Food

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Japanese food differs undeniably from the usual diet of an American/South American/European, and I'd assume Australian. There's a heavy reliance on seafood, such as octopus and squid, which is not a common menu item in most places outside Japan.

So, as foreigners, how did you deal with the different (and sometimes disgusting looking, frankly) food in Japan. Iron stomache? Don't give a damn? Or do you avoid the traditional foods?

Personally, I don't mind the raw fish at all, but I tend to stay away from octopus/squid/cow tongue. Not that I don't eat them when I need to. Octopus sushi wasn't actually that bad, but something about the suckers make it really unedible looking to me.

I'm interested in opinions here~~

[羽之助]

If you're Italian, all Japanese food is supposedly what you ate growing up. Calamari, anyone?

I eat anything that is fried, isn't pure fat, and doesn't contain ten million bones.

[spaik]

cow tongue is delicious

p.s. so are dogs. certified 100% dog eating gook here.

[羽之助]

Cow tongue is pointless. You're better off chewing an eraser.

[shimanotaka]

Cow tongue is pointless. You're better off chewing an eraser.
Maybe it depends on how it's cooked? I haven't tasted it myself, but I've heard quite a few people say that it's yummy.

[4letterwords]

Most of my dining here is done with me swallowing and hoping I don't throw up immediately after. I have such a weak stomach and Japanese people eat just about anything...

[japanat]

They don't eat Rocky Mountain Oysters...

In Japan, I eat anything but uni or nattou. It took me a long time to get used to the really strong fishy-tasting foods, like katsuo-bushi (dried shaved bonito), but that's 'cause I'm a mountain boy. I love octopus salad, though: sliced octopus arms, sliced cucumber and kelp in rice vinegar.

[Nannou]

i eat pretty much everything here... except like japanat I can't do natto and uni... and I don't think I ever will be able to. yuckh.

[darje]

Considering that in my country they eat things far more inedible than natto, I don't mind for their "eating everything". The only Japanese food I've been unable to eat is natto, and that wasn't because I thought it tasted bad, it was because the smell got to me.

The rest of it, however, I love eating.

[羽之助]

I really like nattou, but it's still kind of stupid, really.

Soldier A: Uh, the beans that are supposed to go to the horses have gone off and now they won't eat them.
Soldier B: We're starving. We can't eat the horses, so we'll eat the beans.
Solider A: Thank Buddha that's done with. Now we live and never have to eat this stuff again.
Solider B: Are you crazy? We must make it the national food!

[japanat]

Yeah, well, I can't eat menudo, either... Blecchhhhh!

[akitaka]

Considering that in my country they eat things far more inedible than natto, I don't mind for their "eating everything". The only Japanese food I've been unable to eat is natto, and that wasn't because I thought it tasted bad, it was because the smell got to me.

The rest of it, however, I love eating.

I'm not familiar with real Mexican food (despite living in Arizona), so what strange things do you have over that can conquer Natto? There hasn't been ONE kind of food that I haven't been able to eat and enjoy, including all sort of bugs and slimey stuff (grasshoppers, slugs, fresh non-fish marine life). If you can name one, I'd be over there lickity-split...

[Eddie Echoplex]

cow tongue is delicious

Then Cow tongue ice cream is for you.

[pangloss]

Then Cow tongue ice cream is for you.

:eyepop:
cow tongue?
:eyepop:
..in ice cream?

Blasphemy!

Don't listen to cygnus - you'll go to ice cream hell:worried:

[jindojim]

A lot of Japanese food is stuff I've eaten since I was a kid, so most of it doesn't really bother me.

I got used to nattou, since it's sometimes served with the school lunch. I'm usually starving by the time lunch rolls around, so I pretty much gobble up everything that's set down in front of me on that tray. When you're as hungry as I am at that time, even nattou tastes delicious.

I don't like uni too much, but it's easily avoidable.

[4letterwords]

I was given an Uni Pie as an omiyagi... should I be terrified?

[ZylitoL]

I can pretty much withstand any type of Japanese food, I think.

I know I'm terrified by stuff like tripes though...

[Fred]

I ate anything that was not still alive. I would have eaten living things too if I had ever been hungry enough.

[4letterwords]

I've seen my boyfriend take a bite out of a living somekindofthingwithtentacles at an uber fancy resturant.

Needless to say, he didn't get any for like a week.

[akitaka]

Squid. I've seen them on some travel channel program where some guy goes around eating strange things and experiencing new cultures. China's got stands, and probably Japan, too.

You know, when he does stuff like that, it always helps to close your eyes and turn away. Punishing a guy for being open-minded (about food) is way harsh :(

[Fred]

4letterwords – That sounds like you were punishing yourself. There must have been a better way.

[jindojim]

I want to try live octopus, but my gf is really adamantly opposed to the idea -_-

I did eat squid in Korea that had recently been cut up, so the parts were still moving. That was really good, but mainly because the sauce it was in was delicious. I think I prefer eating live seafood in Korea, because they have a much better dipping sauce.

[Plekto]

Then Cow tongue ice cream is for you.

*tries to visualize it*

I think a small part of my soul just died.

That's...so...wrong...

[andrewt]

how did i deal w/ odd food in japan?
i ate it... i think it'd have been rude otherwise...

my friend took me to a few traditional places... one w/ ebi tempura - head included.
i'm not one for heads.. but in this case.. i ate it as required... it was pretty good still. (then again i love everything tempura).

i ate umi as well. hmmm... the experience wasn't eventful, but i wouldn't waste money to purchase it again as it doesn't rank very high on my list.

nattou - haven't tried it...

Japanese food doesn't have things that are that bad... look up "balut"... i guess there are times that i would just have to say "no"... maybe i'll try to avoid that situation instead...

[4letterwords]

I personally think it would be ruder to throw up on the dinner table... could just be me though.

[4letterwords]

Squid. I've seen them on some travel channel program where some guy goes around eating strange things and experiencing new cultures. China's got stands, and probably Japan, too.

You know, when he does stuff like that, it always helps to close your eyes and turn away. Punishing a guy for being open-minded (about food) is way harsh :(

Not punishing him. I couldn't even kiss him it grossed me out so bad. I guess I just have a really, really weak stomach.

[Eddie Echoplex]

:eyepop:
cow tongue?
:eyepop:
..in ice cream?

Blasphemy!

Don't listen to cygnus - you'll go to ice cream hell:worried:


Actually, that's Ice Cream city (I think I got the name right). Ask for the most foul ice cream, and they'll take you to an lonely aisle.

There's also Snake Ice Cream (don't you guys dare, I know you're thinking it right now!).

Neverthenless, I wouldn't try any of that aisle. Ever. Never ever.

EDIT: Worst part of the Cow Tongue ice cream? It's chunky.

Ewww :gloomy: .

[Soli]

I don't think I'd survive in Japan. :gloomy: I am the pickiest eater in the world!

[Shamu]

I don't know how people who are allergic to seafood survive in Japan :eyepop:
Seems like every other thing there is made from seafood/has seafood in it.
Isn't Az allergic to seafood?

I also heard somewhere...I think it was BBC news a few years ago, that they were trying out horse flavored ice cream in Japan. Is that true? :boggled:

[Fumi]

There are restaurants in Korea where you put the tentacle of a live octopus in your mouth and the chef cuts it off with a pair of scissors.

I love uni. If only it isn't so damn expensive.

I've yet to try raw cow liver to decide if I hate it or not.

[NERD]

Mind you, they only eat Octopus minor alive, which is the smaller species in the genus Octopus. Interestingly enough, Koreans eat Octopus minor more often than the regular octopus.

Funny thing is, the urban legend is that some people have died from choking on the tentacles sticking up in your throat, though I have no idea whether this is true or not.

I'm worried that if I do go to Japan, I probably won't like a good number of their cuisine, what with eating stuff raw and generally being tasteless.

[Eddie Echoplex]

I also heard somewhere...I think it was BBC news a few years ago, that they were trying out horse flavored ice cream in Japan. Is that true? :boggled:

Once again, Ice Cream City.

[Nannou]

I don't know how people who are allergic to seafood survive in Japan :eyepop:

The convenience store is a wonderful thing.

[MNJetter]

I have a personal rule that I'll try anything once. The only time I've ever been able to not follow that rule is when they brought out live shellfish on platters for us, lit fires under them, and stuck a lid on them. I just couldn't do it, not because of the taste, but because I felt horrible for the little guys. I have no qualms about eating dead animals, but not ones that I had to watch suffer.

The only thing (so far) that I can't eat under any circumstance is cilantro. Luckily for me, that's an extremely rare herb in Japan. I am not a fan of uni either, but have eaten uni that I can stand in the past, so I'll eat it if the person with me says it's good.

I've eaten cow tongue (love it), horsemeat (both raw and stewed - love it), cod semen (love it.....much to my surprise), and all sorts of other stuff here in Japan. I can't guarantee that I'll like everything, but I'll try anything.

[RandomPasserby]

Mind you, they only eat Octopus minor alive, which is the smaller species in the genus Octopus. Interestingly enough, Koreans eat Octopus minor more often than the regular octopus.

Funny thing is, the urban legend is that some people have died from choking on the tentacles sticking up in your throat, though I have no idea whether this is true or not.

From what I have heard, it's true. The tentacles stay alive and squirm and use their suckers even after they have been cut off from the body. It's a part of many octopus' defense to detach a limb that then wriggles etc. to distract a predator so the octopus can escape. Kinda like skinks.

[Comazon]

I thought I saw on TV that Japan has something similar. I've yet to see it first-hand though.

You take a live squid, wrap it around a stick, and eat it whole.

I think I also heard people have indeed died from it before, but I'm not 100% sure (though that would make sense).

[pangloss]

You have to have extremely strong jaw muscles, because the octopus are very strong and hard to chew raw.
If you don't know how to eat them properly its best to eat octopus that has been cut up into pieces. Even a small whole octopus/squid will put up a fight.

I have heard of people who were overcome by the octopus. I think it's because of the suckers on the tentacles, they prevented one man from swallowing. The man suffocated, the octopus lived.

Also I saw this guy eat a squid, but it was fighting him back eventually he gave up and spat it out. It was still alive after about 3mins of chewing.

If I ever was tempted to try raw squid/octopus it would have to be cut up into tiny pieces.

[pangloss]

There's also Snake Ice Cream.

*giggles*
:innocent:

[Mesia]

Hmm, I can eat pretty much anything, but I hate most meat (excluding seafood) so any unusual parts of meat are generally out of the picture. The grossest things I've eaten in Japan are abalone and intestine. The abalone wasn't bad, but it was tough on the ends and soft in the middle and had no flavor aside from the bitter sauce it had been dipped in. The intestine I ate on accident in the middle of a Chinese dish, and I definitely will never try it again. Super chewy, way worse than squid or octopus, not to mention lacking the suckers that make eating octopus fun.

Personally, I love everything about natto--the flavor, the texture, even the cute little threads it makes when you eat it. Actually, I don't even think it smells bad at all...

[羽之助]

I hope everyone who enjoys eating something while it is still alive is reincarnated as something that is eaten while still alive.

If I saw a guy die because he suffocated while trying to eat a live octopus that fought back, I would cheer for the little octo.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

What's uni?

My last host mother made me try nattou and I got tears in my eyes. Absolutely awful stuff.

[PopCulturePooka]

Uni is Sea Urchin.


One thing I couldn't stomach in Japan at all were baitfish stuffed with roe. It was just wrong. I was forced to eat it on a date with some hottie I was trying to poon, and eating that shit almost cost me the poon.


I however am a huge fan of eating squid and octopus. Dead.

[assassin]

I am sick of rice and soggy vegitables. I want raw freash vegitables and a big hunk of bloody meat(or fish, anything with protein in it except soy because that will make you as weak as a Japanese school girl). Actually though i can eat anything raw or cooked as long as it once had a soul

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Oh, urchin sounds gross. They wanted me to try sea cucumber once, but I wouldn't. Ack.

The new Mega Mac that's out at McDonald's...THAT I could eat. Going to Umeda on Sunday and totally am going to try it.

[akitaka]

I hope everyone who enjoys eating something while it is still alive is reincarnated as something that is eaten while still alive.

If I saw a guy die because he suffocated while trying to eat a live octopus that fought back, I would cheer for the little octo.
Shoot, that would be a hit on YouTube.

I haven't eaten anything alive, except for black ants when I was 4. They tasted horrible.

[Plekto]

One thing I couldn't stomach in Japan at all were baitfish stuffed with roe. It was just wrong. I was forced to eat it on a date with some hottie I was trying to poon, and eating that shit almost cost me the poon.


Ah, the things we do for love... :duh: :duh: :duh:

[NERD]

The octopus served up live is usually cut up into smaller pieces as to ensure that you will chew those things through and avoid choking by one of those suckers sticking up in your throat. If you watched Oldboy, where the protagonist famously devours through a live octopus, the server asks if he would like to have them cut up, which is how they usually do.

They only eat tentacles usually, and cut up into pieces no bigger than 2 inches in length, so you don't need strong jaw muscles, just make sure you chew as much as you can.

Oh, and I never tried eating an octopus alive, and won't try it either. That and dogs.

[pangloss]

They only eat tentacles usually, and cut up into pieces no bigger than 2 inches in length, so you don't need strong jaw muscles, just make sure you chew as much as you can.


..you do if you eat it whole

[Fred]

I beleive in the statement, "You are what you eat", so I always try to eat rich foods.

[MNJetter]

A little octopus that triumphed in the face of huge adversity....until the people who weren't trying to eat it took it out of the guy's throat and killed it, I'm sure. That one gets chalked up in the growing list of reasons why I won't eat live animals, or animals that were alive when my meal started.

Forgot to add squid ink ice cream to my list of strange things I have eaten in my earlier post. Quite good, actually, though it turns your tongue grey and your teeth blue.

[Fred]

Those are signs of beauty

[Pierrot le Fou]

Picky eaters need to come out eating with me. I will lie to you and tell you that it's something it isn't. I'm a good liar, so you'd only be disgusted after I told you the truth, which would be after you commented on the overwhelming deliciousity of: Chicken heart
Raw Liver
Tongue (though honestly, I don't know why this would disgust you)
Chicken Ovaries (okay, these are foul as Hell, but whatever)
Squid
I'm sure there's more. But this is a sample. You know you'd love it.

[Digital Masta]

Chicken ovaries...that just seems soo wrong. Can't wait for them to be eggs, eh?

[MNJetter]

I usually just make sure not to ask what something is until I've given it a fair try. I figure if other people are eating it, it probably won't kill me, so I'll wait until afterwards to find out what it is. :D

I agree, PLF, I love cow tongue (especially with this citrus/salt dipping sauce that they serve at the local yakiniku place), and am not sure why people are grossed out by it. Personally, I'm more weirded out by the thought of eating rump roast (cow ass, anyone?) or hot dogs (intestines and insect parts...mmmm) than tongue. It's just a well-used muscle, people. That's why it's tough and lean.

[pangloss]

Picky eaters need to come out eating with me. I will lie to you and tell you that it's something it isn't.

As long as its not alligator/crocodile...and turtles.

[MNJetter]

Hey, alligator is pretty good. Kinda greasy, but good.

[Pierrot le Fou]

I'm entirely with you on this one MNJ. I'll try anything once. I've been here 3 years and change now, so I figure I've done my duties, and can now enjoy the good food I've discovered.

If you ever find yourself down in Kansai, come down to japanat and my neck o' the woods. It's one of the areas that supplies Kobe beef which means meat is cheap and kick-ass quality. We can gorge on tongue.

(that sounded kinky -- I simply meant that you should come down and enjoy our meat)

[MNJetter]

Heheh, I got what you meant. :P

Where in Kansai are you guys? I've always wanted to try kobe beef, but am too stingy to buy it at full price.

I was actually in Kyoto over winter break, but didn't get a chance to see any OP9ers or other friends, since it was all with my family. But I do want to go back to that area again at least once before leaving Japan. I've been to Tokyo and Kyoto, but other than that, I have yet to visit anywhere south of Tohoku!

......and I'll quit hijacking the thread now. Back to food.

[pangloss]

Hey, alligator is pretty good. Kinda greasy, but good.

I'm sure it is, but its a silly family superstition/tradition that prevents me from eating it.

[Pierrot le Fou]

We're between Himeji and Kobe. Closer to Himeji. There's a big castle there.

[RoxFontaine]

I get by on cereal, rice and hamburger. I really don't like Japanese food. I was raised on the "slave diet" and I just can't acquire certain tastes. I actually wrote an article about this. I'll post it for you all later.

It's always tough explaining to my students that I don't like Japanese food. They think curry and rice (Indian), ramen (Chinese), tempura (Brazilian), etc. are Japanese. The sea of "Eeeeeeeeh!" following has become quite annoying.

[mikem]

^ Certainly that is where all of those foods came from, but most of them are Japanese food to me.

Curry rice is not Indian food. Ramen is not Chinese (unless it is!), Spaghetti is not Italian, etc.

However, you are of course talking about real wa-shoku. Sometimes I get a huge craving for that kind of more traditionally Japanese food. It drives my girlfriend totally crazy, heh.

[six-eight-ten]

I've been to Himeji twice. I liked it better than Kyoto. Being able to walk around inside the castle was more fun than viewing the temples and shrines from the roped in and beaten path.

As for food... with all the things the Japanese eat raw, I found it surprising that several Japanese people I know were shocked almost to the point of revulsion at the thought of eating raw broccoli.

There's also an ice cream shop here that makes their own flavors. While some of them are things I eat, they just don't scream "good ice cream flavor" to me; things like pumpkin, potato, corn, lettuce, steak.

Somehow I think the Japanese would like lutefisk, yet you might have to go the route of not telling them how it's made before they try it.

I've eaten grasshoppers here. It's a regional treat from a student's hometown. They actually weren't too bad, once you got past thinking about what it looked like while putting it in your mouth. Only one of my Japanese co-workers would try them.

I've refused to eat horse, but that's because I had horses growing up. I also had cows back then, but we were raising them with the idea of eating them whereas the horses were pets/friends. I also won't try the whale.

[stsparky]

My policy is try things twice just in case the first time was sub par. Whale is the only thing I could not handle twice. Though twice is it for natto.

I love uni, and we had fugu often in Fukuoka. Slowly dying fish squirming while I eat their flesh is doable.

Horse was okay, I'd try it again. I'm curious about kangaroo meat. Anyone eat that?

[4letterwords]

A little octopus that triumphed in the face of huge adversity....until the people who weren't trying to eat it took it out of the guy's throat and killed it, I'm sure. That one gets chalked up in the growing list of reasons why I won't eat live animals, or animals that were alive when my meal started.

Forgot to add squid ink ice cream to my list of strange things I have eaten in my earlier post. Quite good, actually, though it turns your tongue grey and your teeth blue.

I had to stop eating my dinner because I read that... I really, really have a weak stomach... I have to stop reading this thread...

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Someone mentioned curry. That has to be my favorite food to eat over here~

Absolutely delicious. Never had had it in America.

[RandomPasserby]

PLF, have you eaten live tentacles/octopus?

[japanat]

I like spring shrimp: they kill and flay it in front of you, then you dip it into the soy sauce. The acidity of the sauce causes the muscles to contract, and it begins flopping around, so hold on tight with those chopsticks!

There is a great little meat shop just north of Motomachi station in Kobe, which sells Kobe beef. You can get alligator steak at the Attic, Jr in Kitano-cho (if it's still open, I haven't been there in years).

stsparky, I've had kangaroo jerky, does that count? It's pretty similar to buffalo; very lean, with a little bit of a gamey taste.

My first year here, I made a salad for some students and they wouldn't eat any. Why? Because the brocolli, cauliflower, mushrooms and carrot were RAW! Go figure...

And one food I like that I'm pretty sure none of my students would ever eat is Rocky Mountain Oysters. Breaded bull's testicles, anyone?

[MNJetter]

It's always tough explaining to my students that I don't like Japanese food. They think curry and rice (Indian), ramen (Chinese), tempura (Brazilian), etc. are Japanese. The sea of "Eeeeeeeeh!" following has become quite annoying

Oh, I know for a fact that Japanese curry is way different from Indian and Thai curry. That being that they never put cilantro (which I will not eat willingly in any amount under any circumstance) in Japanese curry, and they are cilantro-happy with nearly all Indian and Thai food, curry being no exception. I can even get a non-spicy version here. It may have originated in another country, but it has been thoroughly Japanified.

Same with tempura, to a smaller degree. My favorite part of tempura here is the soy/daikon/etc. dipping sauce that they use, that I'm sure they couldn't have come up with in Brazil.

Not to be nitpicky, of course.....:box:

It's just, when a food has been adapted and changed in a certain place, I consider it belonging to that place as much as any other food in that place. I mean, not even sushi was completely invented in Japan. Tomatoes are only truly native to North America, but we still consider spaghetti sauce to be Italian.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Pizza is also definitely American. Same with burgers and hot dogs.

[Crowley]

Pizza is also definitely American.

Yea, stupid italians. Next, the Greeks will be trying to claim kebabs. Good honest british kebabs.

[RandomPasserby]

Do the japanese use cilantro in their cooking? It makes food taste like it has gone bad right?

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Yea, stupid italians. Next, the Greeks will be trying to claim kebabs. Good honest british kebabs.
I was being sarcastic, although there is a great finnesse to how American pizza is made. Japanese pizza could never come close.

Italian pizza is too... Italian for me.

[MNJetter]

Do the japanese use cilantro in their cooking?
No, thank the gods. It's the only reason I can eat curry here.

[Eddie Echoplex]

*giggles*
:innocent:

... Snakes on a Ice Cream?.

:bang: .

[darje]

Italian pizza is too... Italian for me.
The 1/8th of Italian blood in me boiled when I read this.

I'm not familiar with real Mexican food (despite living in Arizona), so what strange things do you have over that can conquer Natto? There hasn't been ONE kind of food that I haven't been able to eat and enjoy, including all sort of bugs and slimey stuff (grasshoppers, slugs, fresh non-fish marine life). If you can name one, I'd be over there lickity-split...
While I don't think it's quite as BAD as to conquer natto, real Mexican food is not for the squeamish. I've had someone stop talking to me when she learned I'd eaten brains quesadillas ("HOW CAN YOU EAT THAT? DDDDDD:"), and further up north in the country, they're big on bug-eating. The one thing I find myself unable to eat is machitos, which is tacos made out of bull testicles, and while grilled tripes is personally one of my adquired tastes, I can't stand it when served in pozole (which is a kind of soup in here... they serve the stomach meat almost raw and it's quite frankly unchewable).

However, you sound like you'd be unaffected by this, so I'll suppose you have a strong stomach. :watson:

[laggedreaction]

I was being sarcastic, although there is a great finnesse to how American pizza is made. Japanese pizza could never come close.

Italian pizza is too... Italian for me.

What are you talking about? Most American pizza isn't really that good and usually isn't made from fresh ingredients--especially the horrible mozzarella common in the US.

[Eddie Echoplex]

The 1/8th of Italian blood in me boiled when I read this.


While I don't think it's quite as BAD as to conquer natto, real Mexican food is not for the squeamish. I've had someone stop talking to me when she learned I'd eaten brains quesadillas ("HOW CAN YOU EAT THAT? DDDDDD:"), and further up north in the country, they're big on bug-eating. The one thing I find myself unable to eat is machitos, which is tacos made out of bull testicles, and while grilled tripes is personally one of my adquired tastes, I can't stand it when served in pozole (which is a kind of soup in here... they serve the stomach meat almost raw and it's quite frankly unchewable).

However, you sound like you'd be unaffected by this, so I'll suppose you have a strong stomach.


Ahh, bugs. In Oaxaca I tried black beans with... Crickets (or grillos) an they tasted good, kinda like shrimp (or carne machaca, for those that know what carne machaca is). Machitos are really really bad, I saw those on Monterrey when I was eating cabrito, :fever: . I like tripe, though. Tripe tacos are really good especially if you mix them with beans and guacamole.

And darje, pozole is made with cooked meat as far as I'm concerned, aren't you talking about menudo?.

[MNJetter]

What are you talking about? Most American pizza isn't really that good and usually isn't made from fresh ingredients--especially the horrible mozzarella common in the US.
Most American pizza made in big restaurant chains really isn't that good. Then again, that's the same with most American food made like that. But go to Chicago or New York and find yourself a little privately owned pizza joint where the owner actually takes pride in how his pizza is made, instead of how famous his store is, and it suddenly turns into an art. Absolute heaven. It makes such a difference when fresh tomatoes are used in the sauce.

p.s. About the Mexican food, I'm confused. Isn't Menudo a music band?

[darje]

And darje, pozole is made with cooked meat as far as I'm concerned, aren't you talking about menudo?.
:duh: You're right: menudo, not pozole. Thank you. I haven't eaten either in years, so I forgot.

p.s. About the Mexican food, I'm confused. Isn't Menudo a music band?
Yeah, but menudo's also a way of calling what is done to the meat (to cut it into small pieces, relatively). Menudo means "the small stuff", so to speak.

[japanat]

I was being sarcastic, although there is a great finesse to how American pizza is made. Japanese pizza could never come close.Domino's = great finesse? Little Caesar's? 90% of American pizza is crap. Sometimes tasty crap but crap nonetheless (excepting, of course, Chicago and NY pizzerias and Bojo's in Colorado). And, I agree, Japanese pizza is worse (although I now like corn on my pizza, and curried potato pizza:hat: )

Menudo means "the small stuff", so to speak.And they called the band that? What was small??? Usually bands stuff their codpieces...

[MNJetter]

Yeah, but menudo's also a way of calling what is done to the meat (to cut it into small pieces, relatively). Menudo means "the small stuff", so to speak.
Ahh. Now a lot of posts on this thread make a lot more sense. :box:

[mikem]

If American pizza is such crap, why are the two best Pizza places here Shaky's and Dominoe's? That certainly isn't the case in hamburger land where all of the best burger joints are Japanese.

[stsparky]

Sparky, I've had kangaroo jerky, does that count? It's pretty similar to buffalo; very lean, with a little bit of a gamey taste. ...
Oooo - must sample some (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_culling_and_produce) then. Thanks. And "Spring Shrimp" is great as long as you get the tempura shrimp heads. Monkfish liver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankimo) is a bit challenging. :cop:

Aside to MikeM - Most American pizza is crap - you could get better stuff at a Wolfgang Puck (http://www.weekender.co.jp/new/030418/interview-Puck-030418.html)'s though.

[bakagaijin]

I have yet to encounter Japanese food I couldn't stomach, though there are plenty I wouldn't spend my own money on. Probably the one I disliked the most was raw horse neck.

The most disgusting food I've eaten was curdled duck's blood in Vietnam.

In Laos I tried some Larva. It wasn't too bad. There was also goat penis on the menu. I had to pass on that one.

[4letterwords]

Best pizza in the world is Chicago pizza. One piece will fill you up and its orgasmically delicious.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Tempura is Portugese, just for the record.

Although I could've spelled Portugese wrong. ;<

[Eddie Echoplex]

Best pizza in the world is Chicago pizza. One piece will fill you up and its orgasmically delicious.

Isn't chicago pizza the one that looks more like a cake than a pizza?.

[stsparky]

Tempura is Portugese, just for the record. Although I could've spelled Portugese wrong. ;<:watson:The word is originally Portuguese but they were describing a food item as being the 'temporary' food available on the menu today. :watson:The food is pan Asian and predates Europe's little excursions to Asia Major.:duh: :eek:Didn't you know "Marco Polo" brought back pasta and other classic Italian food basics from China to Italy. :sarcasm:Chicago Pizza is foul and souffle-like. It is an unmanly foodstuff like quiche.:sarcasm: A manly man would never eat it.

[akitaka]

I guess that makes me homosexual, because despite my inclination against fast food, good, deep-dish pizza is a weak spot of mine.

Gino's, anyone?

[Fred]

The comment about Chicago Pizza being unmanly tweaked my funny bone (as it was meant to, I suppose). I remembered a few weeks ago some evangelical guy complaining that soy products made people gay. All I can say is nobody better touch my Barbara Streisand records. They are the source of my manliness.

[Plekto]

Lol.

Seriously, though - REAL Chicago-style Pizza is deep dish pizza made upside-down and baked like Lasagna for about an hour.(made upside down so the cheese doesn't burn to a crisp)

Properly made, it's amazing - and nothng like the dreaded "Q" foodstuff. Of course, a lot of places butcher it and don;t make it right, because it does take an hour to make.

[stsparky]

Deep fried cheese pie? C'mon! Who makes the best steak where you folks hail from? And where is the best burger place where you've ended up?

And remember 4letterwords is the one who likes Chicago Pizza - she's in no danger from avoiding manly foods. :D

[Digital Masta]

New York Pizza owns all pizza.

[Shamu]

Lou Malnati's in Chicago has some of the best pizza!
Thank god I'm a girl so I can enjoy it without fear of being unmanly :P

[MNJetter]

Who makes the best steak where you folks hail from?
My boyfriend's mom. :)

[bakagaijin]

It is an unmanly foodstuff like quiche.:sarcasm: A manly man would never eat it.

Sparky -- Wasn't there a popular book in the early/mid 80's called "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche" ?

[Eddie Echoplex]

Deep fried cheese pie? C'mon! Who makes the best steak where you folks hail from? And where is the best burger place where you've ended up?

And remember 4letterwords is the one who likes Chicago Pizza - she's in no danger from avoiding manly foods. :D

The best steaks come from Sonora. Neither texas beef nor Kobe beef have nothing with us.

Also, ever heard of fried ice cream?.

[hectorse]

The best steaks come from Sonora. Neither texas beef nor Kobe beef have nothing with us.

Also, ever heard of fried ice cream?.


Amen to that brother.

I always order salted meat from Sonora to make me some Carne Azada

and tongue is delicious

taco de lengua is really good

[Digital Masta]

Also, ever heard of fried ice cream?.

Of course.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

:watson:The word is originally Portuguese but they were describing a food item as being the 'temporary' food available on the menu today. :watson:The food is pan Asian and predates Europe's little excursions to Asia Major.:duh: :eek:Didn't you know "Marco Polo" brought back pasta and other classic Italian food basics from China to Italy. :sarcasm:Chicago Pizza is foul and souffle-like. It is an unmanly foodstuff like quiche.:sarcasm: A manly man would never eat it.
Someone said it was from Brazil though, so had to point out the true origin.

[laggedreaction]

Most American pizza made in big restaurant chains really isn't that good. Then again, that's the same with most American food made like that. But go to Chicago or New York and find yourself a little privately owned pizza joint where the owner actually takes pride in how his pizza is made, instead of how famous his store is, and it suddenly turns into an art. Absolute heaven. It makes such a difference when fresh tomatoes are used in the sauce.

I'm from Chicago and it doesn't compare to Italy and a lot of other places. Even in these small places they tend to use lots of canned and over-preserved ingredients. :yuck:

As for Chicago versus real Italian... real Italian wins hands down.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

I'd take Domino's over just about anything.

I've been to some fancy Italian places, and the fatty/greasy American crap is just more to my liking. I also prefer Diet Coke to normal Coke per taste. It's just who I am~

[Danistar]

I've had all kinds of pizza, and Papa John's with a pound of their garlic sauce ftw.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Yay, I'll have to admit that's really good.

Dominos had the better pizza, but damn, that garlic sauce is good.

[Danistar]

Yeah, it's not that Papa John's really makes a better pizza, but their garlic sauce is ridiculously good. Pizza Hut tries to sell garlic sauce too, but it tastes like cardboard.

[MNJetter]

I'm from Chicago and it doesn't compare to Italy and a lot of other places. Even in these small places they tend to use lots of canned and over-preserved ingredients.

Eh. I used to live in Italy, and didn't really see much of a difference. But maybe I'm spoiled, since most of the pizza I get is stuff that I make myself. I've got a killer recipe for a medium-thick crust, and my boyfriend used to work at a pizza restaurant, so he knows how to throw it properly. :D

[stsparky]

Someone said it was from Brazil though, so had to point out the true origin. Naw - it dates from the time the "Holy Roman Empire" split the Far East between Spain and Portugal when the country was under Spanish rule (Third Dynasty: Habsburg (Spanish rule) (16th to 17th century) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Portuguese_history_%28Third_Dynasty%29 )) - and it's one of the many Portuguese loan words in Japanese. And while there are multigenerational Japanese families in Brazil nowadays - that's not the source.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

Naw - it dates from the time the "Holy Roman Empire" split the Far East between Spain and Portugal when the country was under Spanish rule (Third Dynasty: Habsburg (Spanish rule) (16th to 17th century) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Portuguese_history_%28Third_Dynasty%29 )) - and it's one of the many Portuguese loan words in Japanese. And while there are multigenerational Japanese families in Brazil nowadays - that's not the source.
No...honestly...it's not from Brazil kid. Portugal all the way. I questioned several Japanese people and consulted the Wikipedia.

[stsparky]

No...honestly...it's not from Brazil kid. Portugal all the way. I questioned several Japanese people and consulted the Wikipedia.
You quoted me saying exactly that, mind you.

[MNJetter]

No...honestly...it's not from Brazil kid. Portugal all the way. I questioned several Japanese people and consulted the Wikipedia.
Where do you get off calling Sparky "kid"? Aren't you a student yourself? tsk ;)
Also, though I'm totally not arguing the fact that it came from Portugal, it should be noted that Japanese people are really not the best sources to use in answering questions concerning history, especially history from places not in Japan.

Anyway, just wanted to post something related to the initial thread topic. I was just told by a friend that it's a delicacy in her part of Japan (Akita, though I'm sure it's not limited to her prefecture) to eat live minnows. As in, they're still alive and wriggling when it goes down your throat. You don't chew it, you just tip your head back and swallow it. It's not because it tastes good, but in order to get the feeling of the thing moving in your digestive system.

[Eddie Echoplex]

Also, though I'm totally not arguing the fact that it came from Portugal, it should be noted that Japanese people are really not the best sources to use in answering questions concerning history, especially history from places not in Japan.

Or Historical/Religious figures. I'm just saying.

And um, eating live things is kinda hazardous (and sadistic) in my point of view though.

[japanat]

Where do you get off calling Sparky "kid"?
Considering he's half Sparky's age...

Also, though I'm totally not arguing the fact that it came from Portugal, it should be noted that Japanese people are really not the best sources to use in answering questions concerning history, especially history from places not in Japan.Especially regarding history OF Japan!

Anyway, just wanted to post something related to the initial thread topic. I was just told by a friend that it's a delicacy in her part of Japan (Akita, though I'm sure it's not limited to her prefecture) to eat live minnows. As in, they're still alive and wriggling when it goes down your throat. You don't chew it, you just tip your head back and swallow it. It's not because it tastes good, but in order to get the feeling of the thing moving in your digestive system.
I get the same feeling every day. It's called GAS!!!

[MNJetter]

Yeah, I wouldn't eat the minnows either. I draw the line at eating things that I had to watch suffer in order to enjoy them (like the shellfish that were still alive when they started cooking them in front of us at a staff party).....I don't technically have to watch the minnows suffer, but I say that being able to feel them suffer while inside yourbody still counts.

[SexyHentaiBoy]

I read Sparky's post wrong, apologies.

At a recent meeting, they served the dried minnows. Didn't touch them.

Also tried たこ焼き today, but couldn't really get over the piece of octopus in the center. The stuff around it is good, and even the octopus doesn't TASTE bad...but... It's just the texture of the suckers for me. Personally, it ruins it.

[Eddie Echoplex]

Come to think of it, though, I think chefs are the main assasins of the cuisine world. At least when it comes to crabs and lobster.

Think about that when you see them in the little fishtank, with their claws tied.

EDIT: forgot to add lobsters :(.

[NERD]

They tie the claws of lobsters in order to prevent them from eating each other. Lobsters are cannibalistic, though not sure about crabs.

Ask your average Japanese about the war crimes in World War II and they will either feign ignorance, or really don't know what the hell happened. It's a favorite debate topic between Japanese to Chinese/Koreans!

Ikizukuri (live sashimi) freaks me out. It's rather unnerving when you see people picking the meat from the fish which is still alive, looking at you straight in the eye and moving its mouth as in a protest of you devouring it.

[akitaka]

It's also illegal to boil crustaceans alive, in Europe. Leave it to us Americans to stick to the harsh basics.

I've never heard the term, "Ikuzukuri" used for a particular food item. Since it means live-cooking, would that include octopi as well? I'd pay a lot to see a chef battle a large octopus...then get eaten, himself :U

[NERD]

Ikuzukuri (生き作り) is a term for preparing sashimi from a living animal, so yeah, it's not for particular food item. The octopus minor I described would also be ikuzukuri.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikizukuri

What do you know, crabs are cannibalistic too. At least blue crabs are, which is the majority of the crabs eaten in the States.

A large octopus wouldn't be suitable for ikizukuri, as a large octopus like the Pacific octopus can reach 3 meters in length.

[Eddie Echoplex]

They do the same with crabs. I kinda feel bad about lobsters because they squeal when you boil 'em.

Ikuzukuri is indeed, an act of sadism, but not any different from boiling a live lobster, though.

[NERD]

Eh, I figure if lobsters came in Godzilla sizes, humans would be a delicacy that is great when boiled alive.

If you boil a lobster in really hot water, they would lose consciousness within seconds. If they have enough capacity to have consciousness, instead of pure instinct. Ikizukuri (this is the right spelling, sorry) makes it a point to prolong the misery of the fish by leaving the heart intact though, so I would think it is worse than boiling a lobster.

I feel less guilty about eating lobster than a fish staring right back at me. I might be a cruel person, but come on, meat eaters are murderers if you think like a vegetarian.

[MNJetter]

Yeah, the lobster thing isn't a problem for me, even if they made it right in front of me. At least I know the water's already boiling, and the death would be at least as quick as with slaughtered poultry and red meat. I mean, heck, it's probably more humane than dumping a fish out on the deck of a fishing boat and letting it flop around until it suffocates. The ones I can't take is when they're still living when I eat them, or if I have to watch them unneccessarily suffer (seriously, that shellfish was a traumatic experience - the little guy was on his back, which made it impossible for him to right himself, so he just layed there wiggling his little legs around, and then they put a lid on him and lit a fire underneath him. I'm sure the fire took at least a few minutes to warm up from "uncomfortable" to the point where it lost consciousness.)