This beauty is a grated white yam that was part of breakfast at Yamanako-ko. It is grated raw and used more for its texture and temperature than flavor. Host father suggested putting your rice/barley mixture in here. Because its semi-liquid, its hard to eat alone. The texture is described as "neba-neba." Anything that leaves strings when you lift it up qualifies as "neba-neba." Natto, konbu, raw egg, and this yam are all neba-neba.
Also at Yamanako-ko, we stopped for afternoon tea in the music box museum. This is the most interesting way I've seen tea served. It was a good, very good, black tea served inside a glass teapot with fruit. The fruit was steeping as long as tea and sweetened it, but not too much. After the tea, you got plates of fresh whipped cream for the warmed fruit.
Tomato booze at Yokohama. Souchou is the distilled spirit of choice in Japan, ranging from 20-40% ABV. Usually its made from grain or potatoes. Sweet potato is also popular. This is the first time I saw tomato.
Black tsukemono beans purchased at Yamanako-ko. They are about an inch long. Never saw anything like it.
The family doesn't have an oven. It's more of a giant microwave. Very few families have ovens as we know it. What they do have, however, located under the gas range, is a mini-salamander. This is what they use to grill fish, chicken wings, you name it. The thing kicks too. Its not much different than the ones in restaurants, just smaller. I wish they would design this for American ranges. You can see the sanma in this one from a few weeks ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment