Blue Crab from Gulf of Mexico

 Small size blue crab

We just got discount offer of boiled crabs from our neighborhood restaurant, bargaining price a big size crab US$ 12 a dozen.

Original price is US$ 36 a dozen, so we got a lot of discount, at least 70% of market price.

Many people love crabs or crustaceans or seafood, but, except fish, I got “allergic” if consume too much.

The crab is come from Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic Ocean, and called in different names:

- the blue crab

- Atlantic blue crab

- Chesapeake blue crab

Fresh blue crabs

Their population are spreading from Canada (Nova Scotia) to Maine (USA) to Latin America (Argentina).

Adult crab breeding in offshore waters, then larvae swim into coastal lines, and even into estuary waters to grow to consume size:

- weight, 5 to 16 oz (142 to 454 gr)

- length, include claws is 7.1 to 7.9 inches (18 to 20 cm).

Do you like crab? Why?

What is the State with Most Farmland in the USA?

A farmland in the USA, illustration only

I knew America exports wheat and corns long time ago. Actually, USA have exported many agricultural products, include:

- coarse grains

- tobacco

- oil seeds

- cotton

- meat and poultry

- horticultural products

- food processing products

Interestingly, some well known tropical products such as rice, soybeans and even date fruits are exported by USA.

USA have exported dates to several developed nations such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

A country side view

The value of date fruits exported was US US$ 67.1 million or Euro 60 million in 2018 (please see my previous post: Do You Know that America Exports Date Fruits? | Tanza Erlambang Update).

The question then What is the State with Most Farmland in the USA? Here are the top 6:

1) Texas

- Farmland is about 29 million acres (12 million ha).

- The land produces most cotton

2) Kansas

- Farmland is about 28.6 million acres (11.6 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

3) North Dakota

- Farmland is about 27.1 million acres (11 million ha)

- The land produces most soybeans

4) Iowa

- Farmland is about 26.7 million acres (10.8 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

5) Illinois

- Farmland is about 23.9 million acres (9.7 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

6) Minnesota

- Farmland is about 22.5 acres (9.1 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

Finally, 3 products most produced by 6 states are corn, soybeans and cotton. How about with your country or state? What agricultural products are produced?

How Much the Highest Prices of Bluefin Tuna have been Recorded?

Slices of blue-fin tuna at Sushi bar.

From previous post: What Species is Considered as the Best Tuna? | Tanza Erlambang Update

Blue fin tuna is one of commercial tunas sold in the market, and the price is unbelievable so expensive.

Tuna is one of my favorites. When we ordered fresh tuna, we did not know the species, we just remember the price is a little bit higher compared to other fishes.

But, the cost was not that expensive like in Japan auction market every January of opening year.

Records of the highest bet in the following years:

- 2013, price was US$ 1.76 million

- 2019, price was US$ 3.1 million

- 2020, price was US$ 1.8 

Kiyoshi Kimura paid the highest price of Bluefin tuna in 2019

(credit to Kimimasa Mayama)

The weight was 612 pound (278 kg) for US$ 3.1 million Bluefin tuna. It is mean US$ 5,000 per pound. I will never pay this kind of bill.

The normal price is US$ 40 per pound, could be fluctuate, but never reach US$ 200 per pound in Japan fisheries markets.

The tuna, then sliced into 12,000 pieces used for sushi or sashimi. Kinds of Japanese traditional foods.

Interestingly the man who paid the price tag for 2013, 2019 and 2020 is the same man, Kiyoshi Kimura.

He is the owner of sushi restaurant chains, Sushi Zanmai. The 24 hours and 365 days a year sushi bar.

Have you tasted Japanese Sushi or Sashimi with fresh Bluefin tuna?

Why Consuming Trash Fish could Help Environmental Protection?

Atlantic butter fish (credit to: Iberconsa)

American favorite seafood are salmon, tuna and shrimp. They consumed about 21.7 kg (48 pound) per capita per year.

But, you might not know that these marine species are not sustainable. Their population are depletion due to many causes, few of them are:

- over fishing

- over consumed

- diseases

- environmental degeneration

Consume “trash fish” instead of favorite ones is one of ways to help reducing of commercial fish in nature.

What? Trash fish?

Atlantic butter fish dish, look delicious (credit to Roy Yamaguchi)

“Trash” or waste is not what its literally mean. Trash fish, like other fish that they are rich in protein and nutritional rich too.

What we call “trash fish” is actually “by catching fish.” Not in purpose to be caught. They are abundance in market, thus, the price will be cheap.

Butter fish is one of “trash fish” which have great taste if cooked with proper recipe. The price is very cheap, less than US$ 1.00 per pound.

Just for comparison, tuna fish worth for US$ 30 per pound, and salmon US$ 9.99 per pound.

However, salmon costs depend very much on:

- species

- location where it from: Alaska, Norway, Denmark or other countries

- caught in the river or ocean

- wild or aquaculture salmons.

Moreover, I myself found butter fish in an ethnic grocery. The meat is white, also called as “white tuna.” I grilled the fish sometimes. Delicious for me.

Have you eaten trash fish? What species do you eat? 

What Food Should We Try While in Japan? - part 2

Yakisoba

Part 1 of post (please re-visit: What Food Should We Try While in Japan?), we discussed three Japanese dishes:

- shabu shabu

- onigiri

- kare raisu

My other 3 favorite foods actually noodles or combined of noodle. Comparable to European, Italian foods such as “spaghetti” is noodle too. The same basic “raw material.”

The foods are called as:

- Yakisoba

- Soba

- Udon

Yakisonba is a simple fried noodle for me. In Japan, Yakisoba stir frying noodle mixed with seafood or meat, vegetable and sauces.

We can find “easily” Yakisoba in certain corners of Japanese cities, because Yakisoba is a street food. 

Soba

However, some of street Yakisoba is simply fried noodle mixed with vegetable (chopping cabbage) and spicy sauces.

Another type of Japanese noodle is Soba. It is a long type noodle, just cooked white noodle, then eaten with dipping spicy or sweetly sauces.

We may find quite a “complete” Soba, mixed with vegetable and meat like other Japanese noodle dishes. Healthy and delicious.

Udon

Udon uses bigger (thicker) size of noodle compared to Soba and Yakisoba, but it is a soup version of noodle for me.

You may find Udon in many restaurants in many cities in Japan with local taste and versions.

Sushi with cheese

Just to let you know that sushi blended with cheese available only in the USA. Don’t ask its when you are in Japan. The Chef will confuse for sure.

Have you tried any type of Japanese noodle? 

What Food Should We Try While in Japan? - part 1

Kare raisu

When I was in Japan, some friends of mine suggested me to taste a sushi and sashimi. I like sushi, but not sashimi.

If we are “googling,” there are many suggestions about food we should try when visiting Japan: 50 foods, 42 foods, 30 foods, 28 foods, 20 foods and 15 foods.

Of these, some examples are:

- Kare raisu

- Shabu shabu

- Ramen

- Onigiri

- Katsudon

- Udon

- Yakisoba

- Okonomiyaki

- Yakitori

- Tempura

Kare raisu is a curry rice, one of popular dishes. I love to eat with chicken. Japanese also called it as a “chicken curry rice.”

Onigiri and tamagoyaki

I have 6 favorite of Japanese foods:

- Kare raisu

- Onigiri

- Shabu shabu

- Udon

- Yakisoba

- Okonomiyaki

Onigiri is a rice in form of cylindrical or triangular. The ingredient fish (a small pieces of pickled fish). Then, wrapped with sea weed.

I guessed the taste is different to sushi in term of ingredients. I always consumed onigiri with tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) and tomatoes. 

Shabu shabu

Shabu shabu is a kind of soup for me, where sliced of vegetables and meats is mixed and stirred in the hotpot. Instead of meat, I prefer fish.

Hotpot is on the table, and we could eat as we boil. Eating shabu shabu with specific sauces (such as ponzu sauce).

Have you tried one or all of these three Japanese foods: kare raisu, onigiri or shabu shabu? What do you think?

Which Menus do You Like from Taco Bell Fast Food Restaurants?

Self order

My last visit to Taco Bell, fast food restaurant was about 3 years ago or may be longer. I remember that we should queued up to order and pick our order.

Queue line was quite long, some times in lunch time. We could spend more than 30 minutes from order to pick up.

I saw at least two self order machines when I visited one of Taco Bell chains recently. Surprising me, automation can’t be avoided every where, here, in America.

Menus, no customer services

In case you never come to Taco Bell restaurants, especially for international friends that there are main menus:

- Tacos

- Buritos

- Quesadilas

- Nachos

- Vegetarian

These menus are Mexican menus with American taste. I always order Nachos, occasionally together with Burritos.

Nachos is Mexican food that found in America only. So, you can’t find Nachos in Mexico. 

Table at the corner

Nacho is a appetizer or snack originally, composed of tortilla chips, then covered with slices cheese.

Taco Bell chains sell what they called as a Nachos Bell Grande, which is the same with original Nacho which consist of tortilla chips, but difference covered.

The cover includes:

- ground beef

- diced tomatoes

- fried beans

- cheese sauce

- sour cream

- sprinkle green onions.

Two self order machines

Burrito is a food with ingredients which wrapped with a tortilla flour. The wrapped is “a closed ended cyclinder.”

Ingridients for US$ 1 Beefy Fritos Burritos are:

- seasoned ground beef

- cilantro rice

- cheese sauces

- fritos corn chips.

If you ever visited Taco Bell restaurant recently, what menus do you like?

Are Thermopolia the First Fast Food Restaurant?

Thermopolia, a fast food restaurant in the ancient Roman

In modern era, many people believe (arguably) that White Castle is the first fast food restaurant in the world.

It was founded in Wichita, KS in 1921, then developed the chains across America. White Castle has 599 locations in 33 states until recently.

Some menus that the White Castle sells are:

- Slider with egg and cheese

- Hash Brown Nibblers

- Waffle Slider with Sausage

- Chicken rings

- Coffee

- Smoothie

- Many other soft drinks and beverages

One of menus in the White Castle fast food restaurant

Then, several decades after White Castle, two American fast food restaurants, KFC and McDonald open restaurant chains world wide.

These restaurants together with other American restaurants to be multinational corporations and present in almost any countries in the world.

Americans not only export high technologies, but also their tastes across the borders.

KFC menus for illustration only

We may wonder, did fast food and its restaurants invented or created in the modern era? The answer is no.

Ancient Roman is known as the first who invented fast foods and fast food restaurants in the world.

Thermopolia were restaurants to sell hot things that ready to eat. In fact, they sold hamburgers, fish sauces, baked cheeses, hot drinks and many others.

Who are the consumers? Common people, include poor people who have no time to prepare their own food.

Not like modern fast food restaurants, the Thermopolia had small rooms to provide services of take out food only.

It is interesting for me, how about you?