Sponge Cake & Protein Bars

In Margaritaville Jimmy Buffett talks about "nibblin' on sponge cake" and a "frozen concoction that helps [him] hang on."

Tokyo ain't exactly Margaritaville, and I ain't exactly Jimmy Buffett. But there are those who've wondered what I eat in Tokyo, since I'm not so much a fish or a vegetable person.

I've never been quite sure why, but it surprises some people that I'm pretty fluent in Japanese language, but not particularly fluent in Japanese food. 

What might surprise other people, who've known me all my life as a meat eater, or a meat and potatoes guy, is that I don't really care much about eating meat. I do eat it; it's a safe choice for me, and sometimes the only thing edible around. But I don't crave it, and often go a week or more without it.

So, that still leaves us with the question: What do I eat in Japan?

First, let me share the secret of the three most awesome sources of protein: soybeans, cottage cheese, and protein bars. 

The other day I was in a grocery store looking for soybeans when one of the grocers happened by. He helped me find the beans, and asked me how I intended to use them. I explained that I cook them with rice and eat them plain - no seasoning at all. It's an awesome meal. (A while later the same grocer happened to see me scrutinizing a box of soy milk and with a smile said, "that looks rather appropriate.")

Cottage cheese is a little harder to find here than in the US, and a little more expensive. But it's just awesome. It's dry, and has a very fine curd, and a very mild flavor. I could eat an entire 200g carton (about a cup) for every meal.

But I would say the protein winner is still these bars. They have 10g of the stuff, no sugar, low fat and reasonable carbs and they taste awesome. One wonders why the world needs any other source of nutrition.

But if one did want to eat a mighty tasty meal now and then, one that perhaps even includes some meat, one wouldn't go wrong with this meal.

This is a deep fried pork chop on rice with a spicy curry sauce. It's been one of my favorite dishes for several decades. These days I often get it without the pork, but I will say the pork's a nice touch.

I find it impossible to talk about what I call Japanese food without discussing bread.

It typically comes in these little packs, and one can usually get between 4 and 8 slices per pack. The amount of bread is the same; the slice thickness varies. When you toast this stuff it's crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle like the snow in Wyoming early in the morning after a warm day. Not only does the bread taste much better than the snow, if you like butter, it is OK to eat yellow bread.

And, of course, I've already mentioned rice a couple times. I absolutely love the stuff. White, brown or wild, I can eat it plain, and very often do. Maybe I do like Japanese food.