Nutella

   Nutella isn't exactly common in Japan, but it certainly is a perfect match for Japanese bread. The combination is so rich and sweet that it's practically like eating cake. I brought my Nutella back from Italy because I had heard that the Italian-made kind tastes different than what we get in America, but unfortunately I'm not discriminating enough to tell the difference. Italian Nutella is definitely very sweet, so sweet that it hurts my teeth, and I would have thought that if the European recipe changed anything from the American one it would have been to tone down the sugar. Living abroad, I really have noticed my sense of sweetness changing - I remember being shocked when a Japanese lady sitting next to me on my very first flight to Japan gave me the pack of Oreos that came with our meals and told me she didn't like American cookies, but now I feel the same way. Japanese cookies are definitely sweet, but not quite as aggressive about it, and they usually feel more balanced between the sugar and the butter.
   This may be heresy to Nutella lovers, but I really think I like peanut butter better. So much for imagining that I have superior tastes to those Oreo-loving compatriots of mine. Europeans, Japanese, and probably the rest of the world looks down on peanut butter but I went through three big bottles in the past three months and fully exhausted my supply. They do sell it here, but being imported it's ridiculously expensive. And Yuri will be here next week, bringing me two more bottles ... thank goodness! Meanwhile, I'm forced to eat Nutella. What a tough life!