The bread city

Tsukuba seems to be a city full of bakeries! The local government is promoting the 'bread city' and most bakeries now follow a monthly flavor theme. Not sure what this month is, but recently it was 'bread with chestnuts'.

The large number of bakeries mean that competition is fierce, but that doesn't necessarily mean that every bakery is good! For example, one of the most popular places in town is not really that special - it has a few really nice items and the rest are just so-so. The drawcard is that it has free tea/coffee/soft drink and has some tables and chairs on a patio. But the cashier staff are far too busy and are not polite, and whats more, they often squash your bread in their hurry to serve you and move on to the next customer. I HATE it when my bread is all squishy and looks horrible. And because the shop is so small, it is always crowded with people pushing here and there. If they make so much money, why don't they open a larger shop??? And the worst thing, once I bought sliced bread which became moldy the very next day. Chemical free is good for your health, but mold after just one day? Hmmm. I don't go to that bakery any more ...

One of the best places in town is a really small shop in Sakura called 'Gris Gris'. That is French and I think the pronunciation is something like 'Guri Guri' :) I started to go there when it first opened 3 or 4 years ago. Nowadays I live on the other side of town so don't make the trip so often. You should try it though - the bread and pastries are French style and not like other shops. I asked the owner about it and he said he and his wife studied in France.

I really recommend the French bread sandwich rolls with either cheese or fresh ham. Sorry I don't have a picture because I forgot and ate my lunch today before I thought of the camera :) But here is a picture of an apple pie. And if you can find it on the day you go, the onion quiche is wonderful.

But by far the VERY BEST thing was apricot and black sesame tarts that they made a few years ago. Let's start a campaign - everyone please go and ask the owner about the apricot tarts! Maybe he will make them again. And please tell me if you find them! They are the most delicious tarts I've ever had in my life.

You can find Gris Gris behind Fujiya cake shop in Sakura. Turn left at the traffic light with Fujiya and Lawson, and the bakery is on the left.

A new supermarket

I found this new supermarket in Matsushiro. It is kind of strange because a few years ago there was a regular supermarket just across the road. That store closed and the building was rennovated and is now a wedding reception center. The new supermarket is in a building that used to be a toy store, which closed too! And next door is an empty shop that was a used book store.

Anyway, the new place is a 'professionals supermarket' and it has a lot of bulk items for restaurants, etc. I was happy because I could find a 2 liter bottle of vinegar there. (I use vinegar for cleaning.) The prices are reasonable for most things, even for brand name products. For example, the vinegar is a popular Japanese brand.

But please be careful because other things are not such good value. My husband bought some frozen gyouza dumplings and they tasted awful! I hope I never go to a restaurant that serves them ...

Chrysanthemum

What a difficult word! I wonder who gave the flower that name in English?









In Australia, the chrysanthemum season is in May (Aussie autumn) so they are popular Mother's Day flowers! Yes, that's right - chrysanthemums! But I don't remember seeing so many of the unusual shapes. The most spectacular chrysanthemum festival I've seen was at Katori Jinju in Sawara, Ibaraki. You should go there one day in the autumn - it is really lovely.

The chrysanthemum is the symbol of the Japanese imperial family, so why do they also have the image of 'grave flowers'? I really don't understand that. If you know why, please tell me.

Autumn in Tsukuba

A few weeks ago I went for a walk in Chuo Park. It was a lovely day and the colors of autumn were all around.

Autumn is my favorite season in Japan - so much more beautiful than the Australian autumn which is shorter. Most Australian trees are evergreen so they don't lose their leaves. Tsukuba is so beautiful with all the Japanese and European trees that range from bright yellow to gold to orange/pink to red to the deepest russet. And I love walking along with the sound of leaves crunching underfoot!

By the way, even though I use a lot of American English now for my job, I cannot imagine calling autumn 'fall' :)