Canned Oden
Canned food.
Is there any more romantic image that is conjured up in one’s head when one softly whispers these two words? More so than “Coq au Vin”, or “Filet Mignon”, or even “Chocolate-dipped Strawberries”, to me, the words “Canned Food” conjures up images of times bygone, where a hobo’s only tool is a twig and some small fire and he can invariably cook a veritable feast for himself and his tramp brethren. Indeed, Popeye is nothing but a total wuss until he gets his abnormally large forearm and hands around a can of spinach.
Anything can be canned, you name it. What is the most exotic food you’ve eaten? If you said “Bun-deh-gi” [번데기], then you are an impresario of culinary adventurism. Also, that’s disgusting.
Ah yes, silk worm pupae… CANNED!
On the other hand, I’d be hard pressed to say “french fries” or anything like that, but indeed, they do exist, albeit in a “shoe string potato” form. What in blazes is a “shoestring potato”? I tried one, when I was a wee lad, and perhaps I dug into an old one(It said it expires in 1982), but the taste and texture was like munching into a stack of old newspaper.
One thing I certainly didn’t expect to find is canned oden. But the premise is brilliant! You certainly can never find a decent oden place when you really need one, that is, early in the morning or late at night when you’re drunk. And at home. By stocking up on these “ko-tengu” brand oden-in-a-can, you can be sure to have drinking snack anytime of the day. Just think of the possibilities.
I hear you can find one in a vending machine near Akihabara.
Ho! Even a quail egg.
And if you happen to be especially lazy like me, and can’t be bothered to use proper pots and utensils, you can simply pop the top and warm the can up over your stove! True hobo style!
I’m really taken with this product, since I know how difficult it is to get good oden sometimes. Sure, you can always pop over to your local Lawson convenience store if you happen to live in Japan, but I just don’t know. I don’t really trust their oden, as it’s usually uncovered, and whenever i get it, it’s always sort of luke-warm, and I’m really never sure how fresh it is.
Lawson oden. WAAAY overpriced.
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:56 pm
[…] And what luck! You can also get oden in a can from the very same vending machine, along with sake. That, my friends, is a fine meal waiting to happen. […]