Gelatinous Eyeball Goodness!
What do you spend the most time thinking about?
Friends? Family? Love? Travel? Blogging?
The deeper spiritual meaning of life?
All of those are important of course, but I'm confident that food, glorious food, - and Kirin Nuda Life Sparkling - spends the most time in my mind...
Think about it, you wake up in the morning and what do you think about? - What's for breakfast? What's in the fridge that I can quickly prepare? Do I have enough time to eat and get ready for work? Okay, just a coffee then, and I'll grab something on the way...
The rest of the day you focus on snacks, drinks, lunch, and what on earth are we going to eat for dinner tonight?! Maybe we should just go out for sushi? Should we bother about dessert? (Note: obviously that last question was meant in jest - the answer is always yes!)
... Quiet In The Stacks gently interrupts to ask "When are you going to get to the eyeballs???"
Step 1:
Remove your freshly chilled packet of warabimochi (gelatinous eyeballs) from the fridge. Open the packet and spend some time admiring how they glisten in the light. Check to ensure that you have your packets of kinako powder and black sugar syrup ready. Triple check that your green plastic spear is present and accounted for.
Step 2:
Tear open your packet of kinako powder and artistically but delicately sprinkle over your eyeballs - the ones in the dish! Or alternatively drench every single eyeball with a thick coating of kinako powder as illustrated below.
Step 3:
Generously pour the rich black sugar syrup over the eyeballs, ensuring that every individual eyeball receives the same lingering kiss of syrup. Take your trusty green plastic spear and gently separate the eyeballs from their sticky embrace.
Step 4:
Insert your trusty green plastic spear into the centre of an eyeball and pull gently from the sticky mass of sugary, gloopy goodness. Ponder the wonders of rice, sugar and soybean flour and gently pop the quivering eyeball into your expectant mouth!
Step 5:
Repeat Step 4 until the eyeballs are all gone...
(All photos were taken by me - at great personal inconvenience - before consuming the said eyeballs!)
Friends? Family? Love? Travel? Blogging?
The deeper spiritual meaning of life?
All of those are important of course, but I'm confident that food, glorious food, - and Kirin Nuda Life Sparkling - spends the most time in my mind...
Think about it, you wake up in the morning and what do you think about? - What's for breakfast? What's in the fridge that I can quickly prepare? Do I have enough time to eat and get ready for work? Okay, just a coffee then, and I'll grab something on the way...
The rest of the day you focus on snacks, drinks, lunch, and what on earth are we going to eat for dinner tonight?! Maybe we should just go out for sushi? Should we bother about dessert? (Note: obviously that last question was meant in jest - the answer is always yes!)
... Quiet In The Stacks gently interrupts to ask "When are you going to get to the eyeballs???"
Step 1:
Remove your freshly chilled packet of warabimochi (gelatinous eyeballs) from the fridge. Open the packet and spend some time admiring how they glisten in the light. Check to ensure that you have your packets of kinako powder and black sugar syrup ready. Triple check that your green plastic spear is present and accounted for.
Step 2:
Tear open your packet of kinako powder and artistically but delicately sprinkle over your eyeballs - the ones in the dish! Or alternatively drench every single eyeball with a thick coating of kinako powder as illustrated below.
Step 3:
Generously pour the rich black sugar syrup over the eyeballs, ensuring that every individual eyeball receives the same lingering kiss of syrup. Take your trusty green plastic spear and gently separate the eyeballs from their sticky embrace.
Step 4:
Insert your trusty green plastic spear into the centre of an eyeball and pull gently from the sticky mass of sugary, gloopy goodness. Ponder the wonders of rice, sugar and soybean flour and gently pop the quivering eyeball into your expectant mouth!
Step 5:
Repeat Step 4 until the eyeballs are all gone...
(All photos were taken by me - at great personal inconvenience - before consuming the said eyeballs!)
posted by verniciousknids @ 3:58 pm
37 Comments:
At 4:35 pm,
OldLady Of The Hills said…
I don't think so, but thank you anyway!
Here from Michele's tonight. And Happy to Meet & Greet you!
At 4:44 pm,
verniciousknids said…
Welcome OOLOTH...they don't actually taste like eyeballs...maybe?!
At 6:28 pm,
Jean-Luc Picard said…
How yukky!
Michele sent me here.
At 6:36 pm,
verniciousknids said…
J-LP, as someone who travels the universe, I'm surprised you don't like these :D
At 7:30 pm,
Bearette said…
Wow...that was something. They are not real eyeballs, right? I got the bit about soy and so forth, but I need reassurance ;)
At 7:39 pm,
verniciousknids said…
LOL B, no they are not real eyeballs!
At 8:04 pm,
My float said…
what the...oh, thank goodness they're not real eyeballs! i was gagging! not a good look on a sunday night!
At 8:08 pm,
Panthergirl said…
ewwwwwwwww! I'm a very texture-sensitive eater, so I know I couldn't eat those!!!
Here via michele... a little too early in the morning, maybe!
At 8:20 pm,
utenzi said…
Michele sent me!
I'd have loved those when I was a kid. Kids just seem to love anything that seems gross to adults. LOL But now that I'm an adult (loosely defined, I assure you) they seem a little...gross! If only you hadn't labeled them as eyes!
At 8:32 pm,
verniciousknids said…
Hmm, I thought my fellow bloggers would have stronger stomachs!
Actually they don't really have any taste - the soybean flour and black sugar syrup provide the taste, the balls feel like jelly (jello) in your mouth.
At 8:53 pm,
Anonymous said…
Well, very interesting, but I know that the texture would stop me. Gelatinous just doesn't do it for me! I have to say that they do look good, all gooey and sticky and sweet but........
I am here via Michele!
Have a great day.
At 10:06 pm,
verniciousknids said…
Welcome Shelagh...I'm surprised at how many people don't like gelatinous textures!
At 10:11 pm,
Lou said…
At the beginning of your entry I thought to myself, "Maybe I'm getting too old. Not sure if I could stomach eyeballs." Then I read on and realized that they were like candy and thought to myself, "Yeah, I could stomach those... In a heartbeat!"
They just look a little weird, but then I'm sure that is what some other cultures think of our 'American hot dogs.'
At 10:13 pm,
Anonymous said…
Oh gross. I don't know if I could do that one.
Michele sent me this morning. Cute post!
At 10:47 pm,
carmilevy said…
I wish I could be more adventurous in the kitchen. As it is, I'll stick to oatmeal.
But entries like this give me hope...so thanks!
Dropped by from Michele's. Glad I did, as your blog is an absolute hoot. I'll be back.
At 10:54 pm,
verniciousknids said…
Excellent point Lou, so much of what we consider to be "normal" is considered "abnormal" by others - and I'm glad you stuck it out :D
Welcome Deana...enjoy your stay!
Hi Carmi, glad you enjoyed yourself...and I didn't actually make these eyeballs - just sprinkled the toppings artfully...and I love oatmeal ;)
At 11:12 pm,
keda said…
yummy!! ooh i want some. the lets(girls) would love 'em!
great post and nice blog, pleased to have met you :)
At 11:27 pm,
verniciousknids said…
Keda, you've given me hope that I'm not the only eyeball-swilling person out there :D
And thanks for your kind words!
At 12:30 am,
Star said…
Yes but how did they taste? I have been to Japan twice, both rimes I enjoyed myself immensely. The local food was sometimes a bit overwhelming. I did not develop an affinity for sticky rice balls on a stick sold at rest stops, and I totally passed on fish on a stick at a festival. Michele sent me.
At 12:36 am,
verniciousknids said…
Welcome Star...they taste yummy - one of my favourite summer snacks! And I can't believe you don't like dango (the sticky rice balls on sticks you describe) or the grilled fish!
At 1:55 am,
www.stepherz.com said…
Oh, I wish I could look at those and think they look edible. But I think they look scary! I was just bragging the other day at work about how I never met a food I didn't like and have at least tried everything weird presented to me-- alligator, rattlesnake, ox, rocky mtn oysters (Bull balls!). But, I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to try those. But, they are kind of pretty in the bottom picture-- glittery, glistening gold.
At 3:42 am,
kimmyk said…
Uh I can't seem to wrap my head around eating this probably because you called them "eyeballs". But, I have been known to try things once...and if held captive and tied to a stake with a bright white light on me and they forced me to try it- I would try this. ONCE. Then they would have to kill me.
Michele sent me.
At 3:45 am,
ribbiticus said…
your title is quite a mouthful! the eyeballs sound interesting, though. i love your posts. hope you don't mind my lurking around for a while. hope it's ok too that i added you to my blogroll just so i can come back whenever i want...;)
michele says hi btw!
At 4:01 am,
Anonymous said…
See, here's the part about the Asian markets in New York City and the one I visit in Baltimore that gets to me. There are a lot of things that look just fascinating but I need a guide to tell me what I'm supposed to do with them. And, of course, the packaging isn't much help since I'm strictly a Roman Alphabet-kind of guy.
I'd be much more adventuresome if someone came with me and said, "Oh, that's ----- and you're supposed to ---- it with this and that," etc.
Here from Michele's.
At 4:20 am,
Caro said…
Wow - You got many comments on this post.
I'm glad they're not real eyeballs. They would be a great treat out here on Halloween.
OT, I linked you quite a few months ago. I love your blog and wouldn't have taken that long to link you. :P
At 9:00 am,
Elsa said…
I totally agree with you VK on the "what do you think most about". It's funny how much time we spend thinking about it...as if we won't be eating again for days.
Anyhow, those "eyeballs" are....mmmmm....quite interesting to say the least! I would certainly try them if given the opportunity - although they don't quite call out to me :-)
At 10:00 pm,
GG said…
hi vk, thanks for clearing that up for me. i've seen the eyeballs around in various stores and i have been absolutely mystified as to what they are. i've been quite adventurous with food since i've been here, especially as an ex-vegetarian, but have not found the courage to pop one of the slippery suckers into my mouth. i still don't really fancy it, but the now mystery is solved!
At 1:20 am,
verniciousknids said…
Steph, I can't believe you'll eat bulls balls but balk at trying gelatinous eyeballs...that aren't even really eyeballs!
Welcome Kimmyk, Well at least you are brave enough to try them before death!
Yokoso (welcome) Ribbiticus, feel free to lurk as long as you like :D
Welcome Claude, When I first arrived in Japan, I picked random packets from the supermarket shelves...and tried every sample in the shops - no matter how icky it looked - to see what I liked and didn't like! Part of the fun of living in a different country, is moving outside your comfort zone.
Aw shucks Carolyn, now you've made me blush!
("...Elsa, Elsa, eat me....") I think they ARE calling you Elsa!
GG, You're more than welcome! Lucky you are an ex-vego, as it's almost impossible to get vege friendly food here...though these eyeballs contain no animal products, if you'd like to partake ;)
At 1:25 am,
verniciousknids said…
LOL Liz, I think I've freaked out people enough without adding pupils to the mix :D
I'll try to make the next J-food post more palatable to the blogging public!
At 12:12 pm,
Amy said…
This looks like a great Halloween treat!
At 8:12 am,
verniciousknids said…
LOL Amy :D
At 11:25 am,
www.stepherz.com said…
We all probably have eaten bull balls-- in a McDonald's Quarter Pounder! What they don't tell us can't hurt us!
Yummy protein... :-)
At 9:18 pm,
verniciousknids said…
The scary thing is that you are probably correct Steph!
At 2:09 am,
Janet said…
OMG I LOVE these!!! I lived in Japan Dec 92-Aug 95 and oh my YUM!
Sorry my blog wouldn't load for you, I'd love for you to try again!
How long are you in Japan for?
At 3:26 am,
verniciousknids said…
Finally, a kindred spirit Janet :D
I've been here 6 years so far...who knows when it will come to an end?!
I'll try to load up again!
At 11:15 am,
Anonymous said…
Normally I will try anything once.
Not this time.
At 2:30 pm,
Anonymous said…
Hi. You seem to know a lot of Japanese. I was wondering where i should start? Like should i learn how to speak or read first? Thanks.
Post a Comment
<< Home