A food that Daiki Shigeoka of WEST. reportedly always keeps in his freezer became a topic of discussion on a television program.
The reason he gave had less to do with an elaborate cooking method than with taste and ease of preparation.
The conversation about one frozen-food product offers a glimpse of how he envisions the dinner table on a tiring day.
3-Line Summary
1. Daiki Shigeoka recommended frozen okonomiyaki
2. The product includes sauce, mayonnaise, and toppings
3. The recommendation on the program reflects one person’s way of eating
“I Always Keep It in the Freezer”
According to a Sponichi report, WEST. member Daiki Shigeoka appeared on Fuji TV’s 〈Honmadeka!? TV〉 on August 26. The program’s theme that day was frozen foods. During the broadcast, Shigeoka introduced a frozen food that he always keeps in his freezer.
What he recommended was TableMark’s “Gottsu Umai Okonomiyaki.” Speaking to the effect that he was shocked when he first tried it, he repeatedly praised it as “really very delicious.” The remarks made on the program were not the product’s official description or a ranking, but rather his personal recommendation after actually eating it.
Shigeoka mentioned that he usually makes spice curry and sometimes grills salmon to eat for breakfast. The fact that he, who was introduced as someone who enjoys cooking for himself, recommended a frozen food was also part of the conversation. Rather than suggesting that home-cooked meals and frozen foods are in opposition, the exchange showed that the choice may vary depending on the circumstances of the day.
The expression he emphasized in particular was “I absolutely keep it in the freezer.” This was explained as meaning that it was not merely a passing recommendation after trying it once, but a food he keeps on hand in advance to eat when needed. On the program, the product was closer to a staple food kept in reserve that could be chosen after returning home than to something reserved for a special occasion.
A Package That Includes Sauce and Even a Paper Plate
Taste was not the only advantage Shigeoka mentioned. He introduced the product as including mayonnaise, sauce, bonito flakes, and dried seaweed flakes. He specifically pointed out that there was no need to look separately for accompaniments to place on the okonomiyaki.
One notable item among the components he mentioned was the paper plate. He explained that the paper plate inside the package could be used as is, so all one needed was chopsticks. This reduces the steps of preparing a plate after heating the food and taking out the sauce and toppings. Shigeoka’s recommendation focuses less on the broad category of frozen foods than on a package that reduces the small preparations required just before eating a meal.
He gave the example of times when, after returning home, he feels “I don’t want to do anything.” On such occasions, he said he heats it in the microwave and eats it with alcohol. This was the eating situation he presented on the program. It did not mean that everyone eats it at the same time or in the same way; for Shigeoka, it was one form of a meal that could be taken out without hassle.
His praise of the taste and his comment that the toppings and plate did not need to be prepared separately were connected. The key point he conveyed was that one whole okonomiyaki could be eaten immediately without complicated cooking. The reason for keeping it in the freezer is difficult to separate from that convenience.
Sanma and Yoshida Continue the Conversation About “Sauce Flavor”
Host Sanma Akashiya also responded to the effect that the quality of frozen okonomiyaki and frozen takoyaki had improved. Sanma said, to the effect, that he had once distrusted okonomiyaki in Tokyo to the point of not trusting it, but was surprised that frozen foods had reached this level. This was not an official evaluation of the product, but Sanma’s personal impression expressed during the television conversation.
Takashi Yoshida of the comedy duo Black Mayonnaise, who appeared alongside them, said to the effect that people from western Japan have days when they start needing a sauce flavor about once a month. Shigeoka agreed, saying, “That’s exactly right.” The discussion of okonomiyaki’s flavor naturally led to the sensation of wanting a sauce flavor.
Shigeoka described keeping this product on his table as feeling “like a good-luck charm.” He was not saying that it had to be eaten every day as a staple. Rather, the metaphor seemed to convey that it could be taken out of the freezer on days when he thought of it, when he had little energy for preparation, or when he wanted a familiar sauce flavor.
What Shigeoka said on this broadcast was a preference for one product. However, the way he explained that preference was clear: keeping it in the freezer, heating it in the microwave, not preparing accompaniments separately, and being able to eat it with only chopsticks. The reason he recommended it was that these conditions were all present together.
References
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