Flash in the Pan

Anyone familiar at all with Japanese culture and cuisine know that the country is a hotbed of both culinary tradition and innovation. Who else could give the world both the aesthetics of the tea ceremony and the plastic replica food that welcomes patrons at many restaurants?

But the fascination with all things food never stops in Japan as this week brings news of two different ways to use existing foods. Someone in the country's dairy region has found a way to make beer out of milk because the Japanese have been drinking less of the liquid and something had to be done with the surplus. (This might explain an outbreak of smiling infants there.)

The other story is of a Japanese spa that lets couples literally bathe in chocolate. I thought this must be a first, but I should have known better. A bit of research showed that the chocolate-themed town of Hershey, PA has a spa with chocolate wraps and baths, the ESTHEVA Spa in Singapore has chocolate bathing and massage, and a Toronto hotel also lets you make a chocolate splash. And if you can't get away from it all, there's even a chocolate bath liquid for home use.