The New York Times has an article on the various form of glutamate that are added to food around the world. The one we know and love is known as the chemical monosodium glutamate (MSG) synthesized by Tokyo University’s Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 (yep, one hundred years ago). So go out and celebrate with a bag of nacho cheese flavored Doritos® today. As the author points out, those have FIVE different forms of glumate in every bag!
Do you know Dr. Maoshing Ni? He is the author of several books on health and longevity and runs the Ask Dr. Mao site.
He has a list of tips on boosting your brain power on the yahoo site. Useful tips include doing some brain exercises like puzzles and memorizing items in a list; getting enough sleep (and grabbing a power nap) and exercise; eating the right foods; brewing your own herbs; and drinking green tea every day (I’ve got mine right here! 
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I would add to the list the fermented foods like natto and miso. What do you do to keep your brain healthy?
World, meet Mr. Ota. His San Diego restaurant, Sushi Ota, is just about the best sushi shop I’ve been to (I’ll save my other favorite, Daiki, in Ise, for another post). Besides being a great guy, Mr. Ota runs a smooth-running ship with fantastic food. We were trying to figure out when we first started going; it must have been not too long after he opened in the late 1980′s. That was back when there were exactly two people behind the counter: Mr. Ota and a nice guy nicknamed Joe. Now there are seven or eight people perfectly choreographed. It’s a big coincidence that Mr. Ota’s hometown is a couple of hours south of Kumamoto (in Hondo). He’s in my hometown, and I’m near his. Mr. Ota knows what my family likes, and he takes great pride watching our expressions after putting his original California- and Kyushu-fused creations in front of us. He has never missed with us. This meal took place about four months ago, so I’m working from the photos and my feeble memory. If the details are lacking, just enjoy the photos, and use your imagination…
Our meal started off with the above creation, although I broke it up before I remembered to take a picture of it. It was crab meat and tomato in a savory gelatin, and it just melted in my mouth.
I need to take some notes when I go back next time because I cannot remember what was in this original masterpiece. I do remember that the avocado matched perfectly with the grated daikon, tare (sauce?), and the fish inside.
This was one of those one-bite experiences that last only as long as you can chew it. There was crab involved and squid and a white fish, and that sauce!
Yes, your honor, guilty as charged. I forgot what kind of fish this was, but it was grilled to perfection and it was tender and extremely tasty.
I understand the giant bluefin tuna is dwindling rapidly. A few orders of various parts of maguro is usual for me. This time we had one order of toro and left it at that. I hope the tuna population returns to normal soon. We should all think carefully before catching/ordering/eating any more giant bluefin tuna.
Uni (sea urchin) is a delicacy in Japan. It just so happens that the waters of the east side of the North Pacific Ocean are filled with sea urchins. Sushi Ota serves them up from both California and Japan.
My wife likes the awabi (abalone); I can do without it. It’s a bit too chewy for me. She said it was wonderful!
Memory lapse again. As you already know, the one on the right is sake (salmon), but the one on the left eludes me right now. Perhaps another trip is in store, so I can ask…
Our final order was tamago. I think it was the first time to order it at Sushi Ota. Check out the cool brand. 
Thanks for (another) excellent meal, Mr. Ota. I can’t wait to go back! 
The American holiday is usually a working day in Japan, and this year was no exception. Fortunately, the next day was Labor Thanksgiving Day here, so I just moved the day to Friday.
This is the loaf of bread I put in the bread machine early on the morning of the day after Thanksgivng. I haven’t been brave enough to go 100% whole wheat (I’m working with an unfamiliar brand of WW flour) yet. The loaf in the photo above is 75% WW; the other 25% is plain ol’ bread flour. Anyway, this post has taken me longer to put together than I wanted it to, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Speaking of cookies..
We baked these after the bread was done. Many of them went out to neighbors and/or friends, but that’s what cookies are for: bringing joy to those who eat them.
After all the baking was taken care of, I started on the chicken (a turkey is way too much food for us). I shoved a sizable chunk of butter in strategic places on and under the skin and added salt, pepper, and rosemary.
It went in the oven for 20 minutes. Then I flipped it over and spread chunks of carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes all around the bird. I cooked it another 20 minutes and flipped it over again. After about 10 minutes, I started to keep my eye on it. It needed another 20 minutes, for a full hour of cooking.
I kept the neck and the bits I cut off from the chicken before roasting it. All of that and all of the bones and bits of meat went into a big pot. I added carrots, onions, and celery and covered it all with water. I turned up the heat until it just was getting ready to boil. Then I turned the heat all the way down. I let it simmer for two and half hours (I should have let it go another 30 minutes or so, but it was getting late) and scooped off the fat from time to time.
I let it cool off and strained it into a big bowl. This went into four plastic containers. The soup stock has been a source of some great soup and a nice risotto in the past few weeks. I can’t wait for the next excuse to roast a chicken…
There has been a push at work to connect better with the local community. The idea is to share ideas for research with those already doing similar work. I joined in on a trip this week to Amakusa, an island area south of Kumamoto connected by bridges and a system of ferries. The photo above is of the first bridge that connects the island of Kyushu to the first large island of Amakusa. The photo below is a view from that bridge.
We first stopped at a junior high school where there is a group of four or so people who develop and produce foods made from octopus. We learned that they get a supply of 30-40 kgs. a day of octopus, from which they make octopus ‘steak,’ giant ‘takoyaki’ (a kind of savory ball made from dough, vegetables, and seasonings), and other dishes. These products are then sold at the local souvenir shops. We sampled some of the octopus they use, and it was very tasty.
We next went to one of the local offices where the archives of Amakusa are kept. There was a long hallway where photos from various local events of the 20th and 21st centuries were hung on the wall. We then toured some of the rooms where the archives are stored. We did not really get to see any of the materials since they were all in boxes. Another missed opportunity was that the PR materials that were given to us were mainly photos of boxes. I think in the future some examples of the kinds of materials stored there would be enlightening; otherwise, it was a waste of copy paper.
From there we moved to Amakusa Airport where we learned about Amakusa Airlines’ business. Amakusa Airlines has one plane traveling: Amakusa to/from Kumamoto, Amakusa to/from Fukuoka, and Kumamoto to/from Matsuyama. We learned that their business has grown steadily over the years and that most of the passengers are business people.
We then went to Tomioka Castle which was fought over during the Shimabara Rebellion, but was destroyed in 1670 during the Shogunate period. The current site was rebuilt in modern times. The dark rocks below are the original rocks used to build the castle; the lighter ones were shaped for the reconstruction.
Here is a shot of what they found when they dug out the site. You can see that the castle was rebuilt with new walls.
I am a big fan of the coast in Amakusa. I would have to guess that I did about 50 dives at Myoken ga Ura (along the west coast of Amakusa) in the period from the summer of 1994 to the summer of 1998. I did not get many chances for a good shot, but this one is typical of the west coast:
We continued south and went to Oe where many Christians lived (and still live) before, during, and after Japan was closed to the West. Nagasaki’s Shimabara and Amakusa are so close that they share a lot of history. Here’s a shot of Oe Catholic Church:
and one of Sakitsu Catholic Church:
Both were destroyed during the Shogunate period and were rebuilt in the 20th century.
The day finished up at a nice Japanese Inn where the University members were joined by some of the workers of Amakusa City and Kumamoto Prefecture. I got to meet Mayor Yasuda of Amakusa City, a very friendly person. Amakusa City turns out to be a sister-city with Encinitas in San Diego. What a coincidence! Moonlight beach may just be the beach I have visited the most.
If you are planning a trip to the Kumamoto area, make sure you plan some time for an Amakusa trip. You will be glad that you did.
These were dinner tonight. In Japan, it’s not exactly easy to make tacos the way I like them, but I do the best I can. These were made with corn tortillas which were produced in Germany. How weird is that? Tacos made by an American in Japan, using mostly Japanese ingredients, except the corn tortillas which came from Germany. Boy were they tasty. I think the key was the thigh meat I used. The meat I picked out is a local specialty here. It was very tender and juicy, especially after I grilled it on my iron-cast grill from Daiei. Mmmmm…
For the second time since I arrived, the Food and Health students invited me to a meal. The first time, the second-year students invited me, and it was free. This time it was the third-year students, and they charged ¥300.
There was plate of cold, sliced pork with tomatoes, wakame, and cucumber; a small, but plentiful portion of rice; miso soup; a soy bean dish; and a jelly desert made of oranges. The menu said it was 667 calories. Nice job!
There are a lot of places to escape to from just about anywhere in Kumamoto. One that is up the hill past the airport is called something like Milk Farmland. It costs ¥300 to get in, and there are various animals to watch and pet as your heart desires. There are a couple of small petting zoos and friendly people to answer your questions. There are at least three pigs, formerly known as mini-pigs and pot-bellied pigs (someone forgot to tell them that because they’re huge!), roaming around.
There is also a fully working dairy, and you can often see the machines in action, sucking the white stuff out of the cows patiently waiting their turn. Part of this dairy, obviously, is for raising the little ones. The video above shows one of them frolicking around a bit too much. She was in shock after her fall and didn’t move much at all after that.
The dairy goods are on sale in the form of tasty soft-serve and a whole bunch of products such as cream, milk, butter and cheese. Part of that complex also has a good all-you-can-eat restaurant serving locally grown food (when we were there, it was ¥1,500 for adults and ¥840 for kids). There were all kinds of food to choose from, including drinks and desserts.
The content of El Viajero has been split into two blogs. El Viajero will focus on topics related to every day life. The academic material is moving to http://scholar.jklmelton.net.
This post has been moved here:
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Ah, Mérida… What a great city. I’ve been there three times now: one one-night whirlwind visit in 1985, one slightly longer visit in 1990, and a nine-night stay for the 2006-07 holidays. Friendly people (smiles everywhere), great food (watch out for those habaneros!), lots of places to visit, and an endless number of challenges for travelers. For those of you who like to have a home base for other traveling, Mérida serves as a great staging area to head out to the Mayan sites and other interesting places.
The shot you see above is from the zócalo/centro/plaza (I heard all used) around sunset. It was a beautiful sight with all the colors changing every minute. The building you see is the oldest cathedral in North America. There are lots of sites (try the ones linked here) with information on history, dining, lodging, and places to visit.
I ask one favor. This city sustains some of the nicest people I know. If you visit, treat them with the same respect that they will show you. My greatest fear is that some are going to take advantage of the generosity of these people. A careful reading of the history of the area shows how they’ve been treated over the past several centuries.
