Japanese cuisine has become mainstream in the world today, but while the west is popularizing sushi, ramen and tempura, Japan has kept evolving their cuisine to this day. The pursuit of perfection can be seen in every aspect of the food industry in Japan. Sometimes though, the pursuit of perfection comes in the form of perfecting each ingredient and method, rather than adding and making fusion dishes.
Take Chicken Kara-age (唐揚げ) for example, the name literally means “Tang fried” (Tang as in the Chinese dynasty). The origin is very hard to track down, but it is likely a Japanese version of some form of fried chicken from China. It is a simple fried chicken (some call it the Japanese Fried Chicken, JFC for short) lightly marinated chicken thigh meat in a potato starch fried to perfection. Crispy, light and an irresistible flavor of soy sauce and ginger, usually complimented with only a slice of lemon. Even though many different versions exist, the basic recipe remains the same, and continues to be the favorite appetizer for most Japanese people. I recently came across a lovely documentary by Adam Liaw, who travels across all of Japan, finding local delicacies and the people behind each passion, while introducing us to some simple, local recipes that we can try at home. Here is the recipe for his triple fried kara-age, and here is the link to all 10 of the Destination Flavour Japan series that explore the unique cuisines and the people behind them.
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With daylight savings time starting this Sunday in the United States, traveling or not, most of us have to face some type of jet lag during the course of our life. I have found that sometimes, 1-2hr difference, especially if that involves having to get up earlier in the morning, can be harder to cope with than traveling to the other side of the world. It’s all about preparation and expectation.
The key to maximizing the experience of your travel, whether it be for business or for leisure, is to try to adapt to the local time as quickly as possible. This article from the Business Insider gets some pointers from John Thompson, Microsoft chairman and Virtual Instruments CEO that has an insane travel schedule. He says “live on local time”, and “sleep on the plane before you arrive”. You can try to find your own way to accomplish these tips, but usually with a little preparation and reasonable scheduling, the process can be a pleasant one. For example, when you fly from the US to Asia, try to book a plane that arrives in the afternoon in Asia. That way, even if you are exhausted and tired, if you try to stay up a few hours until around 8 or 9pm local time, you will drop into bed and have a deep sleep, at least for a few hours until the time-difference forces you to get up around 2 or 3am. That’s fine, if you’re totally awake, utilize that time to get some things done while the city is still asleep, like jogging in the empty streets, getting some work done, etc. You will get an early start, feeling wonderful the 1st day. Of course, you will be attacked by heavy eyelids in the afternoon, but if you try to keep busy and stay up as late as possible, you will repeat the same thing as the day before. Gradually, you will adapt to the local time, and get up later and later, until you’re back to struggling to get up on time. If you are traveling for work, try to have your meetings scheduled in the morning, so you are at the top of your game. Did you know, that the first mention of Fondue dates as far back as Homer’s Iliad from around 800-725BC, where it was described as a mixture of goat’s cheese, wine and flour? According to this article on BBC Travel where it tries to trace the mysterious origins of Fondue by traveling through Switzerland.
What is Fondue? Traditional Fondue is made of two varieties of cheese, the Gruyeres and Vacherin, grated and melted together with a hint of garlic, a splash of white wine and a touch of kirsch, cherry brandy. The resulting dish is served in an earthenware pot called a caquelon, which sits above a portable stove to ensure a constantly bubbling mixture, and long forks dip and swirl country-style bread into the pot. This is a communal affair, a nice experience to share with friends and family, kind of like the Asian Hot Pot. From this original concept of Fondue, it has evolved into many versions using different ingredients, such as Oil fondue, where you have hot oil in the middle, and different varieties of raw beef and vegetables are at the end of a fork, and you fry your own. Then dip into the sauce of your choice, and eat away! Then, there is of course the Chocolate Fondue, where you dip bread and fruits into a hot, fudgy chocolate sauce. So it seems, that now there are hardly any rules as to what can be turned into a “Fondue”. If you are interested in a very traditional recipe for a Fondue, here is a traditional recipe you can try out with available cheese. If you are near the New York City area, here is a comprehensive report on CBS where to go for a great Fondue experience! With the way the weather is going, it is still Fondue season in NYC! |
AuthorUnicultural team and trainers, sharing our views and experiences on everything cultural. Archives
May 2016
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