Genghis Khan Comes for 7-11

And Lawson Serves Chilled Tofu

7-11 is releasing the “Lamb Genghis Khan” onigiri. After wasting nearly an hour investigating it, I’ve concluded it has no lamb and has nothing to do with Genghis Khan. Let’s break this down. 

Genghis Khan onigiri

The kanji on the package reads 成吉思汗. This is the Chinese transcription of the original Mongolian, which is rarely used in Japanese. The katakana – much more commonly used – reads “Lamb Genghis Khan”. All told, the package reads “Genghis Khan Lamb Genghis Khan”. 7-11 is really selling the Genghis Khan! 

The crux of this item is ベル食品「成吉思汗たれ」使用、 which means “with Bell Foods ‘Genghis Khan’ Sauce”. A simple search reveals the sauce on Bell Food’s website.

Genghis Khan sauce

The sauce’s description reads: “We have skillfully blended soy sauce-based, moderate acidity, aromatic vegetables, and spices. It is a Genghis Khan sauce that brings out the deliciousness of lamb and mutton.”

The Mongols commonly consumed sheep. Now we’re getting somewhere! 

Now, let’s look at the sauce’s ingredient list: 

• soy sauce

• beet sugar 

• molasses sugar

• salt

• hydrolyzed protein

• brewed vinegar

• onion paste

• fructose-glucose syrup

• fermented seasoning

• spices

• garlic paste

• honey

• ginger extract

• mirin

• onion extract

• onion powder

• yeast extract

• ginger paste / seasonings (amino acids, etc.)

• acidulant

• caramel color

• spice extract (includes wheat and soy in parts).

No hint of sheep or any animal product at all! Perhaps that’s a good thing. Why sacrifice a sheep when you can achieve its flavor with fructose corn syrup and yeast extract? 

Finally, the English: “Lamb, Onion & Soy Sauce”. There is no lamb in this product. It’s a damn lie.

Bell Foods has mixed up stuff, claims it tastes like lamb, branded the thing “Genghis Khan Sauce”, and 7-11 has put this sauce into an onigiri and called it the Genghis Khan Lamb Genghis Khan onigiri. 

Now I’ve wasted two minutes of your time. 

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Item of the Week

Summer is coming. Everyone in Japan will soon be beading sweat head to toe while frantically wiping their bodies with Gatsby Cool Wipes. Aside from blowing arctic-level air conditioning, the conbini expands its cold dish offerings to help beat the heat. 

Lawson is dishing out a Cold Bukkake Tofu. For the anime avatars out there, stop chuckling. This doesn’t mean what you think it means. “Bukkakeru” means “to pour” or “to splash”. It’s commonly used as a culinary descriptor. For example, “Bukkake Udon” is udon noodles in a soy sauce-based broth. This block of tofu is seasoned with a secret sauce and topped with tempura bits, seaweed, and bonito flakes. 

Foreigners commonly overlook tofu because we’ve been trained that it sucks. When I was growing up it’s what vegetarians ate. A sorry slab of tasteless soy slapped on a saute pan or a grill and choked down with a liter of coke. In Japan tofu can be spectacular, especially homemade tofu.

When I worked in Kanazawa, an old man rode a bike with a wagon that carried homemade tofu right by our office two or three times a week. At least once a week I purchased something because it was so damn good. The texture was creamy and the flavor was subtle but satisfying. A splash of soy sauce and some green onion was all it needed. 

The tofu wagon

Head to Lawson, grab a beer and some cold tofu, sit by a river, and enjoy. 

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From the Dumpster

“Delightfully crunchy” is how they’re describing “Iburi Gakko Cheese”. Iburi Gakko is pickled daikon radish. In the picture it appears black. This is because it’s pickled in soy sauce and then smoked. It’s a speciality in Akita Prefecture. Here it’s encased in cheese. 

Its appearance is unappetizing. Long, thin strands of cheese infected with something. But as I consider the description, I think this would pair well with a beer or sake. In fact, I’m tempted to select another item for this segment, but I spent so much time unraveling the Genghis Khan mystery that I can’t be bothered. I say go dumpster diving at 7-11 this week and get some Iburi Gakko Cheese!

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Conbini Haiku

Conbini lights glow

Echoes of Genghis Khan's reign

In each barcode's scan

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The Conbini Chronicles

Read the second chapter of our conbini-themed children’s book.

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