Snack Time Part III

This Snack Time post has gotten way too long so I thought I'd better get it out there before it gets lost in my draft folder.

 

In May of 2019, I received an amazing care package from Julia, stuffed full of yummies. Thank you, Julia! With the exception of the Hanamizuki teas I'm savoring slowly, the rest didn't last very long ^.^

Snack Time Part II

Last year, in addition to my obsession with ochazuke I ventured into snacking territory as well. Again, I think this was my nostalgia for Japan taking on the form of cravings for certain foods and snacks. 

First up: Shijimi Wakame Soup. I was really looking for something similar to the one I found at Nishiki Market in Kyoto. I bought 4 packages to share with my parents. Too bad these didn't taste anywhere near as good as the Kyoto version (of course, what was I thinking?). They weren't too salty but had a heavy briny and fishy taste that the Kyoto version didn't.

Snack Time

Since last fall, dear friends in Japan have been sending me care packages with snacks and other goodies. The first giant package I got in November was from sweet Julia who sent me a whole lot of everything I love: adorable printed masking tapes from Daiso, sweets, snacks, tea, hand cream, and lippies! How am I so lucky, I've no idea, but let's just say the sweets and snacks and the tea didn't last past the month. Good thing I took notes as I ate (and drank) them ^.^

A day in Nezu, Bunkyo, Tokyo

While in Tokyo, I frequented a cafe and made friends with a gal who works there. T. had spent a few years in Australia as an international student, so we had lots to chat about. In the second week of September, she had a few hard-earned days of vacation and was kind enough to spend one of those days introducing me to her hometown Nezu (根津).

On another note, I made it to the middle of September in my photo backlog. Will post about a quick and gastronomically satisfying trip to Taipei soon ^.^

Anyway, T. and I met up at Nezu Station and she suggested a kamameshi restaurant. I had zero objections as I love kamameshi. Turned out the place also serves yakitori. What's better than having one of your favorite foods? Why, it's having two of your favorite foods, of course! 

Shida Night Market Eats, Taipei, Part II (師大路夜市, Picture heavy!)

Really struggling to put up these last Taipei food posts here...

Lantern Soy Sauce Braised (燈籠滷味) is one of the more well known and popular stands at Shida Night Market.  We actually stumbled onto it prior to reading the CNN 40 Taiwanese Food article and went in head first, not knowing what to expect. There was always a giant crowd gathering around the stand, and given there were several similar food stands at Shida Night Market that were often deserted, our curiosity couldn't resist the consistent stream of business this particular stand got and so we got in line ourselves ^.^

Basically, this is a Taiwanese version of the Japanese oden. Mind you, this is not to say "who came first". I honestly don't know and I don't give a rat's ass. I just know I love oden, and when I saw this I must have it, because I miss oden very much T.T Of course it's not identical to oden, but it's very similar in terms of ingredients: eggs (quail, versus chicken in oden), a wide variety of fish cakes, konnyaku, tofu,  mochi, a variety of vegetables (daikon, shiitake, enoki, green leafy greens, etc.), with added extras of noodles (cellophane noodles 冬粉, ramen, etc.), even meats, seafood, and intestines (a Taiwanese favorite!). 

Only in Taiwan

Today I leave Taiwan, moving back to the US of A *sobs* To leave on a sunny note (forget that it's been raining 3 weeks straight, starting before Thanksgiving T.T), I thought I'd share some hilarious things I've ran into during my time here in Taipei. 

Is Forever 21 too young for you? Try Forever 26!

Thomas Sweet Chocolates, Princeton

After getting my fill of the delicious Cuban Panini at Tico's, it was gift shopping time. Yes, it costs to travel, and not just because of the travel cost, although still nowhere as costly as Japan where an entire industry is built on gifts and souvenirs (omiyage).

One tried and true gift from town is chocolates from Thomas Sweet. It's hard to go wrong with any chocolate to begin with, but handcraft gourmet chocolates? Yes, please!

Candies! Part II

Found a couple more interesting looking bags of candies at the local groceries. Check out these CUCU (stands for Cute Cube) Candy, don't they just come up with the funniest names?

I still couldn't find my sister's favorite ume candies, so I randomly picked two bags of umeshio (salted plum) candy along with a bag of Kishiri Crystals in Lemon Mint flavor.

See my previous Candies! post.

Candies!

Within the past couple of months, some things have happened back at home which leads to the difficult decision that hubby and I would need to return to the US of A first instead of going straight to Taipei as we originally planned. So knowing hubby and I would be leaving Japan in a couple of months, somehow my sister has tricked me into becoming her shopping assistant and my apartment her personal warehouse to which she sends all her otaku collector items ^.^' Hubby has jokingly worried that the mailman thinks he's a creepy gaijin otaku because he's always home when the packages show up LOL! As for myself, I've been running all about town to supply her of candies, dry foods, skincare, sunscreens, and soaps. So while I'm at it, I might as well share with you some of my favorite Japanese candies ^.^

These Kishiri Crystals are "throat candies" aren't meant to be candy candies. However, they're so yummy they might as well be. You know how Ricola is supposed to be a cough drop but it's so mild it's not really effective as a cough drop? These are much much milder than Ricola, so mild they taste like a minty milk candy that is quite delicious! While at Don Quixote one day I found a super sized bag for the original Milk Mint flavor (blue bag) as well as the special Peach Mint (pink bag) flavor. I haven't tried the peach mints yet, but I'm pretty sure I won't hate it.

Peach Mint versus the original Milk Mint

My Colorful Valentine

This post is a little late, but I got these interesting Colorful Mince Chocolates from my boss and I thought I'd post it for fun ^.^ In Japan, Valentine's Day is strictly a ladies giving gentlemen chocolates day (the other way around is White Day, March 14), so I was really surprised when my boss handed this to me. These are her favorite chocolates from Hokkaido. I had no idea of course, thinking these were just your average chocolates. What the hell is Colorful Mince anyway? Didn't sound like anything close to chocolate, let alone flavored chocolates.

Colorful Mince

Morinaga Hi-Soft Caramel Chews

My friend K. recommended these Morinaga Hi-Soft Caramel chews to me, and at first I was indifferent. I mean, it's just caramel, and although I love caramel flavoring, I don't particularly love caramel chews because they're, well, chewy and sticky. But K. insisted that I try them because these caramel chews were, in her opinion, the best she's ever had.

Top: Sweet Potato Caramel (left) and Regular Caramel (right)

Bottom: Salted Caramel