weird food
Food manufacturer Myojo recently released a special version of their popular Ippei-chan instant yakisoba noodles that includes a chocolate sauce topping. We tried it… so you don’t have to.
We’ve seen some pretty crazy and colorful food here before on RocketNews24. We’ve witnessed flaming-red burger buns and ocean-blue curry, but never before have we seen something that’s basically the equivalent of eating a neon sign.
Until now. One Japanese Twitter user/mad cooking scientist created “electrical udon” and uploaded pictures for the world to recoil at the sight of. Why did he create this beautiful monstrosity? And most importantly, what does it taste like?
When one country’s cuisine finds its way overseas, things are often lost in translation, either due to the limited availability of certain ingredients or because of differences in local tastes. Japan is just as guilty as any country for offering “foreign” foods that would never be found in the countries they originated from, but Japanese food has not escaped the same type of butchering, as the likes of sushi and ramen gain popularity around the world.
Just as any American is likely to be surprised by some of the things Denny’s and McDonald’s in Japan have on offer, one of RocketNews24’s Japanese writers got a bit of a surprise when he checked the menu at a sushi restaurant in the Netherlands.
Garlic flavored cola. Just let that sink in for a moment. Fizzy sweet cola with a pungent garlic taste. Yum? Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of weird food and drink come out of Japan, and as of January 9, there has been a new addition to that list.
Hailing from Aomori, the garlic capital of Japan, which has previously produced such delectables as garlic ice cream and garlic beer, “Jats Takkola,” is brought to us from the garlic center of the garlic capital of Japan, also known as “Garlic Town,” Sannohe Districts’ Takko Town.
For some of our Western readers, just the idea of raw fish might be enough to turn stomachs. Now imagine the kind of sushi that even Japanese folk can’t handle. We’ve previously introduced Hong Kong’s ‘Myosho sushi’ store, nicknamed ‘killer sushi’, on our Japanese site, but in the name of journalism we decided that a hands-on report was necessary. And so we sent our brave and strong-stomached writer out into the field.
Those right there my friend are fried armored isopods, and they’re just waiting for you to munch down on those crunchy exoskeletons. Heston Blumenthal get on over here, ‘cos this might be just what you need to get your next Michelin star.
You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every Saturday for a new post or read more on her website here!
When I first got to Japan, I made a goal to try any food that was offered to me. Sea snails (freshly cracked out of their shells and still alive), check. Sea cucumber, check. Shiokara (fermented salty squid), check. I’ve encountered some of the grossest edible things I’ve ever seen, but stuck to my goal, tried not to think about the slimy mess in front of me, and ate the new food.
To up the ante on my food challenge, I told myself that I would eat every dish that was served in kyuushoku (school lunch). The main reason I took this challenge is that I think it sets a good example for the kids, who are made to sit at the lunch table until they finish every bite of their food. Usually, completing my goal isn’t a chore at all. I’ve had some of the most delicious meals I’ve ever encountered in Japan served to me in the lunchroom at school. But it hasn’t all been easy. I’m not a fan of shishamo (pregnant smelt fish) which are eaten with head, eyes, tail, bones…everything, intact. As unappealing as shishamo is to me, I still manage to eat all of them when they are served in the school lunch.
Unfortunately, my undefeated school lunch record has come to an end.
There’s nothing worse than sitting down to enjoy a big slice of your favorite cake, only to feel the unpleasant crunch of an egg shell between your teeth. Well, what if your entire cake was baked in an egg shell?
One of our reporters has cleverly devised a way to cook a cake inside an egg! She’s got a cute idea, but I prefer my cake eggshell-free, no matter where the eggshell ends up.
If you’d like to try your hand at making an egg cake, have a look at her recipe and commentary:
MOST POPULAR
Now
Pringles now comes in karaage flavour in Japan
7-Eleven under fire in Japan for mysterious holes in their onigiri rice balls
Trio of thieves break into Japanese glasses store, foiled by old-timey cash register
Japanese boy whom Ronaldo stood up for in 2014 becomes national soccer champion
Eat your feelings with a dessert made of sadness: the Pien Cheesecake
NHK announces “substantial” fee reduction, Japanese Internet reacts with jeering
Embrace the literary and the historical with traditional Japanese artwork as your Zoom background
Japanese politicians want workers across country to have option for three-day weekends every week
Mario can’t beat state of emergency, Super Nintendo World theme park opening delayed again
Vote on your favorite Detective Conan opening or ending as beloved franchise hits 1,000 episodes
Weekly
English mistake on new Japanese beer leads to suspension of sales before its release
We try a rotating sushi restaurant in New Delhi, are surprised to find no rotating sushi
Japanese media finds out if it’s cold enough to “fry” an egg on the street in Hokkaido
Flying in Japan? Your flight may soon be arriving at “Hatsune Miku Airport”
7-Eleven Japan’s banana milk sparks controversy over deceptive packaging
Eight things people realized were pointless about Japanese work culture during 2020
Genital manju sweets, with a dash of “pubic hair”, raise eyebrows in Japan- Japanese boy whom Ronaldo stood up for in 2014 becomes national soccer champion
Here’s why Japanese supermarkets play “cheap” background music all day, according to Twitter
Parents of bullied teenage girl who committed suicide commission portrait to “attend” Seijinshiki
Monthly
Demon Slayer is so pervasive, it’s starting to affect Japanese children’s kanji reading ability
McDonald’s releases Katsu Curry Chicken McNuggets, but do they taste Japanese?
McDonald’s releases an Oreo and Spam burger for a very limited time
Top 100 manga of all time chosen by survey of 150,000 Japanese people
Mt Fuji looks unusual, sparks fears of possible eruption- Here’s why Japanese supermarkets play “cheap” background music all day, according to Twitter
- English mistake on new Japanese beer leads to suspension of sales before its release
- We try a rotating sushi restaurant in New Delhi, are surprised to find no rotating sushi
Utada Hikaru sings, Eva fights Eva in jaw-dropping new trailer for final Evangelion movie【Video】- Japanese media finds out if it’s cold enough to “fry” an egg on the street in Hokkaido
Yearly
Nintendo puts out important notice for casual gamers who’ve bought a Switch during the pandemic
Jason calls off Friday the 13th activities due to coronavirus
Japan goes beyond rice cookers with new curry rice cooker, the kitchen gadget we need right now
Studio Ghibli releases 400 images from eight movies free to download online
A Pokémon glitch no one discovered in 18 years has been found…by a pet fish in Japan?!?【Videos】
Customers race to Uniqlo for new summer face masks, but are they really worth the hype?
Parasite movie releases free official wallpapers to download as backgrounds for video calls
Japanese students hold graduation ceremony in Minecraft amid school cancellation
Man sheds half his body weight, looks like a handsome model in just one year
Japan’s one-person bento box-sized rice cooker can give you freshly cooked rice at the office
RECOMMENDED STORIES
NHK announces “substantial” fee reduction, Japanese Internet reacts with jeering
Embrace the literary and the historical with traditional Japanese artwork as your Zoom background
Japanese politicians want workers across country to have option for three-day weekends every week
Mario can’t beat state of emergency, Super Nintendo World theme park opening delayed again
Vote on your favorite Detective Conan opening or ending as beloved franchise hits 1,000 episodes
Does your butt get cold in the winter? Try this butt heater cushion to keep you warm and cozy
Tokyo’s latest plan to boost birth rate: Pay people 100,000 yen per baby they give birth to
AKB48’s Indonesian spin-off group JKT48 forced to downsize due to pandemic
What’s really for breakfast? 20 Japanese people give us a peek at their morning meal【Photos】
10 things foreigners do that Japanese people find amusing
-
