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Tokyo may have the glitz and Kyoto that old-world charm, but Osaka – the port city that’s Japan’s third largest – has something indescribable and, when it comes to food, utterly irresistible. It’s no wonder, then, that in this town the locals are not just obsessed with food but also with umami, that fifth flavor that’s not only hard to describe but also, yes, impossible to resist. A day spent eating in Osaka is, in many ways, a day spent chasing down the beguiling flavors of umami, which is exactly what we’ll be doing on this flavor-packed crawl through the city. At first glance, Osaka may come off as funky, loud, and fun, a place not surprisingly famed for its lively street food scene. But this undersells the depth of the city’s culinary culture. Take the example of Osaka’s best known street snack, takoyaki. What may look like a simple fried octopus ball drizzled with sauce is actually an umami bomb that’s the result of generations of culinary craftsmanship answering to the high demands of Osakans’ exacting tastes. More than that, takoyaki’s ingredients – toppings like dried bonito flakes, a Worcestershire-based sauce, and Japanese-style mayonnaise – tell the story of a place linked to the sea and to influences from far beyond. As we join the locals in their daily umami chase, we’ll also unravel the strands of this story, learning about the history of the city’s merchants and sampling some of the products – from miso to fish cakes – that are essential to Osaka’s culinary tale. Along the way we’ll also indulge in the city’s famous “street foods,” including takoyaki and a surprisingly sophisticated potato croquette, while in the high energy Osaka markets we’ll sit down for grilled oysters and sashimi made from another umami-rich local favorite, fugu (pufferfish). To complete the picture, we’ll stop into shops selling crafts both old (traditional Japanese knives) and new (plastic food replicas for window displays), and whose work is an integral part of Osakan culinary culture. Looking behind the flashing lights and carnivalesque atmosphere, we’ll find backstreet masters and local Osakans communing over a shared love and understanding of delicious food and what it takes to make it. By the end of our day together, we’ll have a better understanding of not only what makes this town so umami crazed but also why it’s defined by another term that locals have wholeheartedly embraced as distinctly Osakan: Kuiadore, or “eat until you drop.”
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