Bites that Love You Back
Extraordinary Look from a Sweet Accomplice
Musk melon and Le Lectier pear in a Japanese kaiseki dinner
Melting…melting…melted… As the ripe, juicy, melty fruit caves in, so do I.
This slice from Shizuoka is of the famous “one tree, one melon”. The musk-melon. Musk, the male deer’s hormonal scent. I looked it up to make sure I have it right. One fruit per sapling. The entire tree focuses its nutrition on one fruit.
Natural sugars glisten and soften the edges of each slice. I give the bite all the reverence it deserves. Oh gosh! It is satisfying.
The farmer nurtures the young tree with lots of watering but is not overly protective. The tree finds its way to grow roots. Then the farmer withholds water to cause stress so the melon gains more glucose. Hmm. But nature is unpredictable. Micro adjustments to sunlight, water, and temperature are essential to creating good looks. If it grows too fast, it cracks. Too slow, it doesn’t form well.
A veteran farmer once claimed melons are very honest. They reflect the farmer’s performance. No one farmer is the same. No one melon is ever the same.
Like children, they do not belong to us. Don’t mothers of the world know they have no control over how each child turns out? Children have a mind of their own, like farmers of the Yubari “Crown Melon” tell us.
Always fresh. Never mass distributed.
Is that a slice of Le Lectier “spooning” the melon? The pear introduced from France to Niigata in Japan in 1903? Ohhhh…the luscious scented sweetness. Natural sugar concentration 15–18%. Even after harvesting, the pear requires maturing time for the best consumption experience. Like any grown-ups.
Knowing nods continue as desserts in the kaiseki menu progress.
The deft server slides a gorgeous dish before me: A glorious bird gliding along with floating clouds…
So light, it flies. Was it the imaginary effect of the alcohol?
The pear sorbet nestles on a bed of pear jelly made with granita. Granita is slightly bitter, Niigata pear lusciously sweet. A perfect blend with what’s coming because:
Sweet is not the grand finale. Like in life, it rarely is.
The petit fours are a surprise ending. They are savory: A slightly salty wholesome custard and soya sauce cream puff. Soya sauce — a hint of the kokumi that rounds up the 10-courses fanning out into 16-courses. A kaiseki journey of all the elaborate flavors, ending with a clean savory taste on the palate. I love the memory.
To the world’s valentines ❤️
If you missed the story, the kaiseki journey begins here:
© Pseu Pending (Seu) 2022