Food Here and There

Thousands of miles away, a sushi restaurant in San Diego sang the opening Japanese welcome as we walked through the door, "Irashaimase!"  It's followed me here, but left behind in Japan is the taste of real wasabi, something I hadn't even realized really only exists there.  That nasal burn of delight in the midst of delicious raw fish and vinegar rice.  I'm enjoying other American cuisine in many other regards. Breakfasts with Grape Nuts in my yogurt and peanut butter toast, texmex food, peanut butter M&Ms, alvacado milkshakes- most of these things are not too hard to replicate in Japan, just as sushi is accessible to Americans, but somehow these food have their places.  It's amazing how much the experience of food colors a place.  The amount of space and time that it occupies in living and consciouness, the quality of it.  The grocery stores here are so huge and orderly and open for so many hours.  They invite large purchases from bulk food containers and two for one specials.  One may imagine stocking up for several days, rather than make a small purchase for the evening's dinner.  Restaurants serve a single large plate rather than twelve little ones.  I'm enjoying the food again, and wondering if I should follow through on plans to bring any back.  Perhaps better to leave it where it belongs.