What is that in the store?

When I lived in Japan 15 years ago, I was so mystified by many items in the produce section of the grocery store.  There were so many fruits and vegetables that I had never seen before.  Some of these items I had enjoyed in various Japanese dishes.  But since I had only ever seen them as prepared items, I had no idea what the actual fruit or vegetable looked like.  It was through shopping with my boyfriend (now husband) and eating at people's homes that I learned what most of these items were.

While at the store, I am like a fish in a new aquarium.  I recognize many things around me, but there is lots of new stuff to discover and nothing seems to be in the right place.  I'll still get my food.  It just might not be as smooth of a process that I'm used to. 

The area I live in, Nerima, is known for it's daikon - a long white radish that can be used in a variety of ways. 

I have enjoyed daikon simmered, steamed, roasted, pickled, and raw.  It is milder than many smaller radishes, especially if it sits for a short time after being cut.  Daikon is usually over a foot in length and can be used over the course of a week.  I will often make 4-6 meals using 1 daikon!  Tonight I cut the daikon into matchsticks (julienned) and tossed it with chopped ume (pickled plum).  It made a delicious quick salad.  Tomorrow I might add it to soup or simmer large chunks in dashi (fish broth).

Spring is a time for bamboo shoots.

I had never seen a fresh bamboo shoot before moving to Japan.  Even now, they are usually only seen in stored in the spring.  These huge vegetables are a pain (as reported by my husband) to process, so most people buy them canned or already cleaned.  His hesitance has discouraged me from buying one.  At some point, I will probably try it just to try it.  But first I'll need to get some tips from the park moms!  In the meantime, I am happy buying to processed bamboo shoots.  I enjoy them in Chinese style dishes like thin strips of green peppers, beef (or pork), and bamboo shoots; stir fried in a light Chinese sauce.

Nagaimo is a very sticky root vegetable that is known for its health benefits.

When I first saw nagaimo, it was being used as an ingredient for okonomiyaki (the Osaka "as you like it pancake").  The tuber was being ground into a gooey pile that was a main ingredient in the batter.  I didn't care for the slimy texture, especially when my husband tried to feed it to me when I was sick!  Even though I don't regularly use Nagaimo, it is a key ingredient to many of my favorite foods, like okonomiyaki and takoyaki. 

One of my favorite things to do in a new country is visit the grocery store.  There are so many new and interesting things to see.  Even though I live here, I still feel that way about Japanese grocery stores.  They are still so foreign to me (although technically, they are domestic)!