An opposite, yet related, experience comes to mind. In 1979, while working in Japan on a project with the Lux Corporation, the foremost manufacturers of hi-fi equipment, I was taken by my minder, a company executive who never left my side, to a less than modest restaurant underneath a group of railway arches in Osaka. My friend informed me that the chef was a great and much respected master. There were two or three diners sitting at small tables and an empty counter at which we sat on high stools. The master chef, an elderly sage, sat on a high stool in a corner and did nothing but silently watch a younger man whom I supposed to be his son. A discussion took place between my friend and the young chef and agreement was reached that we would eat the flat fish being presented for inspection. The chef drew a razor sharp knife lightly across the soft dark skin in meticulously parallel lines. With each diagonal cut a strip of skin rolled itself into a perfect curl which was carefully placed upon a plate and put aside. The knife then lifted the unbroken flesh from each side of the bone leaving a perfectly clean, intact, skeleton. The flesh was cooked and we ate our fish with serious pleasure. Meanwhile a gentleman had arrived at the counter and after discussion with the chef had placed his order. A few minutes later I noticed that our neighbor had been given the plate containing the uncooked curls of skin from our fish—over which I felt some proprietary rights. I whispered to my companion, “He’s eating our skin.” He replied, “I know. It is more expensive than our flesh.” I was speechless. My companion went on to ask, “Would you like to try the bones?” Intrigued by this once in a lifetime opportunity I welcomed the challenge. The pristine trellis of the skeleton was brought back to the counter, the spine was removed by the young chef with two deft cuts to leave a pair of latticed sheets which were cut into one inch squares of bone. Deep fried for a moment in very hot oil and drained, they produced deliciously crisp morsels that melted like fragile flakes of pastry in the mouth. On the following day, a magnificent party took place to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of Lux and the opening of a large new building to house the company. The event was attended by executives of Lux distribution agencies throughout the world who were flown in by Lux for the occasion. The elderly chef I had met
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