Category Archives: Uncategorized

Vegetables Facts and Tips (9/2): Japanese Cultivated Mushrooms

mushrooms-market

Mushrooms at Supermarket in Shizuoka City

This the second part concerning edible mushrooms in general.
Instead of going through one by one, which might turn into a boring chore, let me show what is available in Japan!

I don’t intend to talk about wild mushrooms here as I would need a very thick book to post!

Japan is arguably the country cultivating the greatest number of varieties (new ones appear and disappear every year!), so I will limit myself to give information on the varieties I have found so far in Japanese supermarkets (most of them should be available in many countries.
Note that the names are in Japanese as most are marketed this way abroad.

ERINGE or ERINGI
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Very interesting mushrooms as they keep firm and lose only some of their volumes. Vegetarians can prepare them suteed like scallops!

mushrooms-eringe-1
As sold in the supermarkets

TAMOGITAKE
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As found in the nature

efbd94efbd81efbd8defbd8fefbd87efbd89efbd94efbd81efbd8befbd85efbc92
As human-grown.

tamogitake3
As sold in the supermarkets
Very elegant small mushroom

KIKURAGE

kikurage
Called Judas Ear, as sold in the supermarkets.

BUNAPII

mushrooms-hara
As found in the supermarkets. A rcent variety!

BROWN MUSHROOM

mushrooms-brown
Brown Mushrooms are called so in Japan. Ther are a variety of Agaricus originall imported from Canada.
As found in the supermarkets.

TAMPA SHIMEJI

mushrooms-tampa
A variety of Shimeji.
As foundin the Supermarkets.

HON-SHIMEJI

mushrooms-honshimeji
“True” Shimeji as found in the supermarkets.

PORTOBELLA MUSHROOM

portobella-mushroom
A universally loved mushroom.
As found in the supermarkets.

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Before being cooked!

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As prepared by Tetsuya Sugimoto!

NAMEKO

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As found in nature.

nameko2pholiota_nameko
As sold in the supermarkets.

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Grown in earthenware bottles.

BUNA-SHIMEJI

bunashimeji-hypsizygus_marmoreus
As found in nature.

bunashimejihypsizygus_tessellatus03
Human-grown ans as sold in the supermarkets.

ENOKITAKE

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As found in nature.

efbd85efbd8eefbd8fefbd8befbd89efbd94efbd81efbd8befbd85efbc91
As fully human-grown.

enokitakejapanesemushroom
As very youn human-grown and usually sold in the supermarkets. Very popular in soups, nabe and sukiyaki.

HIRATAKE

hiratake2
Also called Oyster Mushrooms as found in nature.

hiratake1
Human-grown.

MUKITAKE

mukitake
As found in nature.

Will keep looking for more!

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JAPAN-I: The new source of information for Visitors in Japan!

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A new Website and Magazine called Japan-I was born in January this year and has been fast becoming the perquisite for newcomers and residents alike in Japan!

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The free magazine, both available in English and Chinese (180,000 copies) is available in Tokyo at main airports and stations, and will be on stands in other airports soon, including Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport!

As for the website, it provides information in English, Korean, Mainland Chinese and Taiwan Chinese.

All articles and information are exclusively written by residents in Japan, offering veracity, authenticity and invaluable service for all!

If the tabloid is not available in your region, contact the editors at ad-info@japan-i.jp!

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Foodbuzz: How to add the Foodbuzz logo onto one’s site

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Greetings again!

As I said before, many new blogmates have some problems to get used to Foodbuzz which is becoming more and more sophisticated!
Ruth some time ago asked me how to add the foodbuzz logo onto one’s site.
Although it is comparatively easy, it is not evident for newcomers and easy to miss out.
Now the Foodbuzz team is too busy to answer all (the same) questions pertaining to that matter.
Again it is up to us, Foodbuzz members, to help each other. LOL
Someone, some day, is going to start shooting at the old geezer who is having so much fun!!

Now, here is how you proceed:
-Open Foodbuzz Homepage (we know that!…)
-Scroll down to the very bottom. You should find all kinds of links there:
About Us | How-it-Works | Newsletters | Widgets | Tell a Friend Contest | Join Featured Publisher Program, etc…
-Click on “Widgets”
-You will see three Widgets and Badges to choose from.
-Select a version and a size and a location if needed by clicking on the small square.
-Copy the html code directly. If you don’t how, bring your cursor (arrow) before “<” at the very beginning. Click once with the left-hand part of your mouse. The whole inside of the box should go black (if not, press Ctrl + A, then Ctrl + C manually).
-Press manually and silmuteanously Ctrl + C.
-Copy the html in the wanted spot on your website by pressing manualy and silmuteanously Ctrl + V.

If you have a question do not hesitate!

Cheers,
Robert-Gilles Martineau

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French Gastronomy on Stamps (26): Mushrooms

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France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the first stamp in 1849, a great number of them were issued with edible mushrooms as a theme:

timbres-gastonomie-champignons-pleurote
PLEUROTE

timbres-gastronomie-cepes
CEPES/Porcini

timbres-gastronomie-champignons-chanterelle
CHANTERELLE VIOLETTE/Violet Chanterelle

timbres-gastronomie-champignons-clavaire
CLAVAIRE

timbres-gastronomie-champignons-indigotier
INDIGOTIER

timbres-gastronomie-champignonsmorille
MORILLE/Morel

timbres-gastronomie-champignons-oronge
ORONGE/Amanita Caesara: The Mushroom of the Cesars!

timbres-gastronomie-champignons-palomet
PALOMET

timbres-gastronomie-champignons-trompette
TROMPETTES DE LA MORT/Black Trumpets

Look forward to the next postings! There are plenty more!

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Foodbuzz: For a Foodbuzz Magazine?

1-sake

Greetings again!

The old geezer just doesn’t give up (am in a hurry, not much time left!OL)!

This is only a suggestion as I’m not a Member of Foodbuzz Team.
But suggestions have a way to expand before we realize it!

If a new website like Japan-I can succeed with a website and tabloid (180,000 copies) after only 4 months of existence with a similar concept (free Website+tabloid aimed at tourists in 4 languages), there is no reason why Foodbuzz Magazine or Tabloid should not succeed!
Actually two Foodbuzz members (Melinda Joe and myself) already write gourmet articles for Japan-I!

With the 1,000,000 articles from all the World just around the bend, Foodbuzz has an embarrassment of choices as to what to publish. The articles being written by true food lovers, the appeal is universal, even if such a tabloid/magazine would be available only in North America (send it to us in Japan!LOL).

As I said, it is only a small suggestion. What do you think of it?

Cheers,
Robert-Gilles Martineau

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Japanese Cheese: Hokkaido Raw Milk Cheeses Plate

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There is a very welcome competition in Shizuoka City when it comes to cheese, both from Japan and abroad, because of the awareness created by Keiko Kubota at Gentil.
Now, I have the luck to be very friendly with the owner of Nagashima Liqueur Shop in Shizuoka City who spent a long time studying in France. As a wine lover, he is very fond of cheese and retails a few very well-chosen ones in his shop.

These days he is introducing a series of delicious raw milk (unusual in Japan till recently) from Hokkaido.
Last night I had the pleasure to taste them at home at last:

hok-cheese-1

Top left: Sasa no Yuki
Top right: Koban
Bottom Left: Sakura
Bottom right: Raclette

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Sasa no Yuki means Bamboo Grass Snow. Such short ban\mboo grass are found everywhere in Japan and have been used for eons to wrap food. A bamboo grass is “wrapped” around the cheese reminiscent of the French Feuille de Dreux Cheese.
Mild Camembert type, very easy to eat on some great toasted bread!
It is the size of a Camembert, 250g and like all these cheeses is exclusively made form Cow’s raw milk with the addtion of a little salt.
All four cheeses can aged at home.

hok-cheese-5

Koban is another soft type cheese reminiscent of Pave and Camembert in France. Very mild and easy on the palate.
Weight: 150 g

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Sakura/Cherry Blossom is considered as the best Japanese creation when it comes to cheese. It received prizes all over the World, especially Germany, and was served at the last G8 Meeting in Hokkaido!
Weight: 90g
Served with a cherry blossom pickled in salt.
Reminiscent of Saint-Marcellin, but slightly milder, it is extremely elegant and complex.
Can be matured at will!
A discovery!

hok-cheese-6

Raclette. made in the same way as Swiss and French Raclette, it is milder and great heated and flowing on brea, as a Fondue, as it is or toatsed on muffins!
It had been matured for 3 months.
Won the Best Japanese Cheese Contest in 1998.
Weight: 200g per cut.

Nagashima Saketen
Address:
420 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku,Ryuunan, 1-12-7
Tel.: 054-2459260
Fax: 054-2459252
(Japanese Blog)

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French Gastronomy on Stamps (25): Cheeses

timbres-gastronomie-1

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the first stamp in 1849, quite a few were issued with cheese as a theme:
CAMEMBERT
timbres-camembert

Probably the most famous and most copied French cheese!
Made from cow’s milk, the best are created with raw milk in the city of Camembert, Normandie!

REBLOCHON
timbres-gastronomie-reblochon

Reblochon, a semi-hard washed type of cheese made in the French Alps, it is very versatile as it can be eaten as it is, inside a pie, or in Fondue! Very soft taste.

ROQUEFORT
timbres-roquefort

The King of all Blue Cheese, but not the oldest one. Copied all over the World, it is exclusively made with ewe’s milk and matured inside natural caves. Great with a Port or Banyuls wine any time of the day!

Next I will introduce some great traditional dishes and ingredients!

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Foodbuzz: Blogspot/WordPress Comment Boxes Compatibility: What works and does not work!

1-sake

Greetings again!

As promised, this particular posting is an appeal to Blogspot users to try and publish a Comment Box that is compatible with other systems, in particular Wodpress and Internet Explorer. It certainly will add to comments on your postings and new friends in your mail list!

Thanks to Jenn for helping!

I could not think of a better system than taking pics with my mobile phone as I don’t have a scanner in my office!

WHAT WORKS:

commentbox1

Jenn’s comments:
“I have this comment box for my blog: it is called “Full Page.” It’s in the comment form placement section in the comments tab under setting. In the “who can comment” section under the same tab I selected “anyone” and used the word verification setting. ”

Bear in mind that it must include an “Open ID” to allow access to other systems!

WHAT DOES NOT WORK:

commentbox2

This is the main culprit!
For all its simple design and the fact it says it allows other systems in, it just does not! Full stop.

Sicerly hoping this will help everyone!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles Martineau

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French Gastronomy on Stamps (24): Wines

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Vineyards in Givry, Cote Chalonnaise, Bourgogne

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the firts stamp in 1849, quite a few were issued with wine as a theme:

timbres-gastronomie-closvougeot

Clos Vougeot in Bourgogne, probably the most famous wine of Bourgogne. They also have shares in the glorious Romanee Conti!

timbres-gastronomie-vignobleschampagne

Vignobles de Champagne/Champagne Vineyards
Do I have to introduce the bubbly wines of Champagne? LOL

timbres-gastronomie-vignoblesbeaujolais

Vignobles du Beaujolais/Beaujolais Vineyards
Beaujolais is both famous for 10 great vintages and notorious for Beaujolais Nouveau, a crass success story, if there is one (don’t start shooting!)!

timbres-vendanges

Vendanges/Grapes Harvest!

The next posting will be about cheese!

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Foodbuzz: How to upload your url on your Profile

1-sake

Greetings again!

As I said before, many blogmates omit to upload their webste-blog/url-address on their Foodbuzz Profile.
Although it is comparatively easy, it is not evident for newcomers and easy to miss out.
Now the Foodbuzz team is too busy to answer all (the same) questions pertaining to that matter.
It is up to us, Foodbuzz members, to help each other. LOL
Alright, the old geezer is enjoying it!

Now, here is how you proceed:
-Open Foodbuzz Homepage (we know that!…)
-Go to tool bar at top of the page and click on “My Profile” (you might have to log in before proceeding any further). Click on “edit your profile”
-Go down until you find: “Add RSS by Site URL (like http://www.example.com):” write your website url (leave the “blog” window as it is).
-Press on “update”, et voila!

Simple, ain’t it?
But you will get more traffic!

Tomorrow, I will talk about those notorious Blogspot Comment Boxes!

Cheers,
Robert-Gilles Martineau

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Green Tea: New Green Tea being harvested and sold in Shizuoka Prefecture!

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(Courtesy of Shizuoka Shimbun)

Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of all green tea grown in Japan.
“Shinsha”/New Tea is being harvested in earnest and sold after a long wait!

Picture above shows tea being handpicked in Kawane, Shimada City, home of some of the best green tea in Jaapn, along the railway line used by the Oikawa Steam Locomotive, one of the very few left in Japan!

Tea is being dry-roasted (picture left bottom) , and auctioned (picture right bottom) in Shizuoka City.

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Sakura Ebi/Cherry Shrimps: Drying Season has started!

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(Courtesy of Shizuoka Shimbun)

The drying season for Sakura Ebi/Cheery Shrimps exclusively caught in ShizuokaPrefecture has started.

Above picture was taken in Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kanbara along the Fujikawa River where the shrimps are laid to dry while the weather is warm and dry before being delivered all over Japan!

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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2009/11)

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2009 #11
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Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We are excited to inaugurate Golden Week with the release of three Baird spring seaonal brews: (1) Temple Garden Yuzu Ale, (2) Bureiko Jikan Strong Golden Ale and (3) Love Potion Ale.

*Temple Garden Yuzu Ale (ABV 6.5%):

Yuzu is a Japanese citron fruit the aroma of which is gorgeously spicy and the juice lemon-like tart. This sprite, yet fairly strong ale, is fruited with yuzu and hopped in a complimentary way. This is a perfect spring libation.

*Bureiko Jikan Strong Golden Ale (ABV 7.6%):

This Belgian-inspired ale, fermented with our non-Belgian house ale yeast, is wickedly strong in a wickedly stealthy sort of way. Brewed exclusively with base malts and Japanese sudakito sugar, the body is light relative to the firm bready-malty flavor. The unique hop aroma comes courtesy of a combination of Vanguard and Santiam hops. This brew is designed to facilitate the release of inhibitions (and with no recriminations, guaranteed!).

*Love Potion Ale (ABV 7.5%):

Good beer is the lubricant to many wonderful things, none more important than love. Baird Beer and The Taproom played a lubricating role in the love and recent matrimony struck between two great friends and patrons — Seiji and Naomi. Love Potion Ale, dark in color and strong in alcohol, is surprisingly sprite and wonderfully aromatic. It is at once playful and provocative yet strong and substantive — much like the love in a good relationship. Enjoy a pint in toast to Seiji and Naomi!

All three ales will be pouring from our Taproom taps beginning Saturday, May 2 (Love Potion is available exclusively on draught at the Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms). Temple Garden Yuzu Ale will be available on draught and bottles at restaurants and retailers throughout Japan beginning Sunday, May 3. Bureiko Jikan Strong Golden Ale is draught-only but will be available at fine Baird Beer retailers throughout Japan beginning May 3.

Nakameguro Taproom anniversary reminder:

Nakameguro Taproom 1-Year Anniversary Celebration

The Nakameguro Taproom will be celebrating its one-year anniversary on the weekend of Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10. It will be open from noon each day offering 700 yen pint and 500 yen half-pint prices on all Baird Beer (Numazu prices), including the 1-Year Anniversary Ale (an original fruited-ale brewed with pomegranate from California), and featuring a terrific beer-inspired buffet (all-you-can-eat) for 1,500 yen per person. Sayuri and I will be there welcoming guests and celebrating the ocassion on Saturday and lingering on to tap the debut keg of Saison Sayuri 2009 on Sayuri’s birthday, Sunday, May 10.

When: Saturday – Sunday (May 9-10) (noon until midnight)
Where: Nakameguro Taproom (Nakameguro, Tokyo)
Food: Original Beer Inspired Buffet (all-you-can-eat) @ 1,500 yen per person
Beer: 700 yen pint and 500 yen half-pint prices on all Baird Beer (May 9 debut of Nakameguro 1-Year Anniversary Ale; May 10 debut of Saison Sayuri 2009)
Reservations: Not Necessary

Cheers,
Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
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Foodbuzz: A few tips for blogmates

1-sake

Greetings again!

I’m not a member of the Foodbuzz Team (Fate helps them, lol!), but having been a member for more than a year in Foodbuzz’s less than three-year history, I’ve come across some general patterns, and I thought it was time the old geezer shared his little (hard-earned) know-how with his blogmates before an unknown entity’s chopsticks pick him up out of this world (I’m an agnostic, incidentally!)!

-I’ve noticed that many foodies, new and old, did not include their url/blog adddress on their Foodbuzz Profile. I understand that the Foodbuzz homepage does need time to learn how to use and navigate, but advertising your website is the one reason you become a Foodbuzz Member!

-Being a WordPress and Internet Explorer user I found myself refused to leave a message inside a Blogspot user’s Comment Box once out of twice.
It is extremely frustrating not to be able to greet or compliment a fellow blogger who deserves the attention.
Blogspot does offer Comment Boxes compatible with WordPress and other systems.
It would be great if a Blogspot user could inform everyone on which is the best Comment Box to use. That is, if one wants to communicate with everyone else!

-Courtesy makes good sense:
If you blog to advertise yourself, your business or someone else’s business, please be frank and open about it.
The more respect you will get for your honesty!

-Foodbuzz is a great tool to make new friends all over the World with the minimum time and sweat.
I would advise all my blogmates to at least buzz every new blogger and request their friendship.
At the present daily rate of 40~60 new foodies you are bound to discover a like-minded soul. You can always limit yourself to your own living area or common interests.
It is certainly bound to pay off someday!
For instance, I obtained a part-time writing job at Japan-I thanks to a blogmate’s recommendation. Very appreciated in these hard-economy times! On the other hand, I had the pleasure to guide new Italian friends from Holland for two full days around Shizuoka last month!

-Make a point to reply to any comment written by fellow bloggers on your Foodbuzz Comments Page (formerly Chalkboard). This is where fruitful relations start!

-Foodbuzz Profile: write as much as you can about yourself. It will help first acquaintances to acquire a good idea of your personality.
Photoes are subject to personal tastes and priorities, but please do not let that window empty too long: fruit plates can become very boring/negative at length!

-Last, not but not least, food,drinks and recipes are great, but a little word about the people who made them and the places where you enjoyed them will add spice (sorry for the pun!). There is a story, however small, behind everything. This will encourage visitors to read your postings twice.
On the other hand, if you wish to leave a comment on a great blog/posting, a little effort in proving you have effectively read your blogmate’s article will sound more sincere and positive than a dry “great blog! great posting!…”

Cheers,
Robert-Gilles Martineau

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/31)

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Today’s bento was “Catch the Train Bento”!
I have to take the train to go and teach at University on Friday afternoons. Usually the Missus makes sandwiches for my trip. But she had forgotten to buy bread! Therefore I ended up with a classic trip bento!

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She steamed the rice with large fresh green peas to make big musubi/rice balls.

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As for the accompaniment, she improvised with was left inthe refrigerator:
Lettuce, mini tomatoes, French pickles, tamagoyaki containing finely chopped thin leeks, fried eringi mushrooms, boiled sweet peas intheir pods, and fried bacon and white asparagus rolls.

A quick fix, maybe, but a pretty satisfying bento!

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