Take a Chance

In Japan, I have encountered the most bizarre yet amazing foods. It is a gamble to eat here.  Half of the time you have no idea what you are eating, you just put it in your mouth and hope it tastes good. A lot of the foods here contain what some of us like to call the Japanese “main food groups:” rice, bean paste, and salmon, or a mixture of them all! Much of the food here has no English translation because the vegetables are foreign to the US. The most bizarre food I ate was this sticky rice paste ball on a stick, dipped in a brown sauce.  It was an extremely popular street food that several people were in line for. We waited a few minutes for our turn and then tried out the food everyone on the street was scarfing down. It was the most bizarre and gross thing I have ever tasted, but it was worth the experience! The best food I have encountered here has been the candy and sweets. There are a variety of gummies and multiple Kit-Kat flavors. Green tea Kit-Kats are a must if you ever come to Japan!

Shared Mysteries

Experiencing food in Hong Kong has been quite an adventure. Hong Kong is known for a group dining style known as Dim Sum. First you take your dishes and rinse them with hot water from a teapot. Next, everyone pours their water into one larger dish. A Lazy Susan is in the middle of the table and various dishes are brought out to share with the whole group. In Hong Kong, dining it is important to always make sure the people next to you have food. You serve your neighbors food and pour tea for them. It’s considered rude to serve yourself. This style of dining was extremely enjoyable. There were always a variety of foods brought out such as chicken feet, dumplings, rice rolls and as much sea food as you could ever wish for. The only concerning thing about this experience is that you never really know what you are eating. Most of the food is a mystery ball of something. The overall experience brought our group together for dining and it was a great way to end the trip!