Strangest Food You've Eaten In Japan

[rick]

Has anyone tried loach hell? I believe the name in Japanese is dojo jigoku.

The little loaches (like baby eels) are placed in hot water with a cool block of tofu in the center. The water is then heated from below.
In a bid to escape the heat, the loaches wriggle their way into the tofu, where they are then cooked and eaten.

Some people have tried it at home

It sounds pretty macabre and I haven't actually found a place willing to serve it. As for acquiring the loaches myself...

 

[vondoom]

i had the eels plain and alive, now i think i know why they had them in the first place...
place closed over ten years ago, though...
in case i see it again, ill let you know...

 

[rick]

i had the eels plain and alive, now i think i know why they had them in the first place...
place closed over ten years ago, though...
in case i see it again, ill let you know...

Damn, that's hardcore.
I suppose they failed the health inspection

 

[User#16452]

.

 

[rick]

Imagine if you're playing a food related game. Tofu is white block that first appears on your plate as the boring default option. No colour, taste, texture, flavour, scent. It's the missingno of food.

Of all the options available in the supermarket, why on earth would anyone to choose to buy or even eat this? Like literally anything is more appealing.

I felt the same way until I was served tofu at one of the better kaiseki restaurants here.

Sesame tofu, with a springy texture and subtle sweetness. Very evocative of spring.

If you (or your clients) are willing, why not try an upscale place like Matsukawa, Kyoaji, or Ryugin?
They might change the landscape of your palate forever.

 

[Chocoballs]

I tend also to not like most Japanese dishes because of heavy soy and miso inclusion.
I haven't really eaten anything that most people would classify as weird but it would have to be a raw beef sushi which was borderline inedible and just grew in my mouth.

View attachment 1571

I don't know the quality of the beef that you ate, but the raw beef sushi I ate was pretty amazing. It was high quality wagyu at an expensive yakiniku restaurant.

 

[roots reggae]

Strange ... not really ... but maybe strange since many people don't like it.

Many foreigners (and Japanese) don't like natto. I love it.
Some people don't like bitter gourd. I love it. Eating goya chanpuru is like tasting my mom's cooking again.
Raw egg on rice with natto is good. Horse meat, inoshishi (wild boar). Shell fish (some quite bitter) from the islands.

Wanted to try raw liver but it got banned before I can try it.
Old folks back in my island nation ate liver raw to boost iron levels if your anaemic.

You know, whenever I meet a Japanese person who wants to practice speaking English, I am asked, "Do you like natto?"
When I tell them I love natto, especially with hot mustard, they put their hands to their fact, Home Alone style, and feign surprise. Well, maybe they are truly surprised, but it makes me wonder if this question is standard in their English learning classes.

I love bitter gourd, goya chanpuru, as well. It's one of the few foods my wife actually makes well. (slap, slap-that's what she does to me when I speak a truth she does not want to hear)

I grow goya chanpuru in my garden and, in fact am ready to transplant three this weekend. One year I had so many that I would chase down anyone walking down the street and offer them bitter gourd. That year I did the same with cucumbers. Must have used plenty of compost in my garden that year!

By the way, if you don't mind sharing-where are you from?

 

[Chocoballs]

Shirako is pretty weird to eat especially if you know it is fish sperm sack. I'm not a fan of raw shirako but shirako tempura is pretty tasty. And if you ever eat fugu, then definitely go for the shirako. It is the best part of the fugu!

Here is some grilled fugu sperm

 

[rick]

死ぬ気になれなきゃ
食うしかない
食うんなら
うまい方がいい

Words I live by

 

[vondoom]

well, ive been young back then... 21 i think, so i tried nearly everything... still do, but i dont find new things very often...

anyway, the two places mentioned in this thread have been featured on television and are more or less popular with the foreign crowd, even if its only out of curiosity... i have never been at any of them, but maybe you go and ask there? might be seasonal and thats why they didnt have it when you went (if you went)...

edit: if im not mistaken, the name is just dojo tofu/dofu...

 

[Goshogawara]

Raw egg on rice is the perfect breakfast if you are in a hurry, hangover or both. Mush it together, add some soya sauce and gulp up. Ready to go in minutes.

If the alcohol didn't make me throw up, that kind of breakfast will for sure

Horse meat, inoshishi (wild boar).

The japanese have a strange aversion towards game. Considering they eat everything the sea brings forth (veryniceguy mentioned "Hoya" for example) I find it rather funny all of my friends say venison is disgusting because it "stinks".

 

[scorpioni6ths]

The japanese have a strange aversion towards game. Considering they eat everything the sea brings forth (veryniceguy mentioned "Hoya" for example) I find it rather funny all of my friends say venison is disgusting because it "stinks".

They eat everything indeed, pig feet (tebichi), ears, innards. I guess Okinawans have a different set of tastebuds and sense of smell. I order inoshishi (definitely w/ awamori) whenever it's on the menu of a resto.

 

[Wwanderer]

Imagine if you're playing a food related game. Tofu is white block that first appears on your plate as the boring default option. No colour, taste, texture, flavour, scent. It's the missingno of food.

Of all the options available in the supermarket, why on earth would anyone to choose to buy or even eat this? Like literally anything is more appealing.

I think the very bland tastelessness of tofu is one of its virtues as a food, especially for vegetarians. Because it has almost no taste it can be added to nearly any dish to increase its protein content without changing/influencing the dish's flavor provided by the other ingrediants, sauces etc. I don't think many people eat straight raw tofu by itself.

I am not a tofu fan by any means, but since I am not squeamish about textures, it is just a very meh food to me, but I have no trouble eating either.

-Ww

 

[DocMcStuffins]

My top 3 tofu dishes:

Agedashi tofu
Chilled tofu
Deep fried tofu seasoned with salt, pepper and spicy peppers ( found in American Chinatowns)

Not sure if it strange, but best foods I've eaten are bbq - suckling pig and whole tuna head

 

[scorpioni6ths]

Not sure if it strange, but best foods I've eaten are bbq - suckling pig and whole tuna head

Tuna jaw (maguro kama) yum! Misaki in Miura is a good day trip.

 

[rick]

You're all making me hungry, so early in the morning

 

[scorpioni6ths]

You're all making me hungry, so early in the morning

If you're near Yoyogi head to the event area (near NHK). Laos Festival is on since yesterday.

 

[rick]

If you're near Yoyogi head to the event area (near NHK). Laos Festival is on since yesterday.

Thanks for hooking your boy up, I'll definitely check it out

 

[HotlineBling]

Natto...

I got offered raw chicken sashimi but I couldn't do it.

 

[Anna Summer]

Natto - I tried I several times. We are never gonna be friends!

Shirako- yuck... the texture and the taste. Pretty awful (to me)

Tofu - not a fan of it. No taste to me and the texture is weird.

Horse Sashimi (basashi) - that was quite okay and I didn't know in the beginning.

Kimchi - nope... Just nope...

 

[vondoom]

finally someone who doesnt like kimchi... whenever i express my disgust for kimchi (and still we go to a korean bbq place regularly), the question is always: "is it too spicy?"... besides that i am biased, because of all those dudes who order max spice by default, it is not to spicy... the answer is quite simple: it just doesnt taste good...at least the white one is slightly better...

 

[Anna Summer]

People ask me the same if it is too soft for me. While I'm really not good with spicy food in general I can say that kimchi is not too spicy but as you said, the taste is just gross...

 

[vondoom]

what is too soft?? like jelly?

 

[Anna Summer]

I don't really remember tbh... It's been 2 years since I've tried it.

 

[split]

Tofu is highly underrated in this thread. In Korean, Chinese and Japanese tofu cuisines there are literally thousands of ways to make them other than plain or with just minimal additions, many of which have an explosion of flavor. You are probably eating tofu in your soups without even realizing it.