Just to clarify - Japan does not celebrate Thanksgiving.  It's not a thing here.  Pilgrims didn't come here.  It hasn't been adopted either.  But when an American girl is in Japan, what does she do?

I've made the whole big turkey dinner a few times in my day.  I love it, but it is a lot of work.  And I have no desire to do it when I'm in a new kitchen that is a quarter the size of my American kitchen with a tiny oven.  I'm working on getting a good flow in my new kitchen, but it takes time. 

So, in the spirit of the holiday, I had my husband order me a whole chicken from the department store chicken shop.  (Whole chickens cannot be found in the regular grocery store!)  I roasted it in my oven with some rosemary and sudachi (a type of citrus) in the cavity.  Halfway through baking I tossed some carrots and daikon into the pot with the chicken as well as a couple cloves of garlic.  I also roasted some sweet potatoes.  I then steamed some cauliflower that I later tossed with the carrots and daikon.  It was a simple meal that tasted so good. 

Interestingly enough, Thanksgiving just so happened to be a Japanese holiday this year.  Kinro Kansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day) is a celebration of labor and production and giving one another thanks.  It is celebrated on November 23rd each year.  Although both holidays focus on giving thanks, they have different beginnings and different reasons.

It seems as if people don't really have traditions associated with Labor Thanksgiving Day.  There are some festivals around.  Otherwise, I didn't really find out anything special or unique associated with the holiday.  It is generally celebrated as a day off in autumn and people try to get outside to enjoy the leaves.

At any rate, my husband had the day off and we got to spend it as a family.  So, it was a pretty nice holiday.

Atami - Food at the timeshare

My husband and I have always enjoyed spending little getaways using his family's time share.  Whenever we go we have two main missions: onsen and food!  The dining here is top notch.  Everything is seasonal and created with so much attention to detail. 

The dinner was divine.  The style of many small courses is called kaiseki.  It is considered an art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food.  It is a treat for the taste buds and eyes.

Before you even look at the pictures, I want to say that this is the "regular" level of food.  There is also buy-up options!  We've never felt the need to upgrade.

Zensai/appetizer course - 7 little bites, including an amazing
shrimp bite (behind the leaf), uni aspic, and a quail egg disguised as a bunny.

Sakisui/first soup course - A very simple but tasty soup.

Tsukuri/sashimi course - A variety of raw fish.

Nimonowan/boiled course - Poached lobster, turnip, and spinach.

Toban/grilled course - The meat course that we cooked ourselves.

Our little personal teppan grill plate for cooking the beef and veggies.

Mushimono/steamed course - Chawan mushi.  Simply amazing!

Agemono/tempura course - Eggplant, mushrooms,
and white fish with veggies.

3 courses in one plate.  Gohan/rice, Tomewan/last soup, and Konomono/pickles course -
Miso soup, rice, and tsukemono (pickled vegetables), served with tea.

Mizumono/dessert course - Fresh fruit and matcha cake.

The kids meal was also amazing.

Dessert of fruit and cake, 5 of the same appetizers as us (including the bunny), chawan mushi.

Fried shrimp, fries, spaghetti (under the shrimp), hamburger filled with cheese, steak bites.

Breakfast was well rounded and so tasty.  Except for the natto, which we both didn't eat.  I've tried again and again to eat the fermented soy beans and I just can't stand it.

Nabe (soup) of tofu, greens, and mushrooms), rice, salad, miso soup.

Grilled fish.

Ponzu (for the nabe), hijiki seaweed, dashimaki (eggs), and natto.

A close up of the fish.  It was much tastier than it looks!

Nabe!

And once again, the kids meal did not disappoint.

Potato coroquette, salad, sausages, dashimaki, bacon, and fresh fruit.

It was also served with miso soup and rice.

I'm amazed we could walk after eating all that food.  But it was so delicious we ate every bite. 

Exploring Atami - Day 2

When we woke up, all comfy and cozy in our futons, we were ready to go.  But before we could get rocking and rolling, we decided we should enjoy the onsen one more time.  We took a leisurely bath and regrouped for breakfast at the timeshare.  Then we packed up and headed out to explore the city a bit more before we headed home.

Our first stop was Kinomiya Shrine to pay respects and visit the huge camphor tree.  To get to the shrine, we had to hike up a bit of a hill.  My son was having a hard time going up, so we tempted him by telling him he would see "Totoro's tree" at the shrine.  Kinomiya Shrine was beautiful.  There is something about shrines here that make me take a deep breath and feel more relaxed than when I entered.  The energy is just different as soon as you walk under the tori (gate). 

One of the main "attractions" of the shrine is a 2,000 year old camphor tree.  This is what we were referring to as the Totoro tree, because it is where the large Totoro lives in the movie.  Although I was enticing my son with the tree, I really didn't fully know what to expect.  The tree was huge!!!  It was so breathtaking.  There were huge boulders woven into the roots that were exposed.  You couldn't really see where the rock began and where the tree ended.  It was so neat to see something so old and revered in nature.  Many large shrines have a large tree that is honored, but this camphor tree really was above all others.  I read somewhere that it is the largest camphor tree in all of Japan!

After the shrine, we wandered back into town to explore and shop.  While sightseeing, we walked past a beautiful building.  It was a sweet shop that was built by a famous shrine builder from Kyoto using the same techniques.  And it was jaw droppingly beautiful.  The attention to detail was incredible.  I was too shy to ask to take photos of the inside.  Maybe if I had bought something I would have!

Atami is a coastal town, which means it is also a seafood town.  There were many shops with drying fish.  They gut the fish and open them up to dry out over night.  Then you take the fish home and grill it.  Since I had never had the fish, we decided to buy some and eat it at home.  (Spoiler alert - It was delicious!  We will definitely be eating more of this type of fish!)

We also enjoyed a delishous lunch featuring sashimi and kamaboko (fish cake), as well as crab miso soup.

Throughout the town there were vents with steam billowing out of them, releasing the steam from the hot springs below.  There were also little "onsens" to stick your hands or feet in the warm water all over the place!  We made sure to test the water at each and every one we came across.

We even found a special steam vent that you could use to soft boil or hard boil eggs in!  We ran across the street to purchase a ¥30 egg that we could soft boil.  We put it in the provided basket and let it sit in the steam for 8 minutes.  Then we tried to cool it off in the water fountain right next to the steam vent.  I carefully peeled it, trying not to burn myself because it was still quite warm.  As we bit into it, smiles came across each of our faces.  It was so yummy and perfectly soft boiled.  What a fun and random thing to do!

All throughout the town, we were greeted with the town mascot.  I got quiet a kick out of him because usually the mascots are cats or dogs or something else that is considered very cute.  Atami's mascot is a balding older man with a comb over.  No joke.  And, yes, he's still adorable!

And just like that, our mini-vacation was over.  We took the Shinkasen back home and went back to our routine and normalcy.  But we did it with shoulders that were a little less tense and minds a little less cluttered.  We hope to go back again, as it was a good time for everyone.