Wednesday Gourmet (Wednesday Food Talk / 수요미식회)

Welcome to the 190th episode of Wednesday Food Talk.

Welcome.

The topics for today...

are healthy dishes that brings out the taste of the ingredients.

They're three popular dishes of Japanese cuisine.

Three Japanese foods? - Yes, three Japanese foods.

You surprised me. I thought you were saying something to me.

I was just introducing the topic. - I know, right?

Why did you say that while looking at me?

Do you know that Japanese foods are becoming popular these days?

Many Japanese restaurants are appearing,

and many people are enjoying them.

It became more common. - Yes.

They used to be thought of as very expensive foods.

What do you say, Ha Na? Do you like Japanese foods?

I usually look for foods that aren't heavy...

and don't make my face swell up on the next day.

I realized that Japanese foods like sushi...

are fit for that. - That's right.

Which sushi do you like best?

I like lean fish.

Fatty fish are a bit too greasy for me.

Like flatfish? - I like porgies.

So you like porgies?

You like fancy and expensive foods.

I want to have some already.

Kangnam, you're Japanese. - Yes.

You probably ate Japanese foods most often among us.

I said this to the writers regarding that matter.

I think you got the wrong person. - Why?

Since my mother is Korean,

I always ate Korean foods at home.

I always had Kimchi stew... - You're right.

You're right. - at home.

Please bring us Sayuri at least now.

Sayuri? - Yes, Sayuri.

Yes, she should eat Japanese foods often since she's rich too.

Seriously. She's richer than I thought.

But you must have a favorite dish.

That often changes. I like ramen.

I like Okonomiyaki too.

There doesn't seem to be much of a difference from me.

My gosh. - Yes.

Joon Woo, do you have a favorite dish?

I have the taste of a child. - Really?

Well... - But you're a chef.

I thought about what I like best among Japanese foods.

It's takoyaki.

It's delicious. - It's good indeed.

It's so delicious. - Takoyaki...

is all about the sauce. - I agree.

I know, right? - No, it's about the ingredients.

It's about the octopus inside too. - Yes.

Turning them around requires skill.

It's need to make them pretty. - Yes.

One of my grand wishes is to go to Osaka...

and eat takoyaki.

I've never been to Japan. - Never?

Never. - You've never been to Japan?

Wait. - Really?

Didn't you tell you lived there? - So the rumor is true.

I heard he's banned to go abroad.

I heard so. - Really?

Really?

Well. - Really?

I've always wanted to go but I haven't had the chance yet.

I usually enjoy takoyaki in Hongdae.

I line up at the truck.

But the takoyaki in Korea

are as good as those in Japan.

Now many people have tasted them. - The instant mix of takoyaki...

sells well online.

It's imported. - Mixed takoyaki.

You can buy the mold too. - They sell the mold too.

You can cook it at home. - Really?

It's quite big among the young people.

These days in Japan, Okinawa... Okinawa... Takoyaki...

He can't speak Japanese.

He's forgotten it all. - He's not good at Japanese.

I came back from Japan yesterday.

I couldn't have a proper conversation with my dad.

That's normal you have trouble when having a conversation with your dad.

I just couldn't be coherent.

Take Japanese classes in Jongno. - I think I should.

I came back to Korea yesterday. - You did?

Anyway, takoyaki is still popular in Japan too.

There's a big department store...

next to Odaiba TV station.

A new takoyaki store has opened there.

That shows how much people love takoyaki in Japan.

I see.

Like you said, it has become easier...

to eat more diverse Japanese food in Korea...

such as Japanese dishes, desserts, and even relishes.

It seems that there are a lot of shop signs...

written in Japanese.

In 2014, there were 7,740...

Japanese restaurants in Korea,

according to the National Statistical Office.

And in 2018, it became 17,290.

The number doubled. - In 4 years?

That's right. The biggest growth in number...

during these years was found in cafes,

then fast-food restaurants,

followed by Japanese restaurants.

Seeing how the number of...

Japanese restaurants doubled over a few years,

there must be a lot who like Japanese food.

It is also said that Koreans tend to eat...

more seafood than other countries.

This is from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

In 2017, the average annual seafood consumption...

in Korea was 58.4kg per person.

It was the highest number in the world.

Norway is famous for its top-quality seafood.

Right. - And it only came second.

My gosh. - The worldwide average is 20.2kg.

Compared to that average,

Koreans eat about three times of seafood,

which is quite a lot.

And since Koreans love seafood, it's obvious...

they fall in love with Japanese food which includes a lot of seafood...

because they eat a lot of them. - That's right.

They say the more you know,

the better it tastes.

And of course, we cannot leave out sushi...

when talking about Japanese food.

Let us see in detail about sushi,

a piece of art on our plate.

The first impression lasts very long.

Do you remember your first?

I was a fourth grader. I still remember vividly.

My dad came home drunk,

and he brought some left over sushi for my mom.

I blindly tried a piece because they said it was expensive.

I just tried it.

The slippery texture and rotating in my mouth...

took me aback. But there was one thing I liked.

Do you know the fish-shaped soy sauce container?

That was from old days. - Right.

I haven't seen one for some time.

The only thought on my mind was to empty it quickly...

to use it as my toy. - You mean the red cap?

I was so preoccupied. I just spat out the fish and threw it away

That was expensive food. - Kids could hate the texture.

These days, sushi is so common,

but it used to be very expensive.

Not everyone could enjoy them.

It used to be regarded very posh food.

In late 90s and early 200s,

they were only available at high-end hotels...

or Japanese restaurants.

In mid-2000,

more sushi buffets and conveyor belt sushi restaurants...

opened, attracting more customers.

Conveyor belt sushi restaurants were sensational.

What attracted customers was...

that they could pick the dish from the conveyor belt...

and take them to their own table.

People started going to...

conveyor belt sushi restaurants.

I remember how the prices were different...

for each color. - Right.

When I didn't have money,

I'd always go for the cheap ones, like egg sushi.

Or crabstick sushi.

You know, I still remember the brown dishes.

Mostly dark and with gold edges.

Watch out for gold. - They were 4.50 dollar each.

They made it hard to tell...

if it was brown or gold.

It was hard to tell. - Yes, it was confusing.

I remember. - "Is this 4.50 or 6.50?

It's confusing.

If you chose the wrong dish and had 6.50-dollar dish,

you'd ask for free miso soup for about three times.

To fill up your belly.

You'd ask for more soup.

Conveyor belt sushi is 1 of the 5 top Japanese inventions...

in the history of Japanese cuisine culture.

It's an unique idea. - What an invention.

The speed of the belt is higher in Osaka,

as they tend to be short-tempered.