The 3 ‘R’s to good eating – Restaurants, Reviews & Recipes

12-page pullout STRIPES JAPAN JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 ASTE OF JAPA A T 2 N

American craft beer is our specialty! Antenna America is just what you need to quench your thirst! Our Kannai, Yokohama and Shinagawa branches serve up American craft beer from top U.S. craft brewer- ies. Please go to : http://www.naganotrading.com/ for more details. Our tasting rooms have rotating taps and a huge selection of bottles, all fresh from breweries thanks to our cold-chain delivery system. Chicken wings, burg- ers and other American food items all made to order at our Kannai and Yokohama branches. We have private space available upon request at our Kannai branch. An- tenna America is family friendly, so come check us out!

A taste of Yokosuka you’ll never forget We ensure that in every dish we prepare, we add the best herbs and spices specially handpicked from Nepal and India. With our belief deeply rooted in the Eastern philosophy, we regard every customer as a god, and make sure in every way that we treat them as one. Our 5-star experienced cooks and chefs ensure the food looks as good as it is healthy. Once you come and visit us, we are confident that you will make plans to come again. We eagerly await the opportunity to serve you our delicacies!! JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA A T 3 N

Delicious French cuisine in Misawa Join us for a wonderful French meal at North40-40!! Head chef Kazu Hirabayashi served up many delicious dishes at some of Tokyo’s finest French restaurants be- fore bringing his culinary talents to Aomori. Chef Hira- bayashi and his staff use only the finest, freshest local and original ingredients. Many from the military com- munity have enjoyed North 40-40’s French fare and its casual and friendly atmosphere. So stop by and treat yourself to some delicious French food and wine. We can’t wait to serve you!

It tastes as good as it sounds Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock Cafe owns the world’s greatest collection of music memora- bilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. For fans of music, great food and good times, Hard Rock is the go-to restaurant to get that authentic American diner-inspired cuisine wrapped in a unique musical ex- perience. So, it’s time to strike up the band! Events, like great music, are born to inspire others. At Hard Rock Cafe, we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional ex- perience with a rock ‘n’ roll twist for each and every one of our guests. STRIPES JAPAN JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 ASTE OF JAPA A T 4 N

THE STORY OF GINGER From the Southeast Asian tropics to the plates of Japan

STORYSTOTORY ANDAN PHPHOTOSOTTOS BBYY useuse of gingerginger is eveevenn more aan-n- medicine.medicine. In ororderder to evaevaluateluate LIISALIISA WIHMAN,WIHMAAN, MEMETROPOLISETROPPOLIS MMAGAZINEAAGAZINE cient.cient. AsAs a species, it is thouthoughtght herbsherbs anandd dedescribescribe ttheirheir ssuit-uit- to originateoriginate ffromrom thethe trop-trop- abilityability as remeremedies,dies, hhee iiss sasaidid icsics ooff SSoutheastoutheast AsAsia,ia, wwherehere to hhaveave tatastedsted ttensens of ddifferentifferent soft pinpinkk hihilllll of thethe llantern-likeantern-like flflowersowers ooff iitsts herbsherbs ddaily.aily. He mmiraculouslyiraculously pickpickledled ginger,gingerr, of-off- wildwild relrelativesatives bribrightenghten up the tetenn nnenestledstled bebesideeside survivedsurvived tthehe pprocessrocess to autauthorhor steamysteamy fforests.orests. BotanBotanically,ically, iitt a ggrgreeneen plplasticlastic thethe llegendaryegendary SShennonghennong BenBen-- leleaf,af, is as sisignaturegnnature belongsbelongs to tthehe vast ffamilyamily ooff cao JJing,ing, tthehe fifirstrst bbookook aaboutbout Zingiberales,Zingiberales, to which cardacarda-- Atoo traditionaltrraditiion al JapaneseJapanese cucui-i- herbalherbal memedicinedicine iinn CChina.hina. In iit,t, mom,mom, ggalangal,alangal, turmerturmericic anandd sisineine as arearre thethe smallsmall seafood-seaafood- gingerginger iiss notenotedd fforor iitsts hhealingealing otherother ffamiliaramiliar cuculinarylinary specspeciesies properties—aproperties—a strenstrengtheninggthening totoppedoppeed ppillowsilllows ooff rice it aacaccom-com- alsoalso bbelong.elong. Even bbananasananas anandd herbherb tthathat iiss cacapablepable ooff mamain-in- panies—sushi.ppaniees—sushi. plantainsplantains araree distant relatives tainingtaining healthhealth anandd wewellbeing.llbeing. BoBothoth tthehe mmature,ature, bbrown-rown- to gginger.inger. GinGingerger also has a OneOne CChinesehinese proverproverbb goes, skskinnedkinnned ggigingernger rooroott sshogahogga anandd botanicalbotanical cocousinusin cacalledlled myoga “food“food anandd memedicinedicine ssharehare tthehe thethhe tetender,enderr, ppink-skinnedinkk-skinned yyoungoung withwith mmildlyildly gginger-flavored,inger-flavored, same roots.” Ginger’sGinger’s medici-medici- rootrooot sshin-shogahin--shoga are cocommonmmmon soft ppurpleurple flower buds that nalnal ququalitiesalities aaddeddded anotanotherher inn JJapaneseaapaneese cucuisine,iisine, cchoppedhoopped areare ususeded iinn coocooking.king. TThehe bbudsuds advantageadvantage to ususinging tthehe spspicyicy anandnd ggrgratedatedd iintonto a wwideide vvarietyaariety foodsfoods are cacalledlled yayakumi,kumi, wwhichhich hashas a sisideide rroleoole ass aann oololdd fefemaleemmaallee can bbee bbarbequedarbequed on sskewers,kewers, andand aromataromaticic root. It bbecameecame a off mmarinadesaarinaddes aandnnd didishesshes ffrfromom means “con“condiment”diment” bbutut aalsolso insectinsect ddemonemmoon wwhohoo iiss eenengagednggaageed or sslicedliced tthinlyhinly anandd serveservedd as a staplestaple inin CChinesehinese cucuisine,isine, prpre-e- poporkrkr sshogayakihoggayaki to cchickenhiccken “medicinal“medicinal flflavor.”avor.” TThehe wwordord toto tthehee aaptlyppttlly nnamedammedd MMyoga.yyoggaa. fragrantfragrant garnishgarnish in foodsfoods.. paredpared anandd consumeconsumedd inin a rre-e- meatballs.meeatbaalls. GGingeringeer iiss aalsolso an isis tthoughthought ttoo hhaveave dderivederived ffromrom ShogaShoga chaseschaasses hhererr uunwillingnnwwilllinng fifi-- But ooff aallll tthese,hese, tthehe hhumbleumble markablemarkable numbernumber ooff wways:ays: ggin-in- imimportantpportana t iningredientgredient in mamanyany thethe hherb-fillederb-filled mmixturesixtures ususededd ancéancé aacrosscroosss ththehe ccocountry,ounntrry,, ttryingrryyiinng gingerginger mmayay hhaveave tthehe llongestongest ger wwineine anandd gginger-flavoredinger-flavored sincesince ancancientient ttimesimes bbyy practpracti-i- to mmakeaake hhihimm sesettlettttlee ddownowwn aanandnd ttytypespees of ttsukemonosukek monoo (Ja(Japanesepaneese historyhistory iinn hhumanuman cucultivation.ltivation. tea;tea; hhoneyedoneyed gginger,inger, cchoppedhopped tionerstioners of CChinesehinese mmedicine.edicinnee. ppipickles),ckklel s), frfromomm thethe ppink,ink, vvine-ine- NotNot onlyonly is it unknownunknown in the marrymarry her.herr. or gratedgrated iinn sauces anandd marmari-i- AnAn ididealeal yayakumikumi gagarnishrnish iiss nnotot gagar-pickledar-ppickklled ggigingernger ggariari eaeatenten wild,wild, gigingernger can aalso—unlikelso—unlike TheTThe sspspirituallypirituually iininclinedcclinneed mmayaay nades;nades; anandd even as ppickledickled justjust pprettyretty to llookook at bbutut aalsolso too ccleanseleeanse tthehee palpalateate betwbetweeneen itsits relatives—onlyrelatives—only bbee cucultivat-ltivat- alsoalsso bbee ininterestedttereessteed iinn SShShogahoga condiment.condiment. TThehe great CChinesehinese goodgood forfor thethe health,health, a comcombina-bbina- ddifferentiffereent ttypesypees of ssushi,ushi, to eded bbyy didividingviding tthehe root anandd not Matsuri,MMatsuurrii, oorr GiGingerinngger RRootoooot FFeFesti-ssti- philosopherphilosopher andand teacteacherher ConCon-- tiontion fforor wwhichhich ggingeringer mamayay bbee bbenieni sshoga,hhogaa, a brbrightrigi ht rreded ggingeringer byb growinggrowing itit frfromom seedsseeds.. Ar-Ar- vals,vvals, thatthat aareree hheldeeld eeveveryeerry SeSep-ep- fuciusfucius hihimselfmself ddemandedemanded tthathat thethe pposteroster cchild.hild. picklepickklel tthathah t ofooftenten sisitsts oonn totopp of chaeologicalchaeological findsfinds fromfrom settle-settle- tember—forttembbeer—for eexample,xxammpplee, aat tthehe gingerginger was never to bebe re-re- Nowadays,Nowadays, ggingeringer ddrinksrinks eeverydayveryydayy ddishesisshes lilikeke yyakisoba,akkisoba, mentsmeentn s ooff tthehe earearlyly iinhabitantsnhabitants ShibaShibba DaDaijinguaijinngguu SShrinehhrrinne iinn ccen-een- movedmoved ffromrom tthehe tatableble dduringuring are cocommonmmon hhomeome rreremediesmedies okokonomiyakionomiyyaka i andaand currycuurry rice.ricce. ofof IIndiandia anandd CChinahina iindicatendicate tthathat traltraall TTokyo,okyoo, aanandd aatt NNinomiyaiinnomiiya hishis everyevery meameal.l. usedused year-royear-round.und. SShogayuhhogayu iiss Not mamanynny wwouldould gguessuess tthathat theythey ccultivatedulu tivated and ususeded ggingeringer ShrineShhrinee iinn AkAkiruno.kiiruunoo. DDuringuuring tththee GingerGinger arrarrivedived on tthehe sshoreshores a ggingeringer tteaea wwithith a sosoothinglyothingglly thisthis kknobbly,nobbb lyy, araromaticoomaticc rooroott hahadd festivals,ffestivvaals,, pportableortaable mimikoshikosshi asas longlong asa 7,000 yearsyears ago.ago. ofof JapanJapan ffromrom ChinaChina anandd KoKo-- soupysoupy consconsistencyistency useusedd aass a to cross ccontinentsonntineents anandd tatakeke shrinesshriinnes ararere ccacarriedrrried aararoundound in TheThe firfirstrsts wrwrittenitten recorrecordsds ooff rea dduringuring tthehe earearlyly fifirstrst mmil-il- homehome remedyremedy to treat tthehee ccom-om- hhelpelp ffromrom momonksnks to bbecomeece ome orderordder ttoo hhonoronnoorr SShintohhinntto ggods,ods, aandnd gingerginger aappearppear iinn CChinahina some lennium,lennium, whenwhen culturalcultural concon-- monmon cocold,ld, as tthehe sspicypicyy rrootoot iss suchsuch an inindispensabledid speensaablb e papartart ooff open-airopenn--aiirr sstallstallls araree filled wiwithith twotwt o and a hahalfalf mmillenniaillennia aago.go. tactstacts bbetweenetween tthehe countrcountriesies believedbelieved ttoo wawarmrm uupp ththee bobodyoddy tthehe JaJapanesepanesee ffoodood llandscape.anndscappe.e freshffresh gingerggingerr rroots,oots, with sstall-taall- TheseThese earlearlyy texttextss araaree sasaidid to be broughtbrought kknowledgenowledge ooff CChinesehinese inin cchillyhiilly weatweather.her. DDuringuring tththee WWhilehile the hihhistorystoory ofo ssushiusshih holdershoolddeers sshshoutinghoouuttiinng “pr“protectsoteccts writtenwritten bbyy SShennong,hennonng, “D“Divineivine traditionaltraditional memedicinedicine aandnd use ooff humidhuummid summsummers,ers, a ssweet,weett, cocoldldd againstaagainst evils”evviilss” oorr “if yyouou eaeatt gigin-in- rereachesaches ovoverer a mmillenniumilleennn ium Farmer”,Farmer”, wwhoho is rerecognizedcognnized aass herbsherbs fforor hhealing.ealing. LLater,ater, dduringuringg gingerginger drinkdrink calledcalled hihiyashi-yashhi- bbackwards,ackwards, the ccultivationulu tivationn aandnd thetht e fafatherther of trtraditionaladitional CChinesehinnese thethe Nara PerPeriodiod (710(710-794-794 CCE),EE), ame iiss tthoughthought to hehhelplp wwithith ger,geerr, yyou’llouu’’ll be ffreeree from colcolds”dds” ass BuddhismBuddhism spreadsppread through-through- tirednesstiredness ccacausedused bbyy tthehe hheat.eat. tot ffestival-goerseestiivval--ggooers and popotentialtenttial out thethe iislands,slands, CChinesehinese tratra-- AnotherAnother swsweeteet trtreateeat iiss ccandiedandied customers—acusttoommerrss——a peperfectrfect cocombi-mbbi- ditionalditional medicinemedicine went hand-hand- ginger,ginger, sshogahoga nno satsatoo zuzukeke tthathaat nationnaatioon ooff relireligiousgious dedevotionvotiion in-handin-hand wwithith iitsts teacteachings.hings. isis ssometimesometimmes ttakenaken aagainstgaainstt andannd heherbalerbaal medmedicineicine memergedrgged BuddhistBuB ddhist monmonksks useusedd heherbalrbal traveltravel andannd morningmorrnning sickness—siicknneess— together.togettheer. medicinemediciine ttoo trtreateat lolocalscals wwhilehile orr jjustuust aas a ffastaast pipick-me-upcck-mmee-up oonn SoS nextnext time, while pipickingckiing teachingteaching tthemhem aaboutbout BuBuddha—ddha— thethe rroroad.add. ata the tinytiny pink hill of ppickledicklled an excellentexcellent way to crcreateeate rre-e- WithWith ssuchucch a sisignificantggniifificcant rroleole gingerginger besidebesside yyourour sushi, spspareaare spect,spect,t sspreadprp ead kknknowledgeowledge anandd to pplaylay on tthehee cculinaryulinnaary anandd a thoughtthought for the lonlongg jjourneyournney gathergather ffollowersollowers fforor bbothoth fifiefields.lds. homehoome rremedyemmedy sscscene,ennee, iitt is no thethe huhumblemmblle root took, from tthehe WhenWhen ggingeringer ffofounduund iitsts wawayay surprisesurpprise tthathat gigingernnggerr ffeatureseeatures steamysteamyy tropicstrropics of SoutSoutheastheaast toto JapaneseJapanese ffoodood platesplates is uun-n- eveneveen iinn ototherher aarareaseas of JaJapanesepanese AsiaAsia acrossaccrosss the continent,continent, oovervver certain,certain, bbutut iitstts conneconnectionction to culture.cuulttuure. AAnimenime ffansaans can ffollowollow thethe seseaa inn tthehe mmedicineedicine ttrunksrunnks medicinemedicine pprevailed.revailed. To tthishis thetthe lolong-publishedng-pubbllishhed InuyaInuyashasha of BuddhistBuddhisst monks,monks, to becomingbecomiing day,day,y hherbserbs anandd vvegetableseggetables ththataat mangamanga seriesseries byby RuRumikomiko Taka-Taka- an indispensableinddispeensable part ooff bbothooth are ususededd to garngarnishish JaJapaneseappannesee hashi,hashi, wherewhere tthehe prpricklyickly SShogahoga JapaneseJapaneese ccuisineuisine anandd cuculture.lture. JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA A T 5 N

Bold, fresh flavors

Our steaks are hand trimmed to deliver a steak that’s the star of our kitchen. Try our classic Victoria’s Filet seasoned and seared just right. And don’t miss out on our happy hour special, available only at our Roppongi and Shinagawa Takanawa & Konan branches. You can enjoy any of our 18 select drinks at the bar for half price, weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (This deal is available every day at Takanawa branch). For inquiries and reservations, please contact your nearest Outback Steakhouse today!

Love is in the air at the Yokota E-Club The Yokota Enlisted Club is creating a special Valentine’s Day Dinner at Charlie T’s for you and that special someone. You won’t want to miss this amazing four-course handcrafted culinary experience, using only the freshest ingredients! Courses include filet mignon, lobster, roasted chicken or blackened tofu ragout for your entrée. And, for dessert enjoy homemade chocolate truffles. If your plans include the family, visit the Ohsawa Ballroom for a family-friendly night from 5-9 p.m. Members be sure to use your club card to get that well-deserved discount. Reservations are needed so call us at 227-8820 or visit us at the Enlisted Club today! STRIPES JAPAN JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 ASTE OF JAPA A T 6 N

HISTORY OF TAMAGO-KAKE-GOHAN Since ancient times the main meat consumed by a simple dish like tamago- the Japanese people has been fish, because of the kake-gohan. Buddhist commandment against killing animals. Al- The first person to make though the consumption of chicken was a little bit tamago-kake-gohan is said to higher than the consumption of other land-animals, be Ginko Kishida (1833-1905), the egg was not considered to be food for a long who was considered a pioneer time. In Shintoism, the egg is regarded as an offer- in various things. For example, ing to the Gods, and people believed that they would not only was he Japan’s first war be punished if they ate eggs. reporter, but he was also the cre- R During the Edo Period (1603-1868), people be- ator of line dancing. In addition gan keeping chickens as pets (what is this, Portland, to this, Ginko was a close friend of OR?). Shortly after, eggs began to become a regular James Curtis Hepburn, who made A part of some diets because they quickly came to re- the Hepburn Romanization System. I alize that unfertilized eggs didn’t hatch. One result Ginko also helped him to make the Jap- S of this new knowledge was that they could stop con- anese-English dictionary, which, in case W sidering an egg as a creature under heaven. Because you haven’t heard of it, is called “Wa-eigo- of that, people eventually lost Rinshuusei”. My favorite accomplishment of the belief that eating an egg Ginko’s was his invention of tamago- A E was a sin, so the act of do- kake-gohan, which he did dur-r- GG ing so was no longer taboo. ing the Meiji Era (1868-1912).2). They then moved on from He was amazed at how tastysty J having chickens as pets to it was and recommendedd iitt A having chickens for the sole to everyone he knew. His afaf-f- purpose of egg production fection for his tamago-kake-ke- P and collection. Because gohan did not go unnoticeded AN eggs were considered a and it was introduced to luxury and were a very ex- the public in a magazine. BY MAMI TOFUG pensive food item for a long That issue wrote about how time, nobody ever dreamed he puts 3-4 eggs on top of about using eggs for such cooked rice for breakfast. henhheen you get likelliik someth thatthWhatat mostmosost ofof youyouo have ne raw egg on top of some cooke feel disgusted just by thinking about Salmonella poisoning. Yet consisting of only the two ingred THE SPECIAL SOY SAUCE ONLY usually you add a bit of soy sau meal to many Japanese people. FOR TAMAGO-KAKE-GOHAN some people refuse to consider t Because of Ginko, tamago-kake-gohan didn’t give up and started making firewood, to save the village and asked gohan as “cooking”. Yet, famous J gradually spread among the Japanese popu- charcoal, and timber from nearby forests. But, them for help. For 50,000 Kurihara introduced this dish i lace, but for a long time all it really could due to energy revolutions of the time, jobs had yen, you could get a single foreigners: “Harumi’s Japanese C become was a popular comfort food eaten in to be cut again. Sadly, more and more people share of the company. They restaurants in Japan that actuall people’s homes. It wasn’t until a special soy had to leave in order to get a job. The popula- understood that was a great egg over cooked rice dish, and s sauce made strictly for tamago-kake-gohan tion was around 5,000 in 1955, but it dropped deal of money for poor villagers, There is even an annual tama was made (in the early 2000s) that it really to 2,800 in 1980. but they ended up raising more I know it’s pretty hard to s became a big hit. It sounds like some guy just Some people living there were aware of the money than they had expected eggs-citing to learn about s got really lucky and made a lot of money be- decreasing population, so they became very because village groups, companies, Japanese dish? Please “chi egg-ucated in thi cause he was struck with an idea for a unique determined to increase it. They knew the big- and villagers (everyone, young and take on soy sauce, but the fact is that it only gest reason why young people were not settling old alike) were resolute in their desire to became a hit after a lot of work and effort on down in the village was because there weren’t make their community stronger and better. G his part. enough jobs to go around, so they de- Thus, a public-private partnership company, TOFU This special soy sauce was first produced cided to create job opportunities. named Yoshida Furusato Mura Co., Ltd., was by a group formed out of a They considered how they could established in April of 1985. public-private partnership, improve upon something that was A very long time passed until they stumbled which was a joint venture already a part of their communi- upon their idea for their tamago-kake-gohan between local government ty. They knew that they had tasty soy sauce. It began when a chicken farmer and private investors from a rice and wonderful vegetables, made the request: “Could you make something small mountain village named so at first they tried making that we can sell with our eggs?” Just like that, Yoshida, Iishi-gun, in Shi- pickles and nishime (which the soy sauce venture got underway in March, mane Prefecture. Today, this includes vegetables such 2001. The initial conception of how this sauce village is now Yoshida Town as carrots, taro, konnyaku, was going to taste was very difficult to come Unnan City in Shimane etc). In order to achieve by as they had no other sauces to build off of prefecture. The town used their goal, local govern- or compare to. They had numerous meetings, to be famous and prosper- ment and residents had made an infinite amount of samples, and con- ous for its “Tatara Iron to combine efforts and ducted countless taste Manufacturing” plant, but work together. tests with rice until, fi- they started having trouble The people had to nally, the first specialty as the manufacturing of convince every resi- soy sauce, named (Ota- steel blast furnaces came dent in the village that mahan) was born a to Japan. Despite this, they they had to do something year later in May, 2002. JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA A T 7 N

TAMAGO-KAKE-GOHAN BOOM

Thanks to the to the Japanese by witnessing the boom they basi- unique concept, great cally created. So, they made a “Tamago-kake-gohan taste, cute name, and Symposium Committee.” When Yoshida Town held assurances that only the first “Japanese Tamago-Kake-Gohan Sympo- all-natural ingredients and very lit- sium” for three days in October of 2005, around tle fertilizer was used, it built itself 2,500 people came from all over Japan. That’s a lot a nice reputation. They started sell- of people for a village with a population of around ing it with rice out of Yoshida Town 2,300. And, the people attending weren’t just ordi- and the success became evident soon nary folks like you and me. There were many TV and E after sales began. It wasn’t long before radio stations attending as well, and the news about they had a 4-month back order. the symposium was reported all C Today, there are more than 50 kinds of over Japan, which helped pop- I T Tamago-kake-gohan soy sauces sold in Ja- ularize Tamago-kake-gohan pan, and there is a vast number of popular res- even more. R taurants that only serve tamago- S kake-gohan. That should help G ON to give you an idea of how A popular this dish (and this soy sauce) has become. E The people of the F Yoshida Town commu- nity were reminded E of the importance of NES tamago-kake-gohan SUZUKI, U.COM

t hungry and feel File photos hing tasty, I’m guessing ever considered cracking a ed rice. Many of you may even g about it, or maybe get worried t, this simple tamago kake gohan, dients mentioned above (though ce), is an eggs-elently delicious SAFETY AND NUTRIENTS Since it is such a simple meal, he preparation of tamago-kake- Eggs contain many nutrients and a eggs that have been very well washed, one hole in a chicken,hi k and d iit all ll comes Japanese cooking expert Harumi good amount of protein. Though the bio- as they expect Japanese people may out that one hole). Most Japanese eggs in her Japanese cook book for availability of cooked eggs is 91% (com- consume them raw, the number of peo- get sterilized at GP Center, which is a Cooking“. There are now a lot of pared to 51% in raw eggs), other nutri- ple getting salmonella poisoning in Ja- factory for grading eggs and packing ly specialize in serving this raw ents become denatured when exposed to pan has increased since the 90s. So be them, but you shouldn’t eat an egg raw if some are eggs-tremely famous. high heat, so raw eggs have some special careful, everyone! I wonder if this is just it has a crack in its shell. Moreover, even ago-kake-gohan symposium! benefits as well, maximizing what the in line with the increased popularity of if there is no crack in the egg shell, you wallow, but isn’t it at least body can intake and process. tamago-kake-gohan or something else? shouldn’t eat a raw egg that has been left such a popular and unique However, raw egg yolks are also Salmonella is found in chicken intes- for a long time after cracking it open. If ick out” today’s post to get known as a medium for Salmonella. Al- tines and it sometimes attaches itself to you want to eat raw eggs, please make s Japanese meal! though Japanese egg farmers provide egg shells via chicken poop (there’s only sure to get fresh ones! GU.COM TAMAGO-KAKE-GOHAN PRODUCTS Following the tamago-kake- END OF A BOOM? gohan boom, various products for tamago-kake-gohan were Since the typical food boom usu- waiting to eat such a simple meal, made. For example, there is a ally only lasts for a couple years, especially because the restaurant tamago-kake-gohan stirring rod some people say that the tamago- is located in such an inconvenient which acts like a whisk to mix raw kake-gohan boom quickly reached place. I was so impressed that I egg to a smoother consistency and its end, too. However, others point asked to do an interview with the also a tamago-kake-gohan T-shirt out that it has been a “staple” meal president of the restaurant and he to express your love of tamago- for Japanese people and will con- agreed (so we’ll post that up to- kake-gohan. tinue to be so in the future. I agree morrow!). Not to spoil it for you Although it is such a simple rec- with the latter opinion. Regardless or anything, but he had the idea ipe, there is a tamago-kake-gohan of whether it was a boom or not, I for tamago-kake-gohan long be- recipe book which boasts one recipe like tamago-kake-gohan and I will fore the boom started and his road for each day of the year. The book have it every time I come back to to success is such an interesting has also become an app. Following the Japan. one. So, be sure to stay up all night release of the book, they also made a In fact, I recently visited a fa- hitting the refresh button on your catchy 365 day tamago-kake-gohan mous tamago-kake-gohan place browser so that you can find out song that you can listen to on the app or and wrote about it for Tofugu’s how he took the simplicity of tama- you can buy the CD from 365tkg.com/ Travel Section. I was impressed go-kake-gohan and made it into his cd.html , if you like. to see such a long line of people life. STRIPES JAPAN JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 ASTE OF JAPA A T 8 N Photo courtesy of Alpha

Japanese umami taste, ingredients of dashi (japanese soup stock)

WHY JAPANESE FOOD TASTES SO GOOD TOFUGU.COM UMAMI: THE FIFTH OF THE FOUR BASIC TASTES

BY HASHI, right (like geometry!). On the other What is umami exactly? It’s a little TOFUGU.COM hand, they were wrong about a lot of hard to describe. Umami is the kind of other things (like leeches!). flavor that’s found in meat, cheese, and ver wonder what makes Japa- And Democritus couldn’t be more mushrooms. Again, think “savory.” nese food taste the way it does? wrong about the number of basic tastes. And not only did Ikeda discover It absolutely has a very distinct E But nobody would challenge the scien- umami, but he also created monoso- flavor, but how would you describe it? tific basis of this claim until thousands dium glutamate, or MSG. So whenever A hundred years ago, the distinct fla- of years later, when an unknown Japa- you’re in a cheap Chinese restaurant vor of Japanese food lead to the discov- nese scientist started questioning the that heaps on the MSG, thank Ikeda. ery of a brand new flavor: umami. status quo. THE FOUR BASIC TASTES THE SCIENCE OF TASTE THE FIFTH BASIC TASTE Why do things taste the way they do? If you want to describe the taste of In the early 1900s, a Japanese chem- How did Ikeda discover umami? It’s all your food, then you probably use a com- ist named Kikunae Ikeda began to won- in the science of food. (And no, I’m not bination of a few different words: sour, der if there might be a fifith basic taste. talking about molecular gastronomy.) bitter, salty, and sweet. After examining lots of different foods There’s actually a scientific explana- And in fact, for thousands of years people have used those four concepts that didn’t quite fit into the four other tion behind each type of taste. Sourness, to describe their food. Sure, you might categories, Ikeda found it: the fifth bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, and branch out a little bit more by describ- taste. umami all have a chemical linked to them ing the textures (e.g. crunchy, tender) He called it that make them taste the way they do. or compare it to another food, but at the umami ࠺ࡲ࿡. For umami, that chemical is gluta- very core, there wasn’t any other way Some cul- mate. Ikeda was able to figure out that to describe taste. tures call all of the foods that had the umami fla- it savori- vor all had high levels of glutamate. WHY? MAINLY BECAUSE ness, but OF THIS GUY the term WHY JAPAN? This guy’s name was Democritus. umami is How was umami discovered in Ja- Democritus, along with a bunch of used all pan, of all places? Look into Japan’s his- other Greek thinkers like Socrates across the tory and it seems almost obvious. and Euclid, were pretty much world to- Buddhism values all life, which is the founders of western day. why Buddhist practitioners are some- scientific and philo- times vegetarian. So when Buddhism sophical thought. was first introduced in Japan way back And Democri- in the day, meat was formally banned tus theorized for a time. that foods tasted Obviously, this ban wasn’t too long- like one of the lasting or always observed, but it did four basic cat- have some impact on Japanese food. To egories because compensate for the lack of meat, Japa- of the shapes of nese developed a cuisine with lots of the food’s atoms. food rich in umami. Most of the foods To be fair, that are the foundation of Japanese cui- Greek thinkers sine, like dashi and soy sauce, are very Photo courtesy of Afshin Darian got a lot of things umami-heavy. JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA A T 9 N

Be mobile, order ahead with McD’s new app If you’re craving a Big Mac, cheeseburger, our famous fries or any other of our mouth-watering selections and you don’t feel like waiting in line, simply use our “McDonald’s Mobile Order” app and your food will be ready when you walk into McDonald’s. Choose the location, make your order, pick ‘for here’ or ‘to go’ (Drive thru is not an option), and choose how to pay. It’s as simple as that. McDonald’s knows you have places to go and people to see, so every minute counts. Order ahead at your Misawa McDonald’s!

Authentic, juicy & hearty, we are now in Yokosuka

Born in CALIFORNIA OVER 75 YEARS ago, Carl Karcher had a hot dog cart and a dream. The hot dog cart be- came CARL’S JR.®, now one of the PREMIER BURGER BRANDS in the world, with over 3,800 RESTAURANTS in over 42 COUNTRIES. We focus on FRESH FOOD made with only PREMIUM QUALITY INGREDIENTS so that you can indulge in our BIG, JUICY BURGERS, HAND- SCOOPED REAL ICE CREAM SHAKES and HAND-BREAD- ED CHICKEN. All while you sit back and relax as WE BRING FOOD TO YOUR TABLE with a smile as warm as the CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE. STRIPES JAPAN JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 ASTE OF JAPA A T 10 N

A little story about Jack & Betty hotdogs Located in Sky Plaza Misawa, Jack & Betty Food Corner offers a variety of tasty hotdogs. Our eight original homemade hotdogs are popular with the military community and all lovers of hotdogs. Our large juicy “dogs” are served on local freshly baked buns, a combo that will leave your mouth watering and your stomach grumbling for more. And if you do have some room left, we recommend our homemade, naturally-flavored and additive-free gelato, the perfect dessert to any of our tasty hotdogs! So, stop by Jack & Betty. We’ll make you feel at home while you chomp on our tasty dogs.

Chico’s Chop House - VALENTINE'S DINNER SPECIAL $45 per person / Four Course Meal -Reservations Required- Live contemporary jazz performance! Featuring baked salmon with champagne sauce, tenderloin with port wine sauce or stuffed bell pepper for entree. fine dining at the Yokota Officers’ Club Chico’s Chop House & Seafood Grill is the Officers’ Club signature restaurant at Yokota Air Base. The entire military community across the Kanto can enjoy fine January"SALMON Monthly BURGER" Dinner Special Fresh salmon cake topped dining at Chico’s with our impressive menu featuring with arugula,tzatziki. tomato and $15.50 many delicious dishes, specialty buffets, and desserts. On February 14, from 5 to 9 pm, enjoy our Valentine’s Day Special Dining with a live contemporary jazz performance. Enjoy a romantic dinner with your choice of entrée including baked salmon with champagne sauce, tenderloin with port wine sauce or stuffed bell pepper. Include in your perfect date plans! Reservations are required, so call us at 225-8341 or stop by the O’Club! JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA A T 11 N

INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS PREPARATION • 150g cream cheese • 100g silken (kinu) tofu 1. Leave 450g of fat-free yogurt on a pa- • 150 ml milk • 200g drained fat-free yogurt per towel or coffee filter in a strainer • 3 eggs, separated • 80g cream cheese in the fridge overnight. The result will • 60g sugar • 4 tbsp sugar (1 tbsp = 15ml) be about 200g of drained yogurt, with • 20g flour • 1 tbsp lemon juice whey drained out below. (If you’re in • 10g corn flour • 1/3 cup (80ml) espresso a hurry, you can substitute unsweet- • 20ml lemon juice Japanese • 1 tsp rum (optional) (1 tsp = 5ml) ened Greek yogurt or mascarpone • apricot jam, • 5 hard biscuits cheese.) or serving (optional) • 1/3 cup fresh okara 2. In a deep mixing bowl, combine the Souffle Cheesecake • Cacao powder to dust tofu, drained yogurt, cream cheese, Servings: 1 sugar and lemon juice. With a blend- Servings: 4 er or whisk, blend to smoothness. PREPARATION Put the mix in the refrigerator. Briefly 1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Grease a 15cm round (about 1/5) microwave the okara to remove ex- springform cake tin and line with baking paper. mixture to the cess moisture and allow it to cool. Place cake tin on a sheet of aluminum foil and batter and whisk well to combine thoroughly. Crush the biscuits and combine wrap the edges of the foil up the side of the Add remaining egg whites and fold gently to them with the cooled okara. Add dish and press to secure — this is to prevent combine. espresso and rum (optional). water from the bain-marie entering the dish. 6. Once mixture is smooth and well-combined, Toss to allow the espresso to Place the tin in a larger baking dish and set pour it into the prepared tin. Add hot water to be absorbed evenly. aside. the larger baking dish, to about 2cm up the side 3. Fill 4 small cups to about 1/8 2. Sift together the flour and corn flour and set of the cake tin. with the creamy mix from the aside. 7. Place dishes into the oven and bake at 160ºC fridge. Then fill each cup to 3. Combine cream cheese, milk and butter in a for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 150ºC and halfway with the crushed bis- saucepan over a medium-low heat. Allow mix- bake for a further 40 minutes. The top should cuit mix. ture to soften, then whisk to combine into a be slightly browned and the cake still a little 4. Place the rest of the creamy smooth consistency and remove from the heat. wobbly when shaken. mix in the cups and cover this Add egg yolks while continuously whisking, to 8. Once cake has cooked, open the oven door a withwitht thethee rest of the crushed bis- combine thoroughly and prevent yolks from little and allow the cake to cool for about 40 Healthy cuitcuc mix. cooking. minutes. 5.5 Refrigerate for about 4. Add flour mixture to the cream cheese batter, 9. Warm some apricot jam so it’s easier to spread, 1 hour. Dust the top with and whisk to combine. then remove cake from oven and tin, set it on a Tiramisu cacaoca powder before serv- 5. Add egg whites into a large mixing bowl with serving plate, and brush the top with jam. ing.inn a pinch of salt. Whisk to form stiff peaks, set aside in refrigerator. Add a little of the egg white - Jessica Thompson, Metropolis - Rieko Suzuki, Metropolis

Café offers a taste of American diner

TAK the owner of CAFE PX wants military members to have fun and remember their lifestyle in the United States, enjoy their lives and meals by coming to CAFE PX while they are stationed in Japan. He was also a cook at the old Negishi housing “All Hands Club” so he knows how to make great American-style food like B.L.T, om- elets, pizza, burgers, hotdogs, milk shakes and more. He wants to create an American hometown neighborhood diner, style and feel so his customers can relax, eat and enjoy his hospitality. STRIPES JAPAN JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2020 ASTE OF JAPA A T 12 N