The Japanese are very big on the four seasons, and have many customs that separate each season from the others. In the spring, people sit under cherry blossom trees and enjoy the fleeting beauty of the sakura, while summer is time to don a yukata (cotton summer kimono) and enjoy Japan’s festivals. Now that fall is here, it’s time to appreciate the changing of the leaves while enjoying nikuman (pronounced “niku-mahn”) which are finally available at convenience stores again, just in time for cooler weather. Nikuman are a kind of steamed Chinese bun with meat inside, which are convenient and delicious when you need to grab something and go, and they’re as popular here as microwaved burritos are in the U.S. Variations on the basic “beef and bread” nikuman include pizzaman (tomato sauce and cheese), anman (Japanese anko sweet beans), and curryman (curry-filled bread)..
I love to eat hot, steaming nikuman when it’s cool outside.
