The Japanese have a passion for beer that is slowly overtaking Sake.  Almost all of the beer sold in Japan is from domestic breweries and most of these are from the big 4.  These major breweries are Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin and Suntory. 

Japanese beer is legally classified by it’s ingredients.  There are a large selection of “Real” beers made with conventional quantities of malt.  Second grade beer is called Happoshu and contains less than 25% malt.  The third class is cleverly called “3rd Beer” which contains no malt. Under this is an even lower grade called “3rd Beer -liquor”.  The primary differences from a consumers point of view are price and taste.  As you descend down the ladder of classifications you can buy beer-like products for amazingly cheap prices.  To buy a can of “3rd beer” is almost cheaper than leaving it on the shelf!  This is all due to tax concessions on the lower grades.  The downside of reaching the lower ends of the beer spectrum are taste.  Some of these low malt beers taste bad and the rest taste really bad.  There are a few exceptions but for the most part you get what you pay for with Japanese beer. 

Traditionally the most popular beer across Japan has been Kirin draft.  This beer has been rocked in more recent times by Asahi’s Super dry.  These two beers are the classics in Japan and are probably the beers you are most likely to encounter around the world.  The shiny silver can of Super dry or the gold and cream can of Kirin Draft are sold at a great range of restaurants, serving food from many different Asian countries.

In my opinion the only beer that Japan’s big breweries produce that tastes better than the big Kirin, is Kirin Golden Hop which they have called a premium lager.  This beer would have to be my favourite but it isn’t available everywhere. 

The logo for Kirin Beer revolves around a beautiful picture of what looks like a dragon.  It is actually a giraffe (Kirin means giraffe in Japanese) and so I think it is appropriate to drink Kirin straight from a “Long-neck”  (tall bottle).  Very un-Japanese, but very nice all the same.  

Japanese supermarket shelves may have up to 100 different varieties on them but in my opinion less than 20 are actually any good to drink.

Post from: Blisstree

Japanese Beer – the good the bad and the disgusting

1. How do I get warm
2. How do I get something into my stomach
3. How  do I do it without standing in one of the unending queues that lead to just about every place that has anything warm to put in your stomach

The answer is probably no further than 100m in any direction, and it comes in the form of a vending machine full of cans of hot coffee. 

I should first point out that I am not trying to claim that these machines actually dispense something that is really coffee.  Despite what the cans advertise, the contents are almost exclusively hot, sweet, milky, something.  But whatever it is, it’s not like real coffee.  If you can get past this one problem of product definition, you can really grow to enjoy Japanese canned coffee.

The coffee is hot in winter and gradually is replaced by cold versions over summer.  There are about a million and one different varieties but there are very few different actual tastes.  They are made by a handful of companies and each company seeks to target different consumers with different packaging, graphics and messages.  Basically, though, the message is this: “Drink this particular coffee and you will appear more sophisticated, beautiful/handsome and will probably get the respect of every one who sees you”.  In reality, drinking a can of coffee is no way to distinguish yourself in Japan because everyone does it. 

My survival tip for people in Japan over winter is this.  Always carry 120 yen in your pocket because that is the most you will pay for a canned coffee and it may one day save your life.

Note for further research:  What is actually in a can of “coffee”?  Is it legal? Is it toxic? Is it true that it includes a byproduct of either the gambling industry or the logging of native old-growth wales? If so, how come it tastes so good?

Post from: Blisstree

Japanese Canned Coffee

Post from: Blisstree

Pairing Wine with Asian Food

Wei Hong is closed on Tuesdays, but the rest of the week you can order from one of the most extensive menus in St. Louis as far as Chinese restaurants go. Some of our favorites: Congee with Preserved Vegetable and Beef, Ha Moon Mai Fun, Roasted Pork with Shrimp Sauce on Rice, Bitter Melon with Spareribs, the Combination Lo Mein is excellent, as is the West Lake Beef Soup, and Salt and Pepper Squid (though the last is really best enjoyed eaten on premises; otherwise the travel home may render it soggy and lifeless). Try the Sizzling Chicken Tenderloins in Black Pepper Sauce. Yum! As is the You Shan Pork. Can’t really miss with anything you order.

There’s a second Wei Hong Branch in Olivette, on Olive Blvd. This one is sparsely furnished, more a take-out bakery than a restaurant like the one on Grand. They do have the usual baked goods made on a daily basis, as well as steamed sugar rice cake, both kinds (white and brown) and deep-fried sesame seed balls. These are very good, but of everyday quality, so don’t expect anything beyond that. Prices run cheap, with not many items over a dollar, so you can splurge on a snack for one or for a group. Take your order home and have some tea.

Wei Hong Bakery and Restaurant
3175 S Grand Blvd
St Louis, MO 63118
(314) 773-8318

7740 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63130
(314) 726-0360

PS There’s another Chinese bakery on Olive Boulevard, but do yourself a favor and don’t go there. Service is not as friendly, there was a fly zipping through inside the bakery case last time I was there, and when I ordered bubble tea, I was given this tepid chemical-tasting beverage (they all taste that way to some degree but this takes the cake) mixed with some giant ice cubes. Apparently their blender was dead and so was the machine that applies the cellophane lids. They did apologize saying things weren’t working, but if I had been feeling snarky that day I would have asked, “What does?” They should at least inform customers that they’re experiencing technical difficulties before taking payment for the order.

Post from: Blisstree

St. Louis: Wei Hong Bakery

Tea is a beverage prepared from the leaves of a the southern Chinese bush Camellia sinensis. It was first cultivated by the Chinese. Tea brewing and drinking have been popular in China for a long time, some accounts pointing to the Han Dynasty (206 BC- AD 220), others say the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907). Fuchsia Dunlop in Land of Plenty mentions a 4th century text that talks about tea being “given in tribute to King Wen, the twelfth-century-B.C. founder of the Zhou Dynasty, by tribal heads in the region”. Nina Simonds in A Spoonful of Ginger cites a popular myth that credits the Emperor Shen Nong as the creator of the drink. Most sources agree, though, that the aesthetics of drinking tea began to develop in the eighth century with the publication of Lu Yu’s Cha jing (Classic of Tea). At first, tea was drunk with salt and milk or butter, a practice that continued to the Qing dynasty. Today, it is drunk as a simple infusion and has become the standard drink in China.

Fujian settlers introduced tea to Taiwan/Formosa about 200 years ago; today, tea is one of Taiwan’s main exports. They produce excellent teas including the most prized Wulong teas which are highly regarded and enjoyed throughout the world.

Wulong Tea, or Oolong as it is more commonly known in the West, originated in Fujian, and is a semi-fermented tea, meaning it is allowed to ferment for half the length of time that black tea is. Oolong tea brews to a light amber, almost golden color, and exudes a fruity aroma. Its name means “black, or dark, dragon”, symbolizing authority and nobility. Its creation dates back to 1855. Tea farmers in Anxi county in Fujian combined green tea and black tea processing procedures, inventing this new type of tea. From picking to refining, Wulong tea leaves go through a seven-step process called “warm rolling”. Famous Oolong/Wulong teas include Phoenix Narcissus, Iron Buddha, Red Robe, Golden Key, Yellow Goddess of Mercy, Iron Warrior Monk, and White Crown teas. Oolong teas are classified according to production location, cultivar, or degree of fermentation.

Wulong/Oolong tea-making is a highly refined process, detailed in the book Tea by Yong-Su Zhen et al. First, fully mature shoots are plucked, ideally by hand, and usually from tea cultivars specially bred for Oolong tea. A special withering stage called “Zuoqing” or green-making is next, done in open air by sunlight. Successful withering depends on weather conditions, with sunny but windy weather being the most desirable. The leaves are spread out on bamboo mats and exposed to the sun for 30-60 minutes, during which the leaves are turned 2 or 3 times. When the leaves are soft, they are moved indoors. The degree of moisture loss determines the type of Oolong. Pekoe Oolong tea, for instance, has a higher degree of moisture loss than Pouchong, a very delicate tea. After withering, the leaves are “rotated” by hand using a bamboo tray (more common Oolongs are rotated in a machine), indoors, at a temperature of 68-77 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity of 75-85%. The process lasts about 6-8 hours and is repeated 5-6 times. This rotation bruises the leaf edges and fermentation begins.

After rotation, the leaves are heated for 3-7 minutes at 356-428 degrees F to arrest fermentation. Before the temperature drops, the tea leaves are rolled in a mill. After rolling, drying is next and is usually done in two stages. The leaves are spread thinly on a bamboo basket or drying machine and dried quickly at high temperatures. The leaves are then dried a second time at a lower temperature. Each detailed step is dependent on the type/origin of the Oolong being produced, i.e., time and temperature of heating after rotation, length of time for drying temperature for drying, etc.

Here in the US, tea has so pervaded American life that we now have tea connoisseurs exploring beyond the usual bagged tea at corner Chinese restaurants. Even Dim Sum places offer more varieties of tea now than they were 10 years or even 5 years ago. Take a peek at the newsgroup rec.food.drink.tea and you’ll see what I mean. In our stores, more and more shelf space is being devoted to tea and all the accoutrements necessary for proper brewing and enjoying of the perfect cup. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got the diet fads, including

the “oolong tea” diet in which you drink five or six cups of oolong a day and its diuretic effect creates the illusion that you are shedding real pounds – Asian Food, the Global and the Local by Katarzyna Cwiertka with Boudewijn Walraven)

, most recently thrust into the spotlight again because of an Oprah Winfrey mention. Of course, Oolong tea has been available here for many years.

With the increased interest in serious tea, there are also an increase in tea purveyors exploiting this interest. Two vendors in particular that have catered to the American fascination with serious Chinese tea are Shan Shui Teas in Washington, DC, and Adagio Teas.

Shan Shui Teas is owned by Brian Wright, who studied in Taipei and Beijing in 1989-90 and fell in love with Chinese tea. He specializes in Taiwanese Oolong teas and offers teaware including those used for Gongfu. Gongfu is a special way of making tea and Oolong is the best variety for it. For an excellent introduction to Gongfu tea, read Fu Wei Wei’s post at Our China Journal and SenicYang’s Drinking Gongfu Tea.

More information on Oolong teas can be found at Oolongtea.org, including information on its health benefits.

Other References:
Lonely Planet Taiwan (Lonely Planet Taiwan)
Taiwan, by Andrew Bender

China to Chinatown by J.A.G Roberts

Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide to Chinese American Celebrations and Culture by Rosemary Gong

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Wulong/Oolong Tea

Rishi Tea, the leading importer of Organic loose leaf tea in North America and 3-time winner of “Best Tea” by the SCAA, took home two 1st Place awards for their Organic Iced Teas at this year’s World Tea Expo. The Expo kicked off with the 3rd Annual Iced Tea Shake-Off competition, a blind sampling by industry experts that proved to be the most heated competition to date. Rishi Tea received two 1st Place awards for ‘Best Unflavored Black Tea’ and ‘Best Green Tea’ as they unveiled their expanded Artisan Iced Tea offering for 2006.

What do I love about this company? Not only are their products organic, they’re also Fair-Trade Certified. Their artisanal teas are hand-picked and hand-rolled, of course. Can’t wait to try! Visit their website here: Rishi Tea.com.

Post from: Blisstree

Rishi Tea

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Australia

Want to know what the best wine is with your Asian meal? My go-to-wine has always been Gewurtztraminer, but Judy Finn of Neudorf Vineyards in New Zealand recommends Pinot Gris.

And have you thought about coffee? My thinking has been that Thai-style coffee goes with Thai food, and Vietnamese coffee with Vietnamese food, etc. But have you considered Antigua from Guatemala? I haven’t had this for a while, perhaps it’s time to try out another bag. Gevalia makes a really nice, full-bodied one.

Post from: Blisstree

Asian Food Bits in the News

I found the homemade Amazake recipe in Michio Kushi’s book

Here’s a detailed recipe, though a bit more intimidating.
Bunnyfoot has detailed her process here.

There are kits available to make homemade koji, but I don’t think I want to go that far. Not yet anyway. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some koji at the local Japanese food market.

Whole Foods has a whole section on cooking grains, but I’m looking for something beyond the old steam or boil — we already do that a lot here.

I might try this recipe for Adzuki Chestnut Rice — though I’ll probably have to use some other nut as I don’t see dried chestnuts around here. There’s also a rice pudding recipe that looks interesting. Anyone have other recipes I could try?

Did you notice that a lot of these links are to macrobiotic diet websites and foods? I’ve been looking into macrobiotic diets off and on for the past 10 years, but I haven’t found information yet that would convince me to switch to it completely, though I’ve tried lots of recipes through the years “just because”. One of my favorite online sources for information on foods and diets is Dr. Weil — you might want to check out his site.

Post from: Blisstree

Sweet Brown Rice