SHARING FOOD

I’ll Eat Anything As Long As I Don’t Know What It Is

Don’t tell me lies

I was reminded of my daughter taking me to a Sayonara party the first time I visited her in Japan. Sorry, I can’t remember whose story I was reading when I remembered this party. Aaron Paulson writes beautiful stories with stunning photographs of Japan but I can’t remember if he’s ever mentioned food. Vincent Van Patten, one of the best writers on Medium, writes his musings on his life in Japan but I don’t think he focuses on the food too much. Paul S. Marshall has the occasional story of Japan as does Shawn B. Swinger or was it my comment about eating anything at a restaurant even when I can’t read the menu at all?

As you can probably guess, a Sayonara party is a farewell party to someone — in this case, it was one of the ESL teachers Stacey had been teaching with for a few years. She was heading back to her home in Canada.

As I remember, I hadn’t eaten any dinner, heading straight out to the party when Stacey arrived home from work. The party was two train rides away and a short walk. So I was hungry and was eating one of everything. I had no idea what anything was, but ate and enjoyed it.

I was eating some sort of nori when Stacey asked, “Do you like that one?” I was chewing it and thinking it was kind of bland, when she added, “It’s whale poo.”

I gagged and spat it out into my hand. Stacey’s friends told her how mean she was to her mother, but Stacey was choking with laughter. She thought it was hilarious.

When I asked, “Really?” The girls replied, “It’s unagi. Eel.”

I haven’t been able to eat unagi since then. The association of that flavour in my mouth, when I thought it was whale poo, is just too visceral.