Japan seems to think differently about food. As an American, to me food should smell good, look good, taste good, be enjoyable, and hopefully be covered in cheese. Japan seems to have this weird hangup about "nutrition" and "health" though, and it often gets in the way of my culinary enjoyment.

Take natto, for instance, but only metaphorically. Don't actually eat it. There's no pretty, euphemistic way to describe rotting soybeans, slimy in their decomposition, and smelly like a Satanic fart, and it seems to be Japanese people's favorite food to taunt Westerners with. Stay in Japan even a few days, and someone's bound to hit you with, "Do you like Japanese food?", to which you'll obligingly and optimistically gush, "Yes!". Then they'll smile conspiratorially and say, "Do you like... hee hee... sneeeeer... natto?!" just so they can watch you screw up your face and make a gagging noise while they laugh. And then, as if it's part of some mandatory national anthemic recitation, they'll always say, "But it's healthy!!"

Japanese people excuse a lot of otherwise assetless foods by saying, "It's healthy!" To me, this always sounds like, "Yeah, but she's got a great personality!" I received a box of small assorted crackers from someone a few weeks ago, gifts of food are common, and part of the assortment included crackers topped with tiny whole fish, heads and all, a common food here I always find deeply disturbing. I gave them to a Japanese friend yesterday, I asked if he liked them, and he said, "Yeah, they have lots of calcium!" I tried to reason with him, "Yeah, but... heads. Sorry, but eyes trumps calcium. Cheese doesn't have eyes. I like cheese." He just laughed and popped a fish head between his teeth. Sure he'll probably live forever, but at least I don't have to eat any fish heads.

Comments

[Quin]

What are those tiny whole fish called? If they're the same ones I'm thinking of (paper-clip-sized, silvery, look like they've been varnished), I love them, but can only find them as a very small portion of a snack mix [ http://moonatnoon.com/projects/meals/0409x.jpg ]. I can appreciate that you don't want to eat them... but I do! (Thank you!)

[jarred]

I ate jellied dog the other day. I thought it bigoted of me to only eat cows, chickens, pigs, and the occasional lamp.

P.S. tastes like SPAM.

[Bob]

I like cheese too

[Lisa]

My other favourite is 'it's for texture' (chicken cartilage, mm-mmm).
Our friends have three phrases: good for texture, good for health or good for beer. The last being the only one I subscribe to.

[Brenna]

Just so you know, I really enjoy your blog.