Making Okonomiyaki

Hiking Mount Ikoma -

We met up with a few families, friends and students last Saturday to hike Mount Ikoma. We set out at 10:15 and did not return home until shortly after 5:00 pm. It was a difficult hike taking about an hour to get half way up the front side of the mountain. We stopped at a small café for ice cream and water before we started for the summit.

Break at the little cafe about half way up Mount Ikoma, Japan

Boarder of Osaka Prefecture headed up Mt. Ikoma. Don't know this guy, he just really wanted a picture with us.

There is a large amusement park at the top of the mountain where we ate sack lunches, drank some hot ocha (tea) and the kids rode a few rides before we headed down the mountain again.

Pikacho at the amusement park

Log ride at the amusement park

This was a really steep hike in the country side overlooking well-manicured gardens, loaded kaki trees and bamboo forests. The view from the top was incredible. Looking back over our trek up the mountain we could see Ikoma and Heguri. The other direction was Osaka, Namba and eventually we could see the ocean beyond the sprawling city below. Incredible to actually see the shore since most of the time it does not feel like we live on an island. A great time and beautiful day hiking in the mountains.

Manicured garden on the way up Mount Ikoma

Trying my hand at Japanese cooking -

So we went to dinner last Thursday at some friend’s house and had Okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancake). It was incredible and so tasty I am going to try to make it myself tonight. This dish looks like fried zucchini, but tastes WAY better. It consists of grated cabbage, fish broth, soy sauce, green onions, Nagaimo (long yam), Bonita flakes (dried fish flakes), Aonori (dried green seaweed), sliced bacon, mayo and Okonomiyaki sauce.

A fellow missionary here at KCS turned me on to Japanese cooking 101.com and I am studying this website for tips, tricks, recipes and oh yes, how to find ingredients to cook this dish here in Japan. Armed with my ingredients list in hand, (including the Japanese names of my ingredients) I set out last Friday to buy groceries. No kidding, I had to ask four different people where the flour, dashi, Okonomiyaki sauce and Nagaimo was. I generally think I am pretty outgoing but after asking the fourth person in the store where these items were I was frustrated and honestly annoyed.

Aonori (dried green seaweed), Okonomiyaki sauce, Dashi (fish broth),Nagaimo (long yam) in that order

This experience has given me a new appreciation of being able to walk into a grocery store and find what I need to make dinner. It is one thing to be responsible for feeding your family and another completely different issue to not be able to find the items you need to make a meal. It is humbling I tell you, humbling. I am grateful the Japanese are so kind, gracious and willing to help. Every person I asked took me right to the correct aisle and showed me the item I needed.

Someone asked me recently what has been the hardest part of adjusting to Japan. I thought for a minute and said, "Not having my American oven and grocery shopping without a doubt." I guess maybe it is because I expected to miss friends, family and to struggle with the language. I expected to be stared at as a gaijen, (foreigner), I anticipated missing seasonal traditions our family enjoys like Greenbluff and watching Riverfront Park change in the fall. I had not anticipated the regular struggle to navigate the grocery store and to cook meals my family would both enjoy and I know how to cook.

The flip side of that is, I am sometimes shocked at how normal life feels in Japan. What I mean is, I still do laundry, still do dishes, make lunches in the morning, clean the house, parent and our humanness has followed us. We still get too busy, still have homework, struggles and victories daily. I think I knew it would be this way but doing life in a foreign country brings surprises when and where you do not expect them. Not good or bad, just different and it takes time to adjust.

I digress though, back to my cooking experience. It is Wednesday here and I am feeling adventurous again and ready to attempt cooking this amazing dish. I do not like Bonita or Aonori personally so my Okonomiyaki will be served without the fish flakes and dried seaweed. I will post a picture of it tonight after I make it and let you all know if it was a success or a flop. It is hard to say, sometimes I think it will be a hit and it flops.

Headed out for a fun now but thanks for listening to my ramblings of success and failures in Japan.

In Christ,

K. Chadduck

Checking back in with pictures of tonights Okonomiyaki (cabbage savory pancake).