Chapter 4: FOOD!!!

Coming from Tokyo, I was prepared to be a tad bit disappointed with the food here.

From whatever country they may have hailed from, most everyone I know who has spent time in Japan would agree that the quality of the food there is hard to beat. For very little money (despite how "expensive" people say Tokyo is), you can eat a delicious meal that very rarely disappoints. I would have to say that I could count on one hand the number of meals that I found truly unacceptable or even unsatisfying...and that is from the priciest courses to the run-of-the-mill ramen shop. Of course, there are some places that are heaps better than others...but overall, it is hard to find BAD food in Japan. Most everyone who has left Japan often laments to me, "I miss the FOOD."

And I do miss the food. I miss ikura. I miss kaiten sushi. I miss spicy ramen. I miss umeboshi with rice and nori. I miss Conbini Sea Chicken Onigiri. I miss tempura and udon and saba.

But I have been pleasantly surprised by the food here and haven't felt deprived in the least. I've even encountered some new foods I have never had before.

The first of these new foods was the kumara, which is very much like a Japanese sweet potato, but is less cloyingly sweet and starchy in my humble opinion. They have purple, orange, and gold kumaras here (I think those are the right colors). M first made kumaras for me when we went to stay at his cousin's beach house in Waikanae (a nice beach town an hour north of Wellington). He roasted them with pumpkins and russet potatoes and I found myself addicted right away. In fact, roasted kumara has become a regular food at our house. They are especially yummy with olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary!

The other is a fruit called the feijoa. It looks like a green, hairless kiwi and inside is this tart, yummy, jelly-like fruit that you spoon out like ice cream. I am amazed that I hadn't ever come across this fruit before...even after having been introduced to other exotic fruits like the garlicky garbage that are durians. (I know they are supposed to be a delicacy but...um. Barf.) Feijoas are everywhere here. They also have feijoa tea, feijoa jam, feijoa chocolate, and feijoa ice cream!

I've also been eating a lot of foods here that I had been missing in Tokyo--like lamb. The New Zealanders do lamb dishes like no other, and M's mum and cousin have generously fed me some amazing lamb meals. I love the toasty brown bread here. And finally--really yummy fish and chips!!!

M and I often buy fresh produce and cook at home too. Though we can't afford to buy organic, the fish and vegetables we eat are as rich with flavor as though they were. Going out to eat has also been a treat--since we aren't able to do it that often. Wellington boasts an unusual number of funky cafes and restaurants, and once some more money comes rolling in, I am excited to try more.

Excited for soup in Waikane.

Roasted veggies, carrot/lemon/coriander/&feta salad, tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, dill, and cottage cheese.