I was under the impression that the mashed tuna in spicy tuna rolls I ate in Japanese restaurants were made of tuna sashimi leftovers that were ground up in the kitchen, but it’s most likely a product of leftover meat that’s scraped off the skeletons of yellow fin tuna after the meaty filets have been removed. The “hamburger meat” of the fish world is known as Nakaochi scrape and is produced and exported by companies overseas, usually in the coastal regions of India. This leftover product has been linked to the recent outbreak of of salmonella.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigations linked consumption of Nakaochi scrape sushi to about 250 diagnosed cases and an estimated 6,000 or so undiagnosed cases of illness caused by two rare strains of salmonella. Among the victims who were interviewed, more than 80 percent said they ate spicy tuna sushi rolls purchased in grocery stores or restaurants.
-theatlantic.com

Once again, the topic of food safety and confidence in the FDA comes into question.  Although consuming raw or undercooked seafood does carry an unofficial “eat at your own risk” memo, the thing that’s irking me inside is that this scrape in my spicy tuna roll contains bits and pieces contains an unspecified number of fish.  I guess spicy tuna roll does sound much tastier than spicy hamburger fish roll.

Read the interesting and eye-opening article here.

To be frank, most of meat substitutes I’ve purchased at grocery stores taste rather decent, but some do taste like a monkey’s ass…that is, if I really knew what a monkey’s ass tasted like.  Once in a while though, I do end up finding something tasty and worth purchasing again.  I am a big fan of Trader Joe’s Chickenless Crispy Tenders.  They are perfect with a bowl of pasta or as chicken substitutes for chicken parm sandwiches.  The texture is closer to chicken nuggets than real chicken meat, but it’s still pretty darn tasty.

At $2.99 a pack, the price is rather steep and the quantity is limited to about 9 pieces.  The faux meat is made up primary of soy and wheat ingredients and the breading is composed of healthy grains such as oats, quinoa, and amaranth.  The breading is brittle and prone to peeling off the “meat”.  In fact, it feels as if it requires a bit of surgical precision handling to keep the breading intact.  The breading stays on a bit better after it’s given about two minutes to rest.  There’s a slight of crispiness to it, but don’t expect any major crunchiness.  The best way to prepare is by baking and they cook much faster than the cooking instructions on the package.  Despite the short comings, I enjoy these chickenless tenders quite a bit.

Since I went to Kyoto last year, I decided to skip most of the places I already visited and was looking for something unique to experience.  The Iwatayama Monkey Park was the perfect excursion to embark upon.  The monkeys that reside at the top are Japanese Macaques.

It took a bit of effort to hike up the hills and the steps.  Shoes with adequate traction are recommended and don’t bother going on a rainy day, since the path can get rather slippery, or the monkey park might be closed.  Besides, who wants to smell wet monkeys?  Well, maybe you do, but I don’t.  Bring water and take your time up the path, safety first!

The monkeys just roam about and they’ll walk right by you minding their own business and doing their thing.  It’s quite a spectacle to see them groom and play with each other.  I highly recommend this place if you’re not afraid of animals.

The path didn’t look so bad on the cartoon map.  I was huffing and puffing by the time I arrived at the top.  The intensity of the sun didn’t help either.

An important sign posted in the visitor’s center. Yes, don’t stare the monkeys in the eye, or they will put on boxing gloves and knock you out.  Don’t touch the monkeys because they don’t like it.  Don’t feed them outside because they will go monkey shit on you.

Juvenile butt scratching, keep moving, nothing to see here!

Two by the pond.

Monkey and Koi stare down!

Feeding time!

Hojicha,  it’s just fun to say, and even better to drink.  As an avid green tea drinker, I usually stick to the common sencha variety, but once in a while, I’ll hit up my limited stash of hojicha that I purchased during last year’s Kyoto trip.

Hojicha is made of roasted green tea leaves and the brew results in a brownish color with a robust, nutty mesquite flavor. It’s quite unique and I don’t think it’s for everyone’s palette, but eventually, some will come to acquire and love it.  Until last week’s trip to Uji, Japan’s tea capital, I thought the hojicha I had been drinking was some of the best I’ve ever had.

Well, my hojicha experience changed forever while I was dining at a restaurant in Uji. Hojicha was served as the house tea and when I took the first sip, it was as if someone stuffed a charcoal brick down my throat, but in a good way.  By the third sip, I was sure it was hojicha. It was like drinking liquified burnt wood, but it was so mellow and addictive that I could hardly put it down.   The waitress came by around 7 or 8 times to refill my tea cup.

Now that I know how robust hojicha can be, it’s time to hit up the local Japanese supermarket.

Just squatting along with one of the monkeys at the Iwatayama Monkey Park.

Green Tea Churros from Delifrance cafe around the corner from Kyoto Tower.  I ate one and while it was good, I wasn’t used to it being cold.  I’m used to eating hot and crispy churros .

Green Tea and Sakura (Cherry Blossom) flavored donut holes from Delifrance.  These were amazing.  Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and a gush of air rushes out upon the first bite.

Green tea and vanilla parfait from the tea cafe below the Yodobashi Kyoto.   The soft serve goes well with the unsweetened iced green tea.

Haagan Daz Green Tea Crispy Sandwich that can be found in vending machines and convenience stores.  I wish I could find some back in the states!

One of the many green tea soft serves I had during the trip.  This stuff is truly addicting.

This is known as a rollcake sand.  It’s spongecake topped with matcha whipped cream and matcha powder.  Should’ve ordered two of these!  Got this at the stand at Arashiyama Station Square.  A  perfect dessert after visiting the monkey park.

Green tea ice cream dessert from Nakamura Tokichi in Uji, Japan.  Accompanied with green tea jelly, mochi, and sweet red beans, the green tea  ice cream is probably the best I have ever had.  A must visit for green tea ice cream lovers.

Cold green tea noodles from Nakamura Tokichi in Uji, Japan.  One of my favorite noodle dishes during the trip.

Green tea noodles in broth.  I preferred the cold noodles over the hot ones due to the al dente feeling of the cold noodles.

Green Tea Kit Kats!  Made from Uji matcha!

Fresh shucked Gulf Oysters

Crab Cakes

Seafood Etouffee

Rainbow Trout

Red Hot Red Velvet Cake