The Taste of Summer: Hamo

Hamo (pike conger, pike eel, Muraenesox cinereus) was in full force during this trip to Japan!

I grew up loving Hamo in Japan. Being from Nagoya, we really did get to enjoy the best of both worlds - Kansai (Western) and Kanto (Eastern) treats graced our tables with equal frequency. Although Tokyo-ites may eat more like Kyoto-ites, the height of Japanese cuisine is at Kyoto for me. Because Kyoto is not near any seaside ports and lacked the general availability of fresh fish, they had to be creative in their culinary styles and techniques to compensate for their lack of fresh ingredients.

Hamo is the perfect example.

Hamo was one of the few fish that could be transported from the ports to Kyoto alive. Unfortunately, hamo is also full of bones. I mean - FULL of bones. There is no way one can slice a piece of hamo into nice, clean sashimi bits. So, what did they do in Kyoto? They created a new way to eat fish.

Known as hone-giri (bone-cutting) technique, hamo is prepared by mincing the bones but not the skin of the fish. The chefs work on the fileted fish with great care and concentration as they slice the bones into pieces while maintaining the general structure and skin in tact. When the fish is fresh, the resulting flesh opens up like a flower into a gorgeous white bloom when blanched - perfect Botan (Peony hamo).



We had Hamo in Kyoto as a nabe (hot pot). In a perfect, pristine, clean broth, the hamo and grilled negi (green onion-ish leek-ish scallion) was a match made in heaven. The sizzled grilled fragrance of the sugar from the negi accentuated the delicate flavor of the hamo. The soft hamo flesh and its slightly chewy skin contrasted the multiple layers of the negi, each bite offering a different sensation.



But the truth is, I preferred hamo prepared differently. I hate to admit it, but I am not as adventurous as I like to be. I like familiar foods and familiar tastes. I like to adventure, but I still like the same dishes I grew up with best. Here I was, sitting at one of the oldest inns in Kyoto, one of the oldest cities in Japan, eating one of the most traditional fish in Kyoto, and I was wishing for the hamo I grew up with in Nagoya!

In Nagoya, we always had hamo in a more traditional way - blanched and served with a ume (plum) sauce. We did have hamo again later in Nagoya cooked that way, but that is a story for another night...

Meaty ramblings

I did some research after our recent discussion on Kobe beef. The Japanese wagyu is indeed type of cattle, but it is the name given to three breeds of cattle that are raised in Japan. Then, there is Kokusan beef, which is beef raised in Japan. Kokusan wagyu then is the beef from wagyu cattle raised in Japan.

Do I think it tastes different?

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......



Yes. But I think the difference in taste is more in the manner in which the beef is prepared than on the quality of the beef itself - or the combination of beef raised to be cooked in a certain way. Seared over charcoal in a wire basket, dripping with juicy goodness, sizzling every so slightly, this beef I had at Kase in Nagoya, Japan, was divine. The tender sweetness of the beef, without a trace of fleshy blood, tasted almost like the richest toro as the beef heated and the fat melted. A dipping sauce, made of various fruits ground up with soy sauce and other seasonings, was provided to add a refreshing dimension.

Would any old beef work for this type of preparation? Definitely not.

Do I think it has to be beef born and raised in Japan? No.

But the cuisine has to match the ingredients. This beef was raised to be eaten like this. It would not go well cooked in butter - prepared like that, it would never match the hanger steak I had in Paris. Local ingredients prepared to maximize its potential - to me, that is the height of culinary arts.

Guaranteed perfect pour

Since I was trapped in the Business class lounge for longer than I ever care for, I had to entertain myself somehow. So, what does a blogger do with loads of free time? Take pictures! This beer-pouring machine that I am writing about today is worthy of a spot on MED, even I weren't bored out of my mind, but I don't know if I would've actually taken picture of it in action if it weren't for the countless hours and pours I saw this machine produce - each time, with the perfect amount of foam for a beautiful pour!

Right next to the beer-machine is a fridge full of chilled glasses. Funny thing is, during the crisis, one of the biggest complaints from the Japanese passengers was that the beer glass in the fridge was still warm! Chilled beer glasses over showers! Ha, there's my fellow countrymen!

Once you take the glass out of the fridge, you set it in its designated spot on the machine...

and hit the Go button.

The glass tilts on its own and beer comes out of the left spout.

Just as the glass is about to get full, the machine tilts one more time. This time, foam comes out of the right spout, and voila~! A perfectly poured glass of beer with a lusciously enticing foamy head!

I had a few of these the first night, but I decided that I really needed all of my wits to get out of the airport on my second night - I decided to hold off on the drinks until we were in the air, just in case... Must've been some kind of premonition for my looming doom. It was a good thing I stayed away from the beer-machine, because sure enough - my flight didn't go on Round 2 either!

I have close to 200 more pictures from my stay in Japan, so come back soon for more MED - Japan 2006!

Kyoto Week: the culinary center of Japan

This week's theme is Kyoto. Kyoto is one of Japanese treasures with a rich history and sophisticated cultural finess. It was Japan's ancient capital, where emperors and nobles of the past left an irreplacable sense of history.


Kyoto was our sighseeing destination from this trip for two reasons. The last time we were in Japan on a sightseeing trip with five of our friends, the Mogs missed partically all of the Kyoto experience, since he was stuck in the US embassy in nearby Osaka with me renewing my student visa. Since Kyoto is a must-see destination with much historical importance, we decided that we needed to do Kyoto for sure this time around. The other reason was the food.

Kyoto cuisine has been appreciated all over the world and respected for its unique vegetables, delicate seasoning, and tender treatment of ingredients. Kyo-kaiseki is revered as one of the most sophisticated dining experiences in Japan. Kaiseki, a style evolved from tea ceremony, is a carefully orchestrated course meal which emphasizes attentive warmth from the host for the guests. This attentiveness is based on the spirit of ichigo ichie (一期一会), in which each meal is prepared with perfection, as if it were the last chance the host is given to please the guest.

I enjoyed two full kaiseki meals in Kyoto, and I am dedicating this coming week to my experiences with Kyoto cuisine. I also brought back some amazing ingredients from Kyoto, and this week will culminate with a feast I make for my friends, recreating some of the spirit of Kyoto cuisine in my own kitchen.

NOTE: The picture of the very famous Zen garden at Ryoanji temple that you see here is compliments of the Mogs. You can find other pictures by him on his flickr page. He has a ton more nice looking pictures from Japan, so maybe if we all harass him via flickr, he will put them up there for us!