Crazy Japanese Food!

by 9 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #2,505 in Food, #46,865 overall

Something Fishy This Way Comes!

Living in Japan, I cannot help but sample all of the different food that is here. And what I have discovered is probably one of the most food crazy cultures in the world! The Japanese love food, love fresh food, and will eat nearly anything! So I have put some information here to guide you, dear reader to some of the most interesting food I have found in the land of the rising sun!

Favorite J-Foods
More about Japanese food!
Random Sushi Stuff

Shellfish Sushi!

Keeping the world safe for vertebrates!

I love shellfish sushi... gotta eat the little filters! Shellfish are one of nature's great vaccuum systems, keeping the oceans clean. Some people think this is a bad thing, and that makes them dirty. Well, let them think it! Leaves more good shellfish sushi for me!
Pictured here are hokkagai, clams, scallops, and some shellfish I am not sure of... I loves me shellfishies!

Takoyaki

And some Negidako on the side

Takoyaki is a strange but tasty Japanese fast food. Keeping the world safe from cephalopods, the Japanese love to make an omelet based treat called takoyaki. In the center of each spherical ball of tasty goodness is a piece of octopus! The omelet mix has bits of veggies as well as the tako (octopus) at the center.. and it is a true treat to watch being made as well as eaten. The takoyaki cook uses two little needle prongs to manipulate the takoyaki balls in row upon row of hemispherical holes in a cast iron cooking surface. The balls cook and are rotated by using the needle prongs to flip the takoyaki around. In the end, six, eight, or ten takoyaki are covered with a BBQ style sauce, mayonaise, bonito flakes, and other odd things. In the case of Negidako, fresh, thin sliced onions join the party and the BBQ sauce goes away... DELICIOUS!

Instant Gratification!

Ramen, ramen, everywhere...

Need instant gratification? Need instant calories? Instant ramen is the answer. Japanese instant ramen is not your college staple, it is a complex, designed product. As you can see, this ramen has a tempura shrimp "pizza," special spices, sauces, and even a specially designed heating container! Wow. Feed me some more!

Favorite J-Foods

But only the ones that are really weird...

This is my personal list of odd Japanese foods that I will gladly part with cold, hard cash for... Some are no brainers for me, others... well, you have to be willing to go out on a limb sometimes in this crazy world...

Takoyaki/Negidako - Octopus balls, keeping the world safe from cephalopods! I talk about these little delights at length about, but you can never get enough takoyaki... and if the flavor gets overpowering... there is always the lighter tasting negidako to meet your octo-eating quota!
Green Tea Marshmallows - stuffed with a green tea based jelly. These are great! There are many kinds of marshmallows here, blueberry, cherry, passion fruit, caramel flan, chestnut, and goodness knows what else! Who wants normal marshmallows when you can have them in a rainbow of colors (and not the dried out kind in cereal) and flavors!
Apple and squid ink cakes - the true taste of Aomori province! Little black sponge cakes stuffed with apples! It takes daring to try a black cake, and I do not mean chocolate... I mean squid ink black. After a taste however, you will be a convert. Aomori is defined by its abundant and tasty squid and delicious apples... two great tastes, you fill in the rest!
Dried squid jerky - a favorite in and out of the bar scene. Chewy, tasty, weird. That is what it is all about... Dried squid jerky is rampant in Asia, and since Aomori is squid happy land... well... some of the best squid jerky is here too!
Strange vitamin drinks - they are just so addictive! I should feel ashamed, but I do not. These are little carbonated gems. Not quite cough syrup (the Japanese do not overdose on sweet like Americans), part health drink, and enough of a health food bribe to make you feel good about it.
And finally... most addictive of all... hot coffee in a can - strait from the vending machine (I honestly do not know why they have not caught on in America!) There are many varieties, and most are good. Some have screw tops, some pop tops, all are available in hot or cold varieties, and usually from the same machine! My first was in 1997. I want to bring them back to the states with me. You can even buy a "refrigerator" that will keep your canned coffee hot or cold...

More about Japanese food!

For when the mental yum-yums call!

So these are some links that I think will help you learn more about crazy Japanese food. Some of the best crazy food in the world! And who can find fault with that? Not I.

Crazy Japanese Food!

Something Fishy This Way Comes!

Contents at a Glance

Shellfish Sushi!

Keeping the world safe for vertebrates!

Takoyaki

And some Negidako on the side

Instant Gratification!

Ramen, ramen, everywhere...

Favorite J-Foods

But only the ones that are really weird...

More about Japanese food!

For when the mental yum-yums call!

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Please pick your widget size and display. Then click "Make the Widget" to get the code that's just right for you.

Voila: Just copy and paste this code into your own site. Have fun!

Oopsey! Please login to Squidoo in order to add this module to your lens.

Random Sushi Stuff

Amazon to the rescue!

1

2

3

4

5

Please pick your widget size and display. Then click "Make the Widget" to get the code that's just right for you.

Voila: Just copy and paste this code into your own site. Have fun!

Oopsey! Please login to Squidoo in order to add this module to your lens.

by Moogi

Explore related pages

Related Topics

About Moogi

Moogi's Pages

About Squidoo

Help & Feedback

Support Charity

Fancy meeting you here.

Loading Workshop

Report this Lens

Login

Join Squidoo for free!