Here’s an East meets West snack that I’ve been putting off reviewing for a loonngg time. I usually don’t mind chowing down on the new and unusual, but something about the packaging gave the product a sinister quality. Maybe it was the command “Just Pack” or maybe it was the way the product was wrapped like cheesey, overly processed sausages, OR maybe it’s because the product actually was cheesey, overly processed fish sausage.
Photo © 2007 TheAnimeBlog.com
Fish cake, aka fish sausage, is called kamaboko. I like kamaboko. I think it’s great in soup, tempura, noddles, or by itself. I’m a big fan of cheese too; the stinkier and older the better. However, cheese kamaboko doesn’t sound too appealing. I’ve experienced an interesting range of fish products in my life (fish ham was…interesting) and my cheese intake has been varied, but never have I seen cheese fish cakes.
At a quick glance, there’s nothing too outré about the packaging. Kanji aside, the packaging could belong to any other processed meat/ cheese stix at a local Quickie Mart. In fact when I first spied it in the store, my eyes did an automatic pass over of it. I don’t buy that kinda crap so it doesn’t even register. But at second glance, yes, the romanji says “cheese kamaboko” and I do make exceptions to the no-crap-purchase rule.
The sticks are kinda heavy. I payed about $3.50 for the bag and it seems like I got my money worth in the form of four sticks. At the gas station one “normal” cheese stick is about $1.00. These chÄ«kama, as they’re known in Japan, are also sold in convenience stores just as their nitrate heavy counterparts are.
Photo © 2007 TheAnimeBlog.com
Unwrapping a chÄ«kama involves squeezing it out; an act which doesn’t endear it to me. Thus far, it doesn’t smell like fish, which is a plus. I have to tell myself that taking the first bite of this stuff is like tearing off a band aid; do it quick and get it over with. Ok. Weird. It tastes like any other kamaboko I’ve ever eaten , which is to say: it’s firm, it has a sweetish flavor and it isn’t overwhelmingly fishy.
But, there are flavor bursts of whipped cheese interspersed throughout the stick. They’re like cheesy land mines that detonate in my mouth with little or no warning. This snack reminds me of the cheese hot dogs of my youth but instead of mystery meat processed ten ways to hell, it’s cod and “cheese” that’s been processed ten ways to hell.
Although the fish flavor doesn’t smack you down, it’s still there and I’m not a fan of these two together. If this had been your average kamaboko, I think I would’ve really enjoyed this snack, but then again, it wouldn’t even be this snack.
The cheese and kamaboko don’t do it for me. There’s a dichotomy of flavors that are so at odds, in my opinion, that while I’m not vomiting out my ears, my taste buds are confused and huddling in a corner, not sure what to make of it all. Some East-West snack co-productions are great: Custard filled mochi are excellent as I’ve heard the mochi ice cream are as well. This was not one of those successes. To be fair, I would actually recommend trying this snack just for the sake of trying something far outside the realm of “That’s a good idea.” For those who like the unusual, I recommend chÄ«kama to you as well. Western cheese lovers, I advise you not to sample this snack., unless you’re a fan of Cheez Whiz™ and fish.
TEXTURE:
FLAVOR:
APPEARANCE:PACKAGING:
Giving Cheese Kamaboko an overall:
