When I think wine, and I think Japan, the two don’t necessarily go together in my head. Of course, there’s plum wine and sake, but this trip I’ve been able to sample some really nice wines made in a European style. The first was Villange de Bessho, from the area of Nagano we were staying in, Bessho Onsen. This red wine was made in a traditional Bordeaux style (or, at least, that’s what it tasted like) and was served rather cold. The chill of the wine killed the flavors on the front end of tasting, but on the back you definitely began to get the full experience of the some. As it warmed up it just got better and better. The second wine I discovered in a wine bar in Tokyo. It too was from Nagano, this time a chardonnay, but I’ll have to do a bit more digging to learn the name. Interesting, this wine smelled very sweet, but came away with a slightly tart flavor upon drinking. If I happen upon another chance to visit Japan, I think a wine tour of the Nagano region is in high order.

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Travels, Wine is fine by Courtney

It has been a few days since I’ve posted any of my daily meals, and that’s partially because I’ve been stuffing myself silly with kaiseki meals. Kaiseki meals are 7 courses of local, seasonal cuisine. I never manage to get a full documentation of the meal because somewhere along the way I stop taking photos, enjoying the food way too much. Last night I persisted, though, and managed to document our entire meal beginning to end (above). Our server was kind enough to translate the menu for us, so we had a bit more of a sense of what we were eating.

The best part came at dessert. Matcha pudding garnished with fresh fruits, and since it was Christmas Eve, they had made a tiny Santa Claus out of a strawberry and whipped cream. I have a feeling it will be one of our most memorable moments from Japan.

Merry Christmas!!

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Dessert, Dinner, Travels by Courtney

The best platter of skewered gizzards, livers, cocktail weenies, and unidentified bits of tasty fat I’ve ever had. Plus some shishito peppers and shitake.

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Dinner, Snack time, Travels by Courtney

My go to meal at home has nothing on this bowl of chirashi I had yesterday for lunch. It had so much fish that I barely finished the bowl. A fine chiffonade of mitsuba toppedd the sushi rice underneath.

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Lunch, Travels by Courtney

Yesterday, before we left Okinawa, we stopped by Shuri Castle. Since we had a little time left, we decided to grab some noodles before heading to the airport. Thick udon noodles, topped with a bit of fishcake, scallion, pickle, and pork warmed us up and filled our bellies. I have to say it hit the spot for my noodle craving. At the airport I perused the small gift shop, and what before my wandering eyes appeared? Specialty Kit Kats from Okinawa! Made from the purple yam, these are quite good. They have a familiar taste that I’ve yet to identify, but I’m working on it!

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Travels by Courtney