JSランゲージスクールブログ | My Japanese Kitchen
> TOP>> JSランゲージブログ>> My Japanese Kitchen
by Patrick
What do you think about, when you think about differences between Japanese culture and ‘Western’ culture? Some books and articles focus on the very big differences: Western individualism versus Japanese collectivism – that sort of thing. But as an Australian living in Japan, I tend to notice more everyday, practical differences. For example, differences in shopping for groceries and cooking meals.
When I first began living in Japan, I was surprised that Japanese homes usually don’t have an oven! In Australia, all homes have a single, built-in appliance containing an oven (for baking and roasting), a large grill, and a stove top. But in Japan, the standard kitchen appliance is just a gas stove, usually with a small grill inside. A large oven is not considered essential. “How do Japanese people bake?” I wondered. Eventually I learned that many microwaves in Japan have an ‘oven’ setting, which makes some kinds of baking possible. Also, most Japanese homes have a small toaster oven, so if you have a lot of patience, you can try baking with that! I’ve also seen electric ovens for sale in Bic Camera, that can do baking and roasting, but they’re much smaller than western-style ovens, and quite expensive! They seem to be a luxury item.
So, I changed my shopping and cooking habits to match a simple Japanese kitchen, and of course I learned how to use a rice cooker. (I love my rice cooker; it’s much easier than boiling rice on a stove!) But to tell you the truth, it has taken me a long time to learn how to cook Japanese meals. First I taught myself how to make yakisoba, and eventually I learned how to make Japanese curry – those are both easy. And recently I bought an electric nabe pot, so I can make nabe at home now – that’s easy too. But when I go shopping in Japanese supermarkets, and I look at the various items on the shelves, I still don’t know what most of them are! “What is this? What can I make with this?” Since I wasn’t raised in a Japanese home, I simply don’t recognise many Japanese ingredients. Maybe I should give up my dream of becoming a Japanese housewife.
