We went out to dinner this past week to celebrate a friend's birthday at a local Hibachi-style Japanese restaurant, and this blog came up in conversation. Amazingly, when we showed one of the friends at the party how the SpinGlobe iPhone app helps me choose each week's destination, the pin dropped on Japan. Incredibly, when I picked the country for this week, the pin again dropped on Japan! I guess it doesn't get clearer than that, so this week we're venturing to Russia's easternmost neighbor, the island nation of Japan.
In accordance with the indigenous polytheistic Shinto religion of Japan, the killing of animals and the consumption of meat as far back as the 1st century A.D. was not widely practiced. Beginning in the 12th century with the rise of the shogunates, de facto military dictators appointed by the emperor to help protect Japan from outside influence, meat eating and animal killing were strictly forbidden until 1853, when the country exited a long period of sakoku (literally, "locked country") or national seclusion from the Western world.
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Japan's most important crop for about 2,000 years and a staple at almost every meal (even breakfast) is rice. Alternatively, meals incorporate various noodles, like soba and udon.
Although chicken, beef and other animal proteins have become more common in Japanese cooking, seafood is still prevalent, both raw (sashimi) and cooked (grilled, fried, steamed, etc.).
A main ingredient in most Japanese recipes is a stock or broth called dashi. I'll be making konbu (dried kelp) dashi for the dishes I'm cooking this week. We had a great time shopping at the Asian Supermarket on Central Ave. just east of Colonie Center for the kombu and other ingredients we'll need. Let me just say, that place was hopping! That grocery was jam packed with a very diverse mix of shoppers from many cultures and of all ages.
So, stay tuned - I'll probably make my first dish tomorrow.ありがとう! (Arigatō!) (Thank you!)
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