Edamame
This afternoon we were visiting the Zenpoji Temple, a beautifully maintained buddhist temple in the south of the Shonai plane, near the seaside town of Yunohama.
As we were wandering amongst the pagodas and shrines, we started talking to one of the temples many monks, who offered us some local food to try. Because the monks eat a vegetarian diet, each of the dishes were filled with freshly grown vegetables from the local area, including green beans, tofu and my personal favourite – Edamame.
Edamame is one of the most popular “pub snacks” in Japan, most commonly found in izakayas, where customers enjoy them washed down with beer. Edamame bean is a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod, which are then boiled or steamed, usually in salt water.
They’re an excellent snack, as you don’t feel guilty eating bowls of them, and I recommend requesting a bowl the next time you’re in an izakaya. It’s the perfect way to kick off a night of eating and drinking.
Where: Zenpoji Temple,
