Last week I jumped at the chance to visit a place that makes fake food models for Japanese restaurants and learn the secrets of making tempura and lettuce!
Making fake lettuce is so much easier than making real lettuce. No need to acquire the superpower to create life, no need to construct a carefully balanced ecosystem to grow it in. All you need is hot water, some time-honored techniques, and a few pots of food-model batter.
Everything starts with pots of colored fake food mix.
To make your own lettuce, you use the green and white mixes.
First float a strip of white on top of the water bath, then ladle on a swath of green. Grab the front edge, and carefully begin to submerge it.
As you pull the sheet under, crinkle it between your thumbs and forefingers. When it’s all lettuce-y, begin crumpling it up from the white end.
When you’ve got it patted into a nice ball, cut it open and see if you’re qualified to move on to tempura!
Making tempura requires a different technique. Start with a paper cup of yellow fake food mix and a couple of basic food cores. Dribble the yellow mix into the hot water from about two feet up, making a wiggly puddle about the right size to wrap your piece of “food” in.
When it’s spread out nicely to the right size, swoosh it into the water with the “food” you’re wrapping and pinch it into shape.
No 5-hour kitchen clean-up! No Measle Effect burns on your forearms! No ungrateful recipients comparing it unfavorably to the ebi ten shop down the block!
What a great day that was! However i put my model in my suit case when returning to the uk and it fell apart!! The tempura was fine tho but everything else crumbled away~
Hi Jonelle – have just discovered your blog and love it! Where did you go to make the fake food I have heard about it but don’t know where to go – Kapppabashi somewhere/ any details would be great.
Thanks for the kind words! It makes me so happy to meet other people who love Japan! As for the plastic food making, yes, it was at a shop in Kappabashi. This time it was all arranged for us by my Japanese school, but the place does seem to be set up to do this kind of thing. If you read Japanese, here is their website:
http://www.ganso-sample.com/shop/kappabashi/experience.html
If you don’t, in the next two weeks I’ll be finding out about the cost, whether there is a minimum/maximum number of people required, whether it’s okay if you don’t speak Japanese, etc. because I want to arrange a session for another group I’m in. As soon as I know more, I’ll post the details here!
Gujo Hachiman to iiu tokoro, kiita koto aru no? De, kono taiken koso, omoshiroii.
Ittakoto nai! Oshiete kudasai! ^_^ Gujo Hachiman de, nani ga
omoshirosou desu ka?
This looks like so much fun. A great date activity.
Keep posting away — I love your blog and look forward to it.
Wow, thank you! (*^_^*) Writing this blog usually feels like shouting into a black hole, and it’s SO nice to hear you say you look forward to reading it! You made my day.
You are quite welcome!! I dont always reply but I do read.
I’ll make more of an effort to reply from now on. ^_^
There are many ears (and eyes) into this big black hole, so keep on “shouting (and writing)
Great posts and pictures! Good job!
Thank you, thank you! I’ve had to cut back a bit because I’m behind on writing my third book (please don’t mention the word deadline AIEEEE!) but I’m trying to keep it up every other day. Hearing that you enjoy it really made me smile! Arigato!