秋味ーあきあじーThe tastes of Autumn

I just wanted to make a personal list to myself of all the tastes of Autumn, so that I don't miss anything.

AKI AJI KIRIN BEER

Since I'm going through a couple of sober months during this season, I'm not getting to enjoy these delicious beers. I'll have to stock up on a case, because after October, they disappear off of the store shelves until next year. Oh yes, and don't be fooled by the two different kinds of AkiAji! Kirin is superior to Suntory.

KURI, Chestnut Flavored Everything

Personally, I don't really like the flavor very much, however Chu does, and she loves when I bring cakes, candies, or other goods with chestnuts baked into it.

GINKO NUTS (3 stages)

First you got the nut, then you gotta crack it. A slippery little yellow-green nut comes out.
Then you can roast them in the baking area of your stove.

Then eat.


MATSUTAKE

Oh, the first time I encountered a Matsutake! Chu brought them home and I looked inside the thin clear bag, and the smell is what caught me first. Those matsutake not only looked like a slimy, dirty penis, but it also smelled like one. She didn't like when I made that comparison. I wanted nothing to do with them.
However, she cleaned them, chopped them up and added them to the dry rice in the rice cooker. After the 20-30 minutes it takes for a ricecooker to cook up some rice, which was composed of 1/4 brown rice (genmai) and 3/4 white rice, it was ready to stir and eat.
When I opened the rice cooker, the usual gust of steam fled the scene. The smell was delectable! I took a little taste before it even had a chance to cool, and I fell in love with these mushrooms. After cooked, their peni-like ways melt away into pure deliciousness.

SATSUMA IMO

I'm okay with Japanese sweet potatoes. When they are prepared correctly, they can be quite delicious. You can sneak these guys into almost any food. It's fun to try. Just google Satsuma Imo, and look how many way you can incorporate it into your cooking.

KAKI (persimmon)

It took me 2 season of kaki before I gave them a chance. The reason, is because I have a slight allergy to the ones found in California. They make my mouth feel very dry and suddenly the back of my throat will start to itch. However, after being forced to taste one, I'm glad I did, because the Japanese ones don't have the same effect on me. Yum, I love when their harder. If they get too gooey, they become too overly sweet for my taste.

SANMA
You'll probably start seeing these slim, long, silver fish chilling in icy water in supermarkets. These don't have to be prepared. You just brush on some soy sauce and stick it in the fish cooker on your stove. Personally though, I don't like to eat these sanma. It's not that I don't like the taste, it's just that if you eat this brownish, blackish part of the fish under white parts, you'll get this super nasty bitter taste in your mouth. It grossed me out far too many times to continue eating them. But if you're a fish-lover and you're careful, check it out.

Last but not least, it's now about time to start making nabe! That'll probably be the next food thing I write about. I'm very passionate about nabes.