it's the cheese

[arethinn]

I really don't know why I'm having this thought, but...

Why is it that one never sees Japanese cheese, even in the most worldly cheese-counter? Even if there's some kind of dairy importation law, that wouldn't stop it - lots of cheeses of a particular ethnic style (e.g. feta, mozzarella...) are made right here in CA. Do the Japanese just not have much dairy in their culinary history?

Comments

[twopiearr.livejournal.com]

Cultural taboos aside, Japan in particular just doesn't have enough spare airable land to support grazing cattle. As a result, anything bovine related doesn't feature heavily in their diets.

We hosted a pair of japanese exchange students when I was in junior high. For their welcome dinner we had an eight ounce steak on every plate. They insisted the need to photograph this spectacle since their friends at home would never believe it - most beef in Japan is imported, so a steak that size is fed to an entire family.

Many Asians, as noted above, are also lactose intolerant. That's why many of their desserts are based around bean paste rather than cream. (Or perhaps it's the other way round...there's a bit of a chicken/egg problem there)