Life in an Izakaya
It's difficult to understand when a Japanese is telling us no . Sometimes yes means no , and a cannot be expressed in a thousand different ways. subtlety It is something deeply rooted in Japanese culture because saying a resounding no to a stranger is something that borders on rudeness. This example is just the tip of the iceberg of what ** a tourist can find when he visits Japan for the first time **. In other words: the western traveler would need a thousand lifetimes and still not understand all the nuances of the gestures, the looks and the words of the Japanese idiosyncrasy.
The Illustrated Dictionary of Japanese Cuisine _ OISHII _ it's a essential reference book , which compiles and explains more than 2,000 terms related to Japanese gastronomy . With this lifesaver you will still not know if a Japanese wants to say yes or no, but you will earn their respect at the table forever.
'Oishii' book page
Roger Ortuno is the author behind this titanic work. Ingredients, culinary techniques, utensils and anecdotes to become a japanese adoptive before paying the restaurant bill. “It is very important to understand that I have not tried to make a dictionary of the japanese language. Oishii , What does it mean delicious in Japanese, it is a gastronomic dictionary of words. The nuance is important."
Known to be the philosopher's stone eat japanese , Roger ortuño is so steeped in japanese culture that he carefully chooses each word before he begins to speak. “Japanese who have looked at a copy of the gastronomic dictionary are surprised by the content. There are even words that professional Japanese chefs don't know . I have detected some terms that in colloquial Japanese mean one thing and then in gastronomic language they mean quite another”.
Perhaps for this reason the gastronomic dictionary has 3 main recipients . “The ideal robot portrait of my readers is three different types of audiences. the professional cook (also for Japanese natives) , Japanese language translators either scholars who want to delve into culinary matters and, last but not least, fans of Japan who want to go beyond the clichés”.
Like the topics in Condé Nast Traveler we forget them in the mixed bag , we have made an indecent proposal to the author: Roger Ortuño must choose a dozen keywords for a Japanese to respect us at his table. In other words, that the Japanese restaurateur, cook or waiter make a face of satisfaction when you see that you have a person who knows what he is talking about (or at least seems to). It would not be correct to use the concept of "Hesitate" a Japanese with his jargon, but it is the closest thing to this little game without intention of offense to learn to be an adoptive Japanese.
Roger Ortuno
1. THE THOUSAND NAMES OF RICE AND TUNA
There are many terms to refer to rice in Japan. When it is raw it is called eat , when cooked is called gohan , but so that the extreme subtlety is understood, if it is cooked rice for sushi it receives another name, shari . Even if it is cooked with more or less water, the name can vary”.
"The tuna or maguro It also receives countless different names depending on the cut of the fish to which it refers, or whether it is more fatty or less fatty. If you want to make a simile, it would be like the color white for the Eskimos, which has dozens of exceptions for the different shades. In Japanese cuisine it happens with tuna: Akami (lean part) , bull (belly) , otoro (extra fat belly) , Tsuna (from a can), Zuke (macerated in soy sauce) and a long etcetera”
two. HOW TO FIND OUT THE MAIN INGREDIENT OF SUSHI
“If you go to a sushi restaurant and insist to the cook that you would like to know the sushi net , you will be asking about the main ingredient of sushi beyond rice. It can be the fish of the day, vegetables, tofu or whatever. Making a comparison with Spain would be like saying today's sandwich is bread with tomato and what else”
Rice has a thousand names in Japan
3. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DRINK IN A SUSHI BAR
“Few tourists know that they can ask agari at a sushi bar. Agari is a Japanese gastronomic slang word that refers to to the tea that is served specifically to accompany the pieces of sushi . Tea or agari is a drink that is given as a courtesy to the diner. The traveler must know that it is a courtesy of the house to offer free tea and water . Normally the cup or yumi sushi has motifs drawn in relation to sushi, like the cup on the cover of this book that looks like a 3D dictionary ”.
Four. DON'T SAY 'SUSHIMAN' EVER AGAIN
“The chef behind the sushi bar is called Itamae . Sushiman is an anglicism that betrays the newcomer”.
5. WHEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING ABOUT THE LETTER
“If you want to leave the choice of all your dishes to the chef, you have to learn to say omakase , which means 'I leave it in your hands'. That is, at the discretion of the chef setting a budget so that it does not get out of hand. It's a good one wildcard word when we don't understand anything on the menu and no one on the staff speaks English."
Don't say 'sushiman' anymore
6. THE SECRET TO ORDERING A GOOD SAKE
“ Jisake is the term that designates the ** local sake ** that is only distributed in small wineries in the area. They are sakes that you cannot find in Tokyo, much less in the West. There are many jisake regional wines that are worth sampling every time you change prefecture. If you want to be an expert, you can ask the waiter about the hierarchy of sake. Sei-mai buai is the percentage of rice polishing. The grain of rice to make sake the more it is polished, the closer we get to the core of the grain and the result will be more aromatic and delicate ”.
7. BEFORE YOU BUY SAKE, LOOK AT WHAT IS HANGING ON THE DOOR OF THE SHOP
“ A ball of cedar or sugidama on the door of sake shops announces that the fresh sake or shinshu is already on sale in the cellar or sakagura. It's funny because the ball changes color and ages more or less like sake. It's a good indicator to know the freshness of sake for sale . If the cedar ball is very green, it is very fresh and if the ball is dark brown, it is already aged”
8. DO NOT ORDER SUSHI AS A TYPICAL DISH IN EVERY RESTAURANT
“A good gourmet who visits Japan should know that depending on the area he visits, perhaps sushi is not the most typical dish of the place . For example in Kyoto it is essential to try the kaiseki kitchen , which highlights the seasons of the year and seasonal ingredients. Each dish on the tasting menu must be prepared with a different culinary technique to show the skill of the cook : steam, grilled, fried, raw, etc. is the maximum sophistication of Japanese cuisine and also one of the most expensive. Waves kyo sai , what are the traditional vegetables ; those that are grown in ** Kyoto ** since ancient times with the reputation of being the best in the country. Why doesn't a Spanish tourist order a paella in Galicia and an octopus à feira in Valencia? I mean, the Japanese when they go to Kyoto eat these specialties and not sushi."
The importance of a good sake
9.**HOW TO SAVE MONEY AT RAMEN RESTAURANTS**
“ Eating in Japan is expensive . A cheap option is to eat ramen, but what not everyone knows is that you can repeat the serving of noodles if you still have broth left in the bowl . The Japanese ask for a portion of kaedama , what is a extra noodles . It will always be cheaper than ordering another whole ramen. Indeed, teuchi soba are hand made noodles , which will always be more delicious than the industrial ones”.
10. THE BEST KEPT SECRET OF SUMO WRESTLERS
“Many tourists who visit Tokyo come to the Ryōgoku neighborhood to attend a **sumo tournament**. What the traveler doesn't know is that retired sumo wrestlers specialized establishments open in chankonabe , which is what they drank before each fight to keep their spectacular bodies in shape . It consists of a casserole with broth, chicken, tofu and vegetables. A kind of stew that is cooked at the table itself and is worth discovering in person”.
eleven. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COLOR RED IN YOUR KITCHEN
“ sakura , which is the contemplation of cherry trees in bloom , is the typical image of any travel guide to Japan. What not everyone knows is that the Japanese equally appreciate going to see the red autumn leaves. _Momiji is the new black_ says a well-known translator. It is the new trend among specialized travelers in Japan. It is something very picturesque that is related to the gastronomic field because momiji refers to dishes where the red color is a priority such as those made with daikon radish and chilli pepper. In addition, momiji is also used to designate deer meat dishes.”
the art of ramen
12. THERE IS A WORLD BEYOND KOBE BEEF
"The kobe beef It is generally considered the best in Japan, but it is only one of the four great houses in the country. Sandai Wagyu encompasses Matsusaka beef , of Ōmi and Yonezawa. To make a good comparison, not all Iberian ham is from Jabugo . There is also Guijuelo, Los Pedroches or other denominations. Well, the same with meat in Japan, Japanese beef or wagyu can be from Kobe , but also from other prefectures that compete for the favor of the Japanese”.
13. THE GREAT DELICATESSEN UNKNOWN OUTSIDE JAPAN
“If the traveler goes to Japan in spring there is an essential delicatessen. The kinome is he fresh shoot of Japanese pepper that is only available for a few weeks in May . It is the priority objective of Japanese gourmets due to the difficulty of finding it at the right time”.