Only in the autumn.

Mission, grilled eggplant topped with the authentic bonito flakes (researched 27th Sep 2013)

 

 

 

 

 

It's full on autumn here in Nara Japan. Today, I'll let know an eggplant dish that is very much in season.

As I told you before, eggplant is the best in the autumn. Now, eggplant

Is not only juicy but fully pumped. In addition, the dish requires good bonito flakes to be topped with.

Coincidently, I have the authentic bonito flakes from The specialized grocer (researched 18 Sep 2013) in the fridge to be used today.

 

This is how my wife cooked at her kitchen.

1, wash an eggplant well under running water.

2, cut the head end off.

 

3, preheat the grill.

 

4, prick an eggplant by a stick from the tail end (half the way)

 

5, grill as many as you want, grill 'em till skin gets burnt (heat one side to the other, takes around 20-30mim) 

6, skin off the burnt eggplants.

 

7, cut one into a bite size.

To serve.

1, put the pieces  in a nice bowl.

2, let it cool. (normally, grilled eggplant is served cold)

 

3, top 'em with bonito flakes (enough to cover)

4, trace soy sauce before eating.

 

Conclusion

Grilled eggplant is normally served as a side dish, is occasionally served

a Whole at places like "izakaya" 居酒屋. 

 

Hope you to enjoy the dish.     

The old man and the bonito flakes

Mission the Nishiguchi Bonito Flake Co (researched 18 Sep 2013)

 

 

 Bonito Flakes=Katsuo-bushi (鰹節)

 

I've told you two recipes to cook Japanese dishes on this blog so far.

 

I suppose bonito flakes would be the one that is very crucial ingredient As well as a wonder in recipe.

 

To day, I'll tell you Nara's unique specialized bonito flake grocer and a bit about bonito flakes.

 

The bonito flakes (鰹節)= small pieces of dried bonito shavings, mainly used to make dashi stock to cook Japanese food.

Generally, dashi stock is made out of combination of kelp and bonito flakes. Therefore, the quality of bonito flakes is significant in Japanese cuisine.

 

The brief steps of making bonito flakes (鰹節)

1, filleting bonitos, taking bones and bowels away.

2, boiling bonitos for 60min~90min

3, let  'em cool out doors.

4, dry 'em on heat from burning wood

5, dry 'em once again under the sun right.

6, shape 'em into what they are with a specially designed knife.
(the above step make 'em looking what thery are as well as looking trimed)

7, putting edible mould on the processed bonitos. Keep 'em in "muro" (a room that provides high temps and humidity) to boost mold growing, get 'em back on drying process. The above "muro" process generally repeated some times . At last, let 'em fully dry to complete making dried bonitos

8, shaving dried bonitos into flakes by a plane.

Also, dried bonitos are known as the world's hardest food.

 Bonito flakes remind  me  wehn I was in practise at a specialized Japanese restaurant in Toyohashi, Japan.

 "The owner-head chef shaved a dried bonito into flakes by a plane to make dashi stock. And then, I went for a bin run (taking rubbish out). That was just another cold cloudy winter morning."

 

 Nowadays,  bonito flakes are mass produced to sell every supermarket across the nation, the products are packed in small amount to be sold.

 The major bonito flake producers are trying to make  flakes more convinient for domestic use.

 On the  other hand, the Nishiguchi Bonito Flake Co is run by an old man. The old man does all those processes at his place to sell his products by weight.

 

 

 How ever, his business is obviously old fasioned, he is far behind the main stream.

 

 If you cook Japanese food at home. I urge you to try the Nshiguchi Bonito  Flake Co. You will know  that the old man’s products are as good as the foods can get.

 

How to get there.

 

 

 It is located 300m from the Kintetsu Nara station, is in front of the Nara Women's university.

 No car park is available.

 Ph 0742-22-4389

 Open 11am-7pm

 Close on Sundays and Public holidays.

 We went there by car, parked our car in front of the grocer to shop.

 The old man (store runner) get you whatever you want to your request.  ( Japanese language is required to communicate)

 The accesblity  for wheel chair doesn't exist here. Assistance is essential.

 

 

 

 

Moon Palace

Mission, the autumn full moon parties in Nara (referred the my town Nara 7th Sep 2013 issue) (written 12 Sep 2013)

 Several full moon parties are going to take place in the 19th night of September in Nara prefecture.(the North area) (details are listed below.)

 1, The Sarusawaike Pond -Miko matsuri.

 Address, 49 Noborioji, Nara city. The event starts 5pm. Ask 0742-22-3900

 The two boats (shaped a doragon  and a phoenix) float on the water to go around the pond.

2, The Toshodaii Temple-Togetsu sanbutsukai

Address 13-46 Gojo, Nara city. The event starts 6pm-9pm.

Ask 0742-33-7900

Tea ceremony will take place at The Mikagedo Hall ( where the stature of Ganjinwajo is in).

The  full moon over The Mikagedo Hall is worth watching. No admission is required for the temple after 6pm. (In fact, The Mikagedo Hall costs adult ¥500, child ¥300 or ¥200 to enter. )

3, The Sanshozenji Temple-Sogetsunocyakai

Address 26/10 1-Hichijo, Nara city. The event starts 6pm-

Ask 0742-44-3333

The temple provides Zen at 6 and a tea party with a little recital of koto and shyakuhachi. The tea party will be carried out to be associated  with YANAGISAWA Yasumitsu (the lord of Koriyama Castle) who built tea rooms to enjoy watching  the Moon.

4, The Matsodera Temple-Togetsu meisokai

Address  683  Yamada, Yamatokoriyama city. The event starts 6pm-9pm.

Ask 0743-53-5023

The temple is known as the place for self disciplin, provids the beatiful moon and the night view. Tea will be made for the public at the tea room. The full moon Buddhist memorial service and the meditation lessons will be conducted. (free to join, NO bookings are essential.)

5, The Jikoin Temple-Togetsukai

Address 865 Koizumi, Yamatokoriyama city. The event starts 5pm-9pm.

Ask 0743-53-3004

The temple has one of the greatest gardens in Nara. The garden was  designed to be in harmony with surroundings. A tea room will be set for the public in the Taketori monogatari ( the Taketori tales) style, costs you ¥1500. The shojin cuisine dishes served 5pm to 7pm on the 19th (bookings are essential)

6, The Ogamijinjya Shrine (The Miwajinjya Shrine)-Togetsusai

Address 1422 Miwa, Sakurai city. The event starts 6:30pm-

Ask 0744-42-6633.

The 1000 lanterns are placed all over the place to be lit up at dusk.

Kagura and Gagaku will be performed by miko to dedicate at 6:30. More plays to be performed. Ask them for more information.

Generaly, these  religeous sites are not  accesible for the wheel chair users. Please  assk  me to gather more information  on specal  needs   by leaveing  me a comment.

 How ever, The Ogami Jinja Shrine  sounds good to me because  the shrine has the gigantic "torii" as well as the old wallking track called "Yamanobenomichi"nearby. "When I was a kid, I and my brother had crazy bike sessions there, got a moutain bike on steep down hills to have a good thrill, was a agreat fun." I don’t know  if they still let you in on a moutain bike though.

 Conclusion,  our traditional  "otsukimi" full moon party was  origenally conducted by the farmers to express their appreciation to the moon for the autumn harvest.

Therefore, our "otsukimi" is different to the "go crazy" kind  of psychedelic full moon parties on the beach.

Otsukimi requires no drugs, no tequila, no loud music. While You can experience things very Japanese and fantastic. 

I am addicted.

Mission Wakayama ramen (researched 03 Sep 2013)

 

Wakayama=located down South West from my home (Nara). It takes 2h by car.

 

 Ramen noodles=noodle soup

 

 Ive been to Wakayama two days in a row

 I had Wakayama ramen noodles for lunch in the day1(couldnt make it twice back to back.)

 Yes I  damn love the filthy ramen noodles becaus they not only taste good but they have  unique back ground.

 

 Today, I will tell you about Wakayama's unique ramen noodle culture  and the history of Wakayama ramen noodles

 

 The ramen noodles were first served in Wakaysma was just after  WW2. The locals launched  small business on the streets.

 This is when the ramen noodle stands were born to be a part of todays local rich food culture.

 How ever, Wakayama ramen  can be  divided in to two versions.

1, pork bone with soy sauce broth version. The version appears clouded and slightly thick.

2, soy sauce with pork bone broth version. The versiom looks clear, brown and slightly thin.

I recommend you the pork bone with soy sauce version. Because the pork bone with soy sauce broth version is all about Wakayama ramen.
 

 What you will encounter at Wakayama ramen noodle restaurant is listed below

 1, you will see a crowd of people lined up for the food to be served.

2, you will smell what you will be served. The filthy smell strikes your nose.

3, the simplest menu is presented, it only tells you the sizes of ramen noodles.
　　the sizes are as follows, extra large "特盛" large "大盛” standerd "並".

4, Haya-zushi (a type of sushi) and boiled eggs are lined on the table. You are allowed to pick one up, if you want, pay for it later on.

 

5,order what you want to eat.(don't forget to tell 'em which size you want.)

6,you won't leave your bowl unfinished.(chopsticks are recommended to use. All you gotta do is " go nuts")

7,you must let 'em know what you have had to pay, when you go. (the self declaration system rules Wakayama ramen restaurants.)   

Farther more, I recommend you two noodle restaurants, those two restaurants are specialized in Wakayama ramen noodles, have high reputation.

1, Ide shoten (井出商店), they are the standard of Wakayama ramen, serve the pork bone with soy sauce broth noodles, well known across the nation.

2, Marusan chuka-soba (丸三中華そば), they also serve the pork bone with soy sauce broth noodles, have better reputation among the locals.

 

 

Over all, I suggest you to try Marusan chyuka-soba, if  you are useing a wheel  chire, becase  it's accesible all the way from the car park to a table, have a Western type toilet. On the other hand, Ide  shoten has poor accesibility. You have to be toough enough to try  there

How to get there.

Ide shoten Heading South West from Wakayama (和歌山) station.

more information on  http://tabelog.com/wakayama/A3001/A300101/30000031/

Marusan chuka-soba Heading North West from Kimiidera (紀三井寺) station

More information on http://tabelog.com/wakayama/A3001/A300101/30000014/

Wakayama ramen noodles are locally called "chuka-soba" (Chinese noodles) thus they are presented as so in the menu at the ramen restaurants in Wakayama. They cost you¥600-¥800. Haya-zushi costs you ¥100. A boiled egg costs you ¥50

Conclusion, a bowl of Wakayama ramen noodles reminds me when I was in Wakayama institute of medicin hospital. When it comes to the  weekends, I stoped  by Ide shoten to eat the taste of town on the way back home. I've been addicted since then.

 Tips.

 These two ramen noodle restaurants  can get very busy during  lunch and suupper time. You'be better to avoid those busy hours.