Highlights of Life

My very first day I was in Japan, my aunt made me “oden”. Apparently in Japan, you usually buy the daily groceries used for consumption on a regular basis. So the morning I woke up, she turned to me and said, “do you want oden for dinner?”

“Sure!” I replied, not quite knowing what oden was… but enthusiastic nonetheless. So we went out that afternoon, and bought various sizes and shapes of colourful fish cakes. That very night, she brought out this rather huge pot, and started putting all the various fish cakes we had bought earlier that day. I didn’t pay much attention to what she put in, but I could tell it was going to be delicious.

Anyways, I wasn’t disappointed when I had dinner that night, for it tasted absolutely wonderful. And to this day my love for oden stayed with me. I was only a teenager at that time when I had my first taste of oden, and now wish that I had payed more detailed attention to how my aunt had made it. She passed away very suddenly during my university years, and I never got to learn her recipe.

However, a few nights ago, I tried my hand at making oden. It didn’t taste quite as lovely as my first experience… but I will keep trying. I did find a recipe on-line… and I think I’ll give this version a try next time.

Sometimes, every new learning experience is something that should be seized in the moment. A learning experience is something that shouldn’t be squandered away frivolously.

Here’s the link to the recipe.