First some background. Until I arrived in Japan, I never heard of barbecuing anything other than meat — hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, steak, drumsticks, in other words, beef, pork, chicken. If it didn’t at some earlier stage bleed, run around or graze, cluck, squeal, or moo, then it didn’t qualify. I never even saw anyone barbecue fish, though that would have been marginally acceptable. Fish can stare back at you.
Then in 2008, I was invited to a birthday party here in Japan. Lordy lordy, I couldn’t believe my eyes! The master chef manning the grill was throwing all sorts of peculiar food items onto the grating: bell peppers, mushrooms, slices of squash, onions, garlic cloves, corn. I looked around. No seeing eye dog. So it must have been intentional.
Sure enough, I discovered that this is standard operating procedure in Japan. Of course, there is the usual assortment of flesh-based fare as well. But I have to say, barbecued veggies and the like are very delicious, and moreover, a nutritious adjunct to the typical meat-eating orgy.
Now, on with today’s tale.
My wife, one of her twin daughters, and I had an interesting experience recently. We went to a shitake barbecue restaurant, specializing — you guessed it — in shitake mushrooms! What made it so interesting is that we gathered our own shitake to grill. They grow it on the premises and when you enter, they give you a little green basket and off you go, personally selecting the feature food item for today’s barbecue feast.
While the restaurant has indoor seating in the event of inclement weather, eating outside in good company is the best way to enjoy the experience.
One thing occurred to me as I was writing this. I wonder if there would be more vegetarians in the world if we had to choose our meat the way we did with the shitake.
“Oh, wow! Let’s eat that cow! The one over there by the fence.”
“Yes, that baby calf looks real young and tender.”
“Mommy, mommy! Can we eat that chicken?”
Just saying.
