Samurai Gourmet & Flavorful Origins

So, hubs was working on something and I'd read enough of my book (re-reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik, as it's a beautiful book), so I thought I'd watch something. 

I started with a few episodes of Flavorful Origins (and, man, it's weirdly hard to type that without the extra "u" ... I've become British for sure), which is a Chinese show that explores the culinary traditions of China. The episodes are all very short -- about 12 minutes. It seems that series 1 is set in the Chaoshan region, which is part of Guangdong...which is, likely, where my family originated from. I suppose I find it doubly interesting because of that. 

Like when I went to China (Shanghai and Suzhou), everything feels very foreign. I grew up very separated from my mother's heritage in so many ways. Perhaps if we had stayed in San Francisco around the rest of the family, it would have been different. As it was, my exposure to "real" Chinese food growing up was from the few dishes mom would make (egg rolls, shumai, won ton, fried rice, sweet & sour pork...) and a yearly care package from the Aunties.  

In later life, I'd have to say I am by far more Asian than my mother was; I know more of the language and the food than she did. Though I've not stuck to China -- it's maybe sad, but I probably know more Korean and Japanese than I do Chinese. And not just the language either -- but food as well. We probably cook more Japanese than anything else. 

So I find shows like this interesting in a way that makes me a little sad. Does that make sense? Anyway, I always try everything at least once. Well, maybe everything. Not entirely sure what I would do when faced with monkey brains. But I would definitely try the marinated raw crab that's apparently a speciality of Chaoshan, as well as the interesting Chinese olive dishes (totally didn't know this was a thing -- olives are not something I associate with Chinese food at all!). So I'm glad I started this show. It's like a little window into what could have been.

I also tried the first episode of Samurai Gourmet. It's a Japanese show, also with short episodes (about 20 minutes each). It's...slice of life? About food? I'm not sure how to describe it exactly. 

So, we have a newly retired salaryman who finds himself at loose ends with no where to rush off to. He spends his first day of retirement a bit aimlessly, winding up at the train station by rote. On the way back, he stops at an old-fashioned diner for lunch. 

There he's tempted by the set meal and the possibility of an afternoon beer. Should he? But he feels that guilt; drinking in the day? How can he? He fantasizes about a ronin (i.e. samurai without a master) showing up and enjoying a sake & nearly getting into battle with some poor schmucks who have to answer to someone and decides, hey, what the hell, I'm retired! I can do what I want!   

Anyway, it was just a charming little snippet of a show. Ridiculous, but in a good way. It also made we want to have some Salisbury steak (which they just call hamburger steak in Japan). It's been YEARS since I had one. And that wasn't even what our wannabe samurai ate -- he had some eggplant thing. 

So, in a nutshell, another good food related show that's silly but charming. Why is it I like to watch so many shows about food? Now my healthy yogurt lunch is feeling particularly bland.