Boiling of Kanawa

(Oita Godo Newspaper, April 29^th 2010, morning paper, Page 11)

Boiling of Kanawa

Hell steam Workshop, Opened for a month

Beppu city, Kanawa Area, you are able to experience with "hell steam" cuisine easily, in "hello steam workshop, kanawa", was opened from 28 of April for a month.  According to people living in the same city, there are about 6300 who made their own "hell steam cuisine". This event has caused an increase in the people who are walking in kanawa, and the place has become livelier.

The hell steam workshop is made up of 15 kettles, and if you pay 500yen, you are able to use the kettles for 30 minutes. The high temperature of the onsen, causes the food to be steam in an instant, hence the food still retains its rich flavor.

During the start, women staff explained the cooking methods, and then the customers can buy the ingredients from the nearby shops. "Everyone could enjoy the food", said the staff. During weekdays, there are around 100 people and during the weekends, there are about 200 to 300 people. During the onsen festival, which is from April 1 to 4, it is free to use the equipments, about 2700 people tried out.

From morning 11 am to 3 pm in the afternoon is the time where most people make use of the hell steam workshop. There is time for waiting, buying the ingredients, beside, there are newly established foot onsen and steam baths for feet available at request.

"It is a new and interesting way, buying the food, making the food on vacation", said a family from Kumamoto on vacation. On the 25^th, foreign students from China, Taiwan, and Korea tried the Hell steam workshop. Kim unson from Korea, a student of Ritsumeikan Asia pacific university, said that it is the first them that she tried cooking this way, and that the food is sweet and tasty.

For tourist, there are prawns and crabs, shellfish set. There will be also a set which you can buy in Hell steam workshop.

Comments

I think that Hells steam workshop is definitely interesting. I have eaten "onsen eggs" and they taste totally different form the normal eggs that we eat every day. It is not fully cooked, yet its tasty and sweet. I am sure that it would be a treat for anyone to eat in the Hell steam kitchen.

Being from Singapore, I have not experienced things like onsens, eating onsen food. I think that it's definitely a very healthy and tasty. If I have a chance, I would like to go and have lunch in hell steam kitchen.

Tay Zhong Jie Edwin

Singapore

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, APM 4