Sake Explained
I have no idea how it happened, but I still didn’t tell you anything about sake. Even though I should have brought it right after geisha – few things in Japanese culture are surrounded by as many misconceptions as these two. For example, sake is not rice vodka and not even rice wine, although it does taste a bit like…
Ramen Explained
Ramen, like curry rice, is firmly established in the category of kokuminshoku, the national food of Japan. But while curry is often prepared at home, ramen remains a restaurant food. If you can call the establishments that serve it by that name, of course. In the last Instagram poll, you voted for ramen. And I had the right books at…
Karaoke Explained
Why do people go to karaoke? Why in the West people prefer karaoke bars while the East is all about karaoke boxes? Was karaoke really invented in Japan? How old is it? Why do karaoke songs sound so different from the original ones? The list goes on and on. My friends asked me so many questions about karaoke that I…
Japanese Curry Explained
Perry’s visits to Japan showed Japan how weak were its naval forces. And as I started thinking about the Japanese Navy, curry rice instantly came to my mind. In this episode let’s look at the deep connection between the Japanese Navy and curry, discover the 150-year long history of curry in Japan and check which types of curry you should…