Some thoughts on British & Japanese Food

Hello Whooper,

やあ、ウーパー

whooper wrote:...Food. I love sea bream and assume you live on fish and chips. Cotage pie or roast
beef is a weekly luxury, isn't it?...

食べ物、僕は鯛が好きなんだが、君達英国人は魚とじゃが芋のから揚げが常食と思ってる。コッテジパイやロースト
ビーフは週一のご馳走じゃないのかい？

It is quite amusing that should have asked me to start a discussion about food because my
diet is a little unusual—I am a vegetarian and have been for many years. The last time I had
fish and chips was 40 years ago!

食べ物の話を始めるに際してこんな風に聞かれるとはは面白いよ。どうしてかって言うと私の好みはちょっと変わって
るからね。私は菜食主義で長年守ってる。魚とじゃが芋のから揚げを口にしたのは約40年も前だな。

I am not very impressed by British food, I am not even very sure what the expression "British
food" really means these days. Outside the home, we have restaurants offering food from
countries all over the world—I am especially fond of Italian, Indian and Japanese cookery.
I think that in many homes these days, people regularly cook in the styles of other lands.

英国の食べ物にはあまり印象受けないね。最近何が「英国の食べ物」なのかって事はあまり正確には分からない。
外にでると世界中の料理を出すレストランがあるよ。僕はねイタリア、インド、そして日本料理が大好きなんだ。
多くの家庭ではこの頃外国の料理を決まって作ってると思うね。

There is quite a good article about British food at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_cuisine.
As a nation, I think we are becoming more health conscious and taking a little more care to
cook properly and to make sure our diet is balanced—but we have a long way to go and obesity
is becoming a problem here.

英国の料理に関してはここに良い記事があるよ。国全体から見れば健康に注意して少し慎重に料理するようになって
来ており、バランスの取れた食事を心がけるようになって来てる。しかしねすんごく時間がかかるだろうし肥満がここでも
問題になりつつあるんだ。

The best meal I have ever had was... in Japan! Some very good friends from Hiroshima took
me and my family to a wonderful restaurant where the meal was based entirely upon tofu
prepared in many different ways. It was fantastic!

私が食べたもっとも良い食事は日本でだったんだ。広島のある仲の良い知人が私と家族を素晴らしいレストランに案内
してくれた。そこでは手を変え品を変えて全部豆腐で調理されてたんだね。すんばらしかったよ！


Best wishes, V

Dear Vesuvio,

Thank you for your comment on British foods. Oh, you are a vegetarian! When it comes
to hearing this title, we tend to believe they eat vegetable only. I learned a couple of
types. Strictest ones do eat vegies only. I remember in a workship a scholar particularly
asked a vegetable sandwich for lunch.

英国料理のコメントありがとう。おお！君は菜食主義なのか。菜食主義と聞くと野菜しか食べないと想像しちゃう。
僕はねタイプがあるのを学んだよ。厳格な連中は本当に野菜しか口にしない。ある会合で一人の学者が自分だけ
お昼に野菜サンドを注文したの覚えてるよ。

Other vegetarians eat dairy products, right? I was also surprised to see big buit guys
ordered a plate of heaped fried potato in a cafeteria. They seasoned it with salt, mustard,
and ketchup. I think diet is mostly based on religious reasons so we better not to touch
this issue as suggested in Delcamp net.

他の菜食家は乳製品は食べるよね。ある時ガ体の大きな男連中が食堂で山盛りのから揚げ芋を注文するのを
みてびっくりした。奴ら塩、芥子、ケッチャプ付けて喰ってたね。食餌法は大体宗教にからんでるから本家と同じく
これには触れないでおこうね。

It is common to see they like beans cuisines. One of our members likes to produce "Natoo"
or fermented soy beans. Haven't you tried? It smells so bad for foreigners. I am from
western Japan so hardly taste this healthy but awful food.

連中は豆料理が好きなのが見て取れる。ここの仲間の一人は納豆を作るのが好きなんだ。食べたことある？
外国人にはすんごく臭いぞ。僕は西日本の出身だからこの健康的ではあるが嫌な食べ物は滅多に食べないよ。

You have been to Japan, haven't you? I assumed that in Hiroshima you visited "Miyajima" or
shrine in the sea. Come here once more We will tell you nicer hidden spots according to your
schedule, tastes, and budget.

日本に来たことがあるんだね。広島に来たのなら安芸の宮島を見物したと思うな。もう一度いらっしゃいよ。私達
日程、好み、予算に応じた穴場を勧めるからね。書き込みありがとう。

Thanking you for your contribution, I remain.　

Best regards
Whooper

Hi Vesuvio,

You are most welcome!

Whooper 　


Hello Whooper,

Thank you for translating everything!

全部日本語にしてくれてありがとう。

I'm one of those vegetarians who also eats dairy products. I became a vegetarian after
I was very ill with food poisoning caused by bacon. Yes, I know fermented soybean and
like you I do not like to eat it!

僕はね乳製品は食べる菜食派の一人なんだ。ベーコンで酷い食中毒に罹ってから菜食派になったよ。
うん、納豆は知ってる。君のように僕も食べたくはないね。

Whooper wrote:Come here once more We will tell you nicer hidden spots according to
your schedule, tastes, and budget.

もう一度いらっしゃい。日程、好み、予算に合わせて隠れた穴場おしえてあげるから。

Thank you! I hope I will be back one day—I won't come without letting you know,

ありがと。何時か行ってみたいよ。その時は知らせないで行くなんて絶対ないからね。

All the best, V

Oooo, you don't like Natto?

I live in southern California where Natto imported from Japan is expensive.
Since we can buy soy been at low cost in U.S., it is natrual to make Natto by myself, and in fact, it is easy.
Thus, our family regularly eat my home made Natto at almost every dinner.

Once you get used to, I am pretty sure you will become Natto fan.
Natto is good for health, good source of protein, good for blood circulation, good for anti-radical oxigen, and many many more.

Please try!!

Hello Yasuo,

Thank you for your advice. I am very interested in healthy foods and I have sometimes found that if I make something myself I enjoy it more than if I simply buy it. Soybeans are becoming available in the UK, but frozen—I don't think we can grow them here. would it be possible for me to make my own natto from frozen beans? I am quite interested in trying,

Best wishes, V

Hello Vesuvio,

If the frozen soy beens you mentioned are green, it may not be appropriate to make Natto from them.
The green soy beens are immature and we call them in Japanese "Edamame" which is a very good combo with cold beer (with little salt).

Soy beens for Natto will be harvested at the last stage of growth when beens are dry and very hard with yellow color.
I belive at this stage, the soy beens contain sufficient protein for making Natto.

It is unfortunate you cannot find the dry soy beens in England.

Hello Yasuo,

Edamame! I was once in Kyoto with friends, we were sitting by a river watching the Daimonji Bonfires—eating edamame and drinking Kirin beer!

I have done a little checking since reading your message and I think I can buy dried soya beans here, I found a description of how to make natto, but it seemed quite difficult and I do not think I will be able to do that. I think it might be good for me to use more soya in my diet anyway, so I will look into that (I always have tofu n the house).

Thank you for your kind advice,

Best wishes, V