There is probably some kind of mysterious psychology involved when I say that I have never been attracted to food on sticks. I don’t mean to say that I don’t like food on sticks, just that I wouldn’t pounce on it as soon as I see it (like I would with every other food…*laughs*). I don’t know what it is; I have always preferred things like, say, beef, on plates rather than on sticks. I wouldn’t call it snobbiness or some kind of class ideal that makes me think this way, because the fact is, kabobs are probably easier and more fun to eat anyway. I still love the flavors and whatnot, especially if they’re arranged creatively and appetizingly. But you could serve me the most delicious chicken kabob in the world and I would still hesitate (just for a second, I promise) to eat it.
I suppose it is possible that my “almost unattraction” (I need some kind of term for this) towards kabobs comes from some kind of grotesque image of people getting stabbed and arranged on sticks. I hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s idea of kabobs. But anyway, there is that, as well as the notion of being stabbed in the back (figuratively). Basically, pointy sticks are not my forte. (Remember the movie Red Eye? Yeah…)
Obviously I don’t think of horror/thriller flicks every time I see a kabob, but I think there is just some subconscious activity going on behind the scenes that makes me kind of “eh” about these things. The strange thing is that, as I said before, I’m not attracted to food on sticks, but I almost always end up liking them/reaching for more. In addition, I am always aware of this, yet I still have the same reservations every time. It is an interesting conundrum. Does anyone else feel this way toward certain things?
Despite this, however, one of my favorite stick foods is a Japanese treat called “mitarashi dango,” a kind of chewy rice flour dumpling that is skewered on sticks, often grilled, then glazed over with a sweet/savory sauce.
I’d always read about them on the internet and whatnot, but since my mom was never a fan of them, I didn’t have the chance to try them until last summer during my stay in Japan (woo, authentic!). It’s been popularized through Japanese cartoons and such as a super “cute” treat, and is often characterized with cute faces. Somehow, even though that should make them resemble heads on sticks, I think the characterization may have had a role in counteracting any initial “almost unattraction.” It is an interesting little sweet, but quite enjoyable, I think, so I thought I’d share a recipe from one of my favorite YouTubers today.
Mitarashi Dango
foodienaut 