I looooovvveee umeboshi—a Japanese treat. Yummy? Absolutely. It is a tad bit high in sodium so daily consumption is not recommended! The flavor comes from salt and the color purple from shiso (perilla) leaves. It is most used as a filling for onigiri (a popular rice ball wrapped in nori). I like hachimitchu (honey) plum for the sweetness. Give it a try…you’ll love it too. I put it on a plain bowl of rice with nori (dry seaweed) and also drop it in a cup of hot green tea to get the bitterness out.

A wacky post from the East…a pictogram…steps to insert a suppository?

Chyotto okashiku nai (funny isn’t it – translated in Japanese). As absurd as it sounds…the detailed pictorials are appreciative isn’t it? The second picture to the left is probably the greatest graphic created by man. Imagine not knowing how to insert something in your rectal cavity. Astounding. Amazing. Sexy?

Lunch: uber-healthy if you don’t drench the Mentaiko (baby fish) sauce. Love the soba noodles. This lunch combines my four favorite foods.

Mackerel-goes well with brown, white, jasmine rice or soba noodles
Spinach-steamed, sautéed, broiled–I love spinach
Buckwheat Soba Noodles-buckwheat sounds healthy doesn’t it?
Mentaiko Sauce-I call it Japanese mayonnaise–it goes with everything.

At least once a month, I take the BART and MUNI to San Francisco, Japan Town and shop for Mackerel (San ma) sold in a can at Ichiban Kan (Japan’s version of a dollar store). Then it’s a walk down to Nijiya Market (popular Japanese grocery store) for Mentaiko Sauce and Buckwheat Soba Noodles. It’s an adventure…a long travel from Berkeley, but so worth it!

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