Today I decided to add something as mundane as a vegetable. When coming to Japan it didn’t take me long to notice all the different vegetables on the supermarket shelves and at the smaller green grocers that I hadn’t come across before. Eating out at restaurants, I was trying all those new foods straight away however, it took me some time to start buying them, to try out some Japanese cooking at home. Out of all the vegetables I discovered, my favourite by far is gobō (ゴボウ) or edible burdock (root) in English. In any Japanese supermarket you will find those long, soil covered sticks, packed in bunches. They look so alien when you first see them but it is worth giving them a try. I love the earthy taste and crunchiness of Gobō. Whenever I eat it as a side dish or main, I feel energised and completely satisfied. Gobō is commonly used in Japanese cooking, I worry though whether I’ll be able to get hold of it at our next destination. It has become a well loved staple food at our household and I’d definitely miss it.
katazukete 