About food in Japan

Nihonshu bonbon (日本酒ボンボン) - Sake candy from Kyoto (京都)

I got an interesting souvenir from Kyoto. It is described as "Nishonshu bonbon"(日本酒ボンボン, sake candy) on the red label pasted on a white paper box. Many of us know "whiskey bonbon" or chocolate with whiskey inside. I am also curious more for the words "Jizake" (地酒, locally-brewed alcohol) and the branded sake production area "Fushimi" (伏見) in Kyoto. 

 

 

 

Opening the box, I found white frosted-glass like candies filled.

 

It is much more delicate than glass and is broken soon after being put in mouth.

 

Then "sake" liquid spreded from the sugar taste shell...

 

What an inetersting way is to taste locally brewed sake from Fushimi, Kyoto.

 

The Nihonshu bobon is made by a local pastry company called Furansuya (in Japanese, meaning "French house") based in Kyoto for decades and the sweets is sold at gift shop(s) in JR Kyoto station.  

 

Official website of Furansuya (Japanese only) http://www.furansuya.jp

 

#smileat One drink for Tohoku(東北)

We need smile + eat even at a difficult time...

Several restaurant owners in Tokyo started chality campaign #smileat to coop each other, to encourage people in difficult time and to revitalize the economy for Japan's recovering in their own ways. The participant restaurants or bars offer special menu or drink promotion which lead to a donation from their revenue to people and area suffered from the huge natural disaster damage in Tohoku.  At the same time, for people living alone or only a few, dining out is to contribute "energy saving" that we are encouraged to do.

That is another way to help people in Tohoku and Japan's recovery!

Let's have a meal at participant restaurants and contribute to help people in difficutl situation.

Information about #smileat (Japanese) http://smileat.posterous.com/

Here are a part of participant restaurants

Paxi House (nearest station Kyodo) http://paxihouse.com/tokyo/

Related post: http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2008/03/coriander-lover.html?cid=6a0120a609fb30970b0147e361a270970b#comment-6a0120a609fb30970b0147e361a270970b

 

Sala Sontana (Thai food, nearest station Kyodo) http://sontana.net 

 

Three restaurants by Butagumi (specialized in pork, in Nishiazabu or Roppongi) 

Butagumi Shabuan (Pork shabushabu, Roppongi)  http://www.butagumi.com/shabuan/shopinfo/

Nishiazabu Butagumi (Pork tonkatsu, Nishiazabu)  http://www.butagumi.com/nishiazabu/about.php

Seizan Butagumi Hanare (Izakaya)  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a585200/

 

Izakaya restaurants by AP company http://www.apcompany.jp/shop/

 

Sushi Saisho (nearest station Oimachi) http://www.saisho.net/

 

Many other restaruants will be found on the list of #smileat http://smileat.posterous.com/

 

Radiation and food safety update 2

Early this morning the government announced that radioactive materials were found from more spieces of food made in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures. As the result, the food distribution ban is expanded to some of affected spieces. They are brocoli, cauliflower, turnip and leaf vegetables harvested in Fukushima prefecture and milk, parsley taken in Ibaraki prefecture. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare instructed local governors to expand the monitoring of radiation scanning from 4 prefecutures to total 10 prefectures surrounding the affected area. We can find reports of inspection resuts from Kanagawa, Niigata, Ibaraki, Fukushima prefectures, supporting this goverment's decision on the website of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as of 22th March 2011.(In Japanese)  http://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/2r98520000015txf.html

The government, Consumer Affair Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as academic or private-sectore specialists in the field of food safety are asking consumers, food retailers, and distributers to react based on scientific, objective information and facts, in a calm manner and not by unsupported rumor, because current level of radiation would not cause immediate health risk on human by intakeing the food occasionally.

 

 

Radiation and food safety

Last Saturday, 19^th March 2011, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Japan announced radiation-contaminated food were detected. They were milk collected in Fukushima prefecture and spinach picked up in Ibaraki prefecture, located next to Fukushima. It followed by agricultural productes from other prefectures in Kanto region; Tochigi, Gumma and Chiba. The government explained “the levels of radiation for these products pose no immediate health risks if consumed.” After the Fukushima nuclear plan crisis broken out, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare immediately set up the new standard of radiation contaminated in food and has instructed local governements to monitor radiation levels in some fresh food like milk, vegetables, drinking water, egg, meat, fish and sea plants, in order to eliminate radiation-contaminated food from the market. The relevant prefecture governors are asking farmers voluntary to refrain from shipping their products. The national government asks the publc to stay calm and cosniders posing a new regulation in food distribution from the affected areas.

We need to keep our eyes on this issue and urge the local goverments and related organizations to monitor and examin the food safety level continuously and appropriately then to disclose information to the public so we will be able to feel safe and to get out from anxiety.

It is a pitty today I am not able to introduce you how we can enjoy food in Japan.

I will keep you informed if we find any update on this topic and I hope this uneasy situation is terminated soon..

 

Related links:

The Japan Times online -  Q&A Latest threat: radiation-contaminated food

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110321a4.html

 

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – Press release in English

“Handling of food contaminated by radioactivity”

“Handling of food contaminated by radioactivity”(separate sheet) – letter to local governments