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18|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKIBARAKIHYPERBOLE1. ANOBVIOUSANDINTENTIONALEXAGGERATION.2. ANEXTRAVAGANTSTATEMENTORFIGUREOFSPEECHNOTINTENDEDTOBETAKENLITERALLY.ASWE’VETRAVELLEDAROUNDJAPAN,WE’VEBEENTREATEDTOLOADSOFLOCALSPECIALITYDISHES.THE“GENGHISKHAN”INHOKKAIDO,THETHICK-CUTBEEFTONGUEINMIYAGI,THEBOILED“PLATINUM”BACON(SHABU-SHABU)INIWATE...WEALREADYHAVEHALFADOZENRECIPESTOTAKEBACKHOME.MOSTDAYSWE’VEEATENSOMETHINGMEMORABLE,ANDWE’REMAKINGAPOINTOFTRYINGEVERYTHINGTHAT’SPUTINFRONTOFUS,EVENWHENWEKNOWITMIGHTNOTBETOOURNORMALTASTES.WITHAFEWRAREEXCEPTIONS(SEAURCHINBEINGONE),WE’VEBEENLUCKY.BUTNOW,HAVINGVISITEDMITOCITYINIBARAKIPREFECTURE,FATEHASTURNEDAGAINSTUS.THOUGHNATTO–FERMENTEDSOYBEANS–ISSOLDUPANDDOWNJAPAN,INMITOIT’STHEDISHOFCHOICE,MAKINGIBARAKI’SCAPITALTHECULINARYEQUIVALENTOFMORDOR.ABITLIKEMARMITEBACKINWESAYNOTONATTOTHEUK,ORBLUECHEESEINFRANCE,ORANCHOVIESONAPIZZA,NATTODIVIDESOPINIONINJAPAN.BUTNOTINMITO:HERETHEYLOVEIT.ONTHESURFACE,THECITYLOOKSQUITENORMAL,WITHASPRAWLINGPARKANDLAKE,ANDATRENDYARTTOWERVISIBLEFROMMILESAWAY.BUTWHENWEPICKEDARESTAURANTATRANDOMANDORDEREDASET-MENUOFSIXNATTO-BASEDDISHES,WEREALISEDTHATTHEREALEVILSAREBEINGHIDDENAWAY.WHAT’STHEPROBLEM?NATTOHASTHECOLOURANDCONSISTENCYOFREGURGITATEDPEANUTBUTTER,COVEREDINTHEMUCUSOFASICKLYALIEN;ITHASAFORMIDABLESCENTTHATSTINGSTHENOSTRILS,INABADWAY;ANDTHENTHERE’STHETASTE.FORKATYITHASABOOZY-NUTTYFLAVOUR,ATASTESOFOULTHATITDWARFEDTHEACCOMPANYINGONIONS.FORMEIT’SSOMETHINGLIKEASTRONGFRENCHCHEESEENCASEDINPLASTIC,THENMELTEDWITHABLOWTORCH.ANDTHATWASJUSTTHESTANDARDDISH.ANESPECIALLYFOETIDONEHADBEENMIXEDWITHTRANSLUCENTLITTLEFISH-WORMS,WHICHCOMBINEDTOMAKEATASTESOREPUGNANTWECOULDFEELTHEBONESINOURSKULLSRECONFIGURINGTHEMSELVESTOGETAWAYFROMIT.ITDIDN’TSTOPTHERE:THEREWASALSOABOWLOFMISOSOUPPOLLUTEDWITHNATTOANDNEXTTOTHAT,TEMPURA.OVERTHELASTMONTHWE’VECOMETOLOVETEMPURA–DEEP-FRIEDANYTHING–ANDITSCRISPYDELICIOUSNESS.NOTTODAY.TODAY,NEXTTOAPIECEOFBATTEREDSQUID(WHICHWASTASTY),THEREWASWHATLOOKEDLIKEADAINTYFRITTER.BUTTHEREWASN’TBANANAINSIDE.NORPINEAPPLE.NORPEAS,NOREVENPOTATO: ITTOOHADBECOMEAVESSELFORNATTO–ANDTHEDEEP-FRYINGHADNOTDULLEDITSTOXICITYONEBIT.ITALLPROVEDTHATWHENNATTOISONTHEMENUNOTHINGISSAFE.EVENTRYINGTOEATPLAINRICEWITHNATTO-TAINTEDCHOPSTICKSWASAVILEEXPERIENCE.AMONGITSMANYALLEGEDHEALTHBENEFITS,NATTOISSAIDTOHELPREDUCECHOLESTEROL,LOWERTHERISKOFCANCERANDHEARTATTACKSANDACTASANATURALANTIBIOTIC,ALLTHEWHILECONTAININGPLENTYOFPROTEINANDVIRTUALLYNOCALORIES.BUTFRANKLY,ITCOULDGIVEUSTHEABILITYTOFLYANDWE’DSTILLGIVEITAWIDEBERTH.WELEFTTHERESTAURANTMAKINGSOLEMNVOWSLEARNTHEKANJIFORNATTO,JUSTINCASEWEEVERFOUNDITONAMENUAGAIN.ASWEWALKEDTHROUGHMITOTRAINSTATION,BACKTOWARDSOURHOTEL,ACHEERYVENDORSELLINGADOZENORMORENATTO-BASEDSNACKSSMILEDANDINVITEDUSTOLOOKATHISGOODS.“HAH!”WETHOUGHT:“YOU’RENOTFOOLINGUS...”DAY22OCTOBER7THMITOCITY,IBARAGI