The Black Eggs of Owakudani in Japan

Hello Kitty characters help sell black eggs at Owakudani in the Hakone region of Japan

Two of the highlights of the Hakone region of Japan — an area about 1 1/2 hours south of Tokyo by train with beautiful mountains, lakes, and all sorts of attractions — are black eggs and a wooden handicraft technique called Yosegi-zaiku. The black eggs of Owakudani are chicken eggs that have been hard-boiled in […]

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A Visit to the Ramen Museum in Yokohama, Japan

(Updated, 12/24/16:  fixed broken links) Real ramen — not the factory-produced product with instant noodles and a powdered flavoring packet, but fresh noodles and painstakingly prepared, flavorful broth — inspires strong feelings. It’s inspired two movies, the cult favorite Tampopo (which I found nearly unwatchable when I last viewed it) and the poorly written and overacted […]

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Tofu Squares with Miso

I don’t remember if I was in Japan or in the U.S. when I first had “tofu pops.” These “tofu pops” weren’t some kind of frosty, soy snack, but were small rectangles of grilled tofu slathered with a savory miso sauce and skewered with a popsicle-stick shaped piece of bamboo. Using my toaster oven instead […]

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IMBB #27 – Soy Trilogy

During my Eat Local Challenge in May, I went without soy for an entire month (except for soy sauce), and during that month my I cooked several Japanese-style meals. So IMBB #27, with its “Joy of Soy” theme, comes at a perfect time. My contribution is a trilogy of soy in distinctly different forms: sauce, […]

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