Japanese Cuisine
Kuala Lumpur
Thursday 3 July 2008
Japanese cuisine was introduced to me in 1984 when I was one of the participants of the Look East Policy during Tun Dr Mahathir and PM Nakasone era. At that time, it was so difficult for me to swallow the sushi and shashimi. After more than 2 weeks, my taste bud began to accept the raw tuna, salmon, cod, baby octopus, squid and shrimp. I told one of my Japanese friend that I loved hot and spicy food and he said no problem. He graciously handed me a greenish paste that he said very hot. I said , "oh, no problem" and mixed a table spoon of the greenish paste that they called wasabe into the dipping soy sauce. I took a slice of raw tuna and dipped it nicely into the well mixed soy sauce with wasabe. They looked at me with wide opened eyes and I felt so proud showing to them that Malaysian can eat spicy food too. When the tuna entered my mouth and touched my tongue, a strong gushed of hot and spicy sensation shot up my nostril. Tears rolling down my cheek and I felt as if hot gases gushing out from my ears and nose. I would say that it's some form of kick and not like our traditional spicy taste. The kick only lasted for few seconds and not like our hot and spicy that lasted for quite sometime until we wash it with sweet syrup.
However, the Japanese foods are usually nicely presented and the portions are just right, not oily and healthy. I loves to have a bento lunch box, which is normally a complete lunch set and gastric acid would only attack my stomach, 5 to 6 hours later.
I have observed that after eating japanese food during lunch time, my energy level was good and not sleepy.
