Context can be everything. Even though we have lived in Japan for many years, we still think and act instinctively like a westerner.
My husband and I had lunch at a favorite lunch buffet recently. He came back to our table with some fish and commented that they had avocado for the fish and how unusual that was. I was so excited!! He got some for me too. I slathered it all over my fish as he took the first bite. I am so glad that he took that first bite. Turns out it was wasabi! The heat from wasabi can make you feel like your face is coming off. The only good thing about it is that the heat doesn’t last like it does when eating hot peppers. We should have known that it was wasabi. After all, we were in Japan and when did we ever see them serve avocado with fish? I’m sure that when we see what looks like avocado in the future, we will be more apprehensive.
P.S. Wasabi is good in moderation swirled in soy sauce, especially with sushi.
Drinking at the Springs 