Kamakura

to the Wegman's cheese aisle, but I don't think I've ever been bombarded like this before. Japan just has so much food. Different kinds of food that has different tastes, textures, flavors that I've There have been times where I have been overwhelmed by food, such as the time I walked in never experienced before. For example, last night I tried natto for the first time. This is a fermented soybean product that is sticky, really sticky. It oozes, stinks, and strings all over the place. Japanese either love it or hate it. I don't really know what to think of it because its so different. It's quite fermented, there is a spicyness to it that isn't from pepper. It's whatever fermented chemical happens when soybeans sit for a while. Straight miso has the same flavor and the Japanese love it. On this trip to Kamakura, we walked down a magnificent street with all kinds of shops selling their specialties. Shishoku---Taste tasteSweet potato ice cream. It was wonderful and tasted like a very sweet, roasted sweet potato minus the roast. Japanese sweet potatoes have purple skin and a yellow interior. They were selling this stuff everywhere


Mame-bean/legume products. This store had 300 types. All dried in snack bags. Plum flavored, wasabi flavored, seasame and wakame balls, I bought black soybeans called kuromame. I don't think they were roasted or sweetened but they had a nice deep sweetness to them, relly natural tasting.
Tempura as part of lunch. Best I've had ever. Batter was light and you could taste what was fried. I really never liked it all that much but if its this good all over japan I'm in trouble. 4 pieces-hot pepper, shrimp, lotus root (renkon...great veggie), and sweet potato.
Local specialty-shirasudon. Shirasu are baby sardines. They are on top of rice. Odd, but not all that bad. Probably wouldn't get it again though. Usually I don't run into mind over matter issues but this was one of them. Some soy sauce made me forget most of it though.
Hijikinori. Thick, black, picked seaweed. Probably the best tsukemono I've had. Bought a big bag. Next to it is picked, sweetened, garlic. Also a big bag.

Pickled sardine parts. No way. Who the hell pickles sardine parts?