Japanese trials sensation Tomomi Nishikubo loves food so much that he’s always thinking about which dishes he’d like to treat himself to after a tough ride. His wife, on the other hand, sees it solely as sustenance. Tomomi tells Kari Young about his favorite foods, as well as some of the easy recipes he makes for himself when his wife isn’t there to indulge in her favourite pastime of cooking...
The food and drink that sustains some of our favourite riders
“For me, food is for pleasure. Of course, it’s important for my health, too, so, I’m always thinking about that. But after practice or a show, I’ll always have one of my favourite dishes.
Choosing the meal is the most difficult problem, because I have so many preferences! I love Chinese food so much, and sushi, of course. But I guess sashimi is the best. Not fish sashimi, though – beef or horse sashimi! It’s very popular here. Horse sashimi is expensive in Japan, but is full of good protein. It’s really good for my body.”
BREAKFAST
“When I wake up, I just drink water. But when it’s time to eat breakfast, I usually have some rice and miso soup, with baked fish, pork or chicken. It depends on my wife, because she loves cooking for me. Sometimes I have pancakes or oatmeal, because it’s really boring to have the same meal every day. I also enjoy European Continental-style breakfast stuff now and then, or fruit or salad.”
LUNCH
“My wife usually cooks, but sometimes I make something easy for myself, like tacos with rice, or ramen. The first dish I learned to make was gyudon [recipe above]. That’s a very typical food in Japan. it’s kind of a ‘beef bowl’. Sometimes I add sake [rice wine] for a treat, and then it tastes like [sweet hotpot-style dish] sukiyaki!”
RIDE FUEL
“When I go out for longer rides, I bring rice balls called onigiri, with something salty in them, like umeboshi [pickled and dried plums], seaweed or tuna with mayonnaise. I put these salty things in the rice, make a ball and wrap some paper or plastic around it. Before a race or training, I usually have rice, beef, a banana and a protein shake. I often make a bento box, too – rice, beef, eggs, tomatoes or some other vegetables in a lunchbox.”
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
“I love barbecues with my friends – that’s my treat dish. But, actually I never care that much about [treats
