Things We Eat - Cascadian Abroad

Island Time

May 26, 2014 by Robert Haddan

As I’ve mentioned before, getting around without a smartphone in Japan requires a lot of planning. Before heading somewhere new, I spend a lot of time on Google Maps. Each trip usually includes a new lesson about what not to do next time.

This past weekend, we headed to a new-to-us part of Tokyo. The final destination was to be the Tokyo Island Fair in Hamamatsucho, preceded by a lunchtime stop at Island Veggie, a Hawaiian-style macrobiotic restaurant in Hiroo.

The “mile walk” from the train station to Hiroo was probably closer to two miles. We walked right past the restaurant once and also found a train station about a block away. Add “don’t trust ‘fewer transfers’ on Google Maps” to the list of lessons learned. But, on the sunny side, we saw some cool stuff along the way, including some awesome architecture.

Cracked building — A modern glass building appears to be hatching from this standard concrete structure.

Eventually we did find Island Veggie and enjoyed a great vegan lunch. The menu was entirely in English and the staff spoke it perfectly, which is always a nice surprise at meal time. We’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu. On this day, we had a teriyaki veggie burger, a falafel burger with fries, a soy milkshake and homemade lemonade. Healthy-naughty food is always a treat.

Since the walk to Hiroo was more than we bargained for, we decided to take the train to Hamamatsucho instead of walking as we’d originally planned. The first stop on the line was Roppongi, Tokyo’s high-end midtown, which we’d been meaning to check out. We jumped off the train and did a lap, which is about all Roppongi deserved as far as I could tell. It was a lot of shopping and eating, but the open-air mall near the station did have some decent views.

Tokyo Tower and a park with a heart are visible from the Roppongi Hills complex. A playground with multiple slide options is part of the residential section of the mall.

Back on the train, we headed for the waterfront and our original destination. The Tokyo Island Fair highlighted the food and culture of the Izu and Ogasawara islands. These islands were formed volcanically, so they’ve never been part of the continent. As a result, they’ve evolved on their own and feature plant and animal life unique to the islands. The Ogasawara chain is known as the “Galapagos of the Orient” and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

The festival was held at Takeshiba Ferry Terminal. The terminal serves all of the small islands and opens up into Tokyo Bay, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean. I’m not big on astrology, but I’m an aquarius, the water sign. I love the Willamette Valley, but if I didn’t get to the ocean about once a month, I’d start to get a little claustrophobic. It had been about three months since I’d last seen real water, so this was a treat. A little spiritual cleansing.

Selfie — A little water time on the Takeshiba waterfront.

Unbeknownst to us, our real reason for coming to Japan is to try ALL of the ice cream. This milk ice, made on Izu Oshima island, was fantastic. The best way to describe most Japanese ice cream is that it tastes “clean.” I’m sure an island with an active volcano that last erupted in 1990 could use a good milk ice.

As with any place in Japan, the best treats are usually at the front of the longest line. Well, there’s another theory out the window. The front of this line had snails. Giant snails. Still in their shell. Looking like some sort of hose in the engine of a souped-up car. Suffice to say, we skipped that line.

What are these mollusks? Snails. That’s right… giant, nasty snails.

There were plenty of activities to keep the kiddies entertained as well.

Fishtank — Kids gather around a tank with baby sharks and rays from the islands.

Painting — Kids paint little figurines as part of the Island Fair activities.

When we got off the train in Hamamatsucho, we saw the Tokyo Tower, another landmark on our to-do list. Two birds, one stone… great! The tower is Japan’s second-tallest structure with a design inspired by the Eiffle Tower, although slightly de-classed by the industrial white and safety-orange paint job.

Zōjō-ji temple, a beautiful Buddhist temple, separated us from the Tokyo Tower. Much of Zōjō-ji was destroyed in World War II. The oldest structure on the grounds, Sangedatsu Gate, was built in 1622. Walking through the gate will free a person from greed, hate and foolishness.

We finally arrived at Tokyo Tower where dozens of other tourists joined us in taking up-the-nose pictures trying to get the whole tower in the frame. 1,420 yen (about $14 USD) will get you a great view of the city from the observation deck, but we’d seen enough of Tokyo for one day and headed home.

The Argument for Over-packaging

May 19, 2014 by Robert Haddan

A grocery trip back home meant hopping into our fuel-efficient hybrid car and driving three or four miles to the nearest store. We’d enter armed with reusable grocery and produce bags, choose unpackaged fresh fruits and vegetables, bulk nuts and snacks, etc. Once home, the packaging would be separated into recycling (unsorted for the most part), compost and finally trash.

When we first arrived in Japan, the sheer amount of packaging used in the grocery stores hurt our green Cascadian hearts. Most snack items are individually packaged, then included in a larger package with a plastic tray and cellophane wrapper. Fruit and vegetables are rarely available per item. Rather, they are pre-packaged in cellophane-wrapped, culturally-friendly quantities.

As we approach the two-month mark in Japan, I’ve moved from appalled to thinking the Japanese might be on to something. Bear with me as I lay out my arguments for over-packaging.

Convenience

Of course, the convenience of individually-packed items is nice. Whether packing work lunches or snacks for a weekend day trip, it’s easy to grab a few items, toss them in the bag and go. At home, we typically bought nuts, etc. in bulk and used plastic containers or re-used sandwich bags to take things to go. While we used our sandwich bags until they punctured, seeing some of our neighbors trash, I know most of those bags ended up in the general trash, creating as much landfill waste as if the items were individually packaged.

Could the same thing be true in Japan? Sure, but…

Japan has one of the world’s best waste management systems

I’ve written briefly before about the complex recycling system in Japan. In Kawagoe, we have nine categories of waste. On the extreme, the village of Kamikatsu in Tokushima Prefecture has 44 categories as its citizens aim to eliminate landfill-bound trash by 2020.

As of 2010, Japan recycled 77 percent of its plastic waste, compared to 20 percent in the U.S. There’s also a broader category of what types of plastics can be recycled. In Linn County, Oregon, for example, we had to throw away the lids to plastic bottles. Those are recyclable in Japan.

As refuse collection areas are shared by neighborhood, peer pressure encourages the proper sorting. All waste is required to be placed in transparent plastic bags and trash collectors will gently remind rule breakers of the proper sorting techniques.

Since the system is so good, it got me to thinking about the health benefits…

Individual serving sizes are better for your health

Japan is not a “super-sized” country. Restaurant portions are appropriate. Desserts in grocery stores come in smaller sizes. Actually, most items are an appropriate serving. According to an International Business Times article, the obesity rate in Japan is 3.5 percent compared to 34.9 percent in the U.S. The government has set a “maximum waist size” limit for people age 40 or older that, if breached, results in mandatory weight counseling and support sessions. Companies with high rates of obesity among its employees are fined.

The goal is not a socialist takeover of the individual rights of citizens, but a responsible approach to reducing weight-related diseases that put a burden on taxpayers to cover rising health care costs for preventable diseases (sound familiar, U.S.?). The result is a lifespan about five years longer than in the U.S.

We’ve noticed this on a personal level in our first two months here. I’ve already lost those stress-eating-related 20 lbs. I brought with me. Urban development built around walking and public transportation and a national culture of portion-control promotes general healthiness.

Want a Kit Kat? The individually-packaged ones have about 64 calories. I grab one, get my fix and move on with my day. Grab a Kit Kat at 7-11 in the states? 210 calories. That beautiful chocolate-carmel ice cream bar at home? 320 calories. The smaller version in Japan is just 160 calories. All the satisfaction with half the calories.

As an experiment, take what you consider a serving of a snack. Nuts are a great example. An actual serving of nuts, about 180 calories, is only 1/4 cup. My guess is you have at least two servings in your hand. I know I did.

There’s an increasing trend in processed convenience foods attributed to Japan’s fast-paced lifestyle. It will be interesting to see how this clashes with the anti-obesity campaign in the next couple decades.

Is it really better?

Frankly, I’m sure there’s a bunch of holes in my arguments. But generally, Japan does several things I agree with.

There’s a national focus on responsible waste management and the system is enforced by the people, not the government. Grass roots support is critical in lasting change.
The food industry supports a healthier diet through portion control. An individual can still choose to eat more, but servings are carved out via packaging. This makes overeating an informed choice vs. an ignorant one.
Health care is managed with an eye toward the future. The obesity rate in the U.S. increased from 12 percent in 1990 to 23 percent in 2005. In 2010, it jumped to 35.7 percent. U.S. weight-related health care costs are estimated to be $147 billion annually. These are preventable diseases.

Costco

May 12, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Bulk purchasing isn’t really part of our day-to-day life in Japan. Our 550 square foot apartment, which actually has quite a bit of storage, doesn’t really necessitate things like the Gorilla Metropolis Playset, a swingset that is almost twice the size of our apartment. Or even two-dozen rolls of toilet paper for that matter.

Still, visiting a Japanese Costco was on our list of things to do. In the U.S., a trip to Costco every couple weeks was part of our shopping routine. A case of black beans here, a giant bag of tortilla chips there… things that would keep for awhile. Of course, we had a big pantry and a garage to keep all these things in.

The closest Costco in Iruma was actually not the most convenient, requiring two train transfers and a bus ride, so we chose the other Saitama location in Shinmisato.

The train let us off right outside LaLaport, an expansive indoor/outdoor shopping mall with Forever 21, H&M, Columbia, Adidas; the best fashion stores America Japan has to offer. Ikea anchors the mall on one end and Costco holds down the other.

Costco Outdoor Seating — That little girl’s about to start a riot for a Costco dog!

As we approached Costco, it wasn’t any different from the ones we frequented at home. People packed the outdoor seating, attacking their ¼ pound all-beef sausage with all the toppings.

Costco Front Door — I can only assume that guy is finishing up something from the Fresh Food Hot Items menu

Just outside the main door, the giant Costco weekly deals billboard greeted us with similar bargains as we’d find in the U.S. Frying pans, reading glasses, tires and tents alongside party-sized platters of sweet rolls and sushi.

Costco Pasteries — Carrot cake cupcakes and Very Berry Mousse Cake

Inside, it was bumper to bumper. The bakery section had giant carrot cake cupcakes and “Very Berry Mousse Cake” that seemed to be popular. The specialty cake section was there too, although with a more Japanese-friendly whipped cream frosting option. It was starting to feel like the end of Wizard of Oz… “And you were there…”

Costco Sake — Enough sake to fill a swimming pool, which you can buy on aisle 10

If sweet treats aren’t your thing, maybe the giant liquor section is? I’m sure it’s not that much of a novelty outside of Oregon where liquor sales are tightly controlled, but it was odd to us to see sake, tequila and whiskey for sale alongside the beer and wine.

Our cart. I will gladly ride the train for two hours for Kettle Chips and Tillamook Cheese

All of the product signs were in both Japanese and English, so we were able to put names to items we’d seen other places, but couldn’t identify. In the end, our cart ended up very similar to what we’d buy at home. Sea Salt Kettle Chips (from Salem, OR), Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese (from Tillamook, OR), strawberry jam, bread, pickled Jalapenos, baby kale and a bottle of Kirkland-brand Malbec. We did buy one distinctly-Japanese item: edamame tofu. The little squares had whole edamame beans (soybeans) inside.

Costco snackbar — A little taste of home and a little taste of Hokkaido

Epilogue

No trip to Costco is complete without swinging through the snack bar. The famous ¼-pound hot dog—which has a better ring to it than the “0.11339809 kilogram hot dog”, even in metric system Japan—was a crowd favorite. Pizza, coffee, churros and ice cream were paired with some new-to-us items, including clam chowder, pineapple smoothie and bulgogi (Korean barbequed meat) bake.

We ordered a slice of cheese pizza and a Hokkaido soft-cream sundae with raspberries and chocolate and sat down amongst the masses, relishing our first Japanese Costco experience.

Supeingo

May 10, 2014 by Viktoria Haddan

Supeingo is “Spanish” in katakana, which is the set of Japanese characters for foreign words. To my untrained ear, it sounds like “spango.”

As a former Spanish teacher, I’m always on the lookout for Spanish words and phrases. A part of me is still in “I have to tell my students about this” mode. Even in Japan! I have found many examples of a Latin presence in this part of the world. A family registering with city hall. A young woman in Japanese class. Several of my students are Latino. I find these glimpses familiar, more so than overhearing Americans on a crowded street in Tokyo.

Last week, I had the chance to sit in on a beginning Spanish class at the university. I can’t remember whether I was invited, or (probably more likely) I invited myself. Several students mentioned taking Spanish class and I was intrigued at an opportunity to compare it to my own experience teaching.

I arrived with the two students. The seats were assigned, but a seat near them was open. While we waited for the professor, I asked one of the students why he decided to take Spanish, and after crowd sourcing for a bit, he came back with the answer that most of the students thought it was an easy class. Ha. I have heard that before.

The professor walked in to a class of about 30. My students introduced me in Japanese and she conversed with me for a bit in Spanish. That was probably the first time I communicated well with a Japanese person in a foreign language. Maybe some day that language will be Japanese. If she was feeling any emotion at my surprise sit in, she didn’t show it. I admit, I tried contacting her in advance but had no luck. What bad manners! But, here we were.

Spanish class — Going over subject pronouns in supeingo class

A flurry of conversation in Japanese. Understandably so as I taught my own students a foreign language in their native language.

The students were passed out a quiz. I grabbed one. It was on beginning vocabulary—teacher, student, etc.—and how to make nouns plural based on number and gender. Ah, this I knew! I was going to ace this quiz. Except for the Japanese prompts. Afterwards, she called on students to give answers and she wrote them on the board. Students corrected their own quiz.

The professor called on me to answer a question. I told her in Spanish that I couldn’t read Japanese but I thought the answer was x or y. My student leaned over and whispered that she told me I was wrong. She only wanted to hear x as the answer. How mortifying! That was a good lesson for me in how my current Japanese students probably feel. They might know the answer, but they have no idea what I’m asking.

After the quiz, students orally reported their score to the teacher. Again, I quietly asked my student about that. What’s to stop a student from calling out a higher score? He said, “She trusts us and we trust her.” This would never fly in the U.S. Also, again, interesting to me my own students’ reactions when I either ask them to grade a neighboring student’s paper or I just take the paper when the quiz is over. They may be used to grading their own and doing so honestly? What a concept.

More Japanese. A video on Toledo, Spain appeared. I was interested because I spent some time in Toledo in college. I could get the gist of the video because I knew the context. That was basically the theme of the class for me. Even though it was conducted in Japanese, I could understand what she was teaching. It actually helped me learn some Japanese vocabulary. It was a fun, brain teaser. My mind was fried by the end of the two hours.

I thanked the teacher as I left and we had a mini conversation about Toledo. I asked her if she had ever seen it in person and then proceeded to thank her/apologize for my presence.

The next day, we went to a Celebration of the Americas/Cinco de Mayo festival in Tokyo. Again, a lot of cross-lingual communication. I had fun talking to some of the food vendors asking them to describe what they were serving. There was food from Colombia, Peru and Spain. Not the most authentic in the world, but I’ll take what I can get!

At some point, a young Latina translated a Japanese menu into Spanish for me so that was exciting. Yes, exciting! I got a high out of feeling understood and an exchange where both parties communicated with each other!

I look forward to my next encounter with supeingo.

Hello Natto

April 30, 2014 by Robert Haddan

In our never-ending quest to try all that Japan has to offer, I present to you… natto.

It’s been sitting in our fridge for a week while I’ve tried to figure out what to do with it. I thought I’d start out easy and use it as a filling in gyoza. Technically, natto is a soybean that has been fermented with hay or grass bacteria. However, I’m quite certain based on its quantity of ectoplasm, that it has some relation to this guy.

Slimer from Ghostbusters... a distant relative of natto? — Slimer from Ghostbusters… a distant relative of natto?

As usual, I wish I’d taken more pictures of the unboxing process as the packaging itself was impressive. Sealed in a styrofoam box, I feared the worst. Natto has a reputation of being stinky and slimy. As I opened the box, I took a good whiff. The smell didn’t bother me at all. We’re greeted with a small packet of hot mustard and another small packet, which the internets tell me contains a fish-based sauce, so I tossed that.

Then the natto.

It’s covered with a layer of wax paper, which when peeled away reveals the true nature of the beast.

Natto, or to summon the 8-year-old boy in me, "snotto" — Natto, or to summon the 8-year-old boy in me, “snotto”

Apologies for the close-up. It seemed necessary.

I tried it by itself first. Not an overwhelming flavor, but certainly not anything I’d want to eat plain. It has a maple-esque flavor as an aftertaste, which might be why it’s a popular breakfast food in Japan, spread on toast or rice. After mixing it with the hot mustard and some soy sauce, it was actually kinda good.

Then I touched it.

Slimy indeed. I tried to use a spoon to fill the gyoza wrapper, but the natto stuck to it. So, I’d take a pinch with my fingers and stuff it in the wrapper. I looked like a first grader elbow-deep in rubber cement (do they still let kids use rubber cement?) as the sticky strings connected my fingers to the beans for a good 12 inches. When I washed my hands, the water mixed with the sticky made a slime that required a lot of washing and a strong stomach.

It came in a three-pack, and I’m not disappointed. Natto spaghetti is also very popular and I found another recipe for natto veggie burgers. Can’t wait to give ’em a go!

Update: So, after eating the natto gyoza, I’ve had a change of heart. There’s something just… off about it. Not sure I’m quite ready to be a fan of natto quite yet.

Harajuku

April 25, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Tokyo provides a lot of opportunity for tourism, shopping… your typical big-city stuff. But, the gems of a city are in the alleyways and parks. We found an abundance of both as our Tokyo adventures continued last weekend in Harajuku.

Dancers — The fashion scene was pretty subdued that day, but these girls were dancing in Yoyogi Park.

Our primary purpose for the visit was Tokyo’s Earth Day festival in Yoyogi Park, another of Tokyo’s fantastic public park spaces. Hundreds of vendors sold food and goods and non-profit organizations used the opportunity to reach thousands with their messages.

One booth demonstrated how you could pop corn with a reflector and sunlight.

Others reminded us of our need for the ethical treatment of animals, our food and ourselves. Not being able to read food labels is actually one of the few real downers of being in Japan. We do the best we can.

Anti-fur campaign — Booth reminding us where fur really comes from…

A live band filled the air with covers of American classics. A spot-on rendition of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” was followed by a rockabilly take on Elvis Presley’s classic “Hound Dog.”

The biggest draw to these things is usually the food, and Earth Day 2014 provided some great eats! Veggie “meat” on a stick, steamed “pork” buns and…

Arm-length french fries — French fries as long as my arm.

Deep-fried, cheese-filled avocado. Yes, you read that right…

Then there’s the innovative, weird and just plain Tokyo. A dog in a backpack, a truck that turns plastic into oil and whatever that thing is.

After the festival, we explored Harajuku. Shopping is abundant, of course, but there are little pockets of awesome all over the district. We grabbed some amazing raw milk ice cream in coffee at Shiroichi.

These guys were really enjoying their ice cream towers from Shiroichi.

We walked up Takeshita Street, which is the crammed-with-tourists home of Harajuku’s fashion movement. The video screen captures visitors in their last seconds of freedom before crowd-induced claustrophobia takes over.

We finished our big day out at Baird Brewing. At some point I’ll write a post about the beer “scene” in Japan, but on this day, we found a good one. Bryan Baird, a brewer with Pacific Northwest connections, has brought true craft brewing to Tokyo.

Baird Brewing's Harajuku Taproom — Baird Brewing’s Harajuku Taproom

The pub food was fantastic—we had grilled tofu, shitake mushrooms and edamame—but someone should tell the Japanese that you need to serve some carbs with beer approaching 10% ABV.

Reminders of home surrounded us in the corner of the bar. A postcard from Portland sat on the shelf to our left. Oregon breweries were well represented in the swiped coasters that lined the top of the bar.

Before we left, the bartender asked where we were from. I told him Oregon and he got very excited. He says “hold on…” and heads into the keg cooler. He comes back out with a 22-ounce bottle of Portland’s own Upright Brewing “Seven” and a big smile on his face. Apparently he’d just returned from his own craft beer pilgrimage to the Rose City.

I look forward to the opportunity to explore those alleyways again soon.

The Things We Eat

April 10, 2014 by Robert Haddan

I’d make a terrible food blogger. Last week, we made a miso hummus with naan in a lovely presentation. Today I made sweet potato ravioli for lunch using gyoza wrappers. A splash of shooyu and a drizzle of sriaicha made it look fit for a menu photo.

However, by the time I think about photographing these gorgeous dishes, they look like this:

You’ll have to trust that there was hummus in that bowl at one point and it was SO delicious that it was finger-cleaned once the naan was eaten.

One of the most common questions we received before leaving was “what will you eat?” We both follow an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, meaning we eat eggs and dairy, but fish, chicken, etc. are out. The Japanese have a seafood-heavy diet. Sakana (fish) sneaks its way into places you’d never expect to find it. Unagi (eel) and ebi (shrimp) are also common.

My somewhat flippant answer was some variation of “probably the same things we eat in the US?” Eating out is definitely more of a challenge, but we’re not tourists. We live here and cook at home the majority of the time. The produce is excellent and tofu was already a regular part of our diet at home.

It’s not without its challenges, but a little creativity goes a long way. For example, hummus usually has tahini in it, adding to the creamy texture. We swapped in miso paste instead. It gave a unique-in-a-good-way flavor to the dip.

We did capture some amazing meals:

Miso Soup — First homemade-from-scratch miso soup

We’ve also made:

Black bean sliders
Soba noodle stir-fry
Soba noodle spaghetti with walnut meatballs

The cooking process itself has some challenges as well. We procured a gas stovetop, the common cooking tool in Japan, which has two burners and a toaster drawer, but no oven. This makes baking impossible, but presents another opportunity for originality. We’ve seen some pre-baked pizza crust and might try to make frying pan pizza in the near future.

The most frustrating one has been the lack of cooking spray. The aerosol cans can’t be brought on the airplane, but we didn’t expect that we wouldn’t be able to buy it here. It’s just not used.

“Non-stick pan” is now a dirty word in this household as we’re scraping eggs off of our frying pans most mornings regardless of the amount of oil used. Every opportunity for internet includes some variation on a search for “how the heck do I get my eggs to not stick without cooking spray!?!?”

We are definitely those weird people at the restaurant who take pictures of their food, so hopefully there will be more yummy things to share along the way!

Tokyo – Ikebukuro and Ueno

April 8, 2014 by Robert Haddan

No matter where you are in the world, unexpected adventures are always a good thing. Such was the case with last weekend’s day trip, our first into Tokyo.

We planned to stop first in Ikebukero, a district in west Tokyo, to find a Taiwanese restaurant that specialized in vegetarian dishes. We’re still traveling without smartphones, so all we had to go off was some loose directions from a website and the city maps at the Ikebukuro train station.

We started walking and, within a couple blocks, stumbled upon a festival celebrating Taiwan and its heritage. There were even inflatable replicas of yours truly!

Ikebukuro — Which one is real and which one is inflatable?

We looked at a couple vendor stands, listened briefly to what must have been the opening address and then headed out in search of our restaurant.

As with many of these uncharted trips, we didn’t reach our destination. We’ve yet to figure out the street numbering convention. At present, I’m convinced it’s the worst way to identify addresses in the known universe. Check back in a couple months and maybe I’ll have a better attitude.

Fortunately, the festival had two booths serving exactly what we were in search of: Taiwanese vegetarian food! And even better, we finally found vegetarian gyoza! Those little pan fried, stuffed dumplings are so good, but usually so filled with pork. It was easily the best purchased meal I’ve had since we’ve arrived in Japan.

The festival also featured some amazing entertainment. All performed by young people, it was impossible to take your eyes off the stage.

A group of pre-teens pounded out the beautiful rhythm of taiko drums.

These young men and women put on an exciting display of dragon wizardry.

These beautiful young ladies entranced the crowd with their choreographed dance.

At the end of the show, we headed back to the station and caught the next train to Ueno Park to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. You can read Viktoria’s post on the magic of sakura and the geisha picnic.

We took a lap around Shinobazu Pond, where children of all ages peddled and rowed their way in rowboats, paddleboats, and swan boats.

We’ll definitely be back to Ueno Park to visit the National Museum and some of the other sights in the area.