Won't Miss #475 - deli options

Plenty to choose from, as long as you like your food breaded and deep fried!

The supermarkets in the U.S. are bigger than those in Japan. This, in and of itself, means that the deli sections are bigger than those in Japan (as are the bakeries). The problem I had with Japanese delis though wasn't necessarily the size, but rather the range of food options. If you were going to buy something somebody else made for you, then you were going to either have to eat (less than stellar) sushi, or consume a heaping helping of fat in most cases. The main options were almost always breaded and fried items like pork or chicken cutlets, croquettes, or various types of tempura. The salad options more often than not included a heavy mayonnaise component, especially in potato and pasta salads. While I'm not one to demonize fat as an integral part of ones diet, this was far outside the range of what one should be eating. It was rare to find sandwiches, wraps, or light salads or other types of food. Roast chicken or any sort of meat which wasn't deep fried and breaded was generally absent. When present, it was more expensive than the fattier options.

One of the reasons I was encouraged to cook for myself was that the deli options were so limited in Japan that I couldn't stomach the pre-made food. While that was a good thing on the whole, I still wish that I could have occasionally picked up some food when I was tired and didn't feel like cooking. I very much do not miss the Japanese deli food. 

Will Miss # 130 - supermarket trash bin contents

The vast majority of cultural differences aren't reflected in the broad and obvious, but rather in the small and less noticeable. One of the things which is a fascinating reflection of cultural differences and priorities are the trash bins in markets. In the picture above, taken at Peacock supermarket, you can see two Special K cereal boxes. Out of context, they may appear to be expired food, but that is not what they are. Someone bought the cereal and at the packing table, they opened it up, took the cereal in the inner wrapping and tossed away the boxes so they wouldn't have to throw them out at home. Similarly, you see dirty (bloody, juice-stained) Styrofoam trays in the bins because people take chicken and other meat out of their packing while still in the market and throw the raw meat into the plastic baggies at the packing tables. This priority on reducing the packing one takes home over sanitary concerns (exposing their raw meat to the relatively unsanitary conditions in the market) is a cultural difference that fascinates me.

I'll miss seeing what is in those supermarket trash bins and learning a little bit about the culture as a result of it.