Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Obon Festival

Spam Sushi


The other day I went to my favorite Obon Festival at the Venice Hongwangju Buddhist Temple in Mar Vista on Centinela and Braddock. I grew up just a couple blocks away and have been attending the festival since I was young. The highlight of the menu this year was the Hawaiian staple, Spam sushi. I talked my friend into getting it so I could photograph it for my faithful readers. I did not taste it - maybe I will work up the nerve next year. Lamb's tongues: YES, Spam sushi: NO.

Wontons

Udon

Dango

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My local obon festibal is at a small temple on Missouri near Sawtelle and it's this coming weekend or next weekend. Which made me think just when does Obon occur. I found this information:

Obon is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th day of the 7th month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar. However, since the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Obon is still celebrated in mid August in many regions of Japan, while it is celebrated in mid July in other regions. The Obon week in mid August is one of Japan's three major holiday seasons.

This doesn't seem to coincide w/ your festival or mine. Strange.

Darlene said...

Spam is a difficult food to get used to unless you grew up with it. To this day, it's tough for me to trust canned meat but for some reason, spam tastes better fried and with plain white rice.

Just only recently I got my boyfriend to try spam and he craves it! Not bad for a Michigan born and bred guy.

I, on the otherhand, cannot imagine trying lamb's tongue.