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32|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKSHIGAALONGTIMEAGO,INAPREFECTUREFAR,FARAWAY,WEFIRSTBEGANTALKINGABOUTJAPANESEFOOD.ONEOFTHETHINGSIDECIDEDTOMONITORWASMYWEIGHTBECAUSE,ASANYONEWILLTELLYOU,JAPANESEFOODISINHERENTLYHEALTHY.NINETY-THREEDAYSLATER,ICANEXCLUSIVELYREVEALTHATTHISISATOTALMYTH.YESIT’STRUETHATSOMEJAPANESEFAREISAMAZINGLYGOODFORYOU,BUTFOREVERYONEOFTHOSE,THERE’SAFRIEDMENACEWAITINGTOPOUNCE.THATDOESN’TMEANTOSAYTHEYAREN’TABSOLUTELYDELICIOUS.TAKETHEOKONOMIYAKIFOREXAMPLE.THEOSAKAVERSIONISESSENTIALLYAMOUNDOFALMOSTEVERYINGREDIENTYOUCANTHINKOF,TOSSEDTOGETHERWITHBATTERANDFRIED,LIKESOMEWEIRDALL-ENCOMPASSINGOMELETTE.BEINGCONSUMMATEPROFESSIONALS,WEALSOTRIEDTHEHIROSHIMAVERSION,WHICHISNEATERANDHASABITMORECABBAGE.SO,BASICALLYAHEALTHYVERSION,RIGHT?WHATABOUTTHEOTHEROSAKANSPECIALITYOFTAKOYAKI?DOUGHY,CALORIFICLITTLEBALLSWITHCHUNKSOFOCTOPUSINSIDE.ABLINDMANONAGALLOPINGHORSEWOULDTELLYOUTHEY’LLPILEONTHEPOUNDS(THOUGHONLYAFTERHE’DBEENDISTRACTEDBYTHEAMAZINGSMELL).NO,THETRUTHISTHATAHUGEAMOUNTOFJAPANESEFOODHASITSCHINESEANCESTRYSHININGBRIGHTLY:ALOTOFITISFATTY,SALTYANDLARGELYIRRESISTIBLE.HUGEBUBBLINGBOWLSOFRAMEN,WITHISLANDSOFCABBAGEBOBBINGALONGONANOILYOCEANOFBROTHARESTRAIGHTFROMTHESTREETSOFSHANGHAI.HAVINGORDEREDCOPIOUSAMOUNTSOFTHEMFROMJAPANESERESTAURANTSINDUBAI,WETHOUGHTGYOZA(HIGHLYADDICTIVEHALF-FRIEDDUMPLINGS)WERESURELYJAPANESEINVENTIONS.BUTNO,THEY’REORIGINALLYCHINESEASWELL.FOODGLORIOUSFOODACTUALLY,IFYOUREALLYLOOKEDATIT,ALL“JAPANESE”NOODLESAREPROBABLYHAVETHEIRORIGINSFROMELSEWHERE,BUTTODAYTHEREAREDISTINCTSPECIALITIESINREGIONSUPANDDOWNTHECOUNTRY.TOOURSURPRISE,KOREAHASALSOMADEABIGIMPRESSIONONJAPANESECUISINE.SOMEOFOURVERYFAVOURITEDISHESLIKETHEGENGHISKHAN(TENDERLAMBCOOKEDONADIYBARBEQUE)INHOKKAIDOANDSHABU-SHABU(AKINDOFBUBBLINGPOTINWHICHYOUQUICKLYBOILBACON,BELOWLEFT)WITH“PLATINUM”PORKINIWATEAREESSENTIALLYKOREANTRADITIONS.OFCOURSETHEREAREMANY,MANYDISHESTHATAREQUINTESSENTIALLYJAPANESE,ANDNOTHINGMORESOTHANSASHIMI.THECONCEPTOFEATINGRAWFISHSTOPPEDBEINGSHOCKINGTOUSMANYYEARSAGO,SOWE’VESURPRISEDSOMEJAPANESEPEOPLEBYQUICKLYDECLARINGALOVEOFANYTHINGTHAT’SUNCOOKED(ANDTHENSURPRISINGTHEMAGAINBYBEINGABLETOPICKITUPWITHCHOPSTICKS).OFEVERYTHINGWE’VEEATENRAW,IT’SVERY,VERYDIFFICULTTOPICKANABSOLUTEFAVOURITE,ESPECIALLYWHENWE’VEFOUNDOURSELVESINDEDICATEDSUSHIRESTAURANTS,EATINGUNTILWEFELTQUITEUNWELL,BEFORERESOLVINGTOEATOURWAYOUTOFTHEPROBLEM.HOWEVER,IFABSOLUTELYPUSHED,WE’DPICKTATAKIINKOCHI.IT’SNOTENTIRELYUNCOOKED:THEOUTER-LAYEROFTHEBONITO(ORSKIPJACKTUNA)ISQUICKLYSEARED,GIVINGATASTYBLACKCRUSTTHATDRAWSTHEVERYBESTOFTHEFLAVOUROUT.WHENADDEDTOSOMEZESTYPONZUSAUCE,THEWHOLETHINGISACONSISTENTJOYANDTHEPOLAROPPOSITEOFTHEBLANDNESSTHATWEDISLIKEINFUGUANDSQUID.THEBEEF,TOO,ISSODIFFERENTFROMANYOTHERTYPEWE’VETRIEDTHATITHASTOBEREGARDEDASASEPARATEENTITY.FIRSTTHEREWASTHEKOBEBEEF,AND TODAYWEHADOMIBEEF,WHICHWASCUTFROMASIMILARCLOTH,BUTNOTQUITEASFAMOUSASITSPREDECESSOR.INBOTHCASES,WEWILLFOREVERREMEMBERTHEINCREDIBLETENDERNESSOFTHEMEATASSOMETHINGDISTINCTLYJAPANESE.
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