And ANOTHER food blog? Obsessed much?
Now that I've gotten the general criticism I'm bound to hear out of the way, let's dive right in to this morsel.
Japanese people love chocolate. I think this isn't really anything amazing as far as statements go; it seems just about everyone loves chocolate. Who could blame them? It's sweet, which is our favorite taste on the tongue*, it's rich and full of luscious fat, it smells awesome, and c'mon, chocolate TASTES good! Do I even need to explain this? Bleh...
I like to think people in Japan tend to push the food envelope, perhaps paradoxically, in that they just make really weird ingredient combinations. Nothing seems terribly original about sticking two seemingly mismatched ideas or ingredients together, but making it WORK? Well... that's a different story.
I already covered the "chocolate covered cheeto" at this blog. That's a good example. I figured it was a fluke, because it actually kind of tasted good.
But chocolate in Japan is popular! And not just in chocolate bars y'all!
If anything some of the chocolate ideas I've seen have been frightening.
I will now provide two examples.
Introducing, chocolate instant ramen.
Mmmmmm, doubly richhhh
Basically, this is an instant ramen, miso flavored, that includes bits of chocolate, and a mini chocolate bar that you melt on top. A bit of research and you'll find that this ramen is actually based on one served a restaurant in Tokyo, who made it during the valentines season chocolate craze. The restaurant's website said it was made to appeal to women if I remember correctly.
Ah, Japanese men not being able to like chocolate, tsk tsk.
Honestly I didn't even this thing till stumbling into a convenience store, looking for a quick lazy lunch.
Boy, did I find one!
The package says this is a combo of Ghana, a brand of chocolate bar here in Japan, and the Ramen restaurant. (Which isn't in Tokyo, so sorry, their miso just isn't up to snuff as is, but I digress). I always dig these company combos though.
Regardless... erm... how does chocolate mixed with miso ramen taste?
Erm... to be frank. Not bad. Miso in itself has a sweet component, and the richness builds on the protein salty heaviness of the broth.
It's still kind of gimmicky though.
My second product is also fairly gimmicky.
Royce' (with the apostraphe, yes!) is a Chocolate company based here in Sapporo, they are devilishly famous for such goodies as chocolate covered potato chips and Nama Chocolate, or "Fresh Chocolate", which is so temperature sensitive and smooth you have to refrigerate it, lest it melt into chocolate goo.
Royce also makes, as you see in the above picture, a pre-made heat 'n' eat curry. They're a chocolate company, and they sell a curry. What do you think that means?
YES, it has chocolate in it (along with other hokkaido items like milk and cream). Any making it couldn't be easier!
Step one, remove pouch from box
Step two, heat pouch in boiling water (you can also pour out the curry and just nuke it)
Step 3, serve!
Looks good!
Does it taste like chocolate? Isn't chocolate and curry weird?
Well... it doesn't really taste like chocolate at all. Very faint, a bit of a cacao bitterness. Very rich though, which was expected
Why yes, those little pools of yellow cocoa butter fat are DELIGHTFUL.
I suppose chocolate and curry isn't that odd either. You can buy chili flavored chocolates, and even some curry powder seasoned chocolate bars from places like vosages, an exotic chocolate company in Chicago.
But I think it's just a tad bit audacious to just make curry with chocolate. Ramen and curry take some balls in my opinion.
Balls of steel.
You gotta admit, the Japanese make some weird, and at times, heroic food.
I just wish I were more... blown away.
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Lame footnote, see asterisk
*biologically, sweet taste buds sense carbs, evolutionary advantage to seek sweet as brain is primary glucose user, can't function without carbohydrate. Will break down fat and muscle tissue to make carbohydrates blahblahblah I'll stop.
Sounds...interesting. What I'd like to know is this: Chocolate is made of three main components, cocoa powder, sugar and fat. I think this is more than just an opinion, but outside of milk chocolate, there should not be any dairy products used in chocolate, it's just the cheap way out! If these Japanese companies are so serious about chocolate, why are they making it the cheap way, using milk fat instead of cocoa butter, and then selling it for more money than it's worth? You may say, "oh it's just cause you're a vegan and you're just angry you can't eat all this delicious chocolate XD" but I think it goes further than that. The only way I think to appreciate truly what cocoa butter brings to chocolate when used instead of milk fat is two taste two different white chocolates. One made with cocoa butter and sugar, and the other milk. Anyway sorry for the rant, in a more connected note, I had chocolate dango in kyoto and it was ridiculously delicious.
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