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Japanese Michelin Guide: It's Been a Rough Ride So Far
In a further attempt at globalizing its brand, the Michelin Guide has, as we reported last March, now been introduced in Japan. New York Times reports today that,-->As was the case when Michelin introduced its American guides in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, the ride has not been all that smooth. Lots of interesting stuff in this New York Times story: Many Japanese food critics, pundits, and serious eaters feel that the Michelin folks do not have the expertise and experience to properly judge Japanese food, although, like Michelin's American forays, it has enlisted the help of locals. I have always been skeptical about Michelin's American efforts....Mayonaka Zeitaku: Supporting Your Late-Night Sweet Tooth
Now you don't have to feel guilty about your late-night snacking. In fact, there are products made specifically for your midnight munchies—if you happen to live in Japan. Morinaga/Eskimo is launching its new brand of premium ice cream for late night called Mayonaka no Zeitaku ("Midnight Indulgence"). With each cup clocking in around 140 calories, it's specifically targeted to the health-conscious woman who doesn't want to compromise her sweet cravings. (Morinaga/Eskimo's research shows that 43 percent of women between ages 20 and 40 eat ice cream around 11 p.m.) And if you want to get really elaborate, there's even a cute little "Midnight Story" illustrating that, yes, ice cream is exactly what you crave in the middle of the night...Photo of the Day: Bunny Egg Mold
Maki at Just Bento shows how you can have fun with Japanese egg molds, my favorite mold being this overly adorable bunny head. Cooking and peeling perfect hardboiled eggs takes some effort, but if you want cute, blemish-free food, you have to put in some elbow grease....Ningyo-Yaki: Molded Japanese Cakes
Tokyo-based design magazine PingMag has a feature on the history and making of the Japanese snack cake ningyo-yaki, which translates to "fried dolls." These small cakes made by pouring batter into intricate molds—varying from Hello Kitty to a traditional lantern—are typically filled with red bean paste, but may also be filled with chocolate or custard. Grab a box on your next trip to Japan!...A Sweet Note of Thanks
Thank you notes get a "sweet" upgrade with Tokyo Super Sweets' Arigachoco. Based on a fusion of the Japanese word for "thank you" (arigato) and "chocolate," these chocolates (green tea-flavored, enrobed in a white chocolate coating) come with a QR code on the box. Scan the code with your cell phone and you'll receive a message of thanks that the sender picked for you (all ending cutely with "Arigachoco!"). Saves you from buying all that unnecessary stationery, eh? [via Trends in Japan]...Black Garlic Chocolates
You've got your milk chocolate, dark, white, and ... garlic? Takko Shoji of Aomori, Japan, has been developing "black garlic chocolate" there. Fermented black garlic is coated with chocolate and sprinkled with cocoa powder. It's got a "sweet-and-sour taste resembling prunes, with the bittersweet taste of chocolate." Perfect for your adventurous valentine (although I'm not sure how much kissing will be done afterwards). [via Japundit]...Green Lanterns: The Midori Chochin Movement
Next time you're in Japan and you're trying to eat local, look for one of these green lanterns. Called midori chochin, any restaurants with these lanterns (based on the traditional red paper lanterns) indicate that they use domestic ingredients in their dishes. The system works on a five-star ranking scale, helpfully displayed on the lantern. Restaurants using locally produced ingredients for more than 50 percent of their cooking are awarded one star; five stars mean the restaurants source 90 percent or more ingredients locally. However, it's not a formal certification, since the movement is focused simply on raising awareness of eating locally, and restaurants only need to self-declare their status to apply for a lantern. On the other hand, this...In Videos: Pounding Mochi
Pounding mochi, or cakes made out of glutinous rice, is a traditional New Year's activity in Japan. After the jump, watch these expert Japanese mochi pounders alternate hitting the mochi with a ginormous wooden mallet and turning and wetting the mochi by hand at breakneck speed without smashing any human bones. [via Cha Xiu Bao]...Dolphin: Friend or Food?
"The sounds of waves crashing onto a rocky shore mingle in Taiji with the screeching wails of dolphins being chopped and hacked to death by fishermen." Residents of Taiji, Japan have been eating dolphin for over a century, but social pressures and high levels of mercury challenge their culture of dolphin-eating....Hot Topics: Technique of the Week | The Food Lab
Today's Specials
8 Delicious Chocolate Cakes and Pies for Valentine's Day
Some might say that chocolate on Valentine's Day is about as unoriginal as you can get. We all remember the first heart-shaped box of overly sweet chocolate bonbons from grade school Valentines. But chocolate gift-giving needn't be a cliché. This year, let's bake our sweethearts chocolate cakes and pies instead! Here are 8 delicious recipes perfect for celebrating your love (of chocolate.)
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