By adding grated Taro into the base, it becomes soft and sticky texture, like real Japanese Okonomi-yaki. It's an idea instead of using "Yama-imo" which is not available to purchase here. (Sorry, forgot to take photos...)
This is that I wanted to eat most!! I thoroughly enjoyed the fragrance of the burdock, the texture of the taro, juicy taste of the fried tofu, all tastes.
************************************************************************************************** Day-4 : Deep fried Taro
I had simple deep frying, as I wanted to taste a characteristic of the Taro simply. Just fried hot one with delicious sea-salt...great snack of the beer! And another is... top with "Tama-miso" (egg-yolk-miso), which goes well with warmed sake.
One of Japanese national holiday "Shunbun-no-hi" ( = the spring day), which is known as Vernal Equinox Day. The day time and the night time are equal in a day in Japan. It's today, 21st March this year. (It's changed by the year, 20th March for some years.)
"Higan", or more commonly "O-higan" is a day linked to Buddhism, and refers to a week around "Shunbun-no-hi" (Vernal Equinox Day) or "Shubun-no-hi" (Autumnal Equinox Day). So "O-higan" comes twice a year. "Higan" literally means other shore in Japanese. During this period, people often visit their family graves/cemeteries, offer flowers and some food called "Bota-mochi" or "Ohagi", and pay respect to their ancestors.
I think I can say this O-higan of March as "Autumnal Equinox Day" here in South, as it's autumn. In association to the day, I cooked the traditional sweets "Ohagi" (rice cake covered with sweet azuki beans paste)" of my favorite. And some fusional ones, too.
One of the boys cought a big trout and brought here, so I cooked it for sharing the taste. We enjoyed the grill of the fish filled with celery leaves and garlic, then drizzled with herb oil.
ご家族で2週間のNZホリデーを満喫されて、香港に戻られたとのことでした。 They are now back to Hongkong after great holiday of 2 weeks.
I got a present from them which was a Chinese liqueur called "Shao-xing jiu". The memory of the Shao-xing taste, when I visited Taiwan 20 years ago, flashed across my head. We drunk it up with a shout of "Kampei" (Cheers) at a stretch one-to-one. Repeated many times changing the partner.
But, I would like to taste this precious one dearly and leisurely, this time. Also to enjoy with Chinese food. The menu I cooked was... Pork belly and boiled eggs, stewed in "Oolong tea" and "Shao-xing"