It's our fourth Christmas here in Japan, and as each year passes I crave just a little more of the smells and tastes of home. Year one was a total write-off, with M (and therefor me) spending her very first Christmas in hospital with pneumonia. Year two, I attempted to make do with what I could buy in my local supermarket to make my own mincemeat and Christmas cake, unaware that the dried fruit was tropical papaya and mango rather than the traditional blend that I was familiar with. By year three, I was willing to pay the inflated prices of a single jar of Robertson's mincemeat and a mini-box of Quality Street from my local import shop (pretty much the only British items they had in stock!). And this year...
I am one happy Brit! And look what else will be in my super parcel...
Now you may mock, but after an extended absence you really do develop very strong cravings for such basics, and they simply cannot be found for love nor money on Shikoku (as far as I am aware). Oh thank you, Foreign Buyer's Club! Now if I could only talk them into stocking Marmite...
yum yum! it is the basics isn`t it. I did hear that Jupiters in Tokushima city (and now kaldi coffee in Yume town) stock loads so looks like Shikoku is improving a bit. So much easier getting it delivered to your door yes? :)
ReplyDeleteI have a vague memory from childhood of trying mince meat once and not liking it. But then I read your post and got the courage to bake mince meat tarts for the first time in my life. My husband found a jar of mince meat filling at the Sapporo Jupiter store thinking it was jam, so I confiscated it for the tarts. I made bite-sized mini tarts last night for my daughter who is visiting us from Nagoya, and they were a big hit. I think the mini size was just right for us. And I dabbed each tart with whipped cream, which mellowed the flavor. Anyway, I have you to thank for this discovery. oxox
ReplyDeleteDebbie, so glad you have something new to enjoy at Christmas time! That's exactly how I make my mince pies... mini, with no lid, and a dollop of (brandy) cream! Happy Christmas! xxx
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