Anyone who can relate to “High Fidelity” (either the book or the movie adaptation) will understand my penchant for top ten lists. These lists give me perspective on who I am at each phase of my life as well as who I’ve been.
I’ve started to wonder what my top ten foods are today. I’ve excluded beverages, condiments and complex/cooked dishes in order to focus on essential ingredients. You would think that this facilitated my choices, but it kept me occupied for hours. Do I choose the foods I couldn’t live without? Or foods that have the greatest versatility? Or maybe I should be picking foods that get me excited when I see them on the ingredient list for a recipe. Can I choose foods that I’ve only had a few times in my lifetime, either because of their price or rarity?
It took me a while but here is my list:
10. lemons
9. umeboshi (sour pickled plums)
8. lemongrass
7. toro (fatty tuna belly)
6. foie gras
5. white truffles
4. cheese, especially soft-ripened varieties
3. Japanese short-grain white rice
2. tororo imo (Japanese mountain yam)
1. natto (fermented soy bean)
The top four were no-brainers because they’ve always been the same. The remaining six actually came as a surprise – I hadn’t realized how much my tastes had changed (evolved?) over the years. All the cooking I’ve done, restaurants I’ve dined at, food porn magazines I’ve drooled through... they’ve formed my idea of “yummy”. And considering how many people have told me that I’m too whitewashed by North American culture to be truly Japanese any more, it’s encouraging that half of the list consists of foods that are particular to Japanese cuisine. The impact of a mother’s home cooking is undeniable.
What are your Top Ten?
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1 comment:
"And considering how many people have told me that I’m too whitewashed by North American culture to be truly Japanese any more" ouch. I get that for not being 'very Greek' or 'Greek enough', but my top 10 list would have the staples of most Greek recipes and many of the dishes:
black olive oil from southern Greece (1st press, extra extra virgin - try some on tosted bread, yummm),
oregano (not the nasty, icky stuff from the local grocery chain, but from also from southern Greece),
garlic (lots and lots :),
citrus fruits (lemons, limes, pink grapefruits),
dark chocolate,
cheese (feta, old cheddar and some other Greek cheeses),
spanakopita (spinache/feta pie in handmade phyllo, made by my dad or aunt),
Greek desserts (galaktoboureko- custard dessert in phyllo and baklava, both handmade by one of my aunts),
pastitsio (Greek baked pasta dish with meat covered in béchamel sauce),
curry (Indian and Japanese versions),
rice (sticky white rice, jasmine, basmati).
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