Day 86-87 Thinking About the Power of Food and Future

Feb 8 • Blog, Honshu • 4872 Views • 4 Comments

It is often said that things must be so expensive in Japan. This is all relative and depends on which country you are comparing it to, but I can say it doesn’t have to be so. Besides not having to tip when you eat out, many good food can be found at a very reasonable price. Something new to me in the region in and around Nagoya was their “morning” set. I was told that a cup of coffee in the morning comes with a free toast and a boiled egg, and it was true. The interesting regional 100 yen upgrade option was their ogura, sweet red beans, for my toast. I don’t usually “supersize” my meals, but I took it as I’d never heard of that combination before. Apparently it was a norm there.

Because Japan is surrounded by the ocean, it is impossible to miss seeing boats when you are out cycling along the sea. From small wooden fisherman’s boats to huge cruse ships, including the ever so famous battleship like Yamato that sank down to the Pacific during the war, ship making has been a big industry in the country. Though this industry has been on a decline compared to its peak, I came across towns that still carried on the spirit of craftsmanship. Admiring this beautiful white yacht made me wish I could go cruising out to the sea.

One of the fun things in Japan when you visit here is seeing how food from abroad takes a Japanese spin. The most popular Japanese burger chain, Mos Burger, is one of such. I know, I don’t usually talk about fast food here, but this is one of the few exceptions I can make. Their fresh burgers require some waiting time (which at this point already isn’t fast food), but their unique menus like rice buns are worth a mention, and oh so very Japanese.

I had their regular burger with cheese. Is this the first time I show a shot of fries? I think it is.

When you have a sweet tooth and want to sit at a cafe, but don’t want to spend too much money, I suggest going to a wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop. It was only afterwards that I noticed this, but they often have a few chairs where you can sit. This is not a cafe, but if you buy even just one wagashi to eat there, they often give you green tea. I enjoyed a sweet little break from cycling. I guess cyclists never stop by there for a break, they gave me a free extra piece of sweets. It can serve you well to be different sometimes.

Around the time of June, hydrangea was everywhere. Sakura is not the only flower everywhere in Japan, but so many more kinds can be enjoyed throughout the year. A benefit of having distinct four seasons is being able to enjoy these flowers and the tasty changes in our meals throughout the year. From vegetables, fish to “new” rice (the first harvest of the year), having produce in season is so part of the culture that it even extends to chocolate and bags of potato chips. Enjoying what is naturally at its best is not only delicious, but also nutritious and good for the environment as it requires less energy to produce.

I came across people out fishing at Bentenjima under the sun.

I found ducks in some rice fields. Some farmers have them on purpose to have them eat snails and the like that can harm the plants.

Shirasu (baby anchovy) in season is available raw only where you can have it really fresh. It’s usually served boiled or dried, but as I was cycling right by the fisherman’s port, I was able to experience it raw for the first time. Wow, despite the look that some of you may not like, this was some serious good eats!

Cycling along the Pacific was windy, but look at this view! It just makes you go “wooohoooooo!”

You can guess how windy it was there by seeing these wind turbines. These wings were not sitting still.

Well, here’s the proof.

These wind power turbines as well as a working nuclear power plant in the area made me think about our future as I was cycling. After what has happened to the now crippled plant up north in Fukushima, how can we believe any of these is 100% safe for our future?

In the city of Toyohashi, I spent the night at a musician lady’s family. She introduced me to a friend of hers my age, who happened to be attending an evening town hall meeting with a university professor who specialized in nuclear power. I got to go and listen to the latter half of it, which included the Q&A session with the residents who lived near the working plant. People are ever more conscious about how we get our power in Japan. If we don’t make the right choices now, what better time will there be?

We have now painfully realized what fuels the power we use has a direct impact on our health and lives. This is the same with food that fuels our body. Having food in season that are grown locally, requiring less energy and fuel to be delivered to our table starts from being conscious about the choices we make. This all sounds so serious, but being interested in what we eat is a fun thing, especially if you are the kind of person who enjoys the subject of my cycling tour.

The day after staying in Toyohashi, I cycled over 100km for the first time ever in my life. I chose to move with my leg power, which is fueled by local food in season, baby!

 

This post is also available in: Japanese

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