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28|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKFUKUOKAFOROVERATHOUSANDYEARS,FUKUOKAONTHENORTHCOASTOFKYUSHUHASHADDEALINGSWITHITSASIANCOUSINS.THOUGHITUSEDTOBEAPERILOUSTRIPACROSSTHEJAPANSEA–JUSTASKTHEWOULD-BEINVADERSFROMMONGOLIA–TODAYIT’SAMERETHREEHOURSBYHYDROFOILTOTHEKOREANPENINSULA.CHINA?FORFUKUOKA,SHANGHAIANDTOKYOAREEQUIDISTANT.WITHALLTHEINEVITABLETRADEBETWEENTHEMAINCONTINENTANDTHEJAPANESEISLANDS,MORETHANJUSTGOODSANDSERVICESWEREEXCHANGED.YOUONLYNEEDTOLOOKATTHEMENUSTOSEEEVIDENCEOFTHIS.INFACT,THECITY,ANDTHEPREFECTUREASAWHOLE,HASBECOMESOMETHINGOFAFUSIONGOURMETDESTINATION.YETUNLIKEOTHERPARTSOFJAPAN,IT’SNOTTHENUMBEROFMICHELINSTARSTHATGIVEFUKUOKAITSSTATUS,NOPE,IT’STHEVIBRANT,VERYAFFORDABLEVARIETYOFFOODSFROMAROUNDTHEREGION.IT’SNOBETTEREVIDENCEDTHANINFUKUOKACITY’SSTREETFOOD,SERVEDFROMMANICLITTLEHAWKERSTANDS,ORYATAI,TOGIVETHEMTHEIRJAPANESENAME.INSUMMERTHESESTANDSHAVEALLTHEIRTEMPORARYWALLSROLLEDUP,TRYINGTOMAXMISETHEBREEZE,ANDTHEROOFSSHELTERTHEPUNTERSFROMTHESCORCHINGSUN.IT’SALLCHANGEINWINTERWHENTHEWALLSCOMEDOWNANDPEOPLEHUDDLETOGETHER,TRYINGTOABSORBASMUCHOFTHEGRILL’SHEATTHROUGHTHEIRFACESASPOSSIBLE.NOMATTERTHESEASON,THESELITTLEPLACESHAVEAGREATREPUTATIONASMEETINGPLACES:FUKUOKANSFROMALLWALKSOFLIFECAN’TRESISTTHEPUNGENTAROMASWAFTINGOUTACROSSTHESTREETS,DRAWINGTHEMINLIKEMOTHSTOAGASFLAME.HAVINGSPENTTHEFIRSTMONTHOFTHETRIPGORGINGONSOBAEVERYDAY,THELASTCOUPLEOFWEEKSHAVEBEENCHARACTERISEDBYLARGEPORTIONSOFUDON.TODAYINTHEYATAIITWASTHETURNOFRAMENALFRESCOFUKUOKATOTRYANDIMPRESSUS.GIVENFUKUOKA’SLONGHERITAGEASAPORT,RAMEN–ORCHINESENOODLES–HAVEBEENAROUNDHEREFORMOREYEARSTHANVIRTUALLYANYOTHERPARTOFJAPAN.WITHTHEHUGENUMBEROFYATAIS(FUKUOKAHASMORETHANTHERESTOFJAPANCOMBINED)THENOODLESHAVEGROWNTHINNERANDTHINNER,THEREBYREDUCINGCOOKINGTIMESANDINCREASINGTHENUMBEROFBUMSONSEATSPERHOUR.THELOCALFAVOURITE,THEHAKATARAMEN,ISSERVEDWITHTHINSLICESOFPORK,INATHICKBROTH.IT’SSALTYANDIT’SHEARTYANDITCOMPLIMENTSBEERESPECIALLYWELL.ACTUALLY,THATAPPLIESTOMUCHOFJAPANESEFOOD–ANDCERTAINLYMOSTTHINGSTHATARESERVEDINYATAIS.SOMEOFTHEOTHERHIGHLIGHTSINCLUDEDAKINDOFRICE-CAKEGYOZA,ACHEWY,DELICIOUSMORSELTHATWECOULDHAVEEATENALLNIGHT,ANDASPICY(KOREA)FISH-ROE(JAPAN)OMELETTE(THEWEST)THATPERFECTLYUNDERLINEDFUKUOKA’SSTATUSASACROSSROADSFORFUSIONFOOD.IT’SNOTALLJUMBLEDFOREIGNGRUB,THOUGH.INYANAGAWA,INTHESOUTHOFTHEPREFECTURE,WEWERETREATEDTOADIFFERENTSTYLEOFDININGALTOGETHER.THEYSAYTHEBESTUNAGI(EEL)INALLOFJAPANCOMESFROMROUNDTHESEPARTS,SOMUCHSOTHATTHENATURALLYOCCURRINGPOPULATIONCAN’TCOPEWITHDEMAND.THEFARMEDSTUFFISNOLESSDELICIOUS,THOUGH.THESTRONGFLAVOURISN’TFOREVERYONE(NAMELY:KATY)BUTTHEMEATISSAIDTOBERICHINVITAMINE,ANDFULLOFGOODOILS.SERVED,ASWEHADIT,INANTRADITIONALMANSIONOVERLOOKINGASUPERBLY-CAREDFORORNAMENTALGARDEN,ITTASTEDALLTHEBETTER–ALMOSTGOODENOUGHTODISTRACTUSFROMTHEUNENDINGPAINOFSITTINGONTATAMIMATS.TWOTHIRDSOFTHEWAYTHROUGHTHEADVENTUREWETHOUGHTIT’DBEGETTINGEASIER,BUTWHENWEWENTTOSTANDUP,OURLEGSWEREDEADERTHATTHEEELSATTHEBOTTOMOFOURBELLIES.MUSTTRYHARDER.DAY68NOVEMBER21STFUKUOKACITY,FUKUOKA
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