Tag Archives: 美食

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Vegetables Facts and Tips (3): Broccoli

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broccoli-1a

In a recent National Geographic Magazine survey, Broccoli was at the very top when considering nutrients beneficient to humans in our everyday food!

Vegans, Vegetarians and Omnivores, rejoice! Doctors, start moaning!
A cousin of cabbages and cauliflowers, the flowers are the mainly consumed part, but people forget that the stems are great, too (explained later)!

FACTS:
-Season: November to January and March to April in the Northern Hemisphere.
-Main elements:
Carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E in very large amounts. Together they combine as an elixir to fight ageing and stress.
Potassium
Iron, which helps increase red blood cells and control cholesterol.
Calcium
Fibers, which help digestion.
Sulforafan which helps fight poisonous intruders.

VARIETIES:

broccoli-2
Italian red broccoli

broccoli-romanesco
Broccoli Romanesｃo, a favourite of mine!

broccoli-colour
In Japan, a violet variety (bottom) is becoming popular, making for some great combinations with white and yellow cauliflower,

broccoli-dish
and other dishes!

TIPS:
-As I said above, the stem is not only edible, it is succulent, with a taste between avocadoes and asparaguses! Peel the skin, cut it in any shape you wish and boil it for a while in slightly salted water. let cool and use for salads, stews and gratins!
-Choose specimens with big and dense buds, shiny and fat stems. Check whether the cut at the stem looks fresh!
-After boiling in slightly salted water, plunge into cold water immediately. The colour will not change!
-Preservation: Wrap in wet paper towel, seal it inside a polyester rigid box and keep inside refrigerator’s chilled compartment away from light.
As it will change in contact with natural light, better to cut it, boil it, cool it, seal it inside vinyl pouches and freeze if you have too much of it!

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Chocolat Fin’s Classic Cakes (4): B-Cafe

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American friends will be amused by the fact that this latest Chocolat Fin’s creation ‘s name B-Cafe stands for Baghdad Cafe, the great film!

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A typical cake by Chocolat Fin where cakes are concocted with a view to please adults first:
On a thin base of dark chocolate sponge cake stays a ball of Mocha mousse surrounded by light Chocolat sponge containing very fine orange peels.
The whole is topped with Chantilly cream, chocolate decoration chips and a cube of softened dark chocolate.
Simple in looks, complex in taste.
To savour with a strong coffee or tea!

Chocolat Fin
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo Machi, 1-3-7 (2 minutes walk from Shin Shizuoka Center)
Tel. & fax: 054-2516321
Business hours: 10:00~20:00

Also: Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shin Shizuoka Center, Basement 1F
Tel.: 054-2215878

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Shizuoka Beer 8/4: Usami Brewery

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This is the last (for the moment) of the Usami Brewery series:

Usami Brewery “Rhein” (German Type)

Ingredients: Grain Malt, Hops
Alcohol: 5%
Contents: 300ml
Live yeast, unfiltered, unpasteurized.

Clarity: Very clear
Colour: Dark brown, neat colour
Foam: Long head, fine bubbles
Aroma: Dry, caramel, Welcome acidity
Taste: Well-rounded. Refreshing. Solid. Complex.
Apples, oranges, light caramel. A little acidity. Sweetish finish.
Lingers in back of the mouth

Overall: Sweetish for a Japanese palate, just right for a European/North American one.
Lighter than expected. Wel-rounded as for taste.
Very satisfying with food.

Usami Brewery
European Ji Beer Company
Ito City, Usami, 3504-1
Tel.: 0557-33-0333
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

Must-see beer Blogs/Websites:

Good Beer and Country Boys, Beer Haiku Daily, Bair Beer, Another Pint, Please!

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Vegetables Facts and Tips (2): Tomatoes

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Tomatoes have laid on our tables for so long that we have almost forgotten they came from South America. The Spanish and the Portuguese ignored them. The British studied them. The French brought them to Europe under the name of “Love Apple”, a name still existing in Italy. So it is said,…

tomato-fruit
“Fruit Tomatoes”

This summer-maturing fruit can be bought all year round with the interesting consequence that tomatoes ripened in winter are sweeter than their summer cousins as they contain less water, earning themselves the name of “fruit tomatoes”, a great oxymoron, if there was one!

Thanks to consumers’ insatiable appetite for novelty, tomatoes are grown into all kinds of size, shape and colour.
Just to cite a few, the following are the most popular in Japan:

tomato-momotaro
“Momotaro Tomatoes”

-Momotaro (after the Japanese “Peach Boy” tale), which becomes “Fruit tomato” in winter.

tomato-midi
“Midi Tomatoes”

-Midi Tomato (sometimes called “Plum tomatoes”), a larger cousin of the “Mini tomato”, is very sweet and very high in nutrients. Its aroma has a particularly long life.

tomato-italian
“Italian tomatoes”

-Italian Tomato: mainly used for cooking, it may often come in a comparatively elongated shape.
It contains less water and reveals both large amounts of sweetness and acidity, making it very conducive to long cooking with the extra bonus of actually improving in taste upon heating.

tomato-mini
“Mini Tomatoes”

-Mini Tomato: one-bite sized, it is also called “Petit tomato”. It contains twice as many Vitamin C, and it is very rich in beneficient ingredients.

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“Yellow Mini Tomatoes”

-Yellow Mini Tomato: characteristic for a lot of sweetness and very little acidity. Very handy for children who dislike vegetables!

rubbins
“Ameera Rubbins”

-Ameera Rubbins: with its larger Ammeera tomato, it is grown exclusively (until now, but they are bound to expand beyond our borders!) in Shizuoka Prefecture. They are the sweetest of all, tasting like strawberries, and very firm, making them ideal for decoration, notwithstanding their nutrient value. The smallest variety called “Rubbins” is grown by only two farmers near Iwata City!

tomato-micromini
“Micro Mini Tomatoes”

-Micro Mini Tomatoes: increasingly popular, they are only 8~10 mm and look somewhat like redcurrants. Very tasty with a beautiful acidity, the Japanese use them not only in salads, but also as the final touch on a plate of sashimi!

FACTS:

-Season: All year round
-Main elements: Licopin (Ricopin), Vitamin C, B Vitamins, Potassium, Pectin, Luchin (Ruchin).
Licopin is a carotene variety particularly beneficial in fights against allergies and ageing. The Potassium and Vitamin C and Pectin help control cholesterol in blood.
Luchin reinforces capillary veins and arteries.
Recent researches in Germany and China have proven that tomatoes help control high blood pressure.
Who said that the Italians look healthier than everybody else? LOL

TIPS:

-Choose tomatoes with a deep colour and healthy strong skin!
-Preservation: before storing them into the vegetable compartment of your fridge, wrap themin newspaper or put them inside a vinyl bag, or even better, inside a rigid plastic sealed box.
-Peeling: better than boiling water, direct contact with a flame! Make a very shallow cut near the stem area, firmly stick a fork or thin skewer into the stem area, hold the tomato directly over the gas flame for a few seconds, then plunge it into cold water. Skin should come off very easily.

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Vegetables Facts and Tips (1): Potatoes

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potatoes

This is the first of a series of articles on vegetables, which I hope will help my vegan and vegetarian (I’m not!) friends.
Incidentally、 nothing, pictures included, is copyrighted in my food blogs, so please feel free to use anything!

POTATOES

danshaku-potato
“Danshaku”

Potatoes were first introduced to Japan in 1910 by Baron Kawata from Great Britain/Ireland giving the name of “Danshaku/Baron” to the most commonly used potato in Japan, especially in croquettes and salads.

The biggeｓｔ potato exporters to Japan are China and India, although more and more grown locally.
The varieties found in supermarkets are:

kitaakari-potato
“Kita Akari” used for mashed potatoes and croquettes,

mayqueen-potato
“May Queen” used in stews,

toyoshiro-potato
“Toyoshishiro” used for fried potatoes,

redandespotato
“Red Andes” used for croquettes and Pot au feu,

incanomezame-potato
“Inca No Mezame” used for stews.

Potatoes are available all year round, but are at their peak from February to May when new potatoes can be eaten whole!

FACT CARD:

-Season: All year round
-Main elements: carbohydrates (high energy), Vitamin C1, B1 (thanks to a large amount of natural starch in potatoes, the vitamin C will resist heating!), Potassium
-Preservation: Wrap potatoes inside newspaper and keep them in a dark, well-ventilated place away from the sunlight.

TIPS:

-Choose specimens well-rounded and with healthy skin. Avoid specimens with buds or of greenish colour (risks of diarrhea). Cut out all “dark spots”!
-To avoid a change of colour, wash potatoes in water after peeling or cutting.
-If you want to keep your potatoes for a while after boiling them, plunge them in (change it as many times as necessary) cold water until completely cooled down. They will not break or crumble when used later.
-After boiling cut potatoes, throw away water and keep heating them until they have lost a great part of their moisture. They will attain a crispy enough nature without resorting to deep-frying!

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Avocado and Crab Gratin/Gratin d’Avocat et de Crabe

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Today is the second of January, and as I generally cook on holidays, I proposed the following to the Missus:

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As my other half loves gratinsin any form, it was not difficult to convince her!
I’m not going to burden you with numbers, so here is the recipe, which I tried to keep simple and calorie-light!

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I used bout a quarter of a yellow (yes, you heard it!) cauliflower grown locally in Asabata, Shizuoka City, cut it small enough pieces and cooked them the Missus’ way, that is, I put them in a non-stick frypan with half a centimetre of water and cocered it with a glass lid. I switched on the fire to medium and waited the water to boil. As soon as it started boiling I turned the fire to minimum, cooked the cauliflower for one minute, switched off and let it covered for one more minute. I then drained completely and held it under running cold water for a few seconds to cool down, then put them aside in a strainer.

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I used a medium-sized avocado, cut it into two halves, took off the large seed by stabbing it with the “talon” of a kitchen knife and twisting it out.

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I peeled the avocado and brushed both halves with lemon juice.
Next I used the equivalent of a small tin of crab meat, added some lemon juice and some sweet wine wine to it. I mixed the lot and quickly pressed the juices out. I filled both halves of the avocado with some crab meat. I kept the juices for the bechamel sauce.
I chopped a good quantity of Italian parsley and put it aside.

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I buttered the inside of two glass oven dishes, put the avocado halves in the middle upside down, arranged the cauliflower around it and garnished the top of the avocado halves with the remaining crab.

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I prepared the bechamel (white) sauce by making a roux with 50 g. of butter, two large spoons of flour, then added the crab juices, 200cc (one cup) of milk, 80 cc of sour cream. When the bechamel had “caught”, I added salt, pepper, theme, nutmeg and four spices and dropped in the chopped Italian parsley.
I spread the bechamel sauce allover the dishes and let it cool completely. This way the bechamel sauce will not “run out” inside the oven. I sprinkled the lot with cheese and baked it the oven at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes (or until it attains the colour needed).

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We ate it with a salad just out of the oven.
I chose a fairly firm avocado on purpose for better effect when cutting it out with my spoon, but it’s up to your taste.
I’m sure anyone can improvise and improve on that!

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Japanese Crustacean Species 3: Squilla/Shako

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The Squilla or “Shako” (蝦蛄in Japanese) is a delicacy that appears on the sushi bar counters from April to Summer, although different varieties can be found in Hokkaido markets (Otaru City in particular) almost all year round.
You will discover it under names such as “shaku” and “Gazaebi”.
They are actually caught in almost all Japanese seas, but the best are supposed to originate from Hokkaido.

shako2

Like any crustaceans, they can be eaten in many ways.
The Japanese favour the small kind with a violet back. I had the pportunity to buy some very large specimen in Otaru, and eat them just boiled andserved with rice vinegar mixed with a little Japanese mustard, or in salad.
They almost disappeared from Tokyo Bay in the 1960’s but reappeared in the 1970’s. Most fishermen in the Kanto area will place them in boxes themselves to sell them directly at fish markets. The market value can vary wildly, but look for the genuine harbour markets and buy them yourself.

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Naturally, they are most popular as nigiri sushi. Customers jokingly ask for “garage” (in English) as “shako” also means (different kanji, of course) “garage”!

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Japanese Crustacean Species 2: Large Prawn/”Botan ebi”

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Botanebi/”Botan” Prawn, or “Pandalus nipponesis” for the specialists, is a large prawn found in all seas of Japan at depths varying from 300 to 500 metres. They are caught at 200~300 metres depth in Suruga Bay and along the WEstern coast of Izu Peninsula In Shizuoka Prefecture. Once abundant, they have become scarce and only small specimen are found whereas Hokkaido produces up to 20cm-long prawns.

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They are known under different names: toyamaebi and Kijiebi.
It is not a cheap morsel in Sushi bars. But it is interesting to note they are essentially eaten raw as like “amaebi”, they become very sweet after some time in the refrigerator.

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Now, if you are lucky enough to find them fresh with their eggs, ask your chef to dress them as above, or even better, put the eggs on top of a “gunkan nigiri”!

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And one more thing, if they are fresh again, don’t forget to ask for the heads deep-fried!

Incidentally, botanebi change sex (gender) with age to end up as big juicy females!

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Vegan Farandole for the New Year!

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Last Sunday, not the New Year I must admit, I had to cook dinner for my other half, and I just happened to be litterally submerged with vegetables.
Why not create something vegeterian, or even better, something vegan, at least to justify my omnivorous preferences? I thought.
Well, I came with a simple idea that can expanded at infinitum. It has the merit of making use of very healthy ingredients and help the system take a much needed rest! LOL

farandole-oil-22 farandole-oil-3 farandole-oil-1

I utilized three different oils from three different countries to add a little inernationalization: Olive oil from Italy, Walnut oil from France and Argan oil from Morocco!

In the centre of the plate I arranged a “circle” of boiled potatoes mixed in “brandade style” with plenty of olive oil, avocado, black olives, lemon juice, a minimum of salt, chopped fresh garlic, pepper, nutmeg, thyme and yuzu chili pepper. Indian friends would probably add plenty more spices.
I surrounded it with a thin crown of boiled diced brocoli stems and shiso/perilla shoots/mini leaves.

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I then added plenty of dressing around the lot. The dressing was made with walnut oil, taragon white wine vinegar, soft Dijon mustard (with seeds), lemon juice, a little salt, pepper and a large amount of very finely chopped fresh parsley and basil. It was very consistent and easy to spread without “leaking” everywhere.
Around the whole, I arranged boiled green brocoli, white cauliflower and yellow cauliflower (beautiful and very tasty) all grown in Shizuoka Prefecture.
I decorated the potato core with plum tomato wedges, and sprinkled both the cauliflower(s) and tomatoes with a little dash of argan oil (take it easy with this particular oil as it is particularly fragrant!).

I hope this will give ideas to my vegan and vegetarian friends for the New Year repast!　By the way, “Farandole is a dance!

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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter

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Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin 2008 #27
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Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We will be ushering out 2008 and drinking in 2009 with New Year’s Eve Countdown parties at both the Fishmarket and Nakameguro Taprooms. Event details are listed below.

Fishmarket Taproom Countdown Party (Wednesday, December 31, 5:00 pm start)

*All-you-can-eat Mexican buffet @ 1,000 yen per person (5:00 – 11:00 pm)
*500 yen Baird Beers throughout the evening
*Midnight debut of Hatsujozo 2009 Double IPA (complimentary glass to all patrons for 2009 inaugural toast)
*Reservations NOT required

Nakameguro Taproom Countdown Party (Wednesday, December 31, 7:00 pm start)

*All-you-can-eat buffet and All-you-can-drink Baird Beer @ 5,000 yen per person
*Midnight debut of Hatsujozo 2009 Double IPA (complimentary glass to all patrons for 2009 inaugural toast)
*Reservations NOT required

At Baird Beer we mark the transition to each new year with the release of a special Double IPA brewed uniquely in celebration of the fresh possibilities represented by the turning of the calendar. We kick off beer year 2009 with the midnight hour release of Hatsujozo 2009 Double IPA

Hatsujozo 2009 Double IPA (ABV 8.1%):

The wort produced for Hatsujozo 2009 is strong (21.5 Plato) but simple (two primary ingredients: Maris Otter malt and sudakito sugar). The hopping is equally strong (85 IBU) but more complex with four varieties of American hops (Warrior, Columbus, Centennial, Amarillo). Dry-hopping in the conditioning tank takes place with equal amounts of Columbus, Centennial and Amarillo. We kraeusen at packaging with wort from a different IPA in order to achieve secondary fermentation and natural carbonation. If Hatsujozo 2009 Double IPA is any indication, the Japan beer enthusiast is in for a fantastic year in 2009.

Hatsujozo 2009 Double IPA will be available on draught beginning January 1 at select Baird Beer retailing pubs and restaurants throughout Japan (including our own Taprooms). A limited number of 633 ml bottles also will be available for purchase at Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan.

Taproom O-shogatsu Business Hours

*Fishmarket Taproom will be closed on January 1 and 2. It will re-open for business on Saturday, January 3 at noon. January 3 and 4 will feature several O-shogatsu dishes (prices ranging from 300 to 600 yen) cooked up by Takanaka Tencho and Sayuri to celebrate the New Year.

*Nakameguro Taproom will be closed on January 1. It will re-open for business on Friday, January 2 at 2:00 pm. Business hours from January 2 – 5 will be 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm before returning to normal on January 6.

Happy New Year!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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Open Quiche (with Leek, Bacon and Potato)

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Some people, sometimes rightly, complain that quiches, for all their quality, are a bit heavy because of the pastry. I sometimes cook them without pastry, calling them “open Quiche”. They are simple to make and are welcome by foodies with an allergy to flour.

Here is the simple one I made for the Missus last night a very cold night!)

Ingredients (for 2 to 4 people):
-Eggs: 3 large
-Fresh Cream: 400 cc (2 cups)
-Fresh leek: one large, chopped.
-Potato: 1 medium-large
-Bacon: 2 large rashers, cut in 1 cm-thin strips
-Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
-Grated parmesan cheese: 1 large tablespoon
-Butter: 50 g for frying vegetables + enough to coat inside of oven dish
-Salt ( as little as possible), pepper, nutmeg, thyme, laurel and anything else you wish according to your preferences.

Recipe:
-Bring a pan full of salted water to boil, drop all the chopped leek in and boil for a couple of minutes. Take out and plunge the leek into cold water. Let cool, then drain, and put them aside in draining dish to allow any excess water to go away. This will take care of the leek’s astringency and make it softer. If too wet, press water out before adding them to the quiche.
-Boil potato to 80%, plunge in cold water (this way, it will not break or disappear inside the quiche), peel and cut into 1 cm square cubes. Put aside.
-Dry-fry (that is, do not add any oil) bacon until the colour has changed. Put aside.
-In same fry-pan, to preserve the juices left by the bacon, drop 50 g of butter and lightly sautee the leeks and potato for a couple of minutes. Put aside.
-Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (about 360 degrees F).
-In a bowl drop the leek, bacon and potato, season with lemon juice, a little salt, plenty of pepper and spices and mix well.
-In another bowl break the eggs and beat them into an omelette. Add fresh cream and mix well. Add a little salt, pepper and spices according to taste. Last parmesan cheese. Mix and check taste.
-Butter the inside of a large shallow oven dish (glass is best as you can see the inside cooking). Spread the bacon, potato and leek mix over the bottom. Pour in the omelette over the whole. Check and arrange the heavier food inside the omelette with a fork for more evenness.
-Cook for about 40 minutes

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Serve hot. You should be able to cut it and transfer it easily if you have buttered the dish properly. Serve with a fresh salad and a light red wine or real ale!
Enjoy!

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Sashimi Set: Sushi Ko Restaurant

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Last night, the Missus and I went out to celebrate Christmas our own way by having dinner at Sushi Ko, our favourite sushi restaurant in Shizuoka City!
This was our first order, a “sashimi no moriawase/sashimi plate”.
All seafood came from Shizuoka Prefecture!
For the rest of our dinner, please check Shizuoka Sushi!

From left to right:
“Mebachi Maguro/Big-eyed Tuna” on a “shiso/perilla” leaf and finely cut daikon, fresh “Sakura Ebi/Cherry Blossom Shrimp” from Yui with grated ginger and cucumber, “Aburi Kinmeidai/slightly grilled Golden Eyes Snapper/Seabream”, lemon, “Shiso no Hana/Perilla Flowers, “Ishidai/Parrot bass, Stone Flounder, Striped Knifejaw” and freshly grated wasabi!

Sushi Ko
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Japanese Crustacean Species 1: White Shrimp/”Shiroebi”

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Shiroebi or White Shrimp is not as known as other shrimp/prawn varieties. However it is a very popular crustacean in Japanese cuisine.
Also known under the the names of “Shiraebi, Hirataebi and Bekkoebi”, it is mainly caught between depths of 40 and 200 metres off the coasts of Toyama Bay on the other side of Japan and Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture.

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It is mainlly served as sashimi with some ponzu and grated fresh ginger

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as “gunkan” topped with a dash of grated fresh ginger.

It is possible to serve it as “nigiri”, although one would need large specimen, as the usual length is only 7 cm.
Shiroebi appears on our tables between April and November in many guises:

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The picture above shows on the right the shiroebi in its natural flesh whereas on the left it has been kept between two sheets of wetted seaweed for a while as “kombu-jime”, another very popular way to prepare all kinds of sashimi/sushi.

White Shrimps also enter in the preparation of a kind of “Tamagoyaki”/Japanese Omelette when they are first processed into a paste and mixed thoroughly with beaten eggs, sieved and then cooked.
The Japanese also love them as soft sembei/rice crackers.

The annual catch has exceeded 600 tonnes in recent years, half of them in Toyama.
They are also exported whole.

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Taky’s Classic Cakes (5): Charlotte

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Charlotte russe is a dessert invented by the French chef Marie Antoine Carême (1784-1833), who named it in honor of his Russian employer Czar Alexander I (“russe” being the French word for “Russian”). Originally it was a cold dessert of Bavarian cream set in a mold lined with ladyfingers.
Nowadays the cake is simply called “Charlotte” and and come in many variations.

Taky’s in Shizuoka City has created his own version with an accent on pears.

The Gateau de Savoie (sponge cake) lining the bottom and sides is imbibed with Poire Williams Liqueur.
It is filled with vanilla mousse containing cuts of pears marinated in Poire Williams Liqueur.
The Gateau de Savoie forming the “lid” was baked separately. It contains more meringue (beaten egg whites) and sugar, making it it lighter and slighter cripsy.

Certainly more fulfilling than it looks, it is best appreciated with a great tea!

TAKY’S
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-11-10
Tel.: 054-255-2829
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays

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Edamame: Japanese Green Soybeans

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I’ve always been somewhat puzzled to find the word “edamame” in my U.S. (and European) friends’ blogs. This conspicuous vegetable seems to conjure grand images of Japanese gastronomy in spite of its almost base status in this country.

After all, “edamame” (枝豆/branch bean in Japanese) is nothing but green soybeans, a food mass-produced and heavily exported by North American farmers.
Or, is it that the soybean’s image has fallen so low on the other side of the Pacific because some people grow it for bio-ethanol that restaurateurs feel more comfortable with a grand-sounding Japanese name?

Alright, before I get collared for indulging into a cheap rant, let me introduce my own recipe for preparing the “delicacy”:
One does not have to boil it, cool it and serve it sprinkled with salt. This is probably the worst and least healthy way to consume it!
If you can, choose them fresh on the branch(es). This will guarantee they haven’t lost any of their nutrient qualities.
Cut out all the pods and throw away the branches (or re-process them inside your fertilizer box!).
Clean the pods under running water.
Drain water, but do not wipe them dry.
Drop them in an appropriate-sized non-stick pan and hand-rub them in a little coarse salt. The less salt, the better, but enough to season all pods. Experience and personal preferences will tell you how much you need.
Cover pan with a glass lid and switch on fire to medium-low. Cook until water seeps out of the pods. Switch off fire and keep inside covered pan (do not take the lid off!) for a good 5 minutes. By then, they should be sufficiently cooked.
Serve immediately.

In Japan there exists another variety called Kuro Edamame/黒枝豆-Black Edamame.
Actually they are a light brown-green soybean grown in Shizuoka Prefecture and elsewhere. They are definitely tastier and deserve the title of “delicacy”.
The beans out of their pods also make for great addition to salads, artful presentation with meat dishes, and are great mixed inside “nigiri”!