Today was my fifth day in Japan. Yesterday morning I travelled by bullet train across the beautiful countryside, whizzing past rice paddies and bamboo forests and up into a small mountain town called Takayama. Takayama is a town in the Hida region of Gifu prefecture in central Japan.
Unlike many other Japanese cities which are quickly becoming westernised, Takayama has kept its traditional feel with its buildings remaining mainly to a certain design reminiscent of old Japan. When I was walking through the town it began to pour with rain and as it was around six o’clock I ducked into a nearby restaurant which was completely empty, except for one man standing at the counter. I sat down at the bar and asked for a menu but the man said there was no menu and he would just make me a bit of everything.
He began shelling prawns, peeling vegetables and mixing up batter for my tempura meal. The prawns were fresh and crunchy and the batter was as light as air, it was honestly the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. He served me an assortment of vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potato, eggplant, beans, kabocha, shiso and finally lotus flower root.
The lotus root was unlike any thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. It was crunchy, sweet and melted in my mouth. It left a lingering flavour for at least and hour afterwards. I’d had tempura many times before this in Australia, but never had it been as good as this had been. It could only be described as a taste explosion.
Sam.
Unlike many other Japanese cities which are quickly becoming westernised, Takayama has kept its traditional feel with its buildings remaining mainly to a certain design reminiscent of old Japan. When I was walking through the town it began to pour with rain and as it was around six o’clock I ducked into a nearby restaurant which was completely empty, except for one man standing at the counter. I sat down at the bar and asked for a menu but the man said there was no menu and he would just make me a bit of everything.
He began shelling prawns, peeling vegetables and mixing up batter for my tempura meal. The prawns were fresh and crunchy and the batter was as light as air, it was honestly the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. He served me an assortment of vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potato, eggplant, beans, kabocha, shiso and finally lotus flower root.
The lotus root was unlike any thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. It was crunchy, sweet and melted in my mouth. It left a lingering flavour for at least and hour afterwards. I’d had tempura many times before this in Australia, but never had it been as good as this had been. It could only be described as a taste explosion.
Sam.
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