Challenging Food in Japan

[Mulboyne]

[succubusqueen]

the only thing i havent tried is the fugu....but i love basashi!:D

[Dragonette]

When I was in Japan I ate fugu (just once, for love - I didn't want to push my luck), and I actually like natto on rice done with chopped harunegi, shoyu and a little wasabi...
But the most disgusting Japanese food I ever tried is shiokara (塩辛 - "salted fish guts").
They serve it here mostly as bar food - I guess I never got drunk enough to learn to like it.

[CrankyBastard]

I enjoy those foods but tori-sashimi liver is better than just tori-sashimi.
Take-no-shokushu without nihonshu just doesn't taste of anything.
I don't find Japanese food bizarre. I've probably been TFEFTL (too far east far too long)
Some Japanese visitors to the UK found brawn, black pudding and beetroot bizarre, though!
Food's food.

[CrankyBastard]

Actually after many years of shipboard food, nothing much in the way of 'bizarre' food puts me off.
I've eaten my fair share of weevils and jaspers.

[Charles]

I once went to a restaurant where they were preparing torisashimi, ugh, that was enough to make me not ever want any. If anyone ever challenges me to try something like this, I always say, "you first." It is usually not followed by "me second."

[canman]

I can handle a lot of stuff, and have after living here more than 15 years. But I can't get used to tara no kiku, which is basically the ovaries of cod fish. They are slimy and oily and just plain disgusting. I agree that shiokara is also pretty bad, and you always get stuck with it at an izakaiya when you are really hungry and dying for something good before the beer arrives!

[ketchupkatsu]

[Greji]

[quote="ketchupkatsu"]This might not be as disgusting, but I always wondered what was the proper way to eat suzume (雀]

All the drunks I hang with bite into right into 'em, strip 'em off the stick and eat 'em bones and all. The total teeth, hair and eyeballs concept. Course they're washing down with large volumes of sake, so I don't suppose they notice.

Anyway with them almost fried crisp, I don't think they could really distinguish them from regular yakitori.

[IkemenTommy]

You can add..
Inago - Locust

[CrankyBastard]

Inago tsukudani tastes good!
What took me a while to get used to was 'samma' a very tasty fish especially in autumn, but always grilled without being gutted.
As I said it took a while, but now I appreciate the bitter flavour, and would never think of having it any other way.
Food's food!:kanpai:

[baka tono]

From the list of five Ive never had the octopus or chicken. I love basashi and I also love レバ刺し. I hate tororo and somen with cucumbers.

[Mulboyne]

[Aho Kun]

I find the most challenging food in japan is my own cooking

[uchimizu]

I must say I quite enjoyed the "honey cricket" once. I would not actually buy it though

[Greji]

I had one of those large cone snails that you're supposed to slurp down in between shots of sake. It wasn't bad considering it only took two days to get it all the way down my gullet.....

[Osakadave]

I've had all that on the list except the octopus. Basashi and tori sashimi are good. Natto's bad. Fugu was OK

Suzume was OK.

But the most "challenging" food was the roasted chicken beaks at the little yakitori place around the corner...

[ichigo partygirl]

theres something about nankotsu i will never really enjoy

[Mulboyne]

theres something about nankotsu i will never really enjoy

If it wasn't for the taste, texture, aftertaste and the very thought of it, I'm sure I could enjoy nankotsu.

[TennoChinko]

I've been able to eat everything so far .. natto, fugu, live octopus, live fish, shiokara, fish ovaries, locusts, bees, suzume, raw chicken, horse meat, and whale meat. However, when I was in Korea, I refused a very creepy* offer to go to a dog-meat restaurant. That's something I won't do.


[SIZE="1"]
* I thought it was a bit weird as most Koreans know most of us Americans think eating dogs is sick and even try to claim the practice no longer exists. This guy seemed like he was hoping to convert me or something. [/SIZE]

[ichigo partygirl]

If it wasn't for the taste, texture, aftertaste and the very thought of it, I'm sure I could enjoy nankotsu.

i think you've nailed it.

[CrankyBastard]

I'll admit I don't really go for nankotsu, I'll eat it , but it doesn't really taste of anything. Nankotsu age is more palatable than the yakitori variety. I guess it's just the hagotai thing rather than the flavour .

[Samurai_Jerk]

I've been able to eat everything so far .. natto, fugu, live octopus, live fish, shiokara, fish ovaries, locusts, bees, suzume, raw chicken, horse meat, and whale meat. However, when I was in Korea, I refused a very creepy* offer to go to a dog-meat restaurant. That's something I won't do.

I've done dog in Korea and I can't say I'm a big fan but I'd eat it over fish eggs or fish guts any day.

[IkemenTommy]

I've done dog in Korea and I can't say I'm a big fan...

I knew Greji was all into goats but you were into animals too?

[kusai Jijii]

...when you are really hungry and dying for something good before the beer arrives!

With a name like Canman, you should be ashamed! Who the fuck goes into an izakaya craving food before they start drinking? Grow some wheels for fuck's sake!;)

[kusai Jijii]

Why is nobody talking about the elephant in the room? - MAYO on Pizza!

I mean, its just plain WRONG!

[TennoChinko]

Apparently, if we don't like Takechinpoo's Korean Aunt's home-made dog meat lasagne, we might be racist or something ...

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=upiUPI-20080707-122008-1071&show_article=1

[SIZE="6"]Claim: Kids who say 'yuck' may be racist [/SIZE]
Jul 7 12:42 PM US/Eastern
LONDON, July 7 (UPI) -- Toddlers who say "yuck" when given flavorful foreign food may be exhibiting racist behavior, a British government-sponsored organization says.

The London-based National Children's Bureau released a 366-page guide counseling adults on recognizing racist behavior in young children, The Telegraph reported Monday.

The guide, titled Young Children and Racial Justice, warns adults that babies must also be included in the effort to eliminate racism because they have the ability to "recognize different people in their lives."

The bureau says to be aware of children who "react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying 'yuck'."

"Racist incidents among children in early years settings tend to be around name-calling, casual thoughtless comments and peer group relationships," the guide says.

Staff members are advised not to ignore racist actions and to condemn them when they occur.

[Greji]

Apparently, if we don't like Takechinpoo's Korean Aunt's home-made dog meat lasagne, we might be racist or something ...

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=upiUPI-20080707-122008-1071&show_article=1

That has gotta be the epidemy of P fucking C!
Where will it end?

[Greji]

Apparently, if we don't like Takechinpoo's Korean Aunt's home-made dog meat lasagne, we might be racist or something ...

BTW, don't believe that it is only the Koreans that should get the bad press about scarfing dogs up. You can find it in many, many countries in Asia and Japan is not exempt in some areas out in the inaka. It's just not mentioned in public....

[Osakadave]

BTW, don't believe that it is only the Koreans that should get the bad press about scarfing dogs up. You can find it in many, many countries in Asia and Japan is not exempt in some areas out in the inaka. It's just not mentioned in public....

Indeed. Back when I was first here as a student in the 80's, I'd read something in one of Jack Seward's books about red dogs being considered to be the tastiest during the hard times after the war. I mentioned it to a friend, who said no way. We had good laugh, and it became a running joke. Then we went to visit her granny in deepest darkest Saga. One evening we saw a red dog and joked about it. Granny said yes indeed they really are tastier.