The good, the bad and the down right disgusting!
June 13th, 2008 by Mark A Buckton
Imagine you were starving, homeless perhaps. What would you dream about each night as you went to sleep, belly rumbling?
For most it would be the food of their youth – the good old fashioned concoctions their mothers put on the table. Much of it would be hot, steaming perhaps.
Of course, were the homeless man in question (for how many homeless women have you ever really seen) Japanese by birth, that list of dreamy desirables would undoubtedly include such staples as udon (thick white noodles), oden (a kind of all in one boiled collection of fish paste balls, various veggies and even sausages), and perhaps tonjiru – a kind of veggie / meat filled broth usually seen in the winter months but available year round at some of the cheaper fast food outlets scattered around town.
In few, if any of the dreams these homeless guys have in common, would any of the above be served cold – with the possible exception of the noodles – and only then during the very hot summer months primarily in and around the Kansai district of Japan!
Oddly though, this is exactly how the vast majority of vending machines found in Akihabara – and almost exclusively in Akihabara – which says something, serve up these much adored Japanese staples – IN A CAN!!!
Yes – I said IN A CAN!!! And to make matters worse, much worse, the vast majority of these offerings are currently SERVED COLD!! Yes – I know that is the second time I have said that, but SERVED COLD?!?
Don’t get me wrong (entirely!), Akihabara, is many things to many folk but, pulleeeeze – get a grip Akiba regulars. This is obscene – don’t do it, please don’t do it! Do not eat his stuff! Your mother would never forgive you!
Of course, whilst on the proverbial orange box covering this Akiba generated issue of the unpalatable and unmentionable, let’s not forget the drinks. Yes, the regular vending machine offerings are served always on offer, but curry / wasabi* / takoyaki* flavored ‘ramune’* anyone?
Nope? Thought not!
- Takoyaki are dough balls with chopped vegetables mixed in and served with a small chunk of octopus (tako) at the centre – popular all over Japan but particularly so in the Kansai area.
- Wasabi is the root of the horseradish plant – green, oftentimes very potent, and usually seen served as a condiment with sashimi or between fish and rice in sushi.
- Ramune is a fizzy drink loosely based on lemonade – first produced by a Scottish doctor in Kobe back in the late 19th century.
