To Eat or Natto Eat

Matt is smiling with a small cup of natto in his left hand and chopsticks in his right hand. The soybean mush is gripped by the chopsticks with a trail of goo leading back into the cup. He is smiling despite the fact that he is about to eat something gross.
Matt is smiling with a small cup of natto in his left hand and chopsticks in his right hand. The soybean mush is gripped by the chopsticks with a trail of goo leading back into the cup. He is smiling despite the fact that he is about to eat something gross.
Matt is incredibly fine with the goo trailing beneath his chopsticks.

There are many wonderful culinary treats that come from soybeans. Natto is not one of them.

Japan is very good at fermentation and it is very good at using soybeans. So it is reasonable to put them together. After all, this is how we get soy sauce!

Soy sauce is uniform in texture and easy to love with a savory flavor. Natto is the opposite.

Continue reading “To Eat or Natto Eat”

Fushimi Inari Sparrow

Jason's family is smiling beneath many bright red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine. The gates are lined up one after the other in the background forming a tunnel.
Jason, his parents, and tour guide in one of the torii gate tunnels.

Fushimi Inari Shrine is famous for its thousands of torii gates. They form tunnel like paths on naturally picturesque grounds. The entire place is a fantastic photo opportunity and I do not hesitate to take my own. Look how happy we are to be here!

The title of this post says ‘Sparrow’ instead of ‘Shrine’. This is no mistake. You can buy cooked sparrow in the streets right outside! Continue reading “Fushimi Inari Sparrow”