A quick shower and breakfast and I was off to the Tochinomi cooking school to meet the bus. Looking back, I would have been far better off skipping breakfast. We were fed a slew of snacks on the bus for the first hour of the ride. First, we had boiled sweet potatoes. The potato was white on the inside with a brilliant purple skin. It was sweet, but not as sugary as the orange ones I’m used to. Then, we had large chunks of fresh, pickled ginger – very strong and very refreshing. Next, came a large rice cracker that was simultaneously sweet and spicy. Finally, there were some little manju. These tiny buns had a sweet and earthy taste and were filled with bean paste.
Our first stop was at a grocery store in Karuizawa. I went for the omiyagi – small wrapped sweets to give to my coworkers as gifts. Omiyagi is important for two reasons: 1) the staff and teachers at the school helped me to arrange Sunday’s adventure, and 2) it is tradition. The rest of the cooking gang dived into mounds of cooking sauces and biscuits that were described as regional specialties. It was an absolute mob scene I have only seen replicated around the dessert tray at the Ota City Hall buffet. Women emerged from the grocery store with boxes full of food and filled the luggage compartment of the bus. I was content with a single package of biscuits.
Next, was the culinary highlight of the trip, an Italian lunch at the Prince Hotel. The dinning room itself was stunning, an effect amplified by the building’s design. In order to ender the large room, you must first walk through a dimly lit, carpeted tunnel. It was as if you went from sensory depravation to overload. The hall was filled with natural light and graced by a panoramic view of the mountains, a lovely compliment to our 3800 yen meal.
The teacher had ordered two different meals for us. Each person received one or the other and we paired up to share and sample the different flavours. Some highlights: thinly sliced and lightly cooked octopus with a sweet, pink marinade and a touch of mandarin and yellow tomato; a delicate broth filled with clams, little pieces of broccoli and sprinkle of couscous; ricotta stuffed ravioli in a rich butter and cream sauce with a dash of tomato and sage; thinly sliced beef in balsamic vinegar topped with a persimmon relish.
After lunch, there was a museum stop. We visited an old, traditional style Japanese house and historical site. The three-story house was oddly filled with modern furnishings. I have to admit, that I didn’t get it. The other people in the group, however, seemed highly impressed.
Next, we climbed back on the bus and headed to Ginza dori, a famous and very touristy shopping street. Again, lots of food related opportunities here. Caitlin and I sampled oodles of local jams and pickles. Yes, we basically grazed along the strip.
The town felt strangely European. There were German sausage shops, Italian restaurants, and artwork with various Christian motifs.
Dinner was a brief, and somewhat confusing, stop at a famous takeout spot. Clay pots were filled with rice and baked with shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, apricot, daikon radish and burdock. There were pickles on the side. The meal was wolfed down in record time before it was again time to board the bus and head home, bellies full.
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