Strangest Street Food

by Neil Woodburn on

While those of our readers who are American are probably eating turkey today, others in the world at large might be contemplating a very odd meal on the road.

We love strange, foreign dishes here at Gadling and in the spirit of Thanksgiving we thought we’d direct your attention towards a Travel + Leisure article and slide show entitled The World’s Strangest Street Food.

The article itself touches on some of the more delectable offerings from places like Bangkok and Singapore as well as providing a few tips for the culinary adventurous, such as avoiding vendors who water down their products to make them look fresh and shiny.

The slideshow, however, is far more fascinating. Ten photos of fried water beetles, reindeer hotdogs, yak butter tea, and other oddities are complimented with a paragraph describing what to expect as well as where to find these tasty nuggets.

Me? I’ll be enjoying some good old-fashioned turkey today, thank you very much.

(Photo of deep fried bugs by Flickr user Llanosom)

Big in Japan: The canned coffee taste test

by Matthew Firestone on

December is just around the corner, which means that all of the signs of the winter season are starting to pop up here in Tokyo.

From the falling leaves and hanging Christmas lights to the woolen scarves and hot carafes of sake, you can’t escape the fact that Jack Frost is slowly starting to nip at Japan’s ear.

Of course, the winter chill means one very important thing to caffeine hounds such as myself, namely that the vending machines in the city are starting to carry hot cans of coffee.

Indeed, Japan is home to a convenience culture, which is why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you can get a can of hot coffee from any vending machine here in Tokyo.

Of course, with so many different varieties and flavors of coffee on offer, you might have trouble deciding exactly which can of coffee will provide the necessary jolt that you need to start your day.

But fear not as today, Big in Japan will be bringing you the first ever canned coffee taste!

So, without further adieu, let the taste test begin:

Georgia Café Au Lait (カフェオレ)

Although I’m not exactly clear how the name Georgia is supposed to bring to mind excellent coffee, I do know that this syrupy sweet mix of coffee and milk packs a powerful sugar boost.

Sadly, coffee aficionados will mourn the lack of a frothy head that makes drinking real café au lait so heavenly, though what do you expect from coffee in a can!

Georgia Emerald Mountain Blend (エメラルドマウンテンブレンド)

I consider myself to be a fairly well traveled person, though I can’t for the life of me figure out where the Emerald Mountains are located on a map of the world.

But, I do know for certain that the lofty heights of this range must produce some great coffee beans, because drinking this little can puts some serious spring in my step.

Boss Rainbow Mountain Blend (レインボームンテンブレンド

Once again, I have no idea where the Rainbow Mountains are located, so either my geography skills must really be inadequate, or perhaps they’re part of the same range as the Emerald Mountains.

What I do know is that your average resident of Rainbow Mountain must have a sweet tooth, because I’m fairly certain that there is more sugar than coffee in this multi-colored can.

Suntory Habanero Soup (ハバネロのスープ)

What foul treachery is this – habanero soup in a coffee can!

Can you imagine the horror I felt after taking a hefty sip of habanero soup at 6:30 in the morning?

Just as the burn began to spread from my lips to my throat, I hung my head in shame and slowly accepted the fact that this was going to be a bad day.

Wonda Morning Shot (モーニングショト)

Before cracking the pop-top and having my morning shot, I’m comforted by the English on the can, which assures me that Wonda is “The coffee with perfect taste to greet every morning.”

Sadly, the perfect taste for greeting every morning is somewhat reminiscent of repeatedly licking a giant metallic spoon.

But what do you expect for 120 yen (US$1)!

On second thought, maybe I’ll stop at Starbucks this morning…

US Airways: no alcohol in or over New Mexico

by Catherine Bodry on

New Mexico‘s Regulation and Licensing Department has denied US Airways a permit to serve alcohol in the state — and that includes the state’s airspace.
The decision came after a temporary 90-day permit expired, which was put into place after a passenger who was allegedly over-served on a US flight got behind the wheel. Dana Pabst then drove the wrong way down I25 and hit a van carrying a family of 5. Everyone 6 people including Pabst were killed.

Other incidents where flight attendants reportedly over-served passengers were also taken into account.

US Airways can apply again for a state liquor license, but the company would have to show that it was “prepared to meet New Mexico standards in their practices.”

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Michelin’s star: Tokyo

by Martha Edwards on

Yet another reason why I must plan a trip to Japan soon:

Michelin Stars are scattered throughout the world, but they tend to be concentrated in the Western world. So it’s interesting that this time around, the place with the most stars is Tokyo. A number of Tokyo eateries have snagged the top Michelin rating — three stars. And while a number of the restaurants that made the list serve French food, the majority serve traditional Japanese dishes–Sushi, sashimi, tempura and such.

No doubt this will make it even harder to get reservations at some of these top-rated restaurants, most of which were already difficult to score a spot at before. But don’t worry — Tokyo boasts 160,000 restaurants, so you’re sure to find a table somewhere.

Big in Japan: The history of sake

by Matthew Firestone on

I love sake (o-sake, ?????).

For some, it’s the subtle sophistication of a finely aged scotch whiskey. For others, it’s the enticing froth and savory goodness of a perfectly-poured pint.

For me, it’s the sweet, delicious nectar that is sake.

I mean, how many other drinks out there are the products of centuries of culinary revision? How many other drinks out there are so in tune with the changing of the seasons? How many other drinks out there have been adapted and re-adapted to local tastes time and again?

Wine may have been drunk since antiquity, beer may have been a staple in the Middle Ages and tea may have built empires. But, none of these drinks hits the spot quite like a carafe of ice cold sake on a balmy summer’s eve, or a carafe of gently-warmed sake on a chilly winter’s night.

The history and lore behind this sweet, delicious nectar is worthy of textbooks.

Although the date when sake first hit the scene is fiercely debated by academics, what is agreed upon is that it would not have come about without the ancient discovery of a simple mold known as kōji-kin (Aspergillus oryzae, 麹菌). Used to ferment the starch in rice to make sugar, kōji-kin is the key to making sake, just as it is the key to making miso paste and soy sauce.

By the time the Heian Era (794-1185) rolled around, the art of sake was refined enough to warrant a government-sponsored guild comprised of professional brewers. During the centuries that followed, brewers became increasingly skilled at isolating kōji-kin, pasteurizing their products and creating new types and flavors of sake.

In the early 20th century, the Japanese government opened up a sake-brewing research institute, and started holding annual taste-testing competitions. As a result, the masses took to the drink like never before, ushering in the modern era of sake brewing. Yeast strains were isolated, enamel-coated steel tanks were invented, and sake become exalted as the national alcoholic beverage of Japan.

Although the Second World War put a damper on the festivities, sake made a brief come back in the 1950s. Sadly, this reign was short lived as beer was soon to replace sake as the drink of the masses. Today, beer remains the most popular tipple in Japan, though it doesn’t inspire even a fraction of the respect as does sake or nihonshu (日本酒), the ‘Japan alcoholic beverage.’

Although sake is still making a slow but steady comeback in Japan, the quality of the drink is at an all-time high. In recent years, breweries have begun to shifting away from mass-production, and returning to traditional small-batches brewing methods. And, with the popularity of sake on the rise in North America and Europe, better methods of preservation are being put into practice.

Getting thirsty? So am I.

For more on sake culture, including some delicious recipes you can try at home, see An Ode to Sake.