Koborebanashi

Trivia, Tidbits and Tales about Japan

Category: Food & Drink

  • TKG

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    Earlier today on the train, I heard two boys who looked to be of about junior high school age talking about TKG.

    So what, you might ask, is TKG?

    Well, it’s tamago-kake gohan, the T being tamago, K, kake, and G, gohan, which basically means ‘raw egg on rice’. It’s a Japanese dish eaten primarily for breakfast, and it is literally, as the name suggests, raw egg broken over hot rice, and quite often seasoned with soy sauce. It’s a great breakfast actually, and well worth a try if you ever get the chance. And if you get the chance to slip ‘TKG’ into a conversation while you’re in Japan, well, all the better!

  • Blood For Rice, Or Rice For Blood

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    Today is National Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen no Hi), a national holiday in Japan. It marks the founding of Japan and encourages people to reflect on the nation’s history and identity. The date of February 11 is traditionally linked to the legendary ascension of Emperor Jimmu, which is said to have occurred in 660 BC.

    Anyway, for most people in Japan, the day is just a day off. And as such, outside the supermarket today, there was a blood collection drive.

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  • The Year Through a Rice Field: February

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    Once or twice a week, I have to walk past quite a large rice field. As the year progresses, it’s always fascinating to see how the seasons change, as reflected in the rice field.

    Right now, the field is bare. It’s just brown earth with a few dead stalks, presumably from last year’s rice plants, mixed into the soil. Now we’re in February, though, it won’t be too long before the farmers start to flood their fields and then plant their rice seedlings.

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  • Karasawa’s Cream Zenzai is a Must-Try in Onomichi

    If you’re in Onomichi, be sure to try ice-cream from Karasawa, a shop on the street nearest to the sea. It’s hand-made, and delicious. My particular favourite is the cream zenzai: ice-cream with red beans. You may have to queue on busy days, but trust me- it’s well worth the wait.

  • Oishii Gyunyu: Japan’s Marketing of Delicious Milk

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    In Japan, you can buy milk called ‘Oishii Gyunyu’. This translates to ‘delicious milk’. 

    And it is indeed delicious. I buy it often.

    But I always wonder about one thing when I buy Oishii Gyunyu. 

    What’s that, you might ask?

    Well, not to put too fine a point on it, why do they need to advertise it as ‘delicious’? It’s not really like any brand would say their milk was bad, is it?

  • Limited Edition Truffle Camembert: A Cheese Lover’s Delight

    If you’re in a supermarket in Japan, find the cheese section, and if you find the truffle-flavoured camembert, buy one. In fact, buy two, and send one to me, please! 

    Japanese camembert is always good, but this limited edition camembert has a truffle flavouring, and it’s really, really good. 

    Given that it’s a limited edition, there’s no telling how long it’ll be available, so better late than never. Trust me- if you like cheese, you’ll enjoy this!