In googling what to do in Kanazawa, the Fish Market popped up on our radar. Imagining it to be like Columbus' North Market but with more Seafood and less English. We wandered down the first aisle and began realizing this was so much better. Stalls after stalls of homecooked goodies, bright produce and the freshest catches from the sea.
A few laps of the market as we worked to get a lay of the land. Our senses overloaded with shouts of customers ordering, shopkeepers recruiting business and the impossible to escape scent of the sea. Realizing that in addition to buying goodies to bring home and prepare, you can pick up goodies to enjoy right on the spot. You point at the critter you want and they bring it to the back to scour, wash and plate up.
So far, our experience in Japan has been full of extra cautiousness- temperature checks, hand sanitizer flowing freely, tables and chairs extra spaced out and folks going out of their way to avoid close proximity. This market was only regularly cautious, so different than the extra vigilance we're used to. Still mask wearing, sanitizing and attempts at quelling the crowd. One stall turned folks away once their line got too long. But we did stand elbow to elbow with fellow culinary enthusiasts enjoyed our fresh tastes of the sea, on our freshly sanitized surfaces, feeling a bit out of place in the new normal.
So far, our experience in Japan has been full of extra cautiousness- temperature checks, hand sanitizer flowing freely, tables and chairs extra spaced out and folks going out of their way to avoid close proximity. This market was only regularly cautious, so different than the extra vigilance we're used to. Still mask wearing, sanitizing and attempts at quelling the crowd. One stall turned folks away once their line got too long. But we did stand elbow to elbow with fellow culinary enthusiasts enjoyed our fresh tastes of the sea, on our freshly sanitized surfaces, feeling a bit out of place in the new normal.
That oyster was so big it took three bites, three slippery slimy bites to consume! Kanazawa is know for its extra special shrimp, and we made sure to taste lots of it! Jesse, always the brave one, tasted much more than me.
Also finding deliciously cooked things! Mussels or Scallops or something deliciously grilled over the open fire. Learning that the eyeballs taste much better when they're deep fried!
And then that night at dinner, we ordered the most deliciously grilled chicken and fish. Jesse carefully dug out his favorite parts (the meat behind the eyeball) The chef asked if we liked sushi, likely confused that we didn't order any. We of course responded that we do! And asked him to make a plate of his favorite pieces. Which we enthusiastically ate. And then he gifted us a plate with two more pieces of shrimp, 'a present' Grateful it was a cooked present. Not grateful when Jesse told me, good luck after consuming his shrimp.
We call these food challenges. And Jesse shines in all his glory as he consumes many more food challenges than I do. He almost always manages to eat the stuff that is just a bit too crazy for me. His good luck, letting me know that this particular food challenge was all for me. That after eating one he was not going to be eating the other.
I popped it in my mouth and quickly took a bite. Then the warm gooey brains exploding in my mouth. Chewing fast to avoid embarrassing myself and spitting it back out. Trying to decide which part was the least offending: the poky tentacles, the squishy eyeballs or the previously exploded brains. But we did it. Each suffering through the food challenge with hopeful a smile on our faces to not offend the chef and his present to us.
We call these food challenges. And Jesse shines in all his glory as he consumes many more food challenges than I do. He almost always manages to eat the stuff that is just a bit too crazy for me. His good luck, letting me know that this particular food challenge was all for me. That after eating one he was not going to be eating the other.
I popped it in my mouth and quickly took a bite. Then the warm gooey brains exploding in my mouth. Chewing fast to avoid embarrassing myself and spitting it back out. Trying to decide which part was the least offending: the poky tentacles, the squishy eyeballs or the previously exploded brains. But we did it. Each suffering through the food challenge with hopeful a smile on our faces to not offend the chef and his present to us.
And that is when I declared a break from raw food and eyeballs.