In article >, "Graeme... in London"
> wrote:
> "Monroe, of course..." > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > (KR) wrote:
> >
> > Our local sushi joint does a natto roll. I've never worked up the
> > nerve. My girlfriend (also non-asian) likes natto very much (i think
> > it's from doing the macrobiotic thing once upon a time). She's amazed
> > many Japanese folks in her time by eating it- there is a definite
> > perception that foreigners don't like it. Like Scandanavians and their
> > lutefisk and Scots and their haggis.
> > Tony Bourdain really slagged it in his "Cook's Tour " book which may be
> > remarkable considering what he ate for the sake of that show...
> >
> > monroe(not mikey)
>
> OK Monroe,
>
> I'll let you away with the haggis gibe. I'm not sure if you've sampled it
> (haggis) personally, but it ain't that bad. In fact it's extremely good.
'Twas nae gibe, laddie! I just haven't ever had the opportunity to try
real for true haggis-I got too many tartans I can lay claim to-'tis my
duty to try it, eventually. I have eaten my fair share of meat mush
things like scrapple, c-loaf,souse,headcheese, and the closest thing to
haggis I've had so far-goetta.
> Back on topic, natto. Let me relay a story. The first time I visited Japan
> with my wife (who is Japanese) around 10 years ago, I had never met her
> parents, and we had been married around 6 months and they didn't know who
> the hell I was other than from photo's. I was dreading meeting the in-laws
> for the first time. We arrived at their home and I was shattered after a
> long flight and a heavy drinking session. I made my polite introductions and
> hastily went to bed. Next morning, MIL prepared breakfast. It was natto.
> This was my first ever meal in Japan and in front of my in-laws and their
> whole family. Let me tell you I could not eat it. The more you try to force
> it down the more it wants to come back up. I played around with the bowl for
> around half an hour and had to admit defeat. It later transpired that they
> had deliberately fed this to me as they knew I would dislike it immensely,
> as most foreigners do, and wanted to see through my character. *******s!!
>
Oohh mean! Offer them some Shropshire Blue when they come to visit! I
recall one morning in an Atlantic City Food Court where my girlfriend
amazed some Japanese gamblers with her choice of miso soup and natto
and such for breakfast - they were chowing down on Egg McMuffins.
Every one wanted a picture! A real cross cultural Kodak moment!
monroe(lutefisk & natto - the mind reels)