Oh dear Jeeze, have I let out a can of worms or WHAT? I'm not sure you guys are ready for this one.
Check the video below everyone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFmdNWTPkQ8
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Oh MAN is that expensive!
Okay... I know people are sick of my food talk. I can't help it, honestly!
Food is so important in all cultures, and if anyone knows my background at all, I have a pretty long relationship with food and cooking. So it only makes sense that my observations in cultural differences and adventures would largely incorporate food.
It's only fair to mention that Hokkaido is renown in japan for it's high quality produce, fish, and general food stuffs.
Observe the following image below.
Why yes, those melons are being sold at 1100 to 1800 yen a PIECE. All different types of melon, each categorized by sweetness, size, flesh color, and priced accordingly.
It's gradually come to my attention that food in Japan has a dominant focus on local production and high quality. These melons are expensive because they're grown nearby, without high infrastructure shipping methods or big corporation cost reduction strategies.
In other words, they're local, and I'd bet my foot and arm some of the best melon you will ever taste.
Similarly, I present "Nama Caramel", or quite literally, "Raw Caramel"
Why yes this is amazing stuff
Food is so important in all cultures, and if anyone knows my background at all, I have a pretty long relationship with food and cooking. So it only makes sense that my observations in cultural differences and adventures would largely incorporate food.
It's only fair to mention that Hokkaido is renown in japan for it's high quality produce, fish, and general food stuffs.
Observe the following image below.
Why yes, those melons are being sold at 1100 to 1800 yen a PIECE. All different types of melon, each categorized by sweetness, size, flesh color, and priced accordingly.
It's gradually come to my attention that food in Japan has a dominant focus on local production and high quality. These melons are expensive because they're grown nearby, without high infrastructure shipping methods or big corporation cost reduction strategies.
In other words, they're local, and I'd bet my foot and arm some of the best melon you will ever taste.
Similarly, I present "Nama Caramel", or quite literally, "Raw Caramel"
Why yes this is amazing stuffA Hokkaido specialty, nama caramel is a caramel candy which is slowly cooked at low heat at hours at a time.
The result is a candy which must be kept in the refrigerator, or else, quilt literally, the candy will melt. It is a caramel with the texture and mouth feel of butter, smoothly coating the palate as is gently warms and melts over the tongue. Simple and yet extremely deep flavor, rich, completely and utterly delicious. It honestly made me speechless.
And it costs 850 yen for that tiny container of 12.
Which might seem outlandish. Who would spend $8.50 on caramel?
But that store is packed, every day throngs of customers gaze at the treats. Why?
Because here in Japan, quality, the assurance of something special, be it a simple melon that was grown with detail to perfect flavor and appeal, or instead a perfectly smooth luscious slice of tuna, or a simple candy that is created so flawlessly and deliciously, has become a very modern trend. The foodies here are satisfied by the simple, yet perfect.
By comparison, American cookery, with it's overly detailed 30 ingredient dishes, absurd "molecular gastronomy" techniques, and redundant recipes, is a joke.
A caramel, a melon, a slice of fish. Respect for the ingredients themselves. This is missing from the American food world.
But it exists here, and it is delicious.
The result is a candy which must be kept in the refrigerator, or else, quilt literally, the candy will melt. It is a caramel with the texture and mouth feel of butter, smoothly coating the palate as is gently warms and melts over the tongue. Simple and yet extremely deep flavor, rich, completely and utterly delicious. It honestly made me speechless.
And it costs 850 yen for that tiny container of 12.
Which might seem outlandish. Who would spend $8.50 on caramel?
But that store is packed, every day throngs of customers gaze at the treats. Why?
Because here in Japan, quality, the assurance of something special, be it a simple melon that was grown with detail to perfect flavor and appeal, or instead a perfectly smooth luscious slice of tuna, or a simple candy that is created so flawlessly and deliciously, has become a very modern trend. The foodies here are satisfied by the simple, yet perfect.
By comparison, American cookery, with it's overly detailed 30 ingredient dishes, absurd "molecular gastronomy" techniques, and redundant recipes, is a joke.
A caramel, a melon, a slice of fish. Respect for the ingredients themselves. This is missing from the American food world.
But it exists here, and it is delicious.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Kit Kats （キットカット）
I think pretty much everyone on the planet loves Kit Kats. They're crispy, chocolatey, small, delicious, easy to find and carry, and sharable. If you don't like Kit Kats, well... I'm sorry. Something is wrong with you. I'm not biased, I just think most people agree with me on this one.
So, imagine, if you will, one of the quintessential candies on this earth.
Part two to this wonderful equation is Japan: which is a land of extremes of course. All the proof you need is Ganguro girls:
GOODNESS that is a lot of makeup! If you took a photo of a geisha in negative is what I'm saying.
Thus, in the land of Japan, why would anyone ever stop at just one good thing? Why not make it EXTREME??
I imagine the conversation went like:
"Psh, Kit Kats are so BORING, why don't we try to hype up the flavor more?"
Modern Japanese candy production, then, has come to a point where, for any flavor of anything you can dream of, there exists a Kit Kat flavored like it.
When I say "any" ladies and gentlemen, I don't merely mean fruits and sweets. I mean even things that, to the unassuming observer, are grotesque and odd, and off-putting.
Seriously.... come now. A few flavors I've seen:
Rose
Lemon Vinegar
Soy Sauce
So, imagine, if you will, one of the quintessential candies on this earth.
Part two to this wonderful equation is Japan: which is a land of extremes of course. All the proof you need is Ganguro girls:
GOODNESS that is a lot of makeup! If you took a photo of a geisha in negative is what I'm saying.
Thus, in the land of Japan, why would anyone ever stop at just one good thing? Why not make it EXTREME??
I imagine the conversation went like:
"Psh, Kit Kats are so BORING, why don't we try to hype up the flavor more?"
Modern Japanese candy production, then, has come to a point where, for any flavor of anything you can dream of, there exists a Kit Kat flavored like it.
When I say "any" ladies and gentlemen, I don't merely mean fruits and sweets. I mean even things that, to the unassuming observer, are grotesque and odd, and off-putting.
Seriously.... come now. A few flavors I've seen:
Rose
Lemon Vinegar
Soy SauceWhy yes, this is very real. And very wild, even by most Japanese people's standards. But obviously someone is consuming them. Including myself. Wowwie.
Actually, for my own curiosity, a week into staying here I bought "Hokkaido Roasted Corn" flavored Kit Kats:
Despite what you may think... quite tasty.
Actually, for my own curiosity, a week into staying here I bought "Hokkaido Roasted Corn" flavored Kit Kats:
Despite what you may think... quite tasty.So what have we learned today?
Er... not much. Japanese Kit Kats are crazy. But with an open mind, a lot of them end up being pretty delightful.
Er... not much. Japanese Kit Kats are crazy. But with an open mind, a lot of them end up being pretty delightful.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
New Video!
Hey hey hey kids! A new vlog about a College Festival.
With... an all female college. Oh dear...
Enjoy!
Embed not working? Go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-M1crIvRFs
With... an all female college. Oh dear...
Enjoy!
Embed not working? Go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-M1crIvRFs
I HAVE INTERNET
Just a quick update for everyone (aka the four people who read my blog), I have internet!
I LIVE!
Thus, much more coming soon!
Stay tuned!
I LIVE!
Thus, much more coming soon!
Stay tuned!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
McDonald's
Okay okay okay, I cave.
I like fast food, maybe a little too much.
If you guys watched my previous video, you might have noticed me mentioning Mr. Donut. I love Mr. Donut; I wish they had such things back in the states. The little donuts look like works of art, and considering the quality, most of them don't get higher than 140 yen, a bargain for the experience. I can have coffee and a little snack for less than 5 dollars usually.
And Mr. Donut is an enormous chain, which means I can find it pretty much everywhere. Again, to site the video; inside of a train station, on the street, in super markets, everywhere.
But this blog is not about Mr. Donut, no no no.
This is about McDonald's.
I also happen to enjoy McDonald's. As any business majors might know, they key to an internationally successful operation is to adapt to the culture. McDonald's has don this rather well, with distinct menu items depending on the country. McDonald's also only uses "local" food sources and factories of production, so I've been told.
But McDonald's marketing is a little... rough on the edges. I won't talk about 365black (McDonald's somewhat racist campaign for black employees), but instead I'd like to talk about their Japanese campaign.
Specifically, Nippon All Stars, and Mr. James.
A quick note: My friend Josh told showed me this on facebook before I arrived, props go to him.
Mr. James is McDonald's new mascot in Japan, and he's here to show us some new sandwiches! Ooooooh. He looks something like this:
Think of it as a new Ronald McDonald. Except he's a nerdy white American male who speaks terrible Japanese.
Seriously.
Now... I don't want to pull a race card... but I see cardboard cutouts of this guy EVERYWHERE. Is this not a little messed up? It seems to be playing on what the stereotype of an American in Japan is. Who is this marketing directed to? American tourists?
I'll just make a brief comparison. If we had a new noodle dish in American McDonald's, wouldn't it be messed up if "Ching Chong China-man" were the mascot, and he spoke like "Ree rearry rike Noodaw"?
Because that's what Mr. James is equivalent to in Japan. Just a thought experiment for you all.
I just wish Teriyaki burgers weren't so damn tasty.
I like fast food, maybe a little too much.
If you guys watched my previous video, you might have noticed me mentioning Mr. Donut. I love Mr. Donut; I wish they had such things back in the states. The little donuts look like works of art, and considering the quality, most of them don't get higher than 140 yen, a bargain for the experience. I can have coffee and a little snack for less than 5 dollars usually.
And Mr. Donut is an enormous chain, which means I can find it pretty much everywhere. Again, to site the video; inside of a train station, on the street, in super markets, everywhere.
But this blog is not about Mr. Donut, no no no.
This is about McDonald's.
I also happen to enjoy McDonald's. As any business majors might know, they key to an internationally successful operation is to adapt to the culture. McDonald's has don this rather well, with distinct menu items depending on the country. McDonald's also only uses "local" food sources and factories of production, so I've been told.
But McDonald's marketing is a little... rough on the edges. I won't talk about 365black (McDonald's somewhat racist campaign for black employees), but instead I'd like to talk about their Japanese campaign.
Specifically, Nippon All Stars, and Mr. James.
A quick note: My friend Josh told showed me this on facebook before I arrived, props go to him.
Mr. James is McDonald's new mascot in Japan, and he's here to show us some new sandwiches! Ooooooh. He looks something like this:
Think of it as a new Ronald McDonald. Except he's a nerdy white American male who speaks terrible Japanese.
Seriously.
Now... I don't want to pull a race card... but I see cardboard cutouts of this guy EVERYWHERE. Is this not a little messed up? It seems to be playing on what the stereotype of an American in Japan is. Who is this marketing directed to? American tourists?
I'll just make a brief comparison. If we had a new noodle dish in American McDonald's, wouldn't it be messed up if "Ching Chong China-man" were the mascot, and he spoke like "Ree rearry rike Noodaw"?
Because that's what Mr. James is equivalent to in Japan. Just a thought experiment for you all.
I just wish Teriyaki burgers weren't so damn tasty.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Video Blog, Japanese Baseball
So I made a video, check it below! It's about going to see a Japanese baseball game! Check it out and lemme know what ya think!
It looks like the embed isn't working... so check the link below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61s84hgTXE
It looks like the embed isn't working... so check the link below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61s84hgTXE
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