Showing posts with label japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label japanese. Show all posts
Natto
Last week, our cellgroup games forfeit was to eat a spoonful of natto with wasabi. Many of our cellgroup members were wondering what that pungent smell was and did not want to get forfeited so that they wont have to eat it! Two of our cellgroup members were the sad ones that got forfeited (3rd one being me but i like natto!), and they literally felt like dying when eating the natto. So today lemme introduce this mysterious natto!
When i first ate natto, i tried one small mouthful and did not like it at all! i hated the smell and sticky texture of it! however, after a few more times, i started to take bigger and bigger mouthfuls of it and fell in love with natto! the pungent smell actually attracts me to it and somehow it smells a little like coffee beans to me.
ok u might be wondering why i kept trying natto over and over again even though i dont like it! its because john looooveeess natto and i kept buying it for him to eat! thus i had to keep trying it too!
natto is actually a type of traditional japanese food made from fermented soybeans. it is fermented with Bacillus Subtilis. ok i dont know what is that but wikipedia said so. wikipedia also said that it is a rich source of protein and good bacteria but i already knew that, since its soybean right???
so history of natto... if u dont wanna read, pls skip to the next part.
right, history.... ok so sources differ about the origin of natto but the consistent thing in all the sources is that originally, natto was made by first steaming the soybeans then fermenting it in rice straw. they would leave it in the straw bags to ferment for days and the fermentation was done either buried underground underneath a fire or in a warm place.
today, natto is made steaming the soybeans for 6 hours then mixing it with the bacterium. the mixture is then fermented at 40 degrees celsius for 24 hours. after the natto is cooled, it is aged in a refigerator for up to one week to allow the development of stringiness. today, it is usually sold in small styrofoam containers and a typical package contains 2 or 3 containers. It usually includes a small packet of soy sauce and a packet of mustard.
Natto is eaten in many different ways in different parts of Japan and i guess they all try to come up with special ways to enjoy natto. for me, i like to eat it by itself, straight out of the pack! but i am always game to try other ways to eat it! one good way would be to put it into a handroll.
or do it like how most japanese does it. mix it with rice for breakfast
natto pasta
basically, the sky's the limit when cooking with natto! its all up to your creativity (and whether u can accept the funky taste and smell hehe)
where to buy natto?
you can get it frozen at most fairprice finest , bishan fairprice (always buy it there), got it once at clunycourt cold storage and meidi-ya (jap supermarket at liang court)
alternatively, if you just wanna try some first, you can go to sushi-tei. they serve it with maguro. not too sure about other japanese restaurants but i'm sure it wont be that hard to find!
Enjoy!
KONAPUN
Hi everyone! we haven't been uploading our blog for a long time and i guess its because we lost the momentum of blogging and its so hard to get back into it! well, today I'm here to blog because i have something exciting to share with everyone! It's something i discovered on youtube and eventually got so madly in love with, i watched almost every single video of it!
The title of this blog post is the name of this thing I'm currently crazy over! it's KONAPUN! its invented by the Japanese and I'm not surprised because they are really creative and innovative! favourite japanese inventions includes
karaoke***** love it to the max!!
Can't live without it, cup noodles!
extremely cute tamagotchi!
Of course there are so many other japanese inventions that we cant live without. A trip to Daiso would be very rewarding because of all the interesting inventions that they sell there. i cant come out of daiso empty-handed. i just dont have that capability yet hahaha. ok im digressing... i shall blog about the awesomeness of Daiso another day.
back to KONAPUN. what is that? Basically, it's a range of toys released by Bandai, in which you can make mini fake food by adding water to the powder to imitate the cooking process. The sets available range from sushi sets, pasta and even creating and decorating cakes. this is a play set for kids but im sure many adults buy this for themselves! The Japanese are really good at making fake food look like real ones and many japanese restaurants display them outside their shop. still not convinced? lemme show you some videos.
making sushi
making a full bento set
making doughnuts
these are just some of the videos available on youtube. if you are really interested, u can go onto youtube and search for konapun!
this set of toy does not only mimic the whole cooking process of the food, it also makes sounds and different effects for example when you deep fry food or pan fry it. it is AMAZING! this will be something to buy when i go to Japan soon! i will make sure i buy one of every set! HEHEHE anyone else wants to buy this??
p.s. it is not edible and the 'food' actually rots after awhile
pps. stay tuned for another post on popin cookin'! something similar to konapun but its edible!!!
Konapun feast
konapun cooking set
Tsukiji Gindaco
first things first, some info on takoyaki that u might or might not know.
Takoyaki literally means fried or grilled octopus and it is a popular Japanese dish made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, ponzu, mayonnaise, green laver (aonori), and katsuobushi (bonito flakes - fish shavings). It is first popularized in Osaka. Yaki is derived from "yaku" which simply means "to fry or grill" in Japanese, and can be found in the names of other Japanese cuisine items such as teriyaki or sukiyaki.
Takoyaki brings back fond memories of my pri and sec sch days, when we wld buy at junction 8 every so often. so needless to say, i was extremely excited to try the takoyaki!
This stall only sells takoyaki with octopus because tako stands for octopus! non of those cheese and ham versions! i really enjoyed the takoyaki because at first bite, it was crisp and brown. The inner fillings that were soft and runny, complemented the crispy exterior. every takoyaki had a nice size tako and they did not overcook the octopus. the takoyaki is then topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayo and some bonito flakes.
The yakisoba however, failed in comparison. the yakisoba i ordered has a fried egg on top and some meat and cabbage below. the soba noodle was chewy and not overcooked but there was nothing special about it. i felt like it was just soba noodles with egg and tons of okonomiyaki sauce.
If you happen to be at Ion, just go for the takoyaki!
below is what the yakisoba originally looked like but i was too hungry and started eating before taking a photo! heh
Being a good blogger, i went to their website to check out their menu and saw so many other exciting takoyaki flavors that i have to share!
Mentaiko (pollock roe) flavor
Negi (green/spring onion) flavor served with tempura dipping sauce and grated daikon (radish)
Egg mayo flavor
Please correct me if im wrong in identifying the flavors but i cant read jap at all! so im having a hard time trying to identify it too! so if u happen to read jap, pls do me a favour by pointing out the diff flavors! (:
ok i am hungry TTM now! why do i write a food blog???!?!?!? hahahahahaha
Quick and Easy Ramen!
Nowadays, we have everything instant. Instant noodles, instant coffee, instant cash, instant messaging etc.. So today i want to introduce to you, quick and easy ramen! The best parts of this ramen is the taste and the convenience! It is basically like a chim or high class version of the instant noodle.
Quick and Easy Ramen ( Serves 2 )
One pack of ramen ( easily available at all leading supermarket. this brand has awesome soup base and is cheap)
Two packs of soup base, any flavour u like ( inside ramen pack )
1 piece sea weed
Spring Onion
Roast pork
( basically add whatever ingredients u like. i just throw in whatever is in my fridge )
Cook Ramen noodles in boiling water for 3-5 min. Do NOT overcook noodles! immediately drain water and rinse with cold water when noodles are done, to prevent the noodles from cooking further.
Add soup base into boiling water and throw in all your other ingredients. Once the other ingredients are cooked, serve soup with noodles.
Garnish with spring onion and seaweed.
Sorry i cant recall the name of this brand of ramen i like to buy! but u can take a look at the pic above and look for it at the supermarket! they have shoyu soup base, miso and tonkotsu (pork bones soup base). my fav one is the tonkotsu. Very very acceptable to satisfy ramen cravings and weird hours or if u think ramen takes too much effort to cook. Also, very good to impress friends or family members! u can fake that u took like hours to boil the pork bones for the soup base! hehe but of cos cannot be compared to those that i had in Japan.... ooohhhhhhh **drools***
quick go stock up ur fridge with this brand of ramen NAO!
Weird Japanese Drinks
Today, i am gonna do a continuation of weird japanese stuffs! weird japanese drinks!
First up, Pepsi Ice Cucumber flavour! It was introduced to the Japanese market and vending machines in 2007. Its green and sounds "cooling". need i say more? hahaa
One of my favourite drink is Calpis but this is not your usual calpis. This is the Hot Calpis! I first discovered calpis when i was holidaying in Japan and fell in love with it! i usually buy it from Meidi-ya in Liang Court! My friend from America once told me that Calpis is called calpico in America because of the way calpis sounds! Calpis tastes a little like Yakault but not as sour. Some vending machines in Japan sell Calpis steaming hot! maybe in the winter season... would like to try it though!
Coolpis is actually the Korean copy of Calpis! It comes in peach flavour and .... KIMCHI flavour! WOW! The thought of it makes me feel like gagging! NOT trying this!
Forgot or curious what breast milk tastes like? hahhaa now you can try it again! Wholesome and Natural! I can imagine a factory with women sitting there squeezing their milk out in cartons. YUCKS but good for mothers too busy to feed their babies! hehe
After drinking some breast milk, head on down to the Black Vinegar Bar! my dad will love this! Black vinegar is noted for its health benefits but the trouble is to make it drinkable. The way my dad does it is to drink it in one gulp like a shot of vodka. I tried that before and my face cringed! Well, now you can mix it into a variety of juices like blueberry, blood orange or even soy milk! Cheers to good health!
Speaking of good health, now you not only can eat your salad but drink it as well! introducing the Water Salad! Water Salad is, yes water that taste like salad! you know the stuff u get when u spin your romaine or baby spinach in the salad spinner! We normally pour it down the drain but the smart people at Coca Cola decided to put it into cans and sell it! even comes in different flavours.....
For those SERIOUS about dieting, here comes Diet Water! hhahahha ! maybe it has zero calories or something? not sure but im sure it will be a waste of money!
Know someone that lives,breathes and eats RPG games like final fantasy? Now you can add 'drinks' to the list with the Final Fantasy Potion Drink! Not sure if drinking will restore your health or energy level. Drink at own risk!
Nothing wrong with coffee, but something wrong when your coffee is called Deepresso! So is it a coffee that is the opposite of expresso, or a coffee to make you feel depressed?
Another funny name coffee brand! God Coffee! so we serve it with communion wafers?
B.J. Coffee. no explanation needed.
Lastly, the Kid's Beer. well, nothing wrong with drinking alcohol-free beer because i tried those malt drinks before. But kid's beer is just crazy! A simple malt drink marketed as kid's beer is very successful in Japan so i guess their marketing tactics worked!
Joy
MIdnight Supper
One of my fav midnight supper is Chasoba! i love how its so easy to cook and much healthier than instant noodles! i just made some for myself and i am grinning from ear to ear. it is so yummy! i think basically if u cook the noodle well and al dente then it should be quite yummy already!
Cha soba - Serves 1
1 bunch of noodles ( inside the packet, they would usually separate into 1 person portions so you dont have to gauge how much to cook)
Wasabi ( depending on how much wasabi you can tahan )
Soba sauce ( available in most supermarkets )
Ice ( 3 to 4 cubes )
Cook the cha soba in a pot of boiling water
Remove when cha soba is cooked. Basically you want it chewy and springy, not soft! it will take prolly bout 5 mins
Drain cha soba and rinse with cold water. ( this will stop the noodles from cooking further)
Add ice to let it become cold
Mix soba sauce with wasabi ( i normally use about 4 tbsp of sauce )
Either pour the sauce over the noodles or put in a separate bowl for dipping
Enjoy the cha soba!
No own pictures of my soba cos im using a very ugly plastic ribena plate. hahaha
Joy
edit: forgot to mention that this is not the authentic kind of cha soba. real cha soba comes with raw quail egg and spring onions for the sauce as well! u can choose to add one raw quail egg and some spring onions if you are feeling adventurous!
Mirin Substitute
Last week i suddenly had a craving for oyako-don. ( i know i have funny cravings, but thats for another day). So i made John make it for me! We couldnt find mirin in the nearby shop n save so we decided to make our own substitute for it. below is the recipe!
Mirin Substitute ( 1 cup )
Ingredients
3/4 cup drinking sake
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoon water
Mix sugar and water and bring to slight boil for a few mins
remove from heat and allow to cool
slowly mix sake in until desired sweetness
Weird Japanese Chewing Gum!
i know gum is not exactly food but it is very interesting! I will do a series on weird things from Japan!
This is a picture of the world record largest blown bubble gum! thats crazy i think..prolly take bout like 10 gums?
This is called No Time Gum. This multifunctional minty gum contains tiny granules that scrub your teeth clean while you chew! I can imagine Colgate and Darlie going out of business now! I LOVE THIS!
This is called "Man Smell" Gum. The Japanese name directly translate to this. It contains a special rose oil that will be let out through your skin after chewing. This one exudes a manly menthol rose aroma, not your average sweaty guy funkiness.
Ok this one is nothing special because i have seen this before too! It is basically just a box of gum with a stack of paper inside for easy disposal of the gum. No more digging your bag for tissue or used paper to spit the gum away. Good idea, I like!
This is called Black Black Gum. Yes it literally means that the gum is black in colour. People used to think that eating something black is weird, like squid ink or licorice but now it is cool! I remember trying licorice ice cream in Australia but i didn't enjoy it at all! Well, this gum has caffeine, niacin and a really powerful licorice mint taste, making it ideal for those late night study sessions.
I can hear alcohol lovers cheering for this! This is the Xylish Platinum Mint Chardonnay Flavored Gum. If you are driving home late at night and stopped by a traffic police, please do not pop one of these into your mouth! But its a good way to tell people you've been to the bar or those high class chi-chi party where they serve chardonnay!
This Fuwarinka Scented Gum works the same way as the men smell gum. The rose oil in the gum will ooze out from your skin, making not only your breath smell good but your body as well! Great for school children after their P.E. or athletes!
Suplitol Tongkat Ali Gum for Men contains natural herbs and extracts to improve blood flow and muscular function. No not in your arms, regardless of the ad. This gum also contains something called "plant testosterone". Have you ever seen a limp tree?
Last but not least, this is the Bust Up Gum. This will supposedly help you to enhance your bust! No need for any more breast implants, Bust up gum can do the same thing and its painless! According to B2UP, the special ingredient is extracted from the Kwao Krua plant and it helps to make a women's breast grow and at the same time improve the shape and tone!
That's all I have for you today! Be back for the next installment of weird japanese stuffs! Next post will be on Weird Japanese soft drinks!
Joy
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