Anime and Japanese Food

[Allegro]

This is a little out of the blue, but has watching anime made you start eating certain Japanese foods? For some reason, I became a little bit more open in wanting to eat things like Sushi, noodles and other delicacies, directly from watching anime. Somehow I think learning about the foods through anime contributed towards my liking of Japanese foods, though it could also be the cultural influence.

I don't really know for sure, but I think there is some kind of connection between the two.

[Debitt]

The only Japanese snack that I discovered through my anime fandom was Pocky. I'm Japanese, so I was already aware of most everything else before I was aware of anime.

I know that a lot of my friends picked up eating Japanese food because of anime, though. I sent one of them a huge box of Japanese snacks for Christmas once. x3

[Radical Dreamer]

I'm not really sure if watching anime has encouraged me to eat Japanese food (since I alreadly love it anyways ), but it has taught me a little bit about it. For instance, I went to a restaurant once and ordered miso salmon. I knew what miso was from watching anime. However, watching it does make me hungry.

[Kry]

haha, I think i can honestly say that I started really loving japanese food because of anime too. Learning about it then trying it, and I love it! I even like sushi! \o.o/

[Tenshi no Ai]

Well bentos always look soooo good on anime, and I've ALWAYS wanted to try those little hot dogs shaped as little happy octopi^^ I realize it's probably no different than any other hot dogs, but how many look that CUTE?? '
...also after watching the Kero short on the CCS movie 2, takoyaki looks appealing^^

Only got into Pocky because of Japanese exchange students in my Nihongo class^^

[Arnobius]

I've gotten to try and like Taiyaki after seeing it in anime, and have tried Beefbowl (gyuudon) after seeing it as the popular item in Urusei Yatsura. (Not so famous here... I'm told it's really considered a "laborer class" meal in Japan

[TrigunX89]

Pocky is the only thing that comes to mind. I also tend to eat a lot more noodles when I have been watching anime and other Japanese programs.

[ClosetOtaku]

Thank you, AnimeHeretic. I was about to say I'd never eaten anything in response to an anime when you mentioned taiyaki.

I saw taiyaki for the first time on Kanon, and knew I had to try it. So, on a cold November night (according to Kanon, it's best when it is a cold night), I got some taiyaki from a vendor in Shibuya and... well, can't say it was a transcendental experience, but it was OK.

Otherwise, no, although I've always wanted to try "beef hot pot" after seeing it on Kenshin (about the only thing that inspired me about that anime...).

[Allegro]

Hmm, it wouldn't surprise me that many of us have found Pocky through anime. It's true that most otaku love this stuff, especially when you consider that you can buy Pocky in bookstores such as Borders.

[Bobtheduck]

I'm gonna make a video about pocky... Oh, my delicious snack...

Yeah, the only food that I got into because of anime is pocky...

Bento has NEVER looked appetizing to me... I'm just not a vegetable guy...

[Ashley]

Oddly enough, it has. At first I sort of scorned those otaku who, through their love of anime, became total Japan-freaks so to speak. You know, the kind that want to learn Japanese and eat Japanese food, etc. etc. (btw I HATED Japanese food) But given a few years, God's really started to grow an interest in the Japanese culture through anime and the like, and now I'm deeply interested in ministering there (and I'm starting to enjoy the food more!)

[Stephen]

Pocky is over-rated. Stale pretzels covered in yogurt hardly lived up the near "food of the Gods" hype it has behind it. >.<

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Pocky is totally overrated man it's no different then a keebler. At otakon, I overheard this guy talking about his "Pocky Addiction", and man he sounded quite dumb. I mean, it's not like asian people in asia go "OH EM GEEZ MUST HAVE POCKY!" Nah. It's not that big of a deal over there. It's just a little snack that kids eat. I think a lot of people go crazy over pocky simply because it's asian.

For me? Give me a melon gummy any time =D Or a melon flavored stick of gum.

[Kawaiikneko]

I like pocky, but its not like its the most amazing candy ever, especially from my Americanized sugar-loving tastsbuds' point of view. It is pretty good though. On forums and such its more of an icon I think. Like when somebody does something good you're like "sweet! *showers you with pocky*" or something.

as for trying Japanese food through anime... well I'd like to try a few things, but I'm not a big veggies fan. Neither is anyone else in my family so real Japanese meals probably wouldn't be our cup of tea (so to speak)

The Japanese resturants where they cook your food at your tables are pretty good though XD they don't really count I think.

[Bobtheduck]

Pocky is over-rated. Stale pretzels covered in yogurt hardly lived up the near "food of the Gods" hype it has behind it. >.<

1. It's not stale. Pocky is soft and somewhat moist.
2. It's not a pretzel (different texture alltogether) not even close.
3. What's amazing is how much snack you get for so few calories... Pocky is a good snack for dieters, as a bag has, I believe, 100 calories in it? I'm not exactly sure, but it's not much.

Also, my non-otaku friends have all said they liked it. Even an anti-otaku friend likes it.

[Ai-chan]

Please Teacher! has made me wanna try Pocky. But I never have been able to. I don't know where to find it *sob*

[Ashley]

Suncoast, Waldenbooks, comic stores...pretty much anywhere you get manga or anime dvds would be likely to carry some (although it might be a little...aged by then =S )

[Stephen]

*laughs* The pocky I had, was covered in like a strawberry yogurt looking stuff...and it was very tasteless. I see why its good for dieters. So is water.

[Puguni]

Pocky is totally overrated man it's no different then a keebler. At otakon, I overheard this guy talking about his "Pocky Addiction", and man he sounded quite dumb. I mean, it's not like asian people in asia go "OH EM GEEZ MUST HAVE POCKY!" Nah. It's not that big of a deal over there. It's just a little snack that kids eat. I think a lot of people go crazy over pocky simply because it's asian.

For me? Give me a melon gummy any time =D Or a melon flavored stick of gum.

Pocky is good, but not that good. It's not like...ambrosia and nectar. XD I haven't really been inspired to eat anything because of anime, but I'm now a lot more aware of what I eat. I didn't know non-indian curry, udon, and odeng was Japanese, and I've been eating those all my poor Korean life. XD

[Lynx]

well just like a lot of you... i discovered a love for pocky through anime!

[Allegro]

Pocky isn't so bad. Though I prefer the snack where you actually dip the cracker-sticks into the filling (I think they're called Yin-Yin or something...).

Suncoast, Waldenbooks, comic stores...pretty much anywhere you get manga or anime dvds would be likely to carry some (although it might be a little...aged by then =S )

And don't forget the foreign goods section in your local grocery store.

I am actually surprised Pocky is easily accessible in video and bookstores. Now even those those "drink pouches" are becoming popular enough to be sold as impulse items in Suncoast.

[rii namuras]

(I was introduced to things because of anime, but I would have tried them if I had seen them regardless of whether I was into anime or not. Like pocky. I tried to find pocky because I wanted to try it because of anime, but I would have eaten/tried it if I had just seen it.)

(I still don't eat anything remotely like soup (which tends to make me queasy), including ramen. I don't care if it's Japanese, it's still soup.)

[Kaligraphic]

I suppose I tried Ramune because I kept hearing anime fans talk about it being so good. I don't think it really lived up the hype.

More of my familiarity with Japanese stuff has, I think, come from having a close friend who is half Japanese. That and the fact that I work in an area with a lot of Japanese people around.

[Arnobius]

[quote="Allegro"]Pocky isn't so bad. Though I prefer the snack where you actually dip the cracker-sticks into the filling (I think they're called Yin-Yin or something...).
And don't forget the foreign goods section in your local grocery store. ]
But we've had drink pouches since the early 80's... Capri Sun for example. Or is this an example of a term changing meaning?

[Allegro]

But we've had drink pouches since the early 80's... Capri Sun for example. Or is this an example of a term changing meaning?

True. I was referring to a Japanese brand drink, one with a pouch (but not with a straw). Sadly I can't remember off-hand the name of the drink.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Suncoast, Waldenbooks, comic stores...pretty much anywhere you get manga or anime dvds would be likely to carry some (although it might be a little...aged by then =S )

But it's SOOOO DARN EXPENSIVE!

If you got asian stores near you, try "Lotte" or "Hanarum". They are big chain korean stores that sell "Pepero" which is essentially the same thing as Pocky. Heck they might even sell Pocky. my local lotte sells vast quantities of like kasugai gummis and other stuff. Plus they are a LOT cheaper

Just never ever ever ever buy pocky at an an anime convention. They prices are so bad, my inner asian fury goes berserk, thus lowering the prices of everything.

Actually I just start complaining about the price. At otakon, a small box was SIX DOLLARS! You can buy like 4 times the amount with six dollars at some korean grocer... and this was in baltimore too! Home of the... big... korean foodchain things.

The pocky craze here is crazy man. Maybe it doesn't effect me.. I dunno, my first experience with such things were when I was like 3 or something. I guess it's something I grew up with, so its nothing special.

I'm now a lot more aware of what I eat. I didn't know non-indian curry, udon, and odeng was Japanese, and I've been eating those all my poor Korean life. XD

all my life I thought ramen was a korean dish. How silly of me. I realized it was japanese a few years ago though.

Two words:

Saataa Andagii.

Azumanga Daioh reference eh? Suuure let's all go to okinawa!

Pocky isn't so bad. Though I prefer the snack where you actually dip the cracker-sticks into the filling (I think they're called Yin-Yin or something...).

They are called Yan-Yans, and they are a deceiving product! You'd expect the icing to be filled up all the way! But it stops half-way down! That's half the amount of icing you'd expect!

I took a picture of it, but i deleted it earlier. So I can't find it

Edit: here you go
Also comes in strawberry and vanilla! The vanilla has chocolate sticks!

[Yahshua]

OH LORD ASHLEY THE WORD HATED IS A BIT STRONG EVEN FOR YOU. However for me as an Asian and grew up in Taiwan which was an former Japanese colony so some of the Japanese food is already within the Taiwanese culture so for me it is not because of anime.

[Bobtheduck]

*laughs* The pocky I had, was covered in like a strawberry yogurt looking stuff...and it was very tasteless. I see why its good for dieters. So is water.

THAT'S why... Strawberry pocky is narsty... Try some chocolate pocky. I have three or four levels for food... Food I hate... Food I can tolerate. Food I like and Food I really like... Pocky falls into the best category, along with Pizza and Curry... Trust me, I don't like food because other people like it... I only TRIED it because of anime, but it's actually very good... Actually, if you don't like it, that's your thing. It is one of my favorite snacks, though. Just not some of the weirder varieties, such as the sesame and black bean pocky... I'm not even gonna bother with those, but "Man Pocky" sounds good (I love dark chocolate)

I got my pocky from Winco, and it was rather cheap there... Specialty stores are usualy twice as expensive as grocery stores, and winco is almost a wherehouse, so it's even cheaper...

oh, and ramen is good... Usually, Japanese ramen is fixed with all sorts of vegetables... Shoyu ramen was my favorite, though the BASE for miso ramen was good (it just came with weird stuff)

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Strawberry pocky happens to be my favorite type of pocky! It's not narsty! It's delish!

[Kaligraphic]

Just never ever ever ever buy pocky at an an anime convention. They prices are so bad, my inner asian fury goes berserk, thus lowering the prices of everything.

Actually I just start complaining about the price. At otakon, a small box was SIX DOLLARS! You can buy like 4 times the amount with six dollars at some korean grocer... and this was in baltimore too! Home of the... big... korean foodchain things.

$6 for the little box? That is high. At the Nijiya market near where I work, the double-width (i.e. two packs side-by-side of standard chocolate pocky) boxes are $1.49, and they sometimes go on sale for only $.99 - and there's another place close by that sells them for $1.29.


Pretz are pretty good, too.