Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.19

FOOD&DRINKCHIBAMUCHOFTHISPOSTWILLSTRIKENATIVEJAPANESEREADERSASBEINGASOBVIOUSASTHEBASICLAWSOFGRAVITYORTHENEWSTHATFIREISHOT.BUTTHENMOSTPEOPLEWHOVISITTHECOUNTRYAREN’TNATIVE–NORARETHEYPARTICULARLYKNOWLEDGEABLEBEFORETHEYARRIVE.SOYOU’LLFORGIVEUS,PLEASE,IFWESOUNDLIKEWIDE-EYEDGAIJINSTODAY.WE’REOUTINTHECOUNTRYSIDEINSOUTHERNCHIBA,ALITTLEMORETHANANHOURAWAYFROMTOKYO,YETYOU’DHAVENOIDEATHEMEGALOPOLISWASSOCLOSE.OUTHERETHEREAREANNUALHUNTSFORDEERANDWILDBOAR.WITHOUTEXAGGERATION,IT’SPERHAPSTHEGREENESTPARTOFJAPANWE’VEVISITEDSOFARTOO.SOMEOFTHEPEOPLEHAVEBEENHEREFORGENERATIONS,BUTASIGNIFICANTNUMBEROFTHEHOUSESHAVEBEENBUILTWITHMONEYTHATWASEARNEDINTHEBIGCITIESINTHELASTFEWYEARS.IT’SNOTHARDTOSEETHEAPPEALOFMOVINGOUTHERE,WITHROLLINGHILLS,MILDWEATHERFORMOSTOFTHEYEAR,ANDAHUGEAMOUNTSOFFRESHPRODUCEFROMLOCALFARMS.FORNEWLYRURALTYPES,THEREARERICEPADDYCOOPERATIVES,WITHLITTLETERRACESAVAILABLETOHIREBYTHEYEAR. THERE’SCOMMERCIALRICEGROWNTOO,BUTWHEREVERITCOMESFROM,INTHISPARTOFJAPANIT’SBEINGPUTTOGOODUSE.NOPREFECTURECANSERIOUSLYLAYCLAIMTOHAVINGSUSHIASTHEIRREGIONALSPECIALITY–THAT’DBELIKEANAMERICANSTATECLAIMINGTOHAVEINVENTEDTHEPOTATO–ANDWE’VEFOUNDITONOFFERINEVERYPARTOFEVERYPREFECTURESOFAR,WITHLITTLEVARIATIONSAVEFORSOMEOFTHEFISHINCLUDED.BUTHEREINCHIBASUSHIISAFINEART,ANDIT’STHEFANCINESS,THESHOWMANSHIP,THATISPECULIARTOTHEREGION.FORFOREIGNERSLIKEUSTHEVERYBASICSNEEDEDSOMEEXPLAINING.FIRSTOFALL,SUSHIDOESNOTHAVETOHAVERAWFISHINIT:THISISACOMMONMISCONCEPTIONINBRITAIN,ANDONETHATLIMITSITSPOPULARITY.THANKSTOSEVERALGOVERNMENTSCARESTORIESANDWARNINGSOVERTHEYEARS,BRITSPREFERTOBOIL,FRYORBAKETHELIFEOUROFANYTHINGFORAGOODFEWHOURSBEFOREWE’REREADYTOEATIT.BUYINGATWITCHINGFISHINAMARKETANDEATINGITAFEWMINUTESLATER?NOTHANKYOU.THANKFULLY,KATYANDIHAVEBEENENJOYINGSUSHIANDSASHIMI(PLAIN,RAWFISH)INALLITSFORMSFORYEARS.ITTURNSOUTTHATFORSOMETHINGTOBECONSIDEREDSUSHI,IT’SONLYDEFININGCHARACTERISTICISTHATITMUSTINCLUDETHEVINEGAR-SOAKEDRICE.ALLOTHERINGREDIENTSAREOPTIONAL.THEOTHERNAMES,COMPLICATEDASSOMEOFTHEMSOUNDTOFOREIGNERS,USUALLYREFERTOTHEWAYINWHICHTHEDISHESAREPREPARED.TODAYWELEARNEDHOWTOMAKESOMEOFTHEMOSTCOMPLEXOFALL:FUTOMAKIMATSURIZUSHI,ORTHICK-ROLLEDFESTIVALSUSHI.ORIFNOTLEARNED,THENWEREATLEASTSHOWNHOW.OURSENSEIMASAKOKAWANAHADINVITEDUSINTOHERHOMEANDKINDLYPREPAREDALLOFTHEINGREDIENTSFORUS,MAKINGOURTASKFAREASIER.ATLEASTINTHEORY.TRYINGTOBALANCETHEVARIOUSCOMPONENTPARTS,ROLLINGTHEMTIGHTLYANDNOTTEARINGTHENORI(SEAWEED)WASMUCHHARDERTHANTHEMASTERMADEITLOOK.I’DLOVETOBEABLETOREPRODUCETHERECIPEANDTECHNIQUEHERE,BUTINTRUTHWEWERECONCENTRATINGSOHARDONNOTDESTROYINGLUNCHTHATITPASSEDUSBYINABLUR.WEHELDONTIGHT,THOUGH,ANDBYTHEENDWEOPENEDITUPAND...WELLWEREQUITESURPRISEDWITHWHATWESAW.ANDITWASDELICIOUS.THESLIGHTLYSWEETENEDRICE,THEBURDOCK,THESEAWEED,THEKOMATSUNA(JAPANESEMUSTARDSPINACH),THEKAMPYO...THEYCAMETOGETHERBRILLIANTLY,WHILEEACHHOLDINGTHEIROWNFLAVOUR.ITALLLOOKEDSOPRETTY,BUTSITTINGONATATAMIMAT,LISTENINGTOTHEBIRDSANDTHEINSECTSFIGHTFORAIRTIMEONTHECOUNTRYBREEZE,ITSOMEHOWTASTEDRIGHT,TOO.EDIBLEARTDAY23OCTOBER8THKAMOGAWA,CHIBASPECIALTHANKSTOBILLBURGOS@WHITEBEARPHOTOGRAPHYFORTHEPHOTOOFTHESENSEI.


<< | < | > | >>