Here's the latest article from the Japanese Food site at BellaOnline.com.
Would it surprise you to know that as much as 90 percent of the Japanese population is lactose intolerant? While that statistic does not surprise me, this one does: Japan is the top importer of dairy products! Another paradox of the Japanese culture.

Not only do the Japanese consume a lot of butter, cheese and ice cream, but the government requires the school lunch program to provide daily servings of milk for drinking. Most young children are not lactose intolerant until later years.

Are you lactose intolerant? Do you still enjoy dairy products with or without any gastrointestinal effects? If so, you’ll love this week’s Japanese Food site recipes. All are considered yoshoku or Western-influenced. More foreign imports. But who is complaining?

Japanese Cheesecake Recipe
While American cheesecakes are dense, rich and creamy, Japanese cheesecake has a light soufflé-like texture.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art36092.asp


Cream Cheese Fruit Tart Recipe
Use fresh or canned fruit to make these creamy little tarts. There is cream cheese in both the tart shell and the sweet filling.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49172.asp


Cream Pan or Cream-filled Roll Recipe
Baked sweetbread rolls filled with a rich, custardy pastry cream are requisite bakery offerings.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art55168.asp
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Your Japanese food words of the week: Bata (bah-tah) Butter. Chizu (chee-zoo) Cheese. Also known as furoma-ju (foo-row-mah joo) which is derived from the French word for cheese (fromage). Pan (pah-nn) Bread. Miruku (mee-roo-koo) Milk (cow). Also known as gyuunyuu (gee-yoo nee-yoo).


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As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists. ~Joan Gussow

When a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown

Never kick a cow chip on a hot day. ~Proverb


Until next time,

Chidori Phillips
BellaOnline Japanese Food Site Editor