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Old Jan 11, 2009 | 6:34 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by 1k-all-the-way
I've had about 8 of the 10. No live fish or horse meat for me, but really not exotic - maybe just xenophobic? Takoyaki (spelling) is about exotic tasting as french fries with gravy, and Natto is twice as palatable as Marmite! Fugu - very mild - like cod really.
And horsemeat is different...a bit stringy, with an off taste that I can't describe as traditionally "gamy" but definitely there. I had horse at a Paris bistrt in the early 70's under the name steak au poivre, and I knew when eating it that it sure wasn't cow...otherwise it would have been (and would have tasted like) biftek.

I'll pass on the natto, thanks
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Old Jan 11, 2009 | 6:47 pm
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They're not that exotic to most seasoned travellers.

Wait till you go to some mountainous parts of Japan and be presented with barbecued salamanders. Now that's getting into the 'exotic' territory.
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Old Jan 12, 2009 | 3:11 am
  #18  
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Originally Posted by marais
And horsemeat is different...a bit stringy, with an off taste that I can't describe as traditionally "gamy" but definitely there. I had horse at a Paris bistrt in the early 70's under the name steak au poivre, and I knew when eating it that it sure wasn't cow...otherwise it would have been (and would have tasted like) biftek.
Interesting. Horsemeat, if a decent cut, shouldn't be stringy, and if properly
handled shouldn't be at all gamy. I've been amused by the evolution of French
since I became familiar with it fifty years ago: back then, a beefsteak was
definitely "bifteck"; now, it's "steak" or sometimes "steack." When conversing
(rustily) with a friend's daughter not too long ago I was struck by the changes
in vocabulary and even syntax from the olden days (she sort of chuckled when
I referred to the train line as a "chemin de fer"). The '70s would have been some
kind of transitional time, I guess.
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Old Jan 12, 2009 | 8:36 am
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At least the Western parts of Germany Im more familiar with also have a strong horsemeat tradition.

In Cologne or Dusseldorf finding a butcher with homemade horse salami is a delight as is a proper "Sauerbraten" of horsemeat with red wine based sauce and apple compote.

Oh, were we talking about Japan...Natto is a great breakfast dish. Live fish is rather a Korean thing and also overrated IMHO.

God I had good Yunnan food today, fish head stew and what not.
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Old Jan 12, 2009 | 12:11 pm
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Originally Posted by mosburger
Oh, were we talking about Japan...Natto is a great breakfast dish. Live fish is rather a Korean thing and also overrated IMHO.
Fish is at its best when served fresh
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Old Jan 12, 2009 | 12:26 pm
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Milt is not so Japanese...

I learned to eat it from my Russian grandfather scrambled w/ eggs on toast.
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Old Jan 15, 2009 | 9:55 pm
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During my last trip to Japan, my host tried to get me to eat a number of odd items including honeybee larvae. I asked him if he was going to eat them and followed his lead as he had no intention of doing so.
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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 11:31 am
  #23  
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If you mix in a little soy sauce into the natto it removes a lot of the smell. I enjoy natto occasionally (my Dad loves it) but I actually find the stringy gooey texture of it which annoys me at times. I guess I am too impatient!!
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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 11:48 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by luxury
If you mix in a little soy sauce into the natto it removes a lot of the smell. I enjoy natto occasionally (my Dad loves it) but I actually find the stringy gooey texture of it which annoys me at times. I guess I am too impatient!!
Another trick I learned from my Japanese wife is to add cheese (no, really) and some negi--I hated natto until I tried it this way, but now I don't mind the stuff. And shirako is excellent raw--fortunately, I had it up in Hokkaido, where they call it "tachi", so I wasn't able to figure out what I was eating until after I learned how tasty it was.

Shiokara, on the other hand, I will never develop a taste for.
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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 1:24 pm
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I can handle shiokara, but I have a problem with shirauo, when they are supposed to be swallowed alive.

I could 'only just about' handle batta-no tsukudani (locusts boiled in some kind of somewhat sticky Japanese sauce that tasted like sweet soya sauce).
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 9:03 am
  #26  
 
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I'd really like to try blowfish. I'd feel challenged to eat Shirako. The rest is fair game. Interesting post.
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Old Jan 22, 2009 | 9:14 am
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Kushiro
Another trick I learned from my Japanese wife is to add cheese (no, really) and some negi--I hated natto until I tried it this way, but now I don't mind the stuff.
I neither hate nor love natto but do eat it pretty regularly as it's cheap and nutritious. My Tokyoite husband loves the stuff.
Here are two recipes which show how unchallenging natto can be:
Natto in pasta sauce
and
Natto in curry

I recommend parmesan as a cheese to eat natto with, mascarpone works too.
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Old Jan 23, 2009 | 4:48 pm
  #28  
 
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I recently returned from Japan where I had sea cucumber intestines at Kitcho in Kyoto. Can't say I am a fan. The video link below more or less says it all. Enjoyed the fugu though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCxKFc3XtJs
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Old Jan 28, 2009 | 1:05 am
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Justanother1k
I recently returned from Japan where I had sea cucumber intestines at Kitcho in Kyoto. Can't say I am a fan. The video link below more or less says it all. Enjoyed the fugu though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCxKFc3XtJs
These entrails are called Konowata. I agree that they are a rather 'exotic' delicacy.

Here's a thread that covers them
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan...nus-tokyo.html
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Old Jan 29, 2009 | 10:40 pm
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Justanother1k
I recently returned from Japan where I had sea cucumber intestines at Kitcho in Kyoto. Can't say I am a fan. The video link below more or less says it all. Enjoyed the fugu though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCxKFc3XtJs
They served these in first class on my ANA flight from IAD-NRT. I was very impressed that they would serve such a dish on a flight.

The dish was OK -- I would call it a generic fishy taste, a bit unctuous, with a texture that you'd expect based on what it looks like. Tasty enough, but not too exotic on the tastebuds. I would certainly order it again.
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