Tokyo Ghoul is an anime that I had heard a lot about but took a while to sit down and watch. I am sorry I waited so long because it’s very good.  Note: this series is violent and at times gory so if those types of anime turn you off I don’t suggest watching. For those of you that don’t mind violent anime, but want a quality storyline, I highly recommend this one. Adapted from the manga back in 2014, Tokyo Ghoul finally aired in the states in 2017; the first season is available for streaming currently on Hulu.

Tokyo Ghoul is set in an alternate reality where ghouls, human-like creatures who survive by eating human flesh, live among normal humans in secret. The story follows Ken Kaneki, a sweet, naïve college student who goes on a date with a girl named Rize, who reveals herself as a ghoul and attempts to eat him. He is taken to the hospital in critical condition after they are both crushed in a freak accident.  After recovering, Kaneki discovers that he has been transformed him into a half-ghoul because in order to save him, the doctors used some of Rize’s organs.

Now, like normal ghouls, he must consume human flesh to survive.  Some of his struggles include trying to navigate the strange culture he finds himself in and how he fits in with both human and ghouls since he is now both and neither, as well as trying to reconcile the battle inside himself in terms of human/ghoul. In addition, he finds himself in the middle of the authorities ongoing mission to eradicate ghouls from existence and his friends hunted down as well as, witnessing gangs of hungry ghouls killing innocent people. Throw in some torture, face masks, and crazy weapons…this party never stops.

In a show whose characters eat human flesh I didn’t expect to find any food I would be able to make from it. However there is a scene in the episode “Captivity” that features food with a lot of meaning behind it and I thought I would share my insights and a recipe.

In this scene Nakajima, Amon and Kusaba have lunch together. Amon orders a kakiage bowl, Nakajima orders shrimp tempura and chicken onigiri, and the viewer doesn’t see Kusaba order or eat. Later, upon leaving the restaurant, Nakajima and Kusaba are caught with their guard down and Kusaba is killed by Rabbit. After Kusaba’s funeral, Amon and Nakajima go back to the restaurant for lunch. Nakajima talks about how he would always have to pay for Kusaba’s meals, but he is more upset that he will be eating alone from now on. In response to this, Amon explains that he is very hungry and cannot pay for his meal. They share a smile, knowing that this is how they plan to keep Kusaba’s memory alive.

This scene is significant to the outcome of the situation when examined more closely. We realize that the two men that order in the beginning of the scene, live; the man that isn’t shown ordering or eating, does not.  This subtly reinforces the theme of this show that in order to survive one must eat. This is a reflection of the lesson that Ken is learning as a new ghoul. He is repulsed by the idea of eating human flesh, but he must in order to survive.  The message here is that eating is the equivalent of surviving. Overall, this series maintains that food is the top most means of self preservation in this series.

It is also interesting that Kusaba’s memory will be kept alive through the consuming of food because we never see him do it.

To get back to the actual food, I have never cooked any type of Japanese food before and to be honest the idea of making this scared the hell out of me. However, I did a ton of research and read through it enough times that I felt I was ready; ultimately once I started the dishes, I had no idea what I was stressing about.

I started with the onigiri prep. I cut my chicken into tiny pieces which is better for onigiri because it’s easier to fill the rice when using smaller pieces. Then I cooked the chicken in the liquids and let sit to cool. I made the rice in my Instant pot which only takes about 5 minutes, but if you don’t have an IP, use whatever rice cooker you do have and follow directions accordingly. While I waited for my rice and chicken to cool, I made the tempura.

I prepped my shrimp, which was one of the things that stressed me out but in the end was simple. I purchased my shrimp already deveined and then proceeded to remove the shell and legs leaving the tail intact. I then made small cuts along the underside of the shrimp so I would be able to lay it out flat. Since my shrimp had been previously frozen they were really wet, which would interefere with the batter/frying so I dabbed at the end of the tail with a paper towl and wiggled it a bit to get excess water out.

Another trick to tempura is to keep everything cold. I sifted my flour and measured my water and placed everything inside the fridge so it would be really cold when I was ready to use it. I had also read that vegetable oil was the best oil for making this type of dish so I bought a fresh bottle and added it to my fryer and set the temperature. Once the temperature was right I mixed my batter and went to work making the shrimp.

The tempura is fairly quick to cook and once I had them all fried and laid out, I assembled my onigiri. I purchased an onigiri mold for this project because I figured I would take the easiest route possible with a food that I had no experience making however, my husband made a few with his hands that came out just as well. So, if you don’t have a mold it’s no biggie.

I have to admit that I have never been as impressed with myself for making a dish as I was with this one! I was so happy that my food looked like it was supposed to and tasted great. My husband was so impressed that he bragged on FB about my culinary skills! So, for the characters in Tokyo Ghoul this meal is one that represents life and I have to say it brought some life to my kitchen!

Shrimp Tempura:

•  1 lb shrimp large or jumbo
• corn starch for dusting
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cold water
• 1 egg
•  vegetable oil for frying

1. Prep the shrimp: Begin by shelling the shrimp but still leave the tail & last section of shell intact. Make 3-4 cuts along the underside of the shrimp, but be careful not to cut all the way through. You should be able to lay them flat on their bellies without the shrimp curving or rolling over. Dab at the tails with a paper towel to remove excess water.
2. Fill the deep fryer or skillet with vegetable oil and heat to about 350 degrees. You can check if oil is ready to fry by sticking a wooden chopstick in the oil; if it boils around the wood, the oil is ready.
3. Prepare the batter: Sift flour into a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl (or measuring cup), add the egg to the cold water and whisk them together. Skim the foam off the surface.
4.  Slowly pour the egg water into the flour, then slowly mix together until the flour is mostly saturated. Don’t worry about clumps in the batter – that’s totally okay.
5. Dust the shrimp with corn starch, then dip them in the batter. Drop them in the heated oil, trying not to crowd them together. Three shrimp at a time is probably best.
6. Let the shrimp sizzle until the batter is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place the shrimp on a paper towel to cool and soak off excess oil. Serve them immediately.

Chicken Onigiri

• 1 cup sushi rice or other short grain or even medium grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 pound​ chicken thigh meat
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 2 Tablespoons sake
• 2 Tablespoons mirin
• 1-2 sheets roasted seasoned seaweed (optional)

1. Rinse the rice in cool water until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a rice cooker and follow directions according to your device. When finished, uncover, stir, and let cool. To speed up the cooling, you can spread rice on a baking sheet or tray.
2.  While the rice cooks, chop the chicken thighs into small pieces. Put the chicken, soy sauce, sake, and mirin in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is almost completely absorbed about 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. You can speed the cooling by spreading the chicken on a baking sheet or tray in a thin layer.
3. If using an onigiri mold: Start off by wetting your mold. Remember to re-wet the mold between  each onigiri. Add rice into the mold to just below the half-way mark.  Use the back of a rice paddle to spread the rice out evenly in the mold. Make a small indentation in the rice for the filling to go in.Place a small amount of your filling into the center of the rice – do not overstuff!  Add additional rice to fill the mold.Use the lid of the mold and press down onto the rice.  Remove the lid, invert the mold, and press down on the center ‘button’ to help the rice ball slide out.
4. If using your hands: Fill a bowl with warm water and stir in some salt.  You will use this to dip your hands in from time to time in order to keep the rice from sticking to you.  How much salt is up to you (you can omit it altogether if you like). Dip your hands in the water, then scoop out a handful of rice (about 1/2 a cup) into one hand.  Using the other hand, make an indentation in the rice and place some filling (about a teaspoon) inside.  Use your hands to mold and press the rice around the filling. You can then shape your rice ball into a triangle, circle, or cylinder.
5. Wrap the onigiri with strips of seaweed.