Oshashiburi - Long Time No See

Although this guy looks like he might have just returned from an Amish barn-raising, he is in fact, my younger Japanese "brother", Tadao Hashimoto. And in this photo he's just come back from a good day of fishing at "Secret Lake". Tad is a beautiful and funny man and one of the best fly fishermen I know. This season, Tad returned to Omineca with some friends for a July fishing trip. It was just like old times.

He first came to Omineca as a guest, but Tad and I have been friends for over 20 years now. We consider ourselves brothers. And, like brothers, we have to test each other now and then. And since we both like food and cooking, that's how we've tested each other over the years. Actually in Japan it's a national sport: see-if-the-foreigner-will-eat-this? Tad has served me "kusaya" (the fish whose name means "smells bad"). It was OK. Tasted kinda burnt. But I've come to love "natto", a scary preparation of fermented beans. In return, I've introduced Tad to root beer, which tastes like medicine to the uninitiated. He says he likes it but I don`t believe him. In the battle of strange foods, I think I win because he politely refuses one of my all time favourites. I don`t understand why he won`t eat my beautifully stinky, aged-in-the-rafters, Esrom cheese. It's imported. From Denmark.