Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.27

FOOD&DRINKKAGAWAMYGREATAUNTIEDOLLYWOULDNEVERHAVETOLERATEDIT.INHERHEY-DAYSHETOLERATEDLITTLE:HOLDINGAKNIFEANDFORKINCORRECTLY,TALKINGWITHONE’SMOUTHFULL,INAPPROPRIATENAPKINDEPLOYMENT...BORNATTHEENDOFTHEFIRSTWORLDWAR,SHEWORKEDINSOMEOFLONDON’SBESTHOTELSAFTERTHESECONDINSTALMENT,ANDGREWUPWITHAVERYDIFFERENTUNDERSTANDINGOFACCEPTABLEBEHAVIOURTHANANYONEI’VEEVERKNOWN.ATHERWORST,SHEWASAHAWK,ANDAHARRIDAN,ANDFORANUMBEROFYEARSMYBROTHERANDIWERETERRIFIEDOFVISITINGHER.SHESOFTENEDOVERTHEYEARS,THOUGH,ANDEVENTUALLY–ONCEWEYOUNGSTERSHADREACHEDADULTHOOD–SHEACTUALLYBECAMEPRETTYGOODCOMPANY.BUTEVENATHERMOSTMELLOW,ICANNOTIMAGINESHEWOULDHAVEPUTUPWITHSLURPINGFOODWHILEWEATE.NO,HAVINGHADBEENFLAYEDWITHADMONISHMENTS,WE’DLIKELYHAVEBEENSENTOUTINTHEBACKGARDEN,LEFTALONETOCONTEMPLATEOURLACKOFMANNERS.HISTORYSHOULDTHINKITSELFLUCKYTHATGREATAUNTIEDOLLYNEVERMADEITOVERTOJAPAN:ITWOULDHAVEBEENADIPLOMATICWHATUDON?DISASTER.INHERPOMP,SHEWOULDHAVECLEAREDARESTAURANTOFNOISYNOODLERS,SNAPPINGATTHEIRHEELSCHASTISEMENTS.WHATSHEWOULDN’THAVEUNDERSTOOD–ANDWHATWEAREONLYNOWCOMINGTOTERMSWITH–ISTHATINJAPAN,NOMATTERHOWRICHORPOORAPERSONIS,NOMATTERIFTHEY’REWEARINGATAILOREDSUITORRAGS,THEONLYWAYTOEATGOODFOODISNOISILY,ANDWITHGUSTO.FORSILENTMUNCHERSLIKEUSBRITISH,IT’SQUITEATHINGTOGETOVER.INITIALLY,LISTENINGTOSOMEONESUCKDOWNTHEIRLUNCHWASNOEASIERTHANLISTENINGTOTHEDREADFULCHINESEPRACTISEOFCLEARINGPARTIALLYBLOCKEDAIRWAYSWITHPHLEGMATICFLAIR.BUTTHEJAPANESESLURPINGISNOTCAUSEDBYIGNORANCE,NORCARELESSNESS:NOISILYSUPPINGATTHEFLAPPINGNOODLESISAGOODTHING.ITSHOWSSATISFACTION,CONTENTMENTANDADESIRETOEATMORE.AFTERTWOMONTHSINJAPAN,WE’VEJUSTABOUTADJUSTEDTOTHENOISE,ALTHOUGHWE’VESTOPPEDSHORTOFACTUALLYMAKINGITOURSELVES.NOTTHATANYONENOTICEDUSWHILEWEWEREINSAKAEDA,ANOUTSTANDINGTRADITIONALUDONRESTAURANTINDOWNTOWNTAKAMATSU.NOPE,THERE,WITHORDERSBEINGSHOUTED,ANDPEOPLERUSHINGTOANDFROMCOMMUNALTABLES,EVERYONEWASCONCERNEDWITHTHEIROWNMEAL.KAGAWANSEACHEATANAVERAGEOF260BOWLSOFUDONAYEAR,CONSUMEDINSAKAEDA,ATHOME,ORATANYOFTHEOTHER899NOODLERESTAURANTSINTHEPREFECTURE.THISPLACEISESPECIALLYBUSY,HOWEVER,WITHALONGREPUTATIONFORPROVIDINGDELICIOUSSANUKIUDON(THELOCALSPECIALITY)ATROCK-BOTTOMPRICES.AMEDIUMSIZEDBOWL,WITHONEPIECEOFGIGANTICTEMPURAONLYCOSTSAROUND250YEN(£2)WHICH,INJAPAN,ISLITTLESHORTOFMIRACULOUS.ACTUALLY,ALLOFKAGAWAISMADABOUTUDON,ANDTOURISTSINJAPAN’SSMALLESTPREFECTUREAREBOUNDTOTRYITATSOMEPOINT.THATSEEMSONLYRIGHTASITISBELIEVEDTOHAVEORIGINATEDINTHISAREA.FORFIRST-TIMEVISITORSTOJAPAN,SORTINGOUTWHATNOODLEISWHATCANBEINITIALLYDAUNTING.REALLY,THOUGH,THEREARETHREEBASICTYPES:SOBA(ANEAR-PURPLEBUCKWHEATNOODLEPRIMARILYEATENINMOUNTAINOUSAREAS),RAMEN(THECLASSICNEAR-YELLOWNOODLEOFTENFOUNDINPOTTEDINSTA-SNACKS)ANDUDON(AFAT,WHITEOFFERINGMADEFROMFLOUR,THENROLLEDANDCUTBYHAND).HEREINSAKAEDA,THEPRACTISEISTOPICKUPTHENOODLES,THENADDYOUROWNTOPPINGS(WELIKEDTHEGINGERANDSESAMETHEBEST)BEFORECOVERINGTHELOTINASOYBROTH.IT’SBYFARTHEMOSTFILLINGOFTHETHREEDIFFERENTTYPES,ANDSEEMSTOBETHELONGESTOFALLTHENOODLES,MEANINGTHATMOREANDMORESLURPINGISREQUIREDTOGETRIDOFIT.THATSAID,WHENYOURMOUTHISCHOCKEDFULLWITHTHEPLUMPJUICINESS,ANDBITSOFSTRAYLUNCHARECLINGINGTOYOURHAIRANDEYEBROWS,IT’SHARDNOTTOFEELINCREDIBLYSATISFIED.SOWHATBETTERWAYTOCONVEYTHISTOALLINTHEROOM?GREATAUNTDOLLYFORGIVEME–SLURP!DAY58NOVEMBER11THTAKAMATSU,KAGAWA


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