Bon Appetit! Mahlzeit! Itadakimaaaasu!…Enjoy your meal.
I’m often asked what English speakers say before a meal, and I have to reply that unless the person is religious, more often than not, it’s nothing.
“Itadakimasu” literally means “I will receive” and I can’t imagine putting something in my mouth without thinking it, muttering it or singing it out. If I’m with F’s family, we always say “Mahlzeit” but still, I’m compelled by the obaachan in my brain to add a quiet “itadakimasu.” If I’m with Japanese friends, it’s a chorus around the table. It’s sweet. It’s grateful. It gives everyone a moment to think about from whence and through whose labour their food came.
I think English is the poorer without it.
Do you say something that signals the beginning of a meal, or know how to say Bon Appetit in another language?
Taco rice is originally from Okinawa but it’s a mainstay of most cafes in Tokyo. If you like, you can serve it with a fried egg on top. You could also make it vegetarian by omitting the beef and making the chili with only beans, adding 1/2 can of tomatoes to the mix. If you are gluten-free, you will either have to get a gluten free taco powder mix or use your own spices. This should serve 3-4 people.
Taco Rice
Steam
For the mince
A carrot, diced
A small onion, diced
Half a stick of celery, diced (optional)
200 grams beef mince
1/2 can of red kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 packet of Old el Paso taco mix powder (I know, I know, you can make your own mix if you want – the main ingredients are cumin, coriander, chilli powder and paprika).
Saute the first 3 ingredients over medium until soft. Push to the side of the pan and fry the meat over high, breaking it up, until browned. Add the beans, taco mix powder and 100 mls of water and simmer for 10 minutes. Season.
Fixin’s
Shredded iceberg lettuce (it has to be iceberg here in my opinion but you can blaspheme, obviously)
Salsa
Grated cheese
Guacamole
Kewpie mayonnaise
To assemble, scoop rice into a bowl and top with the meat and fixin’s – you don’t have to have it but the Kewpie mayo sends it over the top.
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Schöhrn Tahn = Thai, “lets eat.”
Great recipe, nice fusion food.
We’d always say “E guete mitenand” with our Swiss relatives. I googled some others, and found “gero apetito” (Lithuanian) very amusing. Wouldn’t work very well in Japan, ne.
I still haven’t made taco rice due to MiniB’s strong aversion to anything remotely Mexican – the mere smell makes him gag :( , but I miss it…
In the meantime, here’s a super cute (albeit not very authentic) version I found: http://bit.ly/b9t4de
The first time I ever heard “miteinand” (should it be one word?) was on a hike and some friendly ladies wished us “servus miteinand.” Since I understood the meaning from “miteinander” but had never heard it in that context (hello one another!) I thought it was gaspingly hilarious..No? Maybe it’s just me and my silly ole sense of humour.
Wow, your recipes and photos are fantastic. Everything looks truly delicious. Many students ask me what to say before the meal and I agree that it’s a real shame we don’t really say anything. Have a great weekend!
Happy Weekend to you too – it’s pretty snowy here in Vorarlberg, I’m staying in my jamies ;P
We only say grace (a Catholic thing) before special meals, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving…. I agree we should show thanks at every meal. We’re so lucky to be where we are and take so much for granted when so many are starving.
BTW-The taco rice looks great!
My mum’s side of the family is Catholic and we said grace if we were all together and as you say, at the big celebrations too…”Enjoy your meal” just doesn’t have quite the same ring does it?
Did you find the cookies?
I want to eat this right now.
It’s right up your alley.
Taco Rice! I miss our taco rice dinners in Shimo. We had this just last week with cottage cheese instead of sour cream!
How perfectly passe!
Hey Sasa- didn’t get the biscuits yet-but at least I know what I’m lookin’ for!
In Greece we ALWAYS say “kali oreksi” which is similar to bon appetit.. it doesn’t have to do with religion.. it’s a wish to have a good appetite..although i doubt there is a single Greek WITHOUT an appetite :P
With my family we say GIG GIG GWTYFTF – which stood for God is great, God is good, God we thank you for this food (my father was a little impatient with the whole grace thing). Now, my boyfriend and I say bon appetit baby!
How do you pronounce GWTYFTF!?
When I was stationed in Germany, a buddy would also say that life is good when you had a pocketful of Austrian schillings. Over the years we shortened it to a simple “life is good” when the first beer or our meals were served.
Americans are kinda funny. As a melting pot nation, we have very few national customs, and the ones we have are mostly stuff to do (ie, get together on Thanksgiving or the SuperBowl) and not things we say or think, prayers or the like. Even symbolic gestures like putting ones hand over one heart during the National Anthem have a forced, required, mandatory feel to them, and not so much of a “from the heart” aspect. (And this always gets me in trouble, but if we love our country so much, and the National Anthem is so important, why is it basically saved for sporting events? Why not at a wedding, before the trailers at a movie, or every night right before the 11:00 pm news?)
Life is good … sort of quiets my mind these days …
In Danish the cook or host says “værsgo” (or “vaersgo”, if your font doesn’t have the Danish vowel). It means “here you go” or “please, go ahead”. It is genereally considered quite rude to start serving yourself, or worse, start eating, before this has been said. And likewise, you cannot leave the table before you have said “tak for mad” (thank you for the food/meal), and the cook/host has answered “velbekomme” (may it do you good).
Nice! Now I know what to say if I visit Denmark.
Dear Sasasunakku, the taco rice looks and sounds fabulous!!! Geez Louise, all my favorite foods. This is my first visit to your site and it’s exceptional. Well organized, well written and great clear pictures. I shall enjoy returning for a bite of more. Thank you for sharing,
Ciao, Gaby
p.s. I am Greek and as someone commented before we do say kali orexi. Interesting question.
Thank you! That’s very sweet.
YUM! I do something similar to this but yours looks a lot more impressive. I’ll have to add all the trimmings next time :)
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