Happy Valentine’s Day, readers! My gift to you is an analysis of the Hotel New Hankyu’s Valentine’s Day roll cakes for, I kid you not, herbivore- and carnivore types. I first saw this image on a friend’s facebook page, and tracked it down this article on the Japanese MSN Lifestyle page. In the course of…
Category: Food Culture
“Deeply Ingrained Advantages”: American Media Discovers Kyûshoku
Can Japan solve America’s food identity crisis? Japan’s relatively low rates of obesity have caught the eye of the American news media, particularly in light of our own new government controls on junk food and measures intended to prevent childhood obesity. In January, The Washington Post ran the article “On Japan’s school lunch menu: A…
The Word of the Day is Spatchcock: Thanksgiving 2012
“I’m going to spatchcock the turkey.” “Excuse me?” “If I spatchcock the turkey–WHY ARE YOU BLUSHING?” “So, I’ve decided to spatchcock the turkey.” “Is that some sort of fandom thing about Benedict Cumberbatch?” Despite its unfortunate name, spatchcocking is simply a way of butterflying a turkey so it will cook faster; it does not,…
Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up
On my first Thanksgiving in Japan as an exchange student, I had cold tofu for lunch and felt exceptionally sad. After two years of not celebrating the holiday while I was in rural Japan, I decided to host a Thanksgiving potluck for my friends last year, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve…
What I Ate: Chicago
I haven’t had a fever in so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears. While I’m holed up on the couch with obscene amounts of tea and a Sherlock marathon, I thought you all might like to see a handful of food photos of…
Halloween Taste-Testing: Koshiyama Kanseido Pumpkin Dorayaki
This is a bit ぎりぎり since Halloween is right around the corner, but if you are in Kanazawa or will be there this weekend for Halloween festivities, be sure to try the pumpkin dorayaki at Koshiyama Kanseido.
Halloween Taste-Testing: Mister Donut and Doughnut Plant
I distinctly remember saying last year that I wished that Mister Donut would get a pumpkin-flavored doughnut, and this year, my wish came true!
Halloween Taste-Testing: Pumpkin Pudding Kit Kats
Last year, Kit Kat introduced special pumpkin cheesecake flavor for Halloween. Although I liked it quite a bit, I was a little confused as to why the package described pumpkin cheesecake as a “traditional Halloween food.” This year, Kit Kat opted for a new limited-time Halloween flavor, Pumpkin Pudding (パンプキンプリン). Let’s compare: 2011: 2012:
Halloween Taste-Testing: Starbucks Japan Autumn Menu 2012
Starbucks Crunchy Caramel Latte and Pumpkin Muffin One thing I love about living in Japan is trying the seasonal sweets and drinks in cafes, conbini, and grocery stores. “Seasonal food” is partially the function of the availability of the harvest, such as a café’s changing the menu from summer blueberry cake to fall fig tarts…
Kitchen Library – 9.6.2012
A bit of press to start off this reader: a review of this blog from Tony at What Can I Do with a B.A. in Japanese Studies! Welcome, new readers, and よろしくお願いいたします！
The Jam of Oppression?: Feminism, “New Domesticity,” and Gender-Neutral Home Cooking
[note: this was edited to update terminology in 2016] A friend linked a really interesting article from the Washington Post: Emily Matchar‘s “The new domesticity: Fun, empowering or a step back for American women?” (26 Nov. 2011). I know this article is nearly a year old, but it demands contexualization. In this piece, Matchar discusses American…
Tanabata Beer Festa Toyama 2012
Note to self: when you are at a beer festival, it’s best to go with your gut instinct of voice-recording your comments on the beers into your phone instead of trying to write them down. You can barely read your own writing when you are sober, and participating breweries will fill your commemorative half-pint glass…
I'll Make It Myself! 
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