We’ll by no means have fun Cat Day and Oden Day some other means once more.
February 22 in Japan is understood for 2 obscure holidays: Cat Day and Oden Day. “Two” in Japanese could be pronounced two other ways: “ni” and “fu”. With a stretch of creativeness, February 22’s “two-two-two” can turn out to be “nyan-nyan-nyan”–the sound a cat makes–or “fu-fu-fu”–the sound of blowing air on scorching oden. And lastly, we’ve discovered a technique to have fun each obscure holidays directly.
Our Japanese-language reporter Udonko ordered the Odendanyan Cat Oden Kit made by a well-liked oden filling maker in Aichi Prefecture, Yamasa Chikuwa.
▼ Here’s the corporate brand.
Udonko noticed this on on-line market web site Rakuten and snatched it up for 2,970 yen (US$19.74). Upon lifting the ultra-cute bundle, Udonko was stunned by how heavy it was. Her anticipation of its contents rose.
The very first thing she pulled out have been cat paw-shaped hanpen fish truffles–or “nyanpen”, as this equipment calls them. These are delicate and fluffy additions to oden that may take in the entire scrumptious broth in a scorching oden stew.
The subsequent factor she unboxed was much more nyanpen, this time being cat head-shaped.
And after that? Even extra nyanpen! Of course the striped tails are essential in a cat hotpot.
After that? You guessed it–extra hanpen. These ones, nevertheless, have been flower-shaped.
Don’t fear, the equipment wasn’t solely fish truffles. There was additionally tounyuu-age, a soymilk-based cake that has a fluffy texture much like hanpen.
Other equipment inclusions have been konjac, fried dough balls, and chikuwa fish truffles. The packaged liquid was the broth.
▼ All in all, this was shaping as much as be a massively filling oden stew.
▼ Just lining up the entire hanpen was fulfilling sufficient for Udonko.
As far as meals prep, the naked minimal you could do is reduce the konjac into bite-sized items. Besides that, every part is prepared! You can, after all, add extra elements if you want. Udonko determined to stay with what the equipment needed to supply.
Into the pot the cat elements, elements, and broth went! Udonko stared on the stew in surprise. No matter what angle she took an image from…
▼ …they have been all…
▼ …completely lovable!
Udonko was so misplaced in taking pictures that she almost forgot to eat the oden. She took her first chew of cat head hanpen, and…
…it was scrumptious! She wasn’t all that stunned as Yamasa Chikuwa focuses on these fish-based elements.
Each hanpen was pretty sizable, so it was simple to refill on only one or two.
Udonko’s solely lament was that it was almost too cute to eat. The texture of the cat paw hanpen specifically was so life-like that she needed to remind herself it was solely fish truffles.
When she couldn’t deal with any extra cat hanpen, she was capable of steadiness it out with the opposite elements.
In conclusion, the Odendanyan Cat Oden Kit will get 5 paws out of 5 for Udonko! It’s an amazing winter dish, but it surely’s particularly excellent for February 22. These kits may turn out to be much more widespread as our beloved comfort retailer oden stations proceed to dwindle, so this shall be on our want listing for subsequent 12 months as effectively!
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to listen to about SoraNews24’s latest articles as quickly as they’re revealed? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]
