[White-faced Japanese] Unheard Local Cuisine (Part Two): Live eat small fish and Whale Cuisine.

Spoons of transparent small fish are fished from rivers or feeding tanks and put directly into saucepans without any conditioning procedures ...... This dish is called "dancing food" because of its dynamic dance.

By メルビル-the author's own による works, CC stands for-3., Link

Actually, eating live octopus is not a Japanese patent, and so is eating live octopus in Korea. However, this Japanese live eat small fish is not the case. It is really natural and primitive to scoop it up in the river and swallow it. It takes less than five seconds to cut it.

Because the fish playing the leading role has little taste, the key to the success of this dish is the taste of soy sauce. However, no matter in the impact of vision or taste, it should be called unparalleled. Don't discuss their food culture with the Japanese on such topics as "it's cruel". Even whale meat, which has been greatly criticized in the international community, is still legal and can be sold and tasted in Japan.

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Just like beef, pork, chicken and fish, whale meat is not difficult to buy in ordinary fresh supermarkets, and it is specially put in school nutritious lunches in Northeast China and Hokkaido to "maintain tradition".

In school nutrition lunches, whale meat is mostly prepared by frying or by boiling sweet soy sauce, which is said to have high nutritional value and is delicious and easy to prepare. In a restaurant specializing in whales, it is boiled, sashimi, cold salad or used as hot pot material, and there are all kinds of ways to eat it.

By Chris 73/Wikimedia Commons, CC stands for-3., Link

From an outsider's point of view, Japan's habit of eating whale meat greatly violates its image of paying attention to environmental protection. No matter whether whale meat is as delicious as heaven in Japanese mouth, there seems to be no reason to eat it, so the international community has been quite unforgiving for a long time. However, Japanese society can say that it doesn't care at all about the international community's criticism that they continue to hunt whales.

In Shengyue Town, which is famous for catching whales, even during the Chinese New Year, every family will definitely eat whale kidneys as a new year's dish to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

By STRONGlk7-the author's own work, CC stands for-3., Link

In the face of international criticism, Japan has not done nothing. The commercial hunting of whales in Japan has been banned, and the phrase "hunting for scientific research" has been adopted to avoid the harsh eyes of the international community; But in fact, this is of course a cover-up, because these whales caught in the name of science will eventually become meat and be sold on the market.

Whale hunting is true after all. Therefore, not only does the international community disagree with this statement, but I myself find it puzzling. But I feel puzzled not because I care about marine ecology, but because "this supply method is really not enough." Whether for the sake of cultural preservation and tradition maintenance, or for the sake of gluttonous appetite, the Japanese are still eager to open commercial whaling.

by Klein Zach-photo taken in obihiro, Japan, CC means-3., Link

But after all, is whale meat really delicious enough to eat? Is it because whale meat is very delicious that you insist on eating whale meat? Actually, when whale meat is in good condition, it tastes dull and tasteless. It is a kind of material that needs seasoning to add delicious food. When it is in bad condition, it smells bad, and it can't be removed by covering it with spices or even pickling it for a long time. That special smell is worse than natto, and people who haven't tasted it can't easily accept it. However, this is the case with food culture. Aren't blue mold cheese in Europe, stinky tofu in China and fish sauce in Nanyang all special diets that are difficult for other countries to understand easily?

In these dark corners of Japanese traditional food culture, Lamian Noodles, sushi, tempura and other delicacies in Huaishi cuisine are favored by the international community, while they shine brilliantly, they are still thriving in the dark. In fact, no matter what the outside world says, for the Japanese, eating or not eating is not a problem at all, but "how to continue eating" is what they care about.

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(top photo credit:? Stefan Powell? from Toronto, Canada? -? Save On Whale)