Food at the Wedding

Yesterday a student very kindly gave me some Omiogi (like food souvenir) from her trip, and as is traditional in Japan the Omiogi was kind of a local treat to the area she went to. It was whole crab 'cookies'... not sure of the proper name.

This got me think about the many interesting, new, and often tasty dishes Mike and I have actually enjoyed in Japan but have opted NOT to serve at the wedding.

Here is some of the many things you do get to enjoy/fear at the wedding.

The first being my Crab Snack. It was crispy (like a cracker) and kind of sweet, but seeing as it is a whole crab, eyes and all, I think it would be too off putting for more people.

The next dish on the menu would be something I have ate numerous times before someone finally translated for me and informed me that it was indeed jellyfish tentacles. Now it's usually just an appetiser, but I think we will skip it seeing as it has next to no taste other than the seasoning.

Of course the one thing everyone thinks about when they think of Japan is sushi, or raw fish. Actually sushi means like the rice it's served on, sashimi is actually the cuts of raw fish. Usually you just dip in a bit of soya sauce and enjoy, but sashimi is best FRESH and I can't imagine finding anyone good at preparing it in my neck of the woods.

Mike and I are actually opting out of the seafood idea due to cost, allergies, and the general desire to appease everyone. Yet we also thought we should stick to western cooking methods as well, so we won't be serving any sashimi beef pieces either. These thin slices of beef are so rare they are only flame touched along the edges, and again served with soya sauce.

Finally for the wine selections Mike has been looking into that end of things, but rest assured it is grape wines not Sake (rice wine) or Umeshu (plum wine) that we will be serving at the tables. Although you can make your own Umeshu (put plums in a big jar and add shochu [distilled sweet potato or rice alcohol] and wait) and it generally turns out much better than your average homemade wine. I can't imagine trying to get through customs with that.

Perhaps we will have some sake or Umeshu for sampling though... we'll think on it.

So while there are MANY other things in Japan that we have enjoyed in Japan, know that you the guest will not be having a cultural experience at your dinning tables for the wedding.

We are actually trying to do things locally. Mike is looking into Pelee Wines, because he likes them and they are local. And we 'think' we have a local caterer from Ripley who can serve Bruce County Beef. *fingers crossed* She's in the middle of renovating her restaurant, so we waiting to hear back from her on that. Nothing is set in stone... yet.

I just thought I would tell you all to relax and breath easy, not to worry about what to eat. I know I have been posting about paper cranes and lanterns and such, but when it comes to food for the wedding we aren't going for an Asian flare.


BTW Sorry if you found these pictures unappetising but while writing this I got kind of hungry. It must be proof that I have either acclimatized to Japan, or have been here too long.