Trying new food in a foreign country can be an adventure. Before coming to Japan, I had heard of and tasted many popular dishes such as ramen, rice balls, and Japanese dumplings. I knew the food would be different in Japan and it is true; those foods do not taste exactly the same in the US as they do here. But I have also tried some food I had never had before (and there’s more I still haven't tried). Luckily, I am able to try many foods because I have a meal plan at AIU, so I don't have to worry too much about finding food to cook.
There are always at least three meal choices in the dining hall: meat, fish, and vegetarian. Every meal comes with a choice of white rice and miso soup. At the very beginning of the line are the refrigerators which hold the desserts.
I have learned that “dessert” usually means fruit (like pineapple and mandarin oranges) and jelly cubes, but it sometimes means mochi (rice cake balls) or pieces of pancakes. I look forward to having fruit for dessert because it is very expensive in Japan compared to the States. Another fairly common dessert is aloe vera, which I had certainly never eaten before now, as I had only used it for sunburns.
With meals, there is usually a small side dish with some sort of mystery vegetable.
