Traditional Japanese kitchens are very different from what I'm used to in my own country. Though many dishes use commonly shared ingredients like rice, vegetables, chicken, pork and fish, the methods cooking and presentation are quite different.
Along with shared foods are many more that are not found back home. Because of ingredients like miso, nori, soy sauce, zunda and so on, most Japanese dishes have an unfamiliar taste for me. I like that but sometimes I'll try something that I would end up describing as... extraordinary!
Once, while eating, I noticed among the dishes on the table a plate with some very thin white mushrooms on it. They looked like toadstools and while I knew they were edible, their look didn't appeal to me. As a matter of politeness, I ate some, but strangely, I couldn't work out if they were tasty or not. I guess the appearance of what we eat is very important.
I like Japanese tempura, particularly large shrimp. However, I would sometimes be puzzled by some tempura ingredients like young shoots and the leaves of the wasabi plant. I found that quite curious.
A restaurant at Wasabi Farm offered dishes filled with minced stems which were also added to soba dishes. Minced stems? It was very nice though.
I was once puzzled to see a plant in the form of a panicle in tempura - should I eat it? I ate it, but again, I don't remember the taste.
A dish of vegetables with shrimps and eggs dressed with a jelly-like sauce really did look strane to my eyes. When I tried it, though, it was delicious and I was delighted by the large portions available!
Zunda are green soybeans and aren't grown back home. They are a popular traditional snack in Japan and often served with beer. Unfamiliar looking dried fish products also go well with beer. They must have been nice because they disappeared quickly when my friends and I shared a drink!
At home we do not eat raw fish, only baked, boiled or fried. In Japan, I ate raw fish, but was surprised when we were served toasted tail and head of the eaten fish - it was funny!
I did not know that bamboo could be eaten. I learned that in the spring the Japanese prepare young bamboo shoots to eat. I did not know that bamboo could be eaten but it turned out that bamboo shoots are very common here.
Cold green tea ice cream in a warm taiyaki-styled cone was also quite unusual for me but it was nice.
As for this dish, it turned out to be French-style escargo snail at Saizeriya, a very affordable family restaurant chain.
One favorite is eringi marinated with vinegar and hot peppers.