Those are not large toothpicks, Billy-Ray Joe-Bob.

When I was very young my aunt used to call me Helen Keller because I would eat with my hands, like I was raised by wolves. Thank goodness my family nipped that behavior in the bud because nothing can ruin a good meal like bad table manners. (Yeah I'm looking at you people who chew with their mouths open and smack their lips.)

     Here in Japan having good table manners includes learning how to properly use hashi (chopsticks). If you haven't mastered it before you get here don't worry too much as it will be pointed out to you occasionally. While you can find the usual forks, spoons, and knives here to help you eat more comfortably, there is just something cool about eating with chopsticks. Plus once you get the hang of them you realize just how convenient they really are. 

     Although they don't mean to insult you, often at convenient restaurants they may ask if you would like a spoon or a fork. Don't worry they really don't mean to impugn you, they just want you to be comfortable. For those of us with the chops to use chopsticks punny it can hurt our feelers though. So by the time I hoist my hashi out of the hopper I'm ready to astound them with my skills. Okay, maybe not so much skill, per say, but at least decent ability. 

     While here I have noticed some of my gaijin comrades doing some major chopstick no-no's that make me blanch when I see them. So please take not of these words of advice if you plan on using chopsticks here:

     *Please do NOT rub the chopsticks together when you break them apart to sand down the sides. It implies that you think their chopsticks are of low quality and can insult the hosts.

     *Please do NOT pick your teeth with the chopsticks or bite the ends of them.

     *Please do NOT put them in your hair. If you wouldn't do it with a spoon or fork, don't do it with hashi.

     *Please do NOT place them on the top of your bowl. Rather, if a chopstick post is given rest them on it, dirty parts in the air. If not, fold the paper they cam in and use it as a rest.

Okay, now you are ready so lets get to eating with them! 

Italy... by way of Tokyo? You don't say.

And on that note, lets keep the food bolus moving!

Food culture in Japan is like no other place. Chef, cooks, and food servers here take great pride in their work to make sure food is not only flavorful & delicious and well portioned, hello waistline but also beautifully prepared or plated. Whether you are buying food from an outdoor food cart at a matsuri (festival), stopping into a standing ramen shop, or purchasing a quick bite at the nearest conbini (convenience store) you can be sure that your food will be good and look 'good enough to eat', pardon the pun. (Sorry, not sorry.)

     So, you may ask yourself what does that have to do with my mention of Italy in the title? Well, i took those pictures of some delicious Italian food on Christmas Evening while dining at my firends' home, the Kikuchi family. Mr. Kikuchi had arranged for Chef Ochiai (of La Bettola di Ochiai fame) to prepare an amazing dinner for us. Now everyone who really knows me knows how much I love Italian food. In the words of Shakira, my hips don't lie. Especially when it comes to carbs like pasta. I can say with all honesty that yet again what I ate in the company of the Kikuchi family was the best Italian food I have ever enjoyed. Ever. And I have eaten a lot. Because we were able to have the dinner in the lovely Kikuchi home I got to help plate things for us so they were probably more quaint looking than the food would be in the restaurant due to my untrained hand's un-platewortiness. But none the less it was another culinary trip to heaven. Who would have though I would taste the excellent perfection of Italian food in Japan?