Current location:Global Grooves news portal > travel
VOX POPULI: Manga artist exposes the juicy dynamics behind ‘oden’ factions
Global Grooves news portal2024-05-01 09:42:14【travel】9People have gathered around
IntroductionFactions are essentially about “hanging around together with buddies,” manga artist Sadao Shoji obse
Factions are essentially about “hanging around together with buddies,” manga artist Sadao Shoji observes in his essay.
Wherever people gather, factions are formed, be it in neighborhood interactions or workplace relationships in a company.
Shoji then takes his musing on factions to an unexpected realm, declaring, “Even the world of oden is composed of factions.” This leap into the seemingly unrelated topic of the traditional Japanese hot one-pot dish is quintessentially characteristic of Shoji’s narrative style.
Within the steaming confines of an oden pot, separated into small partitions, the dynamics of factions kick in. Tofu-based ingredients, like “ganmodoki” (fried tofu fritters) and “atsuage” (thick fried tofu), belong to what Shoji amusingly dubs the “tofu clique.”
In competition are the fish paste faction, represented by “chikuwa” (tube-shaped fish paste) and “satsuma-age” (fried fish cake).
Although “konnyaku” (jelly-like food made from konjac yam) and “shirataki” (konjac noodles) hail from the same origins, they seldom share a plate, hinting at an unexpected animosity between them.
Shoji delves into these observations with a tongue-in-cheek seriousness that stands in sharp contrast with the lightheartedness of the subject.
Readers of Shoji’s gastronomic essays do not expect to glean practical advice or culinary tips.
Instead, they just enjoy imagining how they would savor certain hot dishes with Shoji, eaten in a manner often described as “haf haf” in Japanese, and nod with a “fumu fumu” murmuring of approval to the intriguing nuances of his observations, and ultimately find themselves amused and utter a “fufu” smothered laugh.
This is the essence of what could be called the “Haf Fumu Fufu” principle—a sequence of tasting the joy of engaging with his hilarious writings on eating.
Shoji’s popular serial column, “Are Mo Kuitai, Kore Mo Kuitai” (Raring to eat that dish and this one, too) ran in the Shukan Asahi weekly magazine for 36 years, a testament to his enduring appeal.
As the magazine was discontinued, I felt disappointment and sadness at the end of enjoying his column. But it made a heartening comeback this year in The Asahi Shimbun weekend supplement “be.” Its third installment was published on Feb. 10.
The themes of the first two installments of the column, published biweekly, were “The Personality of ‘Anko’ Sweet Bean Paste” and “The Global Expansion of Oden.”
He playfully speculates that should oden gain international recognition, “ganmodoki” might be pronounced “gahn-moh-DOH-kee,” displaying his signature laid-back humor, to the joy of his readers.
According to a colleague in charge of the column, upon the revival of his long-beloved column, Shoji expressed an eagerness to explore more topics, saying, “There are still many things I want to write about (in this column).”
Shoji’s insatiable gastronomical appetite is simply awesome for an 86-year-old.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 11
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Address of this article:http://moldova.popular-vines.com/article-77a399922.html
Very good!(943)
Related articles
- South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, 'The Rose of Soweto,' dies aged 57
- Retail sales surge 0.7% in March as Americans seem unfazed by higher prices with jobs plentiful
- Customs authorities intercept gold smugglers
- Palestinian death toll in Gaza exceeds 33,000
- Women can stand the cold BETTER than men, surprising study finds
- Zendaya sports a white towel mini dress as she debuts another tennis
- Australian PM demands accountability for citizen's death in Gaza
- Mainland ready to aid disaster relief after Taiwan earthquake: spokesperson
- Cupid's stunt snares fugitive, 27, and his mother, 51, in Cape Town following six
- E China hailstorm disaster death toll rises to 7
Popular articles
Recommended
Growing wildfire risk leaves states grappling with how to keep property insurers from fleeing
Lugo pitches 7 crisp innings as the Royals beat the White Sox 2
Death toll in airstrikes on E. Syria rises to 15
Death toll from Moscow terror attack rises to 93
Explainer: What makes China magnet for multinational corporations?
Grimes screams on stage after having 'major technical difficulties' during chaotic set at Coachella
China unveils plan to promote trade
Over 260 mln passenger trips made on first day of Qingming holiday
Links
- China's Online Payment Users Top 900 Mln: Report
- International Museum Day Celebrated Across China
- 'Les Choristes' for Left
- Across China: Special Education Brightens Life of Children with Disabilities
- China Goes All out to Bolster Employment for College Graduates in Record Year
- Record 12 Mln Sit for China's Annual College Entrance Exam
- Chinese Lawmakers Deliberate Report on Boosting Children's Health
- Hebei's Schools Organize Activities to Help Students Stay in Best Shape Before Gaokao
- Feature: Village basketball adds vitality to life, development in China
- Skill Training Classes Provided for Locals to Boost Employment in Sanjiang, China's Guangxi