Our meal was a real treat :) First we watched Mr Ozawa slap, stretch and twist a length of dough to make his own thick Udon noodles – like so!
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Next we shaped mesh over the stove cube (remembering to cut a hole at the front for the door) to try and help the cob stick to the structure more firmly. We also arranged a couple of dozen rocks around the base of the stove, so we wouldn’t have to work the cob all the way down to the ground (even if we’d had enough, it would have slid down somewhere). |
And there we go – finished, and the stove is all “fired up” (sorry)! Ozawa-san cooks food above the flames by placing metal dishes on top – you can see the ring mark already. And note the meats hanging up in the smoke box – opened up for the photo opportunity! It may be small, but my goodness it produces some phenomenal flavours. And there were still a couple in store for us: little cakes of rice dough filled with sweet bean paste, washed down with some traditional tea. Lovely :) |
I really hope Byron and this champion food producer manage to make their business partnership work. Both parties are offering guests a uniquely traditional, yet luxurious experience; now it’s just a matter of spreading the word! I’ll be sure to post details and photos later, when Byron’s newly-renovated guest house is up and running :) |