A submission to the August 2011 J-Festa with the theme “Food in Japan“.

Nattō is a Japanese superfood that is centuries old. It is long recognized as one of Japan’s most unique traditional health foods and has been a staple source of Japanese nutrition since feudal Japan. Nattō is a powerful smelling, strong flavoured, sticky web of fermented soybeans that is highly nutritious and rich in protein and typically served with a Japanese breakfast over rice.

Image source: Flickr

Historically nattō was made by packing steamed soybeans in a bed of rice straw and leaving it in a warm place to ferment. A bacteria in the straw, bacillus subtilis natto, feeds off the beans, and turns them into a slimy stinking goop held together by sticky spider-webish strands with a pungent odor. Nowadays the specialized fermentation process that enhances the nutrition of the soybeans and develops the unique flavor and glutinous texture is triggered in commercial factories using sterile conditions and clean cultures.

There are many stories that claim the origin of nattō, legend has it that the process was discovered by accident when a group of soldiers who fell under attack quickly packed up their cooked soybeans in straw and carried them into battle as rations. When the hungry warriors finally sat down to eat, the beans had rotted. Having no other food to consume and being famished from battle they ate the rancid beans and the rest, they say, is history.

Opinion on the palatability of nattō is split. You either love it or hate it. It’s appearance and taste is sometimes compared to Vegemite in Australia, blue cheese in France, surströmming in Sweden, lutefisk in Norway and Sweden, mämmi in Finland and Marmite in New Zealand, South Africa and the UK.

If you think that this is weird then check out 10 Weird Japanese Foods for more bizarre morsels of Japanese culinary strangeness such as raw horse meat, aquatic insects, grasshoppers, bee larvae and more. If you are not that adventurous, then check out 10 Cool Japanese Foods for a delicious selection of Japanese fare.

LLP.

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Ippudo (一風堂) is a reputable franchise for quality noodling in the Fukuoka tradition. First opened in Hakata in 1985 with a counter seating capactiy of 10, Ippudo has grown to 34 locations throughout Japan with outposts in New York and Singapore. Shigemi Kawahara, who earned the title of Ramen King in 2005 when he was named Japan’s top Ramen Chef, directs and oversees this well known entity.

Ippudo Ramen Ebisu

We arrived at the the Ebisu store, the chain’s first branch in Tokyo. Not even the queue that snaked its way towards the entrance could deter us. Once inside we were greeted by a bustling, crowded dining room. The interior had a rustic charm with exposed wooden beams and a handwritten menu above the counter. Behind the counter a large, steaming cauldron of thin, white noodles simmered away.

We were seated at a refectory-style table and made ourselves cozy on the long bench seats alongside the assortment of tableside accoutrements, including spicy moyashi (bean sprouts), crushed ninniku (garlic), karashi takana (spicy pickled greens) and shoga (pickled ginger). African iced tea was served instead of water as this is supposed to have a neutralising effect on the pork fat that we were about to consume.

My ramen eating companions ordered the Ippudo Karake-men. They reported a perfectly balanced spicy kick and ranked it high in their all time ramen favourites. I ordered the satisfying flagship dish Akamaru Kasane-agi, and as I had requested, the noodles were cooked perfectly al dente.

Well worth a visit!

If you enjoyed this article then don’t forget to check out the cool Japanese foods series. The first installment brings to you 10 tasty morsels of Japanese culinary goodness such as yakitori, sukiyaki, ramen, yakiniku, kushikatsu and more. The second installment of the cool Japanese foods series brings to you another 10 awesome Japanese foods such as edamame, shabu-shabu, soba, tonkatsu, karaage and more.

LLP.

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5. Weird Japanese Ice Cream Flavours

1. Chicken Wing Ice Cream 「手羽先アイス」

This foul tasting ice cream is a regional specialty of Nagoya, famous for its poultry. Don’t be chicken, give it a go.

2. Whale Ice Cream 「鯨アイス」

Scientific evidence collected by Japan’s Whale Research Program can be consumed as ice cream helping to wash down your well-researched whale burger.

3. Beef Tongue Ice Cream 「牛たんアイス」

More than just the tip of the tongue, beef tongue ice cream from Miyagi Prefecture is one of the most popular varieties. It can’t be licked.

4. Squid Ice Cream 「いかアイス」

5. Horse Sashimi Ice Cream 「馬刺しアイス」

6. Pit Viper Snake Ice Cream 「まむしアイス」

Now you can enjoy one of Japan’s most venomous snakes in an ice cream

Image source: Hatena

7. Indian Curry Ice Cream 「インドカレーアイス」

8. Shark Fin Ramen Ice Cream 「フカヒレラーメンアイス」

Just when you thought it was safe to eat ice cream again…

Image source: Hatena

9. Octopus Ice Cream 「たこアイス」

To be consumed whilst watching your favourite tentacle porn.

10. Caviar Ice Cream 「キャビアアイス」

If you think that this is weird then check out 10 Weird Japanese Foods for more bizarre morsels of Japanese culinary strangeness such as raw horse meat, aquatic insects, grasshoppers, bee larvae and more. If you are not that adventurous, then check out 10 Cool Japanese Foods for a delicious selection of Japanese fare.

LLP.

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Image source: Just Hungry

Fugu flesh is edible, but the skin, liver and ovaries contain lethal amounts of the poison tetrododoxin. If any of these elements are consumed, then the poison paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious, and eventually dies from asphyxiation.

The trick to surviving a fugu meal is to make sure that it is prepared correctly. All traces of the internal organs must be removed from the fish’s flesh, that is why restaurants can only serve fugu if it is prepared by a fully qualified fugu chef.

Because the Japanese have been eating fugu for so long, they have devised many methods of cooking the deadly fish. The most common ways of preparing fugu are as a thinly-sliced sashimi, simmered in vegetables (known as techiri), or deep fried as kara-age. The skin can be served in a salad, and the fins of the fish are also commonly removed, battered, fried and served in sake.

So, if you enjoy playing Russian roulette, chow down on a Filet-O-Fugu today.

If you think that this is weird then check out 10 Weird Japanese Foods for more bizarre morsels of Japanese culinary strangeness such as raw horse meat, aquatic insects, grasshoppers, bee larvae and more. If you are not that adventurous, then check out 10 Cool Japanese Foods for a delicious selection of Japanese fare.

LLP.

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4. Nattō
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This article is a submission for the Japan Blog Matsuri hosted by Surviving in Japan with the theme “Fall is the season for eating (食欲の秋)”.

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Edamame are boiled green vegetable soybeans in the pod. Read more about them here.

Image source: Niigata Syoku

2. Tonkatsu 「豚カツ」

A breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet sliced into thin strips and accompanied by a sweet condiment dipping sauce.

Image source: MamaLoli

3. Shabu-shabu 「しゃぶしゃぶ」

Shabu-shabu, meaning “swish swish”, is prepared by submerging thinly sliced beef and vegetables in a pot of boiling water and swishing it back and forth until cooked. Cooked meat and vegetables are usually dipped in various sauces before eating, and served with a bowl of steamed white rice.

4. Karaage 「唐揚げ」

Japanese fried chicken.

Image source: Aku Eats

5. Teppanyaki 「鉄板焼き」

Not necessarily a food but more of a style of Japanese cuisine where chefs cook food over a hot plate in front of guests at restaurants. Teppan means “iron plate” and yaki means “grilled”. Most diners enjoy both watching the skilled maneuvers of the chefs preparing the food as well as the cuisine itself.

Image source: Kozure Ryoko

6. Gyūdon 「牛丼」

Gyūdon is usually translated as beef bowl. Gyū means “cow” or “beef”, and don is short for donburi, meaning “bowl”. It is a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored with dashi, soy sauce and mirin.

Image source: Wikipedia

7. Soba 「そば」

Thin noodles made from buckwheat flour and served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.

Image source: Japan-i

8. Curry Rice 「カレーライス」

Japanese-style curry rice is Japan’s adaptation of Western-style curry, which draws its influence from stews mixed with curry powder.

Image source: Nippon cha cha cha

9. Oden 「おでん」

Fish cakes, fried tofu and vegetables simmered in a hot pot and and available in most Japanese convenience stores.

10. Udon 「うどん」

Thick wheat-flour noodles in a mildly flavoured broth.

This article is an extension to the original and popular article, 10 Cool Japanese Foods and brings to you yet another 10 cool cuisines that are popular in Japan. If you haven’t already check out the original article for more tasty morsels of Japanese culinary goodness such as yakitori, sukiyaki, ramen, yakiniku, kushikatsu and more. You won’t be disappointed. If you are still hungry and are feeling adventurous then take a peek at 10 Weird Japanese Foods.

LLP.

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3. Weird Japanese Ice Cream Flavours
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Image source: Niigata Syoku

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Where the tuna meets the rice.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrPnk9AgwzU

Why customers prefer Gin no Sara delivery sushi over a fancy sushi restaurant.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp5Onha0Qu4

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1. Yakitori 「焼き鳥」

Skewered chicken pieces that are grilled over hot charcoals.

2. Sukiyaki 「すき焼き」

Thinly sliced beef and vegetables simmered in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar and mirin.

3. Ramen 「ラーメン」

Noodles in broth garnished with small pieces of meat and vegetables. Check out two of my favourite ramen shops Ippudo Ramen and Kyūshū Jangara.

4. Okonomiyaki 「お好み焼き」

A savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. Okonomi, meaning “what you like”, and yaki meaning “grilled”. My favourite okonomiyaki was at Kiji (in the basement of the Umeda Sky Building) in Osaka.

5. Sushi 「寿司」

Cooked vinegar rice commonly topped with raw fish, or put into rolls.

6. Kushikatsu 「串カツ」

A deep-fried cutlet of meat or vegetable skewered on bamboo skewers and eaten with a tonkatsu dipping sauce. I had some good kushikatsu at a store called Daruma located at the base of Tsūtenkaku in Osaka.

7. Yakiniku 「焼肉」

Thinly sliced beef and vegetables grilled over a charcoal or gas burner and eaten with a tare (sweetened, thickened soy sauce) dipping sauce.

8. Yakisoba 「焼きそば」

Ramen-style noodles stir-fried with pieces of pork and vegetables and flavoured with yakisoba sauce.

9. Tempura 「天ぷら」

Thin strips of vegetables and seafood lightly dipped in batter then briefly deep-fried in hot oil and eaten with a tentsuyu dipping sauce or sprinkled with sea salt.

10. Nikuman 「肉まん」

A steamed pork bun.

If you enjoyed this article then check out the next edition which brings to you yet another 10 tasty morsels of Japanese culinary goodness such as edamame, shabu-shabu, soba, tonkatsu, karaage and more. You won’t be disappointed. If you are still hungry and are feeling adventurous then take a peek at 10 Weird Japanese Foods for some Japanese culinary weirdness such as fugu, raw horse meat, aquatic insects, grasshoppers and more.

LLP.

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1. Another 10 Cool Japanese Foods
2. 10 Weird Japanese Foods
3. Ippudo Ramen Ebisu
4. Kyūshū Jangara
5. Kushikatsu