Previously, we examined Rooty Daikon’s raw supporting roles, as Tsuma and Oroshi, which are known as some of her most outstanding performances. As an Independent Mealmaker and a big fan of her raw and grated performances, I cast her, as the lead actress, in my production of the Beauty and the Beef. Her versatility, as a performer, was also previously mentioned, featuring her famous, pickled role as Takuan.
In Part II of True Hollyfood Story, we shall examine her profile and some of her other well-known supporting roles, a little deeper. Also, we shall take a look at the stage-setting concept of Donburi-mono, which was used in the production of the Beauty and the Beef. For those who have not read the previous posting, entitled True Hollyfood Story, you may want to do yourselves a favor and check it out first. It will help you to understand the context, not to mention the tone and manner, of this posting much better!
Ms. Daikon has been on the Japanese Hollyfood scene for a very long time and is often referred to as Ao-kubi, by some, because there are also other Daikon family members working in the industry. She is, by far, the most popular of them all and when people say Daikon, they are most likely talking about the Ao-kubi, unless otherwise specified. The slightly green color, towards the top of her slender, white body, gives her the nickname Ao (Blue青) Kubi (Neck首).
Speaking of her neck, the upper portion of her body tends to be slightly sweeter, the higher up you go. This is why her upper half is better suited for her raw roles and her lower half is better suited for her cooked roles…in my studio, anyway.
She has fabulous, green, leafy hair but is usually seen without it. I often try to hire her when she has her leaves on, but such occasions can be rare unless you know where to find her in that state.
As tall as she is, her stalky hair can make her look even taller, causing her to trim it short, typically into a crew cut, and this is how I usually find her. It’s such a shame because her leaves are an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Potassium and Calcium. If you can hire her with her leaves in tact, take advantage of this and use the leaves in a stir-fry or soup-related production.
Also, once hired, make sure you chop off her hair, if she has to stay in her refrigerated trailer and wait a while for her scene, because her hair can suck up the nutrients and moisture from her body.
East of Oden
As nutritious as her leaves are, it is basically her root-solid (pun intended, this time) performance that is popular and familiar to many Japanese Hollyfood fans. Her appearance in the classic production of East of Oden, finds her playing the disturbed, runaway mother of fraternal Fish Cake twins played by James Satsuma-Age and Richard Gobo-Maki. Another veteran actor named Raymond Konnyaku plays the twins’ father, Yam Cake Trask, along with world-famous Burl Boiled Egg. Albert Chikuwa has the role as one of the sons of the other, main family patriarchs, Hanpen Hamilton (not shown in photo).
This story takes place in a hot pot, stew-like setting, surrounded by dreary, yet flavorful characters that not only capture, but also warm the hearts and souls of folks. This is a hugely, popular production among many Japanese, from children to the elderly, especially during chilly, winter nights. In this popular, yet serious and emotional drama, Ms. Daikon takes on a thick-cut role alongside the rest of the cast.
As seen in the close-up photo, most of the characters are relatively unknown outside of Japan, except for the international star, Burl Boiled Egg. Many East of Oden’s cast members, including those not shown in the photo, are related to famous Hollyfood stars, but are known mostly for their specialty acts that are often connected to stew-related productions. Unfortunately, many of these productions, including East of Oden, can only be enjoyed in limited places outside of Japan.
More Dramatic Roles
Along with her raw performances (previous posting), Ms. Daikon has a solid track record of playing serious soup and stew characters, as well. Some of her credits include her supporting roles in Tonjiru/ Butajiru (where Raymond Konnyaku appears, as well), a story based on the famous Miso-flavored Pork Soup, and in the New Year’s ceremonial dish, (O)Zouni (she’s almost transparent in this one).
Tonjiru/ Butajiru
(O)Zouni
Daikon's Other Side
We shall revisit some of these productions, in upcoming episodes of True Hollyfood Story, but let us now briefly touch on Ms. Daikon’s personal life. Although she isn’t the type to appear in tabloids and has no involvement in any type of celebrity shenanigans, her name is sometimes used to describe a person in a less-than-flattering manner. One of them is the term Daikon-Ashi (大根足). Ashi means leg(s) and the term typically refers to women with stubby legs. Obviously, this is a bad rap for some women and for Daikon.
Interestingly, another term, Daikon-Yakusha (大根役者), basically refers to a lousy performer/ actor. The word Yakusha (役者) means performer/ actor and according to one theory, it’s been said that this term derived from the notion that Daikon lasts a long time and you hardly get sick (food poisoning) from eating it. Food poisoning in Japanese is Shoku-atari.
The term Shoku (食) relates to just about anything that deals with eating or food, and when used in this manner (when read as Shoku), it is used in conjunction with other terms to form words such as Nihon-Shoku (日本食：Japanese food) or Shoku-Bunka (食文化：Food Culture). The word atari means hit in this case, thus food hit or rather, Shoku-atari is the word you want to use if you ever get food poisoning in Japan. So basically, the phrase Daikon Yakusha refers to a lousy actor who never gets a hit. In this case, it’s not a positive name for these performers, but it does give Ms. Daikon credit for being a hard-to-spoil Hollyfood star.
Keeping Her in Top Form
Regarding her freshness, if you need her for another scene on another day, wrap her in newspaper (please, no tabloids) and then spray on some water. If you’re going to have her rest in her refrigerated trailer, surround her in a plastic bag/ wrap and try to keep her in an upright position, if possible. She tends to be less stressed out if you keep her in a position that she’s accustomed to, instead of being placed sideways.
Besides, she likes to share her trailer and stand next to hunky cartons of milk and tall, handsome containers of juice. Give her a helping hand by providing some kind of support, i.e., a deep, large cup or something. This way, she’ll end up conserving her energy and will stay in much better condition, for your next production.
Whatever it takes, keep her healthy and she’ll give you the performance you expect from her, but just because she’s a hard-to-spoil Hollyfood star, don’t keep her waiting too long. Some Meal Directors have told me that her limit, on location, is about two weeks and after that she starts to lose her jazz.
Donburi-mono; the Bowl that Rocks
The second portion of this posting will have us taking another look at – that’s right, the concept of Donburi-mono. I won’t, however, talk about the production details at this point, but instead, will walk through some of the varieties and applications of this simple, yet effective stage-setting concept.
Although the concept of Donburi-mono is popular, you won’t typically find this sort of set at your state-of-the-art, Japanese Hollyfood studio. It was never intended to be an extravagant or fancy set.
It’s easy to eat, filling and relatively cost-effective, thus, making it a much-beloved concept on the Japanese Hollyfood scene. Donburi-mono (or Don-mono) is especially popular among young, hungry teens, but the variety/ variation of this concept is so awesome, that it attracts a wide range of age groups and Hollyfood fans.
One of my personal favorites, Uanagi-donburi (Una-don for short) features a grilled fillet of eel on rice.
If you’re gagging with the thought of eating grilled eel and it’s giving you "visions of the Fear Factor dancing in your head", the Kaisen-don, may perhaps, be a little more appealing. Kaisen basically means fresh seafood, so the rice bowl is topped with Sashimi and Shellfish.
Tuna anyone? Tuna Sashimi on rice becomes Tekka-don or Maguro-don (Maguro means Tuna in Japanese). Mince the fatty, belly portion (known as Toro) of the Maguro and add some green onions (Negi) on top, and you have a Negitoro-don.
For you meat lovers, there’s always the Gyu-don (Beef Bowl) or the Katsu-don (below), which is topped with sliced Tonkatsu (deep fried Pork Cutlet), egg and other condiments.
If you prefer chicken…nope, it's not the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, but the Oyako-don you want to try. The word Oyako (親子) refers to parent (Oya親) and child (Ko子), as we briefly touched on in our last posting. Oyako-don is served with a combination of chicken and egg.
Another variation, of this parent-child Donburi combination, can be made with Salmon Sashimi or Flakes with salmon roe (Ikura), and is often referred to as Kaisen Oyako-don in order to distinguish itself from its fine, feathered friend.
This photo is an example of Kaisen Oyako-don, but since I had some leftover, grilled salmon, I added that to make it a Three-Generation Kaisen Oyako-don!
Have Tempura on your mind? Well, there’s the Ten-don to satisfy that craving.
If you’re in the mood for Chinese, there’s even Chuka-don, with various veggies and seafood, cooked Chinese-style, over steamed white rice. Anyway, I think you get the picture.
As you can see, there are a lot of varieties including regional variations, etc., in terms of the toppings, but what can’t be ignored here is the importance of the rice. If the rice is bad, the entire Donburi-mono experience can be ruined. It’s kind of like going to Hawaii on vacation and having it rain on you every day. So, be sure the rice is properly cooked! See Rice or No Dice posting.
Speaking of Hawaii, one of its local favorites, Loco Moco, shares a kindred spirit to that of Donburi-mono. My understanding is that Loco Moco, which typically consists of a bowl (or plate) of rice, topped with a hamburger patty, eggs (Sunny-side up or over easy) and covered with gravy, was originated to satisfy the tummies and be easy on the wallets of young, athletic teens who hung around a local café in Hilo, Hawaii some 60 years ago. It is said that the owner of the cafe used a Saimin (local Ramen noodle soup) bowl to serve this special dish in.
When I lived in paradise as a young adult, I had no difficulty consuming this awesome dish 24/7, but these days I need the help of my love, Rooty Daikon…and yes…in her sexy, raw Oroshi role. As a middle-aged man, I need all the digestive help I can get and Rooty Daikon sure delivers. Here’s an over-the-hill, middle-aged man’s version of Loco Moco (beef patty), featuring Rooty Daikon covered in Shoyu (Soy Sauce).
The wife prefers turkey, so here’s her version.
The concept of Donburi-mono is quite similar to Ramen and its toppings (Ramen posting), where the variations and the combinations of the toppings are virtually endless. Just remember to cast Rooty Daikon whenever you get a chance and let her help you digest the fat and proteins, and nurture you with her other benefits, as well. But remember, she performs better in the raw.
Hidden Talent?
By the way, she plays an excellent snack role, too. You know, like Veggie Sticks? Although especially good with Miso-based dressings or even with Goma-dare, (Sesame paste sauce typically used for Shabu-Shabu), she goes quite well with just about any dressing.
Rooty Daikon has come a long way from being an unknown, foreign favorite, to becoming an international darling embraced by more and more Hollyfood fans, worldwide.
In Part II of True Hollyfood Story, we shall examine her profile and some of her other well-known supporting roles, a little deeper. Also, we shall take a look at the stage-setting concept of Donburi-mono, which was used in the production of the Beauty and the Beef. For those who have not read the previous posting, entitled True Hollyfood Story, you may want to do yourselves a favor and check it out first. It will help you to understand the context, not to mention the tone and manner, of this posting much better!
Ms. Daikon has been on the Japanese Hollyfood scene for a very long time and is often referred to as Ao-kubi, by some, because there are also other Daikon family members working in the industry. She is, by far, the most popular of them all and when people say Daikon, they are most likely talking about the Ao-kubi, unless otherwise specified. The slightly green color, towards the top of her slender, white body, gives her the nickname Ao (Blue青) Kubi (Neck首).
Speaking of her neck, the upper portion of her body tends to be slightly sweeter, the higher up you go. This is why her upper half is better suited for her raw roles and her lower half is better suited for her cooked roles…in my studio, anyway.
She has fabulous, green, leafy hair but is usually seen without it. I often try to hire her when she has her leaves on, but such occasions can be rare unless you know where to find her in that state.
As tall as she is, her stalky hair can make her look even taller, causing her to trim it short, typically into a crew cut, and this is how I usually find her. It’s such a shame because her leaves are an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Potassium and Calcium. If you can hire her with her leaves in tact, take advantage of this and use the leaves in a stir-fry or soup-related production.
Also, once hired, make sure you chop off her hair, if she has to stay in her refrigerated trailer and wait a while for her scene, because her hair can suck up the nutrients and moisture from her body.
East of Oden
As nutritious as her leaves are, it is basically her root-solid (pun intended, this time) performance that is popular and familiar to many Japanese Hollyfood fans. Her appearance in the classic production of East of Oden, finds her playing the disturbed, runaway mother of fraternal Fish Cake twins played by James Satsuma-Age and Richard Gobo-Maki. Another veteran actor named Raymond Konnyaku plays the twins’ father, Yam Cake Trask, along with world-famous Burl Boiled Egg. Albert Chikuwa has the role as one of the sons of the other, main family patriarchs, Hanpen Hamilton (not shown in photo).
This story takes place in a hot pot, stew-like setting, surrounded by dreary, yet flavorful characters that not only capture, but also warm the hearts and souls of folks. This is a hugely, popular production among many Japanese, from children to the elderly, especially during chilly, winter nights. In this popular, yet serious and emotional drama, Ms. Daikon takes on a thick-cut role alongside the rest of the cast.
As seen in the close-up photo, most of the characters are relatively unknown outside of Japan, except for the international star, Burl Boiled Egg. Many East of Oden’s cast members, including those not shown in the photo, are related to famous Hollyfood stars, but are known mostly for their specialty acts that are often connected to stew-related productions. Unfortunately, many of these productions, including East of Oden, can only be enjoyed in limited places outside of Japan.
More Dramatic Roles
Along with her raw performances (previous posting), Ms. Daikon has a solid track record of playing serious soup and stew characters, as well. Some of her credits include her supporting roles in Tonjiru/ Butajiru (where Raymond Konnyaku appears, as well), a story based on the famous Miso-flavored Pork Soup, and in the New Year’s ceremonial dish, (O)Zouni (she’s almost transparent in this one).
Tonjiru/ Butajiru
(O)Zouni
Daikon's Other Side
We shall revisit some of these productions, in upcoming episodes of True Hollyfood Story, but let us now briefly touch on Ms. Daikon’s personal life. Although she isn’t the type to appear in tabloids and has no involvement in any type of celebrity shenanigans, her name is sometimes used to describe a person in a less-than-flattering manner. One of them is the term Daikon-Ashi (大根足). Ashi means leg(s) and the term typically refers to women with stubby legs. Obviously, this is a bad rap for some women and for Daikon.
Interestingly, another term, Daikon-Yakusha (大根役者), basically refers to a lousy performer/ actor. The word Yakusha (役者) means performer/ actor and according to one theory, it’s been said that this term derived from the notion that Daikon lasts a long time and you hardly get sick (food poisoning) from eating it. Food poisoning in Japanese is Shoku-atari.
The term Shoku (食) relates to just about anything that deals with eating or food, and when used in this manner (when read as Shoku), it is used in conjunction with other terms to form words such as Nihon-Shoku (日本食：Japanese food) or Shoku-Bunka (食文化：Food Culture). The word atari means hit in this case, thus food hit or rather, Shoku-atari is the word you want to use if you ever get food poisoning in Japan. So basically, the phrase Daikon Yakusha refers to a lousy actor who never gets a hit. In this case, it’s not a positive name for these performers, but it does give Ms. Daikon credit for being a hard-to-spoil Hollyfood star.
Keeping Her in Top Form
Regarding her freshness, if you need her for another scene on another day, wrap her in newspaper (please, no tabloids) and then spray on some water. If you’re going to have her rest in her refrigerated trailer, surround her in a plastic bag/ wrap and try to keep her in an upright position, if possible. She tends to be less stressed out if you keep her in a position that she’s accustomed to, instead of being placed sideways.
Besides, she likes to share her trailer and stand next to hunky cartons of milk and tall, handsome containers of juice. Give her a helping hand by providing some kind of support, i.e., a deep, large cup or something. This way, she’ll end up conserving her energy and will stay in much better condition, for your next production.
Whatever it takes, keep her healthy and she’ll give you the performance you expect from her, but just because she’s a hard-to-spoil Hollyfood star, don’t keep her waiting too long. Some Meal Directors have told me that her limit, on location, is about two weeks and after that she starts to lose her jazz.
Donburi-mono; the Bowl that Rocks
The second portion of this posting will have us taking another look at – that’s right, the concept of Donburi-mono. I won’t, however, talk about the production details at this point, but instead, will walk through some of the varieties and applications of this simple, yet effective stage-setting concept.
Although the concept of Donburi-mono is popular, you won’t typically find this sort of set at your state-of-the-art, Japanese Hollyfood studio. It was never intended to be an extravagant or fancy set.
It’s easy to eat, filling and relatively cost-effective, thus, making it a much-beloved concept on the Japanese Hollyfood scene. Donburi-mono (or Don-mono) is especially popular among young, hungry teens, but the variety/ variation of this concept is so awesome, that it attracts a wide range of age groups and Hollyfood fans.
One of my personal favorites, Uanagi-donburi (Una-don for short) features a grilled fillet of eel on rice.
If you’re gagging with the thought of eating grilled eel and it’s giving you "visions of the Fear Factor dancing in your head", the Kaisen-don, may perhaps, be a little more appealing. Kaisen basically means fresh seafood, so the rice bowl is topped with Sashimi and Shellfish.
Tuna anyone? Tuna Sashimi on rice becomes Tekka-don or Maguro-don (Maguro means Tuna in Japanese). Mince the fatty, belly portion (known as Toro) of the Maguro and add some green onions (Negi) on top, and you have a Negitoro-don.
For you meat lovers, there’s always the Gyu-don (Beef Bowl) or the Katsu-don (below), which is topped with sliced Tonkatsu (deep fried Pork Cutlet), egg and other condiments.
If you prefer chicken…nope, it's not the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, but the Oyako-don you want to try. The word Oyako (親子) refers to parent (Oya親) and child (Ko子), as we briefly touched on in our last posting. Oyako-don is served with a combination of chicken and egg.
Another variation, of this parent-child Donburi combination, can be made with Salmon Sashimi or Flakes with salmon roe (Ikura), and is often referred to as Kaisen Oyako-don in order to distinguish itself from its fine, feathered friend.
This photo is an example of Kaisen Oyako-don, but since I had some leftover, grilled salmon, I added that to make it a Three-Generation Kaisen Oyako-don!
Have Tempura on your mind? Well, there’s the Ten-don to satisfy that craving.
If you’re in the mood for Chinese, there’s even Chuka-don, with various veggies and seafood, cooked Chinese-style, over steamed white rice. Anyway, I think you get the picture.
As you can see, there are a lot of varieties including regional variations, etc., in terms of the toppings, but what can’t be ignored here is the importance of the rice. If the rice is bad, the entire Donburi-mono experience can be ruined. It’s kind of like going to Hawaii on vacation and having it rain on you every day. So, be sure the rice is properly cooked! See Rice or No Dice posting.
Speaking of Hawaii, one of its local favorites, Loco Moco, shares a kindred spirit to that of Donburi-mono. My understanding is that Loco Moco, which typically consists of a bowl (or plate) of rice, topped with a hamburger patty, eggs (Sunny-side up or over easy) and covered with gravy, was originated to satisfy the tummies and be easy on the wallets of young, athletic teens who hung around a local café in Hilo, Hawaii some 60 years ago. It is said that the owner of the cafe used a Saimin (local Ramen noodle soup) bowl to serve this special dish in.
When I lived in paradise as a young adult, I had no difficulty consuming this awesome dish 24/7, but these days I need the help of my love, Rooty Daikon…and yes…in her sexy, raw Oroshi role. As a middle-aged man, I need all the digestive help I can get and Rooty Daikon sure delivers. Here’s an over-the-hill, middle-aged man’s version of Loco Moco (beef patty), featuring Rooty Daikon covered in Shoyu (Soy Sauce).
The wife prefers turkey, so here’s her version.
The concept of Donburi-mono is quite similar to Ramen and its toppings (Ramen posting), where the variations and the combinations of the toppings are virtually endless. Just remember to cast Rooty Daikon whenever you get a chance and let her help you digest the fat and proteins, and nurture you with her other benefits, as well. But remember, she performs better in the raw.
Hidden Talent?
By the way, she plays an excellent snack role, too. You know, like Veggie Sticks? Although especially good with Miso-based dressings or even with Goma-dare, (Sesame paste sauce typically used for Shabu-Shabu), she goes quite well with just about any dressing.
Rooty Daikon has come a long way from being an unknown, foreign favorite, to becoming an international darling embraced by more and more Hollyfood fans, worldwide.
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