美国国家公共电台 NPR--How one Japanese restaurateur turned the humble rice ball into a must-eat dish

How one Japanese restaurateur turned the humble¹ rice ball into a must-eat dish

Transcript²

A Japanese restaurateur elevates the plain and homely³ rice ball, or onigiri, into gourmet⁴ fare at a Tokyo restaurant where people line up for hours to get one of nine seats.

ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:

Japanese cooking ranges from meals of Zen-like simplicity⁵ to more elaborate cuisine⁶. From Tokyo, NPR's Anthony Kuhn has the story of a restaurateur who has turned one of Japan's most humble homestyle foods into a big attraction.

(SOUNDBITE OF STREETCAR)

ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE⁷: Next to some streetcar tracks, you can often see diners lining⁸ up for hours down the street. Their objective - to get one of nine seats at Onigiri Bongo, which has been serving rice balls or onigiri for some six decades. The homely onigiri is often made at home. It's often packed in school lunches or taken on picnics. Of course, you can always grab a packaged onigiri in just about any convenience store in Japan. But Onigiri Bongo's rice balls are on another gourmet level. Yumiko Ukon is the eatery's wiry and energetic owner. She remembers the onigiri she ate as a child.

YUMIKO UKON: (Through interpreter) Usually, my mother used to make them. If they were wrapped with seaweed, they were a treat. It was part of our culture not to buy them, but to make them at home.

SCHMITZ: Ukon says she left her hometown in Niigata Prefecture and came to Tokyo at around age 20.

UKON: (Through interpreter) I called myself a food refugee. I couldn't find food I liked. But a friend introduced me to a delicious rice ball restaurant, and it was love at first sight.

KUHN: Ukon was not destined⁹ to be just another customer. She married the restaurant's then-owner, Tasuku Ukon, who was 27 years her senior. She later became the eatery's owner after her husband passed away in 2012. Ukon's hands flit over the rice balls, stuffing them with filling, gently squeezing them and wrapping them with seaweed. Customers can choose from more than 50 fillings, from standards such as salmon¹⁰ flakes¹¹ and pickled plums to nontraditional items such as pork and kimchi or bacon and cheese. The onigiri are made to order and served warm and fluffy¹², with the rice slightly al dente. They're hefty, unpretentious and straight-up scrumptious. Ukon says onigiri are special because they connect people.

UKON: (Through interpreter) It's not about the technique. It's about how much feeling you can put into each onigiri. That's why I'll never forget my mother's onigiri for the rest of my life.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BUT WE'RE PART NOW")

MIKI HIRAYAMA: (Singing in Japanese).

KUHN: At 11:30 a.m., the restaurant opens, the music comes on and the customers pack in. After more than four decades in the business, Yumiko Ukon is still serving up onigiri with vigor¹³ and passion. She's clear about what keeps her going.

UKON: (Through interpreter) I thought about retiring at 70, but I'm still in good health, and I want to see the smiling faces of the people eating the rice balls.

KUHN: The name Onigiri Bongo likens the restaurant's reputation to the sound of the drum, resonating far and wide, beckoning¹⁴ to those who hear it.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Tokyo.

(SOUNDBITE OF HUGLORD'S "SINCE DAY ONE")

1 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 homely   

adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的

参考例句：

• We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。
• Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭，好吗？

4 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

5 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

6 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

9 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

10 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

11 flakes   

小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人

参考例句：

• It's snowing in great flakes. 天下着鹅毛大雪。
• It is snowing in great flakes. 正值大雪纷飞。

12 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

13 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

14 beckoning   

adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• An even more beautiful future is beckoning us on. 一个更加美好的未来在召唤我们继续前进。 来自辞典例句
• He saw a youth of great radiance beckoning to him. 他看见一个丰神飘逸的少年向他招手。 来自辞典例句