Before I came to Japan I had many preconceptions about the place. For example, I expected everything to be sleek and modern, yet in reality the country is both technologically advanced and very old-fashioned, with gleaming glass buildings standing next to delapidated old homes made of corrugated tin, and women pecking away on cell phones while wearing a traditional kimono. For some reason, I also assumed the Japanese would not eat meat very often since it surely must cost too much. In reality, one of the cornerstones of the Japanese diet is the “hamburg steak” (e.g. Salsbury steak), made from hamburger (no, not that kind), seasoned bread crumbs and sliced vegetables, and whether it’s covered with a French demi-glace or a Japanese-style sauce made from grated radish, it’s a delicious and affordable meal for families. The name is quite interesting by the way: to the Japanese, a “hamburg” steak is made from hamburger meat and lacks bread around it, while a “frankfurt” is a frankfurter eaten alone, without a hot dog bun around it. If you’re interested in learning to make Japanese home-style dishes, J-List happens to have a large number of bilingual recipe books in stock — browse them now!
I swear, I am not going to write about food anymore — I’m starving now!
Hamburg steak is a popular dish in Japan, and great with steamed white rice.
