Are the
fruits really presented like jewels?
Does
everything cost a fortune?
Do they have
fruits and vegetables that we’d be hard-pressed to identify?
I know that
Hiroko misses shopping at the Union Square Market but evidently doesn’t miss
some of our grown-to-be-shipped tasteless fruit.
Here is
Hiroko’s guest blog entry:
Japanese can be very picky
about their berries. In Japan, you'll find these red strawberries neatly lined
up in a container as if they are something really precious.
Oooh, comfy! |
Do you see how "pampered" these strawberries are? They're sitting on a fluffy foam bed.
I saw a Japanese strawberry
farmer on TV the other day -- he dedicates his life to "Strawberry Breed
Improvements" -- and finally created "Skyberry," big, tart,
sweet and juicy kind that costs $20 for 600 grams!
I remember strawberries I found
in the supermarkets in the US were usually very big but practically had no
flavor -- they had no sweetness, no tartness, no smell, just kind of cold, dry
"something look red outside.”
The only good thing about them
was that I could find them throughout a year, and were totally different from
what we saw in Green Market in spring time -- farm strawberries were small,
sweet, juicy, but their season was really short!
I found that Japanese
strawberries are like hybrid of those two strawberries. They are medium sized, nice and
ripe, have lots of flavor -- but rather expensive. I would say one container --
bit less than that one pound container of Driscoll's -- can cost 4 dollars
(regular kind) to 10 dollars (premium kind). I can find probably 4 to 6
different kind of strawberries in one store -- because some like it small and
tart and some like it big and sweet.
The strawberries in my photo
are called "Tochi Otome" (Belle of Tochigi). They were a gift from my
dinner guest. They were very sweet and had a great aroma that filled the room
immediately.
How is the Green Market at
Union Square doing? Is it still too cold for berries?
Hiroko also
provided this information about this springtime delicacy. (And I will try to ignore
the mention of mayonnaise, which I know is extremely popular in Japan, much to
my chagrin.)
"Nano Hana" (field mustard) is a delicacy of springtime.
I like the way they are
wrapped, in old fashioned paper and rubber band!
If you go to countryside
out of Tokyo in early spring, you'll see field of this plant blooming --
thousands of yellow flowers swaying in the wind -- some poet described it as
"Mustard green field, scrambled eggs for a million people.” It is kind of
rustic scenery of springtime in Japan.
I guess the seeds are used to
make Canola oil, but some make it to our table before they start
to bloom! [Note: I googled "Nano hana" and learned that yes, it is indeed the same as rapeseed, whose seed's oil was the original basis of "Canadian oil, low acid," or Canola.]
The Nano Hana tastes a bit
bitter -- like broccolini or broccoli rabe, but much more tender than them. It
cooks rather quickly, so you've have to be watchful not to overcook!
We usually boil it
crisp-tender, and season lightly with dressing of your choice, such as a
mixture of dashi-broth and soy sauce, mustard and soy sauce, etc. My favorite
is a mixture of mayo, roasted sesame paste (like tahini) and soy sauce. The key
is not to overpower the green with too much dressing, as we need to feel that
slight bitterness. The flavor says "Spring!!!" to us. Soon, the
season for Nano Hana will be over :(.
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