Express Your Love! Omu-rice!

Omu-rice is a recurring food that always seems to pop up in anime, particularly at times when feelings of love are in the air. Perhaps this is because it is typical to have a message or a person’s name written in ketchup across the top of the egg, which is perfect for round-about confessions of love. And, besides… the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right?

The pictures in this post are from Hanasaku Iroha, episode 20, where Ohana, Minchi, and their classmates decide to run a cafe for their school’s cultural festival. A conflict arises when Minchi, determined to make a menu to impress her crush, Tohru, clashes with a classmate who wants to make omu-rice in order to confess to the boy she likes. Minchi doesn’t think they have the necessary equipment to make omu-rice, and flat-out refuses to compromise at all. But, not to worry, since Ohana helps to resolve the situation by simplifying the cooking process – and she shows the viewer some important tips about cooking the “omu” of “omu-rice”!

Meet Japan’s savoury “pancake”: Okonomiyaki!

Okonomiyaki is most compared to the Western dishes of pancakes, pizza, and omelettes. While at first glance it would seem that these dishes have almost nothing in common with each other, I have a feeling the comparison stems from the freedom of being able to be creative with the toppings and ingredients of these dishes. In fact, okonomiyaki is a combination of the words okonomi, meaning “what you like” or “what you want”, and yaki meaning “grilled” or “cooked”. Just as you can add any manner of toppings and fillings to pancakes, pizza, and omelettes to suit your individual tastes, okonomiyaki is easily customizable, even if its basic components stay the same. Of course, as you will see, okonomiyaki is certainly it’s own beast, though a delicious, soul-warming one….

The “Super Spicy Mapo Tofu That No One Dares Order”

Note: Click here for the newly updated version of this recipe.

Who can forget watching Angel Beats! episode 6 where Otonashi, feeling bad about stealing her meal ticket the other day, treats Kanade to some super spicy mapo tofu? I remember thinking how cute it was watching her rediscover that it was her favorite food.

While Otonashi’s reaction to the spiciness of the dish (with appropriate red smudges of chili sauce around his mouth) versus Kanade’s calm demeanor was great to watch, this particular scene sticks in my mind because of its blend of comedy and drama. It’s here that we begin to see more about Kanade’s past and her motivations for acting the way she does, with her character development gradual but also touching and sad. Doesn’t hurt that the whole scenario with Otonashi is also very date-like!