During my brief stay in Japan making jaunts to the "Super Market" and the local markets was something I loved ,though I was handicapped by not being fully aware of Japanese language. It never deterred me ,I used technology , sign language and limited stock of Japanese words to navigate my way through.
These trips helped me understand Japanese food habits and other facets of Japanese life-style. "Niku" or meat has a prominent place in Japanese food but I discovered gradually that Japanese love their vegetables or "yasai" too.
My trips to the local veggie market not only helped me buy relatively economical produce but I got valuable insight into the popular preferences of the Japanese taste buds.
I discovered "Hakusai" or the chinese cabbage.
It is a relatively new vegetable introduced in Japan from China in the twentieth century and now its one of the most consumed vegetables in Japan in winters. It forms an important ingredient of the popular Japanese winter comfort food -the "Hot Pot".
I used hakusai in preparing soups,salads, stir fry , noodles and pasta. The next vegetable which was very popular was the "sweet potato". I found that in most Japanese fairs and handicraft bazaars the cups of fried sweet potato chips was a big hit. Thejapanese love their sweet potato both baked and fried. One should surely try the piping hot cup of fried sweet potato finger chips.
But among them Maitake,Bunashimeji and Enoki are easily found off the shelves of most super-markets or local vegetable shops.
These trips helped me understand Japanese food habits and other facets of Japanese life-style. "Niku" or meat has a prominent place in Japanese food but I discovered gradually that Japanese love their vegetables or "yasai" too.
My trips to the local veggie market not only helped me buy relatively economical produce but I got valuable insight into the popular preferences of the Japanese taste buds.
I discovered "Hakusai" or the chinese cabbage.
It is a relatively new vegetable introduced in Japan from China in the twentieth century and now its one of the most consumed vegetables in Japan in winters. It forms an important ingredient of the popular Japanese winter comfort food -the "Hot Pot".
I used hakusai in preparing soups,salads, stir fry , noodles and pasta. The next vegetable which was very popular was the "sweet potato". I found that in most Japanese fairs and handicraft bazaars the cups of fried sweet potato chips was a big hit. Thejapanese love their sweet potato both baked and fried. One should surely try the piping hot cup of fried sweet potato finger chips.
The poor man's meat or also called mushroom is the next "yasai" which I will dwell on.
Mushrooms in Japan have such an extensive variety. Though "Shitake" is the most revered of them all. The other varieties found in Japan are
- Maitake
- Bunashimeji
- Enoki
- Eringi
But among them Maitake,Bunashimeji and Enoki are easily found off the shelves of most super-markets or local vegetable shops.
 Enoki |  Bunashimeji |
 Shiitake |  Maitake |
Japan is a heaven for mushroom lovers as the variety is extensive and quality is exemplary. I started writing this blog to neutralize the drudgery of going through the technical documents of my next project , but it seems I have replenished my energy and its time to go back to vetting those documents , till I write my next one.
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2 comments:
I love Mushrooms . Totemo yoi aji in Japan?
Haha Swapna well said
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