Written by: adekun on 10 August, 2008 4:08 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
A couple of months back there was a report on the cash crisis. An American mother was in tears complaining milk being at the same price as gasoline? Although disparate in the UK, it made me recall dairy farmers protesting against their diminishing share of the end retail price.
I can understand cost increases being passed through, but do wonder if it’s all a bit off-kilter. Here in Japan, something that doesn’t need a reminder is the cost of food.
In one of the less affluent prefectures I’m thoroughly disgusted at the following:
- Milk c. ¥250 a litre
- Butter ¥408 for 200g (naturally the shelf was bare).
- Imported Devon cream 170ml just under ¥2000. That’s almost a tenner in English money.
- Grated ‘Pizza’ cheese 320g ¥688
- Cheese 100g around ¥500
It’s not just dairy products. The overpriced ¥300 Japanese garlic is now suddenly ¥400 a head. Is this a fair reflection of cost? Are you taking the Michael? Perhaps what I should come to terms with is that it price isn’t an issue. People now are so dependant that if that’s the price then it shall be paid with little more than a grumble - at best. The corporations are at liberty to charge what they like and there will be no riot.
Tags: food and drink, news, politics, whinge
Written by: adekun on 30 May, 2008 10:06 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
Towards the end of March notices appeared above the empty butter shelves. The general theme was an apology from the supermarket manager saying they are unsure when the next delivery will be. Although it hasn’t been the most fervent of searches, Monday brought an end to over a month without any respite. I spotted a few blocks. They must have just had a delivery and I was in the right place at the right time. A steal I thought at ¥368 for a scant 200 g. Along with the ridiculously priced apples and flour, pie making will have to wait (probably indefinitely). I also spotted seven cherries for ¥298.
There have been many stories covering this phenomenon. Hashimoto an official at the Ministry of Agriculture was quoted “Drought in Australia which pushed up the cost of cattle feed and bulging demand for butter elsewhere in Asia are making butter imports more expensive and shoppers are turning to made in Japan butter. The bottom line is, however, butter is not our staple food. Personally, I can happily switch to margarine.”
I don’t understand the mechanics but there quite a bit more going on. Why aren’t other countries facing similar problems?
Back in 2006 there was a bit of a glut. Being tightly controlled by the government the dairy farmers were forced to buy back their milk (or their cow’s milk) and pour it down the drain. Many cows were knocked on the head. There are similar issues with stockpiles of skimmed milk a by-product of the butter making process. Now that world’s traditional exporters are at the point of importing or diverting elsewhere, the big corporations have turned to raiding the domestic larder of fresh milk to produce the more lucrative coffee drinks, cheeses etc.
So why not import some butter? There is the tariff hurdle the bureaucrats fail to mention. The latest figure I can find, published a year ago is 29.8% plus ¥1159 per kg. I’ve seen total tariff figures of 700-800% mentioned. I couldn’t find any import prices, even rough figures based MDC Datum worldwide wholesale prices, works out to close to 500% last May and 350% this month (given the rises), making the above seem credible.
Even if the now sceptical farmers look to increase their flock, the earliest Heifers can calve at 24 months (needing extra costly feed). While there many agricultural tariffs in place, the WTO is being lobbied to prevent poorer (and starving) countries curbing their exports. There is talk on raising the self sufficiency rate here, what about sustainability without subsidies?
Tags: food and drink, news, politics, whinge
Written by: adekun on 14 February, 2008 1:20 pm - Filed under: blog — 1 Comment »
The other day, I got to try my hand at making nihachi soba (lit. two eight soba). Despite the measures being simple, two parts flour to eight parts buckwheat, the motions are best watched at least once. I will post a recipe at some point. In lieu of that; in essence, to the sifted flour half the weight of water is added. Once brought together, fifty presses are applied (seventy for the girls). It is rolled and stretched out to a square, folded and chopped.
The resulting noodles are dropped into a pan of boiling water for sixty seconds before being plunged into ice cold water.
A typical accompaniment would be a sauce of dashi, soy and mirin.
Tags: food and drink, recipes
Written by: adekun on 30 July, 2007 4:45 pm - Filed under: blog — No Comments »
The Japanese and French do hold a few things in common. I could be mistaken on this, but one seems glaring. It’s the c’est la vie approach or let’s go for the dangerous option.
Take yesterday’s dinner. There are seven of us huddled around an open top deep fat fryer set upon the dinning table. It is a free for all; people are leaning over with their impaled prawn or panko covered chicken and dipping it into tempura batter, before sinking it into the oil.
Now I love tempura, but decided to sit this one out – or rather sit a few feet back. Asked what was wrong, I explained it seemed a tad iffy, although I only managed to say I was scared in Japanese. Reassured, and it was safer than the stool mounted fryer at last years BBQ, I joined in.
The bowls narrowed to a small base making them top heavy. The father-in-law knocked one over sending batter across the table and onto the sister-in-laws fiancés face (they get married in September). At the same time the mother-in-law immersed some rather moist squid, sending boiling oil far and wide.
Tonight we are having Fugu (puffer fish).
Tags: food and drink
Written by: adekun on 27 March, 2007 7:28 am - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
The day after I posted about the lack I rain, it poured. Maybe there is a pattern and I should jot about something else. Anyway, on Sunday I received my renewed passport, a little later than expected. It was processed on the day the biometric passports started to roll out of the FCO. As I had just got my visa renewed a few weeks back, we returned to the immigration department to have it transferred. For once there was no charge and I’m pleased that I don’t have to travel with the old one. After a bit of shopping we took advantage of the nearby ¥120 a plate sushi restaurant.
Once home my Father-in-law returned a little later, from a days fishing with a rather splendid Suzuki (Sea Bass). I offered to sharpen the knives, shortly below another deluge, as we will be having sashimi for dinner, hurrah!
Tags: food and drink
Written by: adekun on 22 January, 2007 7:21 am - Filed under: blog — 5 Comments »
I don’t usually feel the urge to advertise Coca Cola’s products. Tea is clearly popular here in Japan and just as in any other country, the company produces it’s localised range of drinks. What is attractive about this bottle of tea is the number of seemingly natural ingredients.
puer (a Chinese tea)
reishi (mushroom)
ryokucha (a Japanese green tea)
kicha (a Japanese tea)
kuko
korai ninjin (Chinese ginseng)*
dokudami
oolong
orange peel
kumazasa
hasu
It doesn’t taste too bad either, though I’d probably best stick to the beer.
*Thank you Dave.
Tags: food and drink
Written by: adekun on 8 January, 2007 1:50 pm - Filed under: blog — No Comments »
The snow it seems has been rained off. Saturday was spent making bread which didn’t rise properly. It wasn’t doughy, just dense which made a welcome change to the usual shop bought pap. The Yoshihara tribe from Okayama came to visit. It was like a mini typhoon indoors, with the three young daughters busy circling the kotatsu. The two eldest took half the dough and beat it into Anpanmans, snails and shooting stars.
Monday was a public holiday in Japan, a day for those to celebrate their coming of age. I made pizza and calzone. Whilst shopping for some stronger flour, I happened upon a bottle of Żubrówka. The vodka is flavoured with a herb, known as bison grass. My first introduction was with a friend whilst holed up in a hotel in Poland. What started off as a few reciprocal drinks with the staff, turned into a game of top shelf with the coaches of the Polish Olympic team. At ¥650 a bottle I couldn’t resist.
Tags: food and drink
