Umami Crackers
A poem about delicious, savory taste
A special, sticky treat from
the Japanese market
where my family shopped every Sunday:
mixed, crisp crackers painted
with brown sugar and soy sauce,
dispensed in bags and boxes
covered in hiragana characters
that only my grandparents could read.
***
Pungent, wasabi-colored
balls the size of gumdrops
that crunched between my teeth
and cleared my nostrils
(good to eat when sick).
Round, brown senbei
that took two bites
or puffed out my cheeks
if I put several in my mouth.
And the ultimate favorite:
seaweed-covered sticks
the size of a finger joint
called nori maki arare
that were both salty and sweet.
***
I’d hold each cracker on my tongue
to let the salt and sugar percolate
but then crunch down before sogginess:
an absolute treat to be enjoyed sparingly.
The crackers were expensive
and put out when company visited—
kids only got a handful each.
***
Translated to English,
umami means:
delicious, savory taste.
Americans call it
monosodium glutamate.
But where is the poetry in that?
About the Creator
Alison McBain
Alison McBain writes fiction & poetry, edits & reviews books, and pens a webcomic called “Toddler Times.” In her free time, she drinks gallons of coffee & pretends to be a pool shark at her local pub. More: http://www.alisonmcbain.com/
Keep reading
More stories from Alison McBain and writers in Poets and other communities.
Two Wrinkles In Time
It is pointless to run, my darling, because sixty seconds ago, I will kill you. My blade will have sliced reality open right in front of you. It will have first pierced it as it would a bed sheet left hanging to dry, flapping in the wind on a Sunday afternoon. But the metal will have drawn a line in the air that the ghostly tear will have followed. Then I, La Dyablès, machete firmly in hand, will have emerged from what your mind, at the time, could only interpret as the other side of here—whatever that means to you. I know. I have seen that look on the faces of countless unlucky… clients. You will not have been the first nor the last to try and reneg on a riches for soul contract only to present this visage to me when I come to collect.
By Lily Séjor4 days ago in Fiction
Comments (5)
My mouth is watering. Loved this poem!
Loved the last stanza Alison! You blend nostalgia with vivid imagery, particularly in “I’d hold each cracker on my tongue to let the salt and sugar percolate but then crunch down before sogginess”, and make these crackers come alive!
Where is the poetry in the American version, indeed! I've had the crackers and they're not my drink, so to speak, but I loved how you described them. I could taste the happiness coming off the page. Congratulations on your placement in the challenge!
Congratulations, Alison! I REALLY want to try these crackers!
Beautiful poem, full of great imagery and nostalgic memories! The last few lines had a great comedic punch! Wonderful, Alison!