Gaijin vs. Japanese Cooking Remixed

Posted on May 13, 2007 by Adam R.

In my time in Japan I have sampled some bad versions of western food in restaurants and these include a kebab with cabbage and Thousand Island dressing, pizza with corn, broccoli and fish on it and a blood red so called well-done steak. I cook for a my in-laws three meals a day every day and my wife is used to it from living with me in Australia previously but the rest of the in-laws are dumbfounded. My Father in-law says it is like living if a five star hotel since I arrived, as he is happy with huge meals three times a day.

From my understanding women do the cooking at home in Japan and them men just sit down and eat whatever is presented. It is just the cross-cultural divide, as in Australia you don’t let the girls near the BBQ that is the men’s domain. If I want to eat nice food I would rather make it myself as I find restaurant prices way too high and would rather pig out myself, eating more for the same price.

Pancakes, bacon, omelets, fruit platters and homemade pizza toast seem to amaze them for breakfast. Rice and miso soupA traditional Japanese soup made by disolving fermented soybean paste (miso) in soup stock. There are many optional ingredients such as seaweed, tofu, onions, mushrooms, and potatoes. is too boring for me but is normal for them so I like seeing them getting a healthy meal before they start their day. I know miso is very good for your health as is green tea but that is not brain food in my book to get you going for the day.

One thing I insisted on getting installed was a fan-forced oven, as you are severely limited with just a microwave, stove and toaster oven. How did they ever survive with out an oven to make roast’s in as oven cooking is the norm in Australia. I roast a lot of vegetables in the oven and meat so it is a remix of yakiniku that is very popular in the house and among visiting relatives dropping over for a meal.

As bread is not a real favorite in Japan I am doing my little bit to change that by baking cakes, scones, pies and biscuits in the oven and sending them off with the local relatives. Shish kebabs are another dish they are amazed at but it seems just like yakitori to me with different meat and vegetables, the whole clan came to try an Aussie roast lamb dinner and they are all hooked on roasts.

I learn something everyday about cooking Japanese food and have labeled everything in plastic containers in non-kanjiThe most complex of the three types of characters used in written Japanese. Sometimes called "Chinese characters." with a marking pen so I can learn the names quicker. This is a real good idea to get you in the lingo, so when you need to do the shopping list you can do it in Japanese. Some things I am not sure if it is superstition or lack of education as I made cheezy potatoes and they did not go down well with the family at first. Wondering why my wife explained she is used to them but the skin is considered dirty and for this reason is not eaten. I asked her to explain to her family the skin holds the most vitamins and minerals in potatoes and googled it up in Japanese for them, now cheezy potatoes are a weekly favorite.

Lunch and dinner is always teishoku style on a tray as everyone can split to their own room if they like or we can stay at the dinning table.

If you are just starting out cooking Japanese food you will find what you think tastes nice is not popular with Japanese. One example of this is the strength of miso soup, what you call tasty will seem extremely weak to Japanese.

So be prepared for a few knockbacks at first.