Comment-Food-Culture

[CAPiTUL]

Greetings. My Japanese counterparts in Nagoya keep informing me that the biggest problem they have is in terms of food. They lived in the US for some years, so have adapted a Westernized diet, to say the least. The complaint goes to the tune of: food is terribly expensive - especially if you try to eat the foods/the way you did in America. They tell me this because I'm moving there in April/May. So, naturally, I browsed this site looking for a dedicated food section w/recipes, etc., so as to learn how to make some Japanese dishes, save money, AND enjoy more of the culture. That may not be a bad idea to have. Food is a big part of most cultures. Just a thought. That is really the only thing that I've looked for on this site that I have not seen, in earnest. Great site none-the-less. Thanks for the time.

[Sachi]

First off, the only dishes I know are instant ramen and onigiri (riceballs)! Being not really into cooking anyways, I can't really help. But those are very oishii (delicious) dishes, to say the least. Perhaps a Japanese cooking site might be more appropriate for answers? Also, isn't this posted in the wrong forum?

[Infidel]

Sorry, your post is hard to understand. Are your friends complaining that the food is expensive in the US or in Japan? Is in Western food that is expensive or Japanese food?

[coco]

CAPiTUL wrote:
So, naturally, I browsed this site looking for a dedicated food section w/recipes, etc., so as to learn how to make some Japanese dishes, save money, AND enjoy more of the culture.

How about this thread?
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=999

Good luck.

[Spaztick]

Moved the thread.

[Harisenbon]

Although food in Japan is more expensive than in America, it is generally of higher quality. You can buy cheap food, like in america, but it willl generally be of a lower quality.

As for quantity, depending on where you eat, you can find meals that are pretty much the same size as in america. There's a monjuuyaki place near my house that has a 5 dollar monjuuyaki that even large americans would have trouble finishing off.

Anyhow, I hope that helps somewhat.

[Kates]

I sooooooooooo miss Japanese bread. T__T Even though I only got about 8 slices for around 200 yen.... it was so delicious. T_______T

Capitul: Since you live in the States, I trust you have a Barnes & Noble, or a Borders nearby? I found a really fantastic cookbook before I left which uses ingredients that Japanese actually use to cook (mirin, daikon, etc--which can be tricky to find in the States)--I wanted to find a book like that, instead of one that uses ingredients that are easier to find here. The cookbook I found was a great deal (I think about 5$) and even described a lot of the ingredients that Americans might not be so familiar with. There are also lots of pictures, to help you recognize them in the store. ^_^

I highly suggest you go get a book like that--you'll learn a lot about Japanese cuisine, and you'll eat a lot healthier and cheaper that way!

[Shibakoen]

The nice big fluffy bread is good, but there are those skinny loaves with the hard crust that are absolutely terrible.