Dango - だんご３兄弟

Mmm…. Dango.

Three individually flavored balls of sweetness.

There was a Dango 3 Kyoudai (The 3 brothers Dango) song made popular years ago in Japan. Thanks to the wonders of youtube, you can enjoy it over and over again today!

Check out the Dango 3 Kyoudai video on YouTube.

Also, if you are into cute school supplies, you can get a dango shaped eraser set from The Japan Shop.

You know. I just noticed that even the eraser set has the dango in order, pink, white, green. It just occured to me that all dango with these flavors all over Japan are ordered the exact same way… I wonder how that got started…

- Harvey

Vegetable Cutters for your Bento

Ever wonder how they get those cute flower or leaf shaped vegetables into the bento lunch boxes in Japan?

You can get those special food shape cutters straight from Japan on JList.

I’m surprised to see so many food-shapers for wiener hot dogs!

If I ever become a bento making parent, I’ll have to get an arsenal of these things to always keep the kids on their toes.

“Wow today’s carrots look like roses!”

“That’s right kid. Eat em up.”

- Harvey

Japanese Tea Shop in Shiga

I went to a tea shop in Shiga-ken, in the Shigaraki area last month. We went by car from the station after a failed attempt to visit the Miho Museum. (It was closed! ARGH!) I couldn’t tell you how to get here off the top of my head, but if anyone really wants to know, let me know in the comments and I’ll get the info from my friends. It’s way out of the way and only accessible by car.

The shop had three tables like this. The kettle contains hot water to make tea.

Preparing tea as we browse the sweets menu.

This is called kusa-mochi. Kusa means “grass”, and mochi as you may know, is the Japanese sticky rice cake. It was insanely delicious. The outside is crisp, but the inside is melty-stretchy-sticky hot. The “grass” that is mixed with the mochi is called yomogi. (蓬 or 艾, my dictionary says there is a phrase, よもぎのような髪, which literally means, “hair like yomogi”, and has the meaning of “unkempt hair.” Awesome.)

This is “zenzai”, which is a famous Japanese dessert you can usually find around any traditional sight-seeing area in the winter. It is a sweet (oh so sweet!) soup with anko (sweet red beans) and mochi inside. Excellent, especially in the winter!

If only photos were edible.

- Harvey

I See Happen

This Takoyaki shop in Shinsaibashi has cute language game going on.

おいしい？8本? is pronounce, “oishii? happon?” in Japanese. It means…

“Is it good? (as in delicious), 8 (legs)?”

Because an octopus has 8 legs, and well, it’s a takoyaki shop. As you know takoyaki is Japanese food that has a bit of octopus inside.

As for the joke, it just so happens that “oiishii happon?” sounds like “I see. Happen?” In English.

Genius!!! Genius I tell you!

I guess it would be funnier though if the English made sense…

- Harvey

Takoyaki Maker available again

Quickie for ya. I learned that JList has a Takoyaki Maker Set in stock again, so if you’re looking to make red and green takoyaki balls for CChristmas you know where to shop. They only have 2 in stock and they’re less than 20 bucks so I don’t know how long this link is going to be live.

You know, they say everyone in Osaka has a takoyaki maker in their house… We don’t have one though.

Does that make me bad?

- Harvey

Takoyaki with green onions

Takoyaki with green onions!

There is this shop in Umeda that specializes in takoyaki. They have like 6 or 7 different types of takoyaki on the menu. My favorite is the negi-takoyaki. Takoyaki with heaps of green onions pilled all over. Heaps of them! (Culture lesson. “Heaps” is Australian for “lots”.)

The takoyaki in the back is yuzu ponzu in case you’re interested.

Yum! I love Osaka

[Updated: 10/29]

By the way, if you want to go try this takoyaki, the store information is below!

「茶琥屋」　http://tako.osakazine.net/e14341.html

- Harvey

Wasp Crackers

There’s a wasp in your rice cracker.

あのさ。せんべいにハチが入ってんで。

I know. That’s the way it is. Want some?

うん。知ってる。そいうもんだから。食べる？

No thanks.

いや、いいわ。

How to make Takoyaki at Home

Everyone loves Takoyaki right?

Japanese people in the Tokyo/Yokohama area often joke that an electric Takoyaki set is standard fare in every home in Osaka. Granted, I have been to a few Osaka Takoyaki parties, but there are for sure, a few people over there who don’t own one…

But don’t let that stop you. You can buy a Takoyaki maker from J-List and make Takoyaki in your own country! Of course, you’ll need to find a super market that sells octopus tentacles… I’m sure Asian foods stores in your area would have them available though.

You may be wondering why the maker that J-List provides is so cheap. The reason is that it is not an electric Takoyaki Maker. This is just the iron tin, that you would then cook on the stove top. The new-fangled makers available in Japan now are plug-in, as you can see in the scrumptious picture below.

However most modern kitches in the states have an electric stove top anyway, so I’m sure the iron tin would work fine if placed right on top as well.

A recipie for making Takoyaki is available here, as well as other places on the web, but remember, making Takoyaki is not a precise science! You can do it 適当に and it will turn out fine!

- Harvey

Takoyaki at Yoshimoto

I went to check out the famous Yoshimoto Grand Kagetsu (Namba Grand Kagetsu) few months ago to check out the famous Japanese comedy shows.

A lot of the comedy shows on TV in Japan are filmed here. It’s the most famous comedy venue in the country.

Below is a shot from one of the opening acts. Photography was prohibited during the main events…

So I bet you were wondering where Takoyaki would come into all this?

Usually in performance halls in Japan eating is prohibited. However, one of the really Osaka-esque (大阪らしい) points of Namba Grand Kagetsu is that you can eat during the shows.

Apparently, old ladies would come catch the lunch time skits while eating their obento lunch boxes. These days, employees walk through the isles selling Takoyaki and other snacks before the show starts as they would popcorn at a baseball game.

Yup. It’s real Takoyaki. Yum!

Now that I have moved to Yokohama, I’m starting to miss cheap Takoyaki available on every corner!

- Harvey