Foods DBWeller Has Tried

A wartime rice scarcity made this versatile pancake a Japanese staple.

Some fish can dance.

The Japanese soda still comes in a marble-stoppered bottle from the 19th century.

These exquisite dried persimmons are massaged for weeks.

These pungent fermented soybeans are coated in probiotic slime.

Leftover coffee plus gelatin equals this vintage dessert.

Smells like lavender, tastes like lemon rind, looks like a gnarled claw fresh from your nightmares. 

A ritual that showcases the beauty of the present moment.

Catch these floating noodles before they flow by.

This pancake pays tribute to one of Japan's favorite fish.

The cure and cause of a burning tongue.

These salted, pickled plums are an ancient Japanese hangover cure.

Osaka's most famous dish is an octopus-stuffed fried dough ball.

Japanese cooks riff on American diner food with this rice-and-ketchup omelet.

They grow in boxes and can cost more than $100.