Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.21

FOOD&DRINKDAY34OCTOBER18THMATSUMOTO,NAGANOSOYSAUCEANDCHEWED–FORQUITEALONGTIME.KATY,PERHAPSBECAUSEWE’DWATCHEDANEPISODEOFTHEEVER-DISTURBINGWALKINGDEADJUSTTHENIGHTBEFORE,DECLINEDTHEOFFER.AND,TOBEHONEST,SHEDIDN’TMISSOUTONMUCH.ITTASTEDOK,BUTINTHEEND,ICOULDN’THELPFEELTHATTHEREALREASONHORSEISN’TEATENEVERYWHEREHASNOTHINGTODOWITHLOVEOFTHEANIMALS,ANDALOTTODOWITHTHEFACTTHEREAREHALFADOZENORSOREDMEATSTHATTASTEMUCHBETTERTHANITDOES.ACOUPLEOFHOURSLATERWEWEREFEELINGALITTLEPECKISHAGAIN,SOHITOMISUGGESTEDWEPOPINTOALOCALSPECIALTYFOODSHOP,ASHORTWALKAWAYFROMTHEFAMOUSCASTLE.THERETHEYHADAJAROFBEEPUPAE,WHICHWEREFUSED,ANDMARINATEDGRASSHOPPERS,WHICHWETHOUGHTWECOULDATLEASTTRY.IT’SNOTARECIPEWE’LLBETAKINGBACKTOSCOTLAND.THELASTSURPRISECAMEATTHEDINNERTABLE.YESTERDAY,BACKUPINHAKUBA,WEBUMPEDINTOAFRIENDLYCANADIANWHOHASMADEJAPANHISHOMEFORTHEPAST11YEARS,MOSTLYINORDERTOCHASETHEBESTRUNSONNAGANO’SHIGH,SNOWYPEAKS.WHENWEMENTIONEDOURTRIPTOMATSUMOTOHEIMMEDIATELYRECOMMENDEDTHATWETRACKDOWNARESTAURANTCALLEDTORISHIN.HEWASVERYANIMATEDABOUTIT.ATIT’SCORE,HESAID,IT’SAYAKITORIRESTAURANT(ESSENTIALLYSALTYBBQ,MANYOFTHERECIPESFORWHICHWEDEFINITELYWILLBETAKINGHOME)THATSPECIALISESINCHICKEN.THEYSERVECHICKENBREAST,LEGSANDWINGSOFCOURSE,BUTALSOSKIN,NECKMEAT,SOFTBONE,LIVERS,HEARTSANDCARTILAGE.BUTABOVEALL,HEADDED,WESHOULDMAKEAPOINTOFORDERINGTHETORIWASA:UNCOOKEDCHICKEN.ASIMENTIONEDONCEBEFORE,THISGOESAGAINSTALLKNOWNLOGICATHOME–ANDOFALLTHERAWFLESHTOEATINTHEWORLD,CHICKENISTHEGREATESTANATHEMA.BUTHAVINGFOUNDTORISHINHIDDEN,WESTEELEDOURSELVESANDORDEREDTHESIGNATUREDISH.CRUCIALLY,TORIWASAISN’TABSOLUTELYRAW:ITISBOILEDFOR30SECONDSTOGIVEITAMILLIMETREOFWHITECOATING,JUSTENOUGHTOKILLANYBACTERIA.THEOPAQUEPINKNESSONTHEINSIDEOFTHATISTOTALLYSAFE,ANDUTTERLYDELICIOUS.SEASONED,ASTHENAMESUGGESTS,WITHWASABI,THERE’SALITTLESAKE,ALITTLESALTANDATENDERNESSTHATABSOLUTELYCANNOTBEREPLICATEDBYCONVENTIONALCHICKEN.ITWASJUSTONEOFHALFADOZENSTYLESWETRIED,ALLOFWHICHWEREEXCELLENT.HOWEVER,INADAYOFCULINARYSHOCKS,ITSHOULDHAVEBEENNOSURPRISETHATTHETORIWASAWASTHEVERYBEST.


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