It's been awhile since my last post but I'm quite excited to start posting again. The reason: an awesome friend from the Land of the Rising Sun has sent a package of nice goodies for me to try and enjoy. Thank you so much, H. A. 😊
This will be the first part of a series of posts that I'll be doing on products that were sent to me by my generous friend. Among the the many items that she sent, I chose to sample four of the most interesting things I received:
1. Upper Left - Meiji Dark Chocolate 72% 2. Upper Right - Dried Natto 3. Lower Left - Rice Cracker Wasabi Tekka 4. Lower Right - Seasoned Seaweed (Ajitsuke Nori)
One of the most intriguing Japanese food for me is Natto - it is made from soy beans that are fermented with a certain good bacteria. It's sticky and has a powerful smell; an acquired taste is needed to be able to enjoy it. Unfortunately, H. A. couldn't send me the original variant of natto due to it's short shelf life so she sent me the dried variant instead. Having a first taste of it, it's really not bad... I actually like it. It has a bit of a bitter aftertaste and has a distinct smell but (overall) its just like eating nuts. And I've discovered that it pairs well with beer. Dried natto is actuallly healthy so this would really be a good substitute for unhealthy beer matches e.g. junk food.
This is Rice Cracker Wasabi Tekka - a nori-wrapped rice cracker (senbei) with wasabi. I was really into this; it was love at first bite. Although honestly, H. A. wasn't joking when she told it was really spicy and that I have to eat it little by little. I couldn't help but laugh at myself when I tried this because I ate the whole piece once and I got teary-eyed. Just imagine the strong flavor of wasabi escape from your nostrils with a bit of a burning sensation. This is not for the faint of heart but for those who like a little adventure and can tolerate heat, this is a must-try.
Well, everyone loves chocolates. Who doesn't? So this one can easily be a favorite. Meiji products are available in local supermarkets and I think they are in the Philippine market because I think they have a good patronage among the Filipino consumers. In my case, I always loved Meiji chocolates. But this is one is special because this variety isn't available locally. I love the high content of cacao and the sweetness gives it the right balance. This one is also a very exceptional product.
What makes this next product special is that it's seasoned; it's not the typical seaweed that's used for sushi. It's a bit sweet and could easily be a healthy snack. I really like this because it's individually packed so if ever I get the craving to have some, I could easily satisfy it. A pro tip by H. A. is to include this in ramen... will do so in the next post. I'm really having a wonderful time tasting the different Japanese treats. I'll be posting the other stuff soon. Again, thank you so much for your generosity, H.A. May you be blessed a hundredfold. 😊