CHONG KUN'S Japanese Class

One of the CHONG KUN’s first batch students took JLPT two days ago for the first time in their lives. Look they are so cute. If you want to make friend with them pls join CHONG KUN'S Japanese Class.

CHONG KUN was busy recently, that's why CHONG KUN now just uploads the photo he took two weeks ago. This is the first Autumn trip of CHONG KUN and he said he was happy hanging out with his friends.

You might find it unpleasant, but from my point of view, instead of Sushi or Tempura, Natto is the most special dish out of all to represent Japanese cuisine. Other than that, Natto is also the favourite food of CHONG KUN in Japan, if let CHONG KUN pick only one type of food to eat with rice for the rest of his life, Natto must be the choice. It is so unique that as a Malaysian who already get used to tons of varieties of food from his own country, CHONG KUN is still unable to name a food that tastes similarly to Natto. At least stinky tofu smell like dog s**t, and CHONG KUN can only say Natto taste like Natto. Other than its flavour, what makes CHONG KUN so fond of it is because of its texture like flu. We enjoy seeing the bubbles and flu-like liquid sticking between the beans and we try to tarik it for fun sometimes. If you are crazy enough like some of the Japanese, you can even mix it with ladyfinger, making it more look like and feel like flu.
　　So, what kind of cursed food is this actually? Basically Natto is just normal fermented soybeans. A lot of people cannot accept this cursed food because first it looks ugly, and second the super strong smell that you have never tried before. Human tends to be cautious when facing something unfamiliar, that's why your brain automatically recognised this cursed food as some rotten trash. But trust me, give Natto a few times of chances you will find yourself was so wrong to hate it. Scientifically Natto is also a very healthy food because after fermentation, Natto contains large amount of Vitamins B, K2 and good for blood circulation too. Without looking the scientific part, you should also trust Japanese's choice of food as they are the people with longest life expectancy.

日本食と言えば、どんな物を思い浮かべますか。お寿司や天婦羅やかつ丼などと言う人が多いかもしれませんが、日本食の中で一番特別な料理は納豆だと私は考えます。今回は日本文化として不可欠な物、納豆の歴史についてシェアしたいと思います。
　　弥生時代の住居に敷き詰められていた藁の菌と煮豆が偶々に発酵し、偶然に糸引き納豆ができたという説もあるし、平安時代に中国へ留学しに行った仏教僧が塩辛納豆を持ち帰って広がったという説もあるし、糸引き納豆の起源は諸説紛々としています。いずれにしても、江戸時代になったら、糸引き納豆はもう江戸の大人気になってきたのです。しかし、納豆を好んで食べる人は主に関東以北集中し、全国まで普及する至りませんでした。普及し始めたのは軍用食とする第二次世界大戦と食料不足で蛋白源とする戦後と言われています。そして60年代の冷蔵輸送技術の発展により、全国的に見えるようになってしまうのです。

かみふらの和牛です。かみふらの(上富良野)は北海道の中部にあり、有名な牧場として知られています。今日チョンくんがバイトしているスーパーがセールで4割引して大変安く売っているので、働いてから2年間やっと買ってみました。

世界で和牛が一番おいしいという理由はサシが付いているからと考えられています。サシとはお肉の間にある脂肪ということです。肉の表面に霜が降る模様に見えるため、霜降り肉という美しい呼び方もあります。普通の牛ならサシがなくて、赤みと脂肪がきっちりと分かれていますが、それに対して和牛は赤身と脂肪が交雑していることによって、お肉が柔らかくなるし、噛みやすくなるし、こだわりの食感になります。

Chong Kun’s part time supermarket is having sale for Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef is so expensive and atas because it is marbled. Marbled means the existence of intramuscular fat in the meat. Translate to human language means unlike the normal beef which you can separate completely the fats from the meat, the fats and meat of Wagyu are usually mixed together. This forms Wagyu the unique and beautiful texture, making the meat more juicy and softer. In Japanese they call this texture “Sashi(サシ)” or “Shimofuri(霜降り)” which literally means “Pouring Frost” due to the appearance of white colour fats.

Chong Kun go back to Hokkaido already.
Chong Kun is sad.
Please make friend with Chong Kun to cheer him up.