The Monkeyman in Japan: The Mega Melon Pan!

You know how in the last blog post I said that I didn't want to update via my phone? Firstly; because it's too limited in a great many ways, and secondly; I found out the hard way that trying to do so is pretty damn infuriating, too.

So unfortunately, despite trying, I've not managed to update again for another few days! X_x

The reason being is because I've had yet another busy weekend and not really of my own volition. The wife dragged me down to Nagano to see the her family. Again.

We make this trip around once a month, if she doesn't have any other plans to occupy her time, and each time I absolutely HATE IT.

It takes around 5 hours to get from where we live into Iida, Nagano, to see her folks and even though I'm not the one driving (no Japanese license) I'll tell you what, by the end of it I feel like I've had my entire life force drained from me. 

It still confuses the heck out of me as to why you can get so tired doing absolutely nothing at all! Anyone got an answer for me?

The only upside to this trip is that along the way we always stop at the same service station in Taga. You might be asking, "where the hell is that?" Well, let me provide a couple of points of reference; It's right in between Kyoto and Nagoya, and it's quite literally right next to Biwa Lake (the largest freshwater lake in Japan).

If you still don't know where the hell I mean, then...well...get a map?

Now, why do I say that stopping here is the only upside? Is it because it has some beautiful scenery or a great monument to behold or anything like that? No, not that I would know of anyway because we almost always do this trip during the night (cue the vampire jokes.)

The reason why it's an upside, and I'm being serious, is Melon Pan (メロンパン). 

Melon Pan is a type of sweet bun covered in a thin cookie coated crust which, strangely, doesn't taste anything like melons at all.

The reason why it's called melon pan is simply superficial. I also just wanna point out that "pan" is borrowed from the Portuguese for "bread" or "buns" which the Japanese use referring to sweet and savoury alike.

The "melon" part comes from the fact that after they've been made, they kinda look like halves of melons after they've been baked, minus the green-ness. Unless you buy the fukushima green tea variety.

I guess it sounds more appetizing than "Turtle Shell Pan"?

Yes, as I mentioned in a previous post, nothing is safe from the green pixie dust they put in everything. But don't worry it's not all that popular a flavour for melon pan (Japanese have some sense, somewhere, I guess?)

Even though melon pan doesn't usually taste of melons, it's not hard to find one that does because there's usually a large selection available;

The normal 100￥ ones that are soft, doughy and kinda chewwy (nice!), the Bakery versions which are a bit drier and crumblier, the flat, sugary versions, the cream-filled version, the chocolate-chip ones, the green tea-flavoured ones, the melon-flavoured ones, the strawberry-flavoured ones, dotted, ribbed, extra ribbed for her pleasure... wait, what was I talking about again?

But it all comes down to these ones that I find at Taga service area. The Mega Melon Pan!

A little notice at the side saying "Please do not touch"...Unfortunately I only saw it afterwards.
I hope no-one sees the finger-mark I left in one of them...

These beasts measure a whopping 30cm in diameter, compared to the usual 10cm lot, but don't think it sacrifices quality for quantity because these still have all the melon-y goodness of the originals.

The only downside is that because there's so much, you'll end up doing what I did and try to eat it all in one go only to end up feeling sick for a good few hours afterwards.


As an afternote, not related to the main part of this post; I really can't wait til the Asus Transformer Prime comes out in Japan.

That way I'll be able to keep up with blogging whilst at work (in my down time, only, of course.) I just hope that the Polaris Office on that isn't as infuriating as with what I had on my phone.

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