Today, we made fondue in the park. It is surprisingly popular here - not the park part, just the fondue. I had never heard of it here, but suddenly it kept popping up as mentions in TV shows and in conversation. It turns out that it is really popular because cooking at the table is so popular here. Cooking communally is part of the culture. So, when someone suggested having fondue in the park, I was so excited. Have I mentioned I love cheese?
Each person brought something to dip into the molten goodness. I brought apples. Someone else brought baguettes. There was also blanched broccoli, roasted potatoes, little sausages, deep fried fish, mushrooms, peppers, and more. The one "interesting" thing to dip was pineapple, which was surprisingly good. One of the moms went to a wholesale store to buy lots and lots of cheese, as well as all the other ingredients required for fondue.
Once again we utilized the single burner stoves. After feeding the kids ramen, we got busy making fondue. It was super simple to make. I say this, not being the one who actually made it. But it looked simple enough. In just a couple of minutes, we were happily dipping to our heart's content.
It was so delicious and an unexpected easy picnic food!
To compliment the fondue, the moms also built a smoker and smoked various foods. I was very curious as I watched them build the smoker. They cut a box into sections, making room for some grates to put the food onto. In the bottom of the box, they lite some smoking blocks. Once everything was tucked inside, they taped it up tight to try to keep as much smoke inside as possible.
After over an hour in the smoker, we began to remove food - cheese, oysters, fish, fishcake, apples, and even eggs! Another huge success!
Both menu items were complete surprises to be eating in Japan. It was so much fun to be a part of. I love experiencing new things - even the unexpected or non-traditional.
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