Showing posts with label Z sushi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Z sushi. Show all posts

4/20/2012

Michelin

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Michelin about Japan

Michelin has been active to rate restaurants in Tokyo.

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The tour guide Michelin awarded 191 stars to 150 restaurants in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, the most number of stars awarded in any city.
Paris so far had the most stars, 65.

Michelin and Tokyo Food


 List of some Tokyo Restaurants


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quote December 2007

Michelin Tokyo takes Japan by storm
Guide sells out nationwide, but critics question rating system's validity

By REIJI YOSHIDA
Japan Times

A new book released last month has created a sensation and is selling like hotcakes in Japan, with bookstores being picked clean of the initial stock of 120,000 copies in only three days.

Michelin guides Director Jean-Luc Naret speaks about the famous restaurant guide during a recent interview in Tokyo's Iidabashi district. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO

Its publisher printed an additional 150,000 copies and put them on shelves on Dec. 12, but they also quickly disappeared from bookstores up and down the country.
The book in question is the Japanese version of Michelin Tokyo 2008, the first Asian edition of the prestigious gastronomic guidebook.

Kazumi Kawashima, an employee at Yaesu Book Center near Tokyo Station, said the only book she can remember selling like this was the "Harry Potter" series.

"We started selling the book at 8 a.m. (on Nov. 22) outside the store — two hours before the store itself opened. We ran out of our stock before noon the same day," Kawashima said.

..... But what has surprised people the most is perhaps not the book's impressive sales, but the fact that all of the 150 restaurants listed in Michelin Tokyo carry at least one prestigious star.

..... That means Tokyo is now considered the world leader in terms of the sheer number of Michelin stars awarded.

..... Before launching the Tokyo project, Naret visited other Asian cities, including Hong Kong and Singapore. He said he was particularly impressed with Japanese people's passion for food and the quality of restaurants in Japan.

At a reception party to celebrate the publication of the book last month, he kiddingly urged reporters to buy a copy immediately because, he joked, all the copies would soon be gone from bookstores.

 source: Japan Times . Dec. 29, 2007


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Critics dispute Michelin regard for Tokyo food

By ERIC TALMADGE,
Associated Press Writer
Mon Aug 25, 2008


TOKYO - Paris might still be good if you've got a big wad of cash and want the best of the best. But Tokyo is really where it's at food-wise, at least according to the French people who keep track of these things.

When the venerable Michelin guide came out with its first Tokyo edition, it was so full of praise that it almost read like a press release for the Japan Restaurant Association. Its conclusion — Tokyo is the culinary capital of the world.

But is it, really?

Here's a Michelin morsel:

"Tokyo is a shining star in the world of cuisine," Michelin Guides Director Jean-Luc Naret said shortly after its Tokyo edition came out last November. "We found the city's restaurants to be excellent, featuring the best ingredients, culinary talents and a tradition passed on from generation to generation and refined by today's chefs."

Michelin's Tokyo guide awarded a whopping 191 stars to 150 restaurants in the Japanese capital, the most number of stars awarded in any city. Previously, Paris had the most stars, at 65. Eight restaurants in Tokyo — three French, two sushi bars and three traditional Japanese — received Michelin's highest three-star rating.

Paris can still claim to have the most top-rated restaurants — with 10. New York has just three.

The announcement was a godsend for Japan, which has been trying for years to put a shine on a tourist industry muted by the country's notoriously high prices and a powerful lineup of rival attractions just beyond its shores — such as the fabled shopping districts of Hong Kong, the beaches of Thailand, and the rapid rise of Shanghai as one of Asia's most interesting cityscapes.

Treated as front-page news and trumpeted on TV broadcasts, Michelin's glowing review was also seen as confirmation of the value of something that the Japanese have long seen as a source of national pride — their mastery of sushi, raw fish and all the other famously subtle elements of Japan's indigenous cuisine.

The guide sold 120,000 copies in just three days.

It was a hard-won honor for Tokyo.

A team of three undercover European and two Japanese inspectors spent a year and a half visiting 1,500 of Tokyo's estimated 160,000 restaurants to decide on the ratings, according to Michelin. The guidebook series rates restaurants on excellence in cooking, service, decor and upkeep.

But the Michelin hype has met with a great deal of skepticism — especially from other reviewers.

One particularly controversial pick was a sushi bar that — though on just about everybody's list for quality — is located in a basement, is cramped even by Tokyo standards and shares its restroom with other tenants. Ambiance, it would seem, is pretty subjective.

Some of Michelin's competitors say there are bigger problems with Michelin's whole premise. Why, for example, are so many French restaurants at the top of the Tokyo list? Why no Chinese, no Italian, no palaces of tofu?

"There are a lot of great cities in the world," Tim Zagat, founder of the Zagat guides, told The Associated Press. "Tokyo is an exciting place to eat. But Paris is an exciting place to eat. So is Rome."

The question, he says, is whether Tokyo is better.

"I don't think it is helpful to make that kind of statement," Zagat said. "Tokyo has the best Japanese food in the world. But it is nowhere near as diverse as other cities."

There is no doubt Tokyo — the land of the Iron Chef — has an exceptionally well-developed restaurant scene.

Zagat said the reasons are many — not least of which being the fact that the Japanese like good food, they have money to spend on it and their native cuisine is highly refined and places a very strong emphasis on tradition, freshness and the natural balance of ingredients.

Another reason, however, is that dining in is often not an option, especially for business-related meals. Homes continue to be relatively small and cramped, and getting there often involves a long commute for all. Thus, restaurants have thrived, from the neighborhood bar to the whole areas of town that are built around after-hours entertaining.

Yasuo Terui, the editor of "Tokyo Ii Mise, Umai Mise (Tokyo Good Restaurant, Delicious Restaurant)" whose first edition went on sale in 1967, was also critical of Michelin, saying that it only scratched the surface of what there is to be had in Tokyo.

"I don't think Michelin knows anything about Japan," he said.

But he basically agreed with the rating of Tokyo as the world's best place to eat.

"I think we can call it the culinary capital of the world," he said. "If you try any cuisine, it's hard to go wrong in Tokyo."

Terui said part of the secret of Tokyo's success is that many of emerging Japanese chefs have studied Italian, French, Chinese and other international cuisines all over the world, and are trying to be creative by adding to them a fusion of Japanese tradition.

He added, however, that guides have limitations — some good places are bound to be overlooked.

"You can find many places that are not publicized at all but are still good, especially when you are traveling rural Europe," he said. "I'm sure it's similar in Japan, too."

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AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

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If You Go...

According to the Michelin Guides, Tokyo is the world's capital of good food. Of course, not everybody agrees. But when the lists come out, there are a few places that just seem to please everybody. Here are three that got Michelin's highest ranking, three stars, and also tend to get the nod in other lists as well. Dinner prices can range from $180-$280.

L'OSIER:
7-5-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, phone 011-81-3-3571-6050, http://www.shiseido.co.jp/e/losier/htmlver/index.htm
French food in Tokyo's swanky Ginza shopping and nightlife area under French chef Bruno Menard. Claims to be "More French than France." Ambiance is a mix of Japonism, art deco and 20th century French painters.

HAMADAYA:
3-13-5 Ningyo-cho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, phone 011-81-3-3661-5940, http://www.hamadaya.info/pc/english
Very Japanese. Meals may or may not include the services of geisha, depending on what kind of a dining experience the customer is looking for. Food is elegant classical Japanese cuisine, with a strong emphasis on seasonal elements, the finest ingredients and service on beautiful dishes. Location is an old geisha establishment by the Nihon Bridge, an older Tokyo neighborhood.

SUKIYABASHI JIRO:
4-2-15 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo, near JR Yurakucho Station/Ginza Station, phone 011-81-3-3535-3600.
Located near a subway exit in the basement of an office building, this place is the stuff of sushi legend. Chef Jiro Ono is a national treasure. The restaurant is tiny, seating only about 20 people at its counter and tables. Chefs make their way each day to the huge Tsukiji fish market, a short walk away, to find the best and freshest.

source: news.yahoo.com
By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer



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October 2009

Michelin Guide Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe
Keihanshin (京阪神)


October 13, 2009

Michelin Gives 3 Stars to 7 Kyoto, Osaka Restaurants

The Michelin Guide said it gave top billing to six traditional restaurants in Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto and one French eatery in Osaka in its debut coverage of the cities that pays homage to local cuisine.

The best-possible three-star rating was awarded to Kyoto outlets such as Chihana, a six-decade-old, family-run restaurant in the geisha district of Gion; Osaka’s Hajime, which opened last year and serves French food under owner-chef, Hajime Yoneda, won the title in Japan’s second-biggest business center. Kyoto won a combined 110 stars, shared among 85 restaurants and traditional hotels, known as “ryokans,” while Osaka had 79 stars among 65 restaurants, Michelin said in a statement.

“We are shocked,” said Yoshihiro Murata, owner of Kyoto- based Kikunoi, one of six restaurants awarded three stars. “We didn’t even know the judges had come by and had been focused on serving to satisfy our customers.”

The Kyoto-Osaka guide is Michelin’s second in Japan after the Tokyo edition, first released in November 2007 to media controversy over the French company’s perceived leaning toward foreign cuisines. Michelin has repeatedly denied that bias and defended its understanding of local food.

Kyoto Restaurants With Three Michelin Stars

Chihana (Traditional Japanese):
584 Minamigawa, Gionmachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Tel:+81-75-561-2741; http://kyotochihana.com/e/

Hyo-tei (Traditional Japanese):
35 Nanzen-ji Kusakawa-cho Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Tel: +81-75-771-4116; http://hyotei.co.jp/

Kikunoi Honten (Traditional Japanese):
459 Shimo Kawaramachi, Yasaka Torii Mae, Shimo Kawara dori,
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Tel: +81-75-561-0015; http://kikunoi.jp/store/

Kitcho Arashiyama Honten (Traditional Japanese):
58, Susukinobaba, SagaTenryuji, Ukyo, Kyoto, Japan
Tel: +81-75-881-1101;
http://www.kitcho.com/kyoto/english/about/index.html

Mizai (Traditional Japanese):
Maruyama park Higashiyama-ku Kyoto,Japan
Tel: +81-75-551-3310; http://www.mizai.net/annai.html

Tsuruya (Traditional Japanese):
30, Okazakihigashi-Tennocho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Tel: +81-75-761-0171; http://www.kyoto-tsuruya.co.jp/kyoto.html

Osaka Restaurants With Three Michelin Stars

Hajime (French):
1-9-11,Edohori,Nishi-ku, Osaka, Japan
Tel: +81-6-6447-6688; http://www.hajime-artistes.com/

source : www.bloomberg.com


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Friday, April 20, 2012

quote
Hokkaido's diverse cuisine recognized by Michelin

Hiroshi Nakamichi dreamed of becoming a great one-star restaurateur when he went to Lyon, France, with a Michelin guide in his hands, to work at Michelin-starred restaurants. More than 30 years later, his dream came more than true when his "bible" gave three stars to his Sapporo-based French restaurant Molière.

"I never thought three stars was possible," says owner-chef Nakamichi, 60.



The "Michelin Guide Hokkaido 2012,"
which hit store shelves today, brought tears and cheers to 69 restaurants and hotels awarded with the treasured Michelin stars. This is the first time Michelin has put Hokkaido on its reputable gastronomic map; the guide introduces 699 restaurants and hotels in the region.

The highest honor of three Michelin stars went to Japanese restaurants Sushi Tanabe and Nukumi, as well as to Nakamichi's Molière, all in the city of Sapporo. Michel Bras Toya Japon, which offers French cuisine in the town of Toyako, is also listed among the three-starred restaurants, all of which Michelin designates as "worth a special journey."

Nakamichi says Michelin's Hokkaido guide gave credit to restaurants that showcase Hokkaido's rich and diverse harvest.

"I thought Michelin made a bold decision by awarding stars to my restaurant, which serves very authentic French cuisine, leaving not so much room for creativity — even though creativity is something Michelin valued in its Tokyo guide," says Nakamichi.
Nakamichi's observation might be true.

After Michelin's eight famously anonymous food connoisseurs journeyed around Japan's largest chunk of land to wine and dine at 1,500 restaurants and hotels, they decided that Hokkaido offers too wide a variety of culinary experiences to apply their usual tack. In order to the embrace the gastronomic diversity, Michelin's inspectors took unusual steps.

For the first time in a Japanese Michelin restaurants and hotels guide, they added a Bib Gourmands selection, introducing 121 nonstar restaurants that offer reasonable gourmet experiences for under ¥3,500. They also listed 288 restaurants featuring local cuisine such as the mutton barbecue jingisukan, a dish named after Genghis Khan, whose Mongolian soldiers were said to have grilled mutton on their own helmets.

The biggest surprise came when Michelin recognized 19 ramen eateries, its first inclusion of the noodle dish in Michelin's five-year history in Japan.

"I did not even really know what the Michelin Guide was about," says Machimi Terui, 43, the owner-chef of ramen noodle shop Gentle-men in the town of Kyowa. The restaurant's name is a play on words, since men is Japanese for "noodle."

Hokkaido Prefecture has high hopes that the Michelin guide will bolster its already-robust tourism industry, especially in attracting visitors from outside of Japan. But how much the guide will contribute has yet to be tested, as the Hokkaido edition, unlike the guides for the Kanto and Kansai areas, is published in Japanese only. The prefecture says it will put an English translation on its official tourism website by summer.
source : www.japantimes.co.jp


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Related words

***** Restaurants in Japan


***** WASHOKU : General Information and References

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3/07/2010

UPDATE WS Toyokawa Inari

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Toyokawa Inarizushi 豊川いなり寿司
Toyokawa Inari 豊川稲荷 Fox Shrine at ToyokawaThe shrine has a compound with more than 800 fox statues.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

CLICK here for more photos Toyokawa Inarizushi Festa
いなり寿司フェスタin 豊川
The great fox shrine of Toyokawa in the old Mikawa region, now Aichi, is using this sushi to revitalize the old access road to the shrine.
The mascot of the town is called "Inarin" いなりん, a fox-type character with big white sushi rice grains on his back.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


They serve more than 100 different types of inarizushi, some topped with a cutlet and ketchup, some topped with a piece of broiled eel.

There is also a

CLICK for more photos okitsune baagaa
おきつねバーガー
"FOX Hamburger"

Instead of a bun, two pieces of square grilled tofu are used to sandwich a piece of cotelette with lettuce and ketchup !
It looks like a real burger !


http://washokufood.blogspot.com/2008/09/inarizushi.html


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3/05/2010

UPDATE WS Shinshu Salmon

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Shinshuu saamon 信州サーモン "salmon from Shinshu"

This is a cross-breed of rainbow trout and brown trout. It is a sweetwater lake trout fish.
Its taste is superb and very good for sushi and sashimi.
Its meat is finer than rainbow trout, but invitingly red.
The fish does not lay eggs and thus keeps all its energy for good taste. It is hoped to revive the local food industry with this fish.
From 長野県水産試験場
Nagano Prefectural fisheries experimental station.

. . . CLICK here for fish Photos !

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Ryugu no tsukai Oarfish

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Slender oarfish (Ryugu no tsukai)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Animal


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Explanation

ryuuguu no tsukai 竜宮の使い slender oarfish
lit.
Messenger from the palace of the Sea Dragon God

CLICK for more photos

sea serpent


This fish has been seen in greater numbers lately in the area of Kurobe and along the Nihonkai in winter 2009 / 2010.
In Japan, when these fish show in larger numbers, they are seen as a forebode for an earthquake.

When fishermen find them in their nets, they usually put them back, because their meat is not very tasty.

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quote
Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic Lampriform comprising the small family Regalecidae. Found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains four species in two genera. One of these, the king of herrings (Regalecus glesne), is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest bony fish alive, at up to 17 metres (56 ft) in length.

Apparently solitary animals, oarfish may frequent significant depths up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

Although the larger species are considered game fish and are (to a minor extent) fished commercially, oarfish are rarely caught alive;
their flesh is not well regarded due to its gelatinous consistency.


Etymology and taxonomic history :

The oarfish family contains four species in two genera.

Genus Agrostichthys
Streamer fish, Agrostichthys parkeri (Benham, 1904)

Genus Regalecus
King of herrings, Regalecus glesne Ascanius, 1772
Regalecus kinoi Castro-Aguirre, Arvizu-Martinez & Alarcon-Gonzalez, 1991
Regalecus russelii (Cuvier, 1816)
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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quote
A rare deep-sea creature - the slender oarfish - is helping Japanese scientists predict major earthquakes.

In Japanese folklore, if an oarfish, which normally lives at depths of more than 600 feet, is landed in nets then major tremors are not far behind.Two slender oarfish were caught in fixed nets recently only days before a series of earthquakes shook Japan. The fish are distinctive with a ribbon-shaped silver body that often measures more than 16 feet long. They have a long tasseled dorsal fin that is bright scarlet and rays out into long streamers.

According to the Tokai University Marine Museum in Japan, an oarfish was caught two days before a major earthquake on Niijima island, near Tokyo, in 1963. When shock waves hit Uwajima Bay in 1968, the same type of rare fish was caught only a few days before.

Using animals as a prediction of tremors is not new.
snip

Scientists are divided on the reasons for animals' sixth sense. Alarmed by vibrations or unknown electric fields, songbirds in Japan are silenced before the ground shakes.

But the phenomenon of the slender oarfish is different in that the animal is dying or dead when caught on the surface. The oarfish has a unique elongated shape that could make it susceptible to underwater shock waves. It may be stunned and then float to the surface, where it dies of asphyxiation.

Another reason could be that poisonous gases, particularly hydrogen sulfide, are released from the earth's crust during seismic activity. Some species of fish are more sensitive to change in the chemical composition of their environment and die because they are unable to absorb oxygen from the water.

source : www.deseretnews.com


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quote
Creatures of the deep pose a puzzle
BY KAZUO ASAMI, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Marine biologists are puzzling over the rising number of oarfish, the longest bony fish to inhabit deep waters, that are washing ashore along the Sea of Japan.
The unusual fish wash up just once or twice a year at most.

But since November, at least 19 specimens have been confirmed by experts at aquariums and public fisheries centers in eight prefectures along western shores.
When other sightings are included, the total comes to nearly 40.

Most of the oarfish were dead or died shortly after being found. One specimen appeared at a port in Fukui Prefecture on Feb. 3.

"I have worked at an aquarium for years, but this was my first time to see an oarfish straight out of the sea," said Seiji Sasai, a 38-year-old staffer at Echizen Matsushima Aquarium in Sakai in the prefecture. The fish was already dead when he rushed to the port after a call from a fisherman. Four days earlier, another oarfish washed ashore nearby.

"It is baffling why these rare creatures emerged within such a short time," Sasai said.

In Japan, according to legend, the oarfish is a messenger from the sea god's palace and augurs either a great catch--or an earthquake.

The fish, which inhabit waters at least 200 meters below the surface, can grow up to 10 meters long.

Kunio Amaoka, a professor emeritus at Hokkaido University and expert on deep-sea fish, wonders if climate change is a factor.

"The oarfish inhabit warm waters," he said. "There are growing reports in coastal regions of the Sea of Japan that southern fish are now turning up in the (more northern) areas."

Masaki Miya, a senior researcher at the Natural History Museum and Institute in Chiba Prefecture, said: "First, we have no idea where they spawn or how they grow. With few clues, it is hard to say why oarfish have been found one after another."

source : www.asahi.com 2010/02/23


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



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Leafy Sea Dragon

The leafy sea dragon or
Glauerts Seadragon, Phycodurus eques,

is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which also includes the seahorses. It is the only member of the genus Phycodurus. It is found along the southern and western coasts of Australia. The name is derived from the appearance, with long leaf-like protrusions coming from all over the body. These protrusions are not used for propulsion; they serve only as camouflage.
The leafy sea dragon propels itself by means of a pectoral fin on the ridge of its neck and a dorsal fin on its back closer to the tail end. These small fins are almost completely transparent and difficult to see as they undulate minutely to move the creature sedately through the water, completing the illusion of floating seaweed.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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HAIKU and SENRYU



earthquake prediction ...
here comes a rare messenger
from the Dragon Palace


Gabi Greve, March 2010


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Related words

***** WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

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12/01/2009

Aloe vera

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Aloe vera (aroe)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: See below
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation


CLICK for more photos kigo for all winter

aroe no hana アロエの花 aloe flowers
... hana aroe 花アロエ aloe flowers

Between the fleshy leaves a stem comes out with beautiful red flowers.
In Japan kidachi aroe 木立アロエ is most common.
It blooms from November till February.

Some saijiki do not list ALOE as a kigo.

It grown in Southern areas, mostly in Okinawa.


Aloe vera アロエベラ

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Aloe vera, also known as the medicinal aloe,
CLICK for more information is a species of succulent plant that probably originated in Northern Africa, the Canary islands and Cape Verde. Aloe vera grows in arid climates and is widely distributed in Africa and other arid areas. The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine.

In India, the plant is known as Ghritkumari or Gheekvar and in Pakistan,the plant is known as Quargandal and is used in Ayurvedic medicine.

In Tamil nadu, Aloe vera is known as katraazhai and hit has also a pet name kumari. Since use of Aloe vera extends one's longevity it has that pet name. The pulp is used extensively in Siddha medicines for treating constipation, enlargement of spleen, zymotic disease, chengamaari (a type of venereal infection) etc.

Aloe vera leaves when cut exude two fluids, with differing effects and properties. The yellow/green sap predominantly exuded wherever the green surface of the leaf is cut is an irritant. This contains the latex-like compound, aloin. On the other hand, the transparent fluid exuded by the inner leaf wherever it is cut or crushed, is soothing and said to promote healing.

Aloe vera has a long association with herbal medicine, although it is not known when its medical applications were first discovered.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


aroeburo, aroe-buro アロエ風呂 bath with aloe extract
is quite popular.


沖縄アロエベラ
Aloe from Okinawa is mostly produced for cosmetics, but a lot is also eaten, see below.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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The following are not kigo.


Dishes with Aloe アロエ料理

(mostly served in the winter months)


. . . CLICK here for Photos !


aroe cha アロエお茶 aloe tea

aroe gyooza アロエギョーザ aloe gyoza dumplings

aroe juusu アロエジュース juice from aloe

aroe karee アロエカレー aloe curry

aroemen アロエ麺 noodles with aloe

aroe purin アロエプリン pudding with aloe


aroe sashimi アロエ刺身 raw aloe slices
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


aroe sushi アロエのお寿司 sushi rice with aloe
a kind of nigirizushi



aroe sofuto kuriimu aisu アロエソフトクリーム soft cream ice with aloe
It has a rather green color.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


aroeshu アロエ酒 liquor from aloe


aroe tenpura アロエ天ぷら aloe tempura

aroe yooguruto アロエヨーグルトyoghurt with aloe
Quite popular in all Japan.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



aroe no hachimitsuzuke アロエの蜂蜜漬け
aloe pickled in honey
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


aroe no su no mono アロエの酢の物
aloe salad with vinegar dressing


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Worldwide use

Kenya

neat plantation--
a muddy bucket filled
with aloe vera

Jescah Auma
Kenya Haiku Forum


. Aloe plants in Kenya
Aloe graminicola
Aloe rabaiensis
Aloe secundiflora
Aloe volkensii


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU and SENRYU



干大根細りきつたりアロエ咲き   
hoshidaikon hosori kittari aroe saku

dried radish
cut ever so finely -
aloe blossoms


Kiyozaki Toshiroo 清崎敏郎 (1922 - 1999)


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アロエ咲く故に真近し蜑部落
aroe saku yue ni majikashi ama shuuraku

aloe blossoms
therefore it is also near
the hamlet of diving women


Takazawa Ryooichi 高澤良一


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uncluttered blue skies
greet subdued september --
healing tear of aloe


- Shared by Caroline Cecile -
Joys of Japan, August 2012



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Related words

***** WASHOKU :
YASAI . Vegetable SAIJIKI


Okinawa Dishes 沖縄料理



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11/29/2009

Kagoshima Satsuma

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Kagoshima (Satsuma)




Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島県, Kagoshima-ken)
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.
Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyūshū and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers. The most important group is the Amami Islands.
It has a bay called Kagoshima Bay (Kinkowan).
The prefecture boasts a chain of active and dormant volcanoes, including the great Sakurajima, which towers out of the Kagoshima bay opposite Kagoshima city.

Kagoshima Prefecture corresponds to the ancient Japanese provinces Ōsumi and Satsuma 薩摩  , including the northern part of the Ryukyu Islands.

The prefecture has strong agricultural roots, which are reflected in its most well-known exports: green tea, sweet potato, radish, Pongee rice, Satsuma pottery and Berkshire pork ("kurobuta"). Kagoshima prefecture's production of bonito flakes is second only to that of Shizuoka. In addition it produces Japan's largest volume of unagi eels.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Kagoshima is the second largest tea growing area in Japan, right after Shizuoka.




Sakurajima 桜島 The Sakurajima volcano


Satsuma Pottery
Satsuma Ware 薩摩焼 Satsumayaki


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satookibi サトウキビ / 砂糖黍 sugar cane
Saccharum officinarum. Zuckerrohr

It used to be grown widely, but with cheaper imports, its fields were abandoned.
Now some areas grow it back in memory of the good old times, prepare sugar like their grandfathers did and make sweets for the local children to remember.

boomaki 棒まき "sugar wrapped around a stick"
simmered cane juice is wrapped around a cane stick and sucked.
The simmered juice is also spread on thin pancakes and eaten as oyatsu snack.
It can be used in sauces for grilled or fried fish.


satookibi 甘蔗 (さとうきび) sugarcane, sugar cane
kigo


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Regional Dishes from Kagoshima
鹿児島郷土料理


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akumaki あくまき(灰汁巻き)mochigome rice cakes, Chimaki
from Takachiho, around Kirishima and also in Miyasaki.
Eaten for the Boy's festival. akumochi.
Glutinous rice is wrapped in bamboo leaves and simmered for 3 to 4 hours in alkaline lye. Thus they can be kept for a long time when done. The army of Satsuma used these when going to war. It tasts rather alkaline. It is cut in pieces and covered with sugar and kinako soy powder before eating.
There is also
tsunomaki つのまき in Tanegashima Island
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and
tojinkan in Bonotsu Island.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !





butabone 豚骨 pig bones
kurobuta 黒豚 black pig from Satsuma



. nettabo ねったぼ dumplings  
from mashed sweet potatoes and mochigome rice
Sprinkled with kinako powder.




sakezushi 酒ずし sushi with sake


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Satsuma age, satsumaage, satsuma-age さつま揚げ fried fish cake from Satsuma
Pounded white fish meat and flour is mixed to prepare a compact paste that is solidified through frying. Sometimes tofu is added into the mix.
Many ingredients can be added for extra flavor, for example vegetabels.
This food originated in Vietnam and came to Okinawa brought by local fishermen. From there, it found its way to Kagoshima (former Satsuma) and then spread all over Japan.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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. WASHOKU
Satsuma Imo 薩摩芋, サツマイモ Sweet potatoes
 
imodango, imo dango いも団子 / さつま芋団子 / 芋団子
Speciality from Ibusuki town いぶすき【指宿市】.



. Tanegashima Annoo Imo 種子島あんのう芋 / 安納芋
mitsuimo, mitsu imo 蜜芋 "honey sweet potato" 



Satsumajiru 薩摩汁 soup with sweet potatos

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Satsumazuke さつま漬け pickles from Satsuma


Shoochuu 焼酎 (しょうちゅう)
Shochu, strong distilled liquor, Schnaps




Yamakawa katsuobushi 山川鰹節
from the Yamakawa family production
They are prepared by hand in the family tradition. They are smoked before drying.
They are freshly shaved, added some sesame and soysauce and this is put on rice for a delicious meal.
From Kagoshima, Makurasaki 枕崎
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU and SENRYU




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Related words

***** WASHOKU : Regional Japanese Dishes

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11/14/2009

Karashi mustard

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Mustard plant (karashina)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Plant


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Explanation


kigo for all spring

brown mustard plant 芥菜 (からしな / からし菜) karashina
..... 芥子菜(からしな), nagarashi ながらし
aokarashi 青芥(あおがらし)
karashina 芥菜(からしな)、菜芥(ながらし)
Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss

ha karashina 葉からしな, hatakena はたけな
Leaf mustard、Oriental mustard
(オリエンタル・マスタード)

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From China, introduced in the Heian period, probably aready the Yayoi period.
The Chinese name, when used as a medicine, is gaishi 芥子(生薬名:がいし) and refers to the seeds.

The leaves also have a strong taste and are eaten as a vegetable.

100 g contains 26 kalories. proteines 3.3g、fat.1g、carbonides4.7g、fibers3.7g、carotin2800μg、Vitamin E 3.1mg、Vitamin 260μg、Vitamin B1 0.12mg、VitaminB2 0.27mg、Niacin 1.2mg、Vitamin B6 0.25mg、folic acid310μg、panthoten acid 0.32mg、Vitamin C 64mg、natrium 60mg、calium 620mg、calcium 140mg、magnesium21mg、phosphor72mg、iron2.2mg etc.

Chinese name : gai choy, kaai tsai, taai kaai tsai, ye yong jie cai

Different types grow in various regions.
It has a strong hot taste.

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kigo for mid-autumn

karashina maku 芥菜蒔く からしなまく
sowing mustard plant seeds



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The following items are not kigo.


karai からい ... is a word to imply HOT, spicy food.



The seeds of the mustard plant are small and round.
They are dried and prepared to


wa karashi 和からし (wagarashi 和がらし) or simply called
karashi からし【芥子/辛子】】 Japanese mustard


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It comes in tubes as a paste ready to use or in powder form to prepare fresh for each meal.


kona karashi 粉からし mustard powder
neri karashi ねりからし mustard paste



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masutaado マスタード mustard
yoo karashi 洋からし (yoogarashi 洋がらし)
"Western Karashi", Western-style mustard
This type comes from a different plant. It is much less pungent than "Japanese mustard" 和がらしwagarashi and has more of a vinegary taste.
It comes in a white and a brown version.

The origin was the plant from the Dijon area, where even today all kinds of mustard are made with wine-vinegar.

All kinds of Western mustard are available in Japan.


. . . CLICK here for Photos of mustard seeds!


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karashi jooyu からし醤油 soysauce with mustard
and dashi and a bit of sugar
. . . CLICK here for Photos of some dishes!




karashi miso からし味噌 miso with mustard
mit scharfem japanischem Senf
often used with lotus roots 蓮根とからし味噌
Bandai karashi miso 磐梯からし味噌 from Mount Bandai
. . . CLICK here for Photos of some dishes!



karashi su ae からし酢和え with mustard and vinegar
. . . CLICK here for Photos of some dishes!
karashi su shooyu からし酢醤油 with soy sauce

kaki no karashi su 柿のからし酢 with persimmons


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It is also used to pickle other vegetabels.


Karashizuke からし漬け pickles with mustard
A pickling bed is made of "sakekasu" and mustard. Pickle salted vegetables in the bed.
Red peppers and sesame seeds can also be used.
. . . CLICK here for Photos of some dishes!

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karashi renkon


source : www.ritsumei.ac.jp / click for the moving version


karashi renkon 辛子れんこん lotus roots with mustard
Lotus Root with Japanese Mustard, sometimes fried.
Sometimes white miso, kamaboko ground fish paste and katsuobushi are used for the filling.
From Kumamoto

CLICK for more photos When the daimyo of Kumamoto, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, 細川 忠利 became sick, a priest from the temple 豊前国耶馬溪羅漢寺 in Buzen told his aides to prepare some lotos roots for him. One of the kitchen crew, Heigoro 平五郎, remembered that Kato Kiyomasa had some lotus planted in the moat of Kumamoto castle as food for emergencies, so they took some out filled the holes with a paste of mustard powder, wheat miso paste and egg yolk. They fried this in oil and offered it to the ailing lord, who ate it with gusto and became well soon.


digging for lotus root れんこん掘る renkon horu
kigo for early winter



karashi renkon chippusu 辛子れんこんチップス
Karashi Renkon Chips
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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daikon karashizuke 大根からし漬 with radish
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kazunoko karashi zuke 数の子からし漬け herring roe pickled in mustard
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kyuuri karashizuke きゅうりからし漬け with cucumbers
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



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nasu karashizuke 茄子辛子漬け with eggplants
Rather famous in many areas of Japan.
minden-nasu みんでんなす, 民田なす Minden eggplant pickles
Yamagata


Nozawana no karashizuke 野沢菜のからし漬け
from Nozawa town, with nozawana spinach


piiman karashizuke ピーマンからし漬け with bellpeppers (paprika)


shiitake karashizuke 椎茸からし漬け with shiitake mushrooms
Prepared in many regions famous for shiitake growing.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Shiitake mustard pickles
Dishes from Yufuin, Oita, Kyushu.




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Other dishes with "karashi"



inarizushi いなり寿司 Inari sushi
In Matsumoto, they smear karashi mustard on the inside of the pouch.



hotaru-ika no karashi sunomono ほたるいかの辛子酢物
from Namerigawa town 滑川市
Dishes from Toyama prefecture


karashina no masutaato ae からし菜のマスタード和え
mustard plants with mustard dressing


nanohana to ika no karashi ae 菜の花といかの辛子あえ squid and hot mustard dressing
Rape blossoms ( 花菜漬 nanohana, na no hana)



shimazushi しまずし/ 島寿司 Sushi from the Islands
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Since there grows no Japanese horseradish (wasabi) on the islands, this sushi is usually served with mustard (karashi) or hot pepper.
WASHOKU
Hachijojima Island.
八丈島の島寿司



wakegiae, wakegi ae わけぎあえ wakegi leek with dressing
Best prepared in spring for the Doll Festival. Boiled with shells and asari shells, white miso, karashi mustard, sugar and vinegar.
Dishes from Kagawa, Shikoku


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Worldwide use


Senf

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Things found on the way



ariru karashi abura アリルからし油
from Izu Town
This is made from wasabi, Japanese horseradish.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


. WASHOKU
spicy mentaiko (辛子明太子, karashi mentaiko).
 
marinated roe of pollock


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toogarashi 唐辛子 chilli peppers "Chinese karashi"


komatsuna こまつな 小松菜 Japanese Mustard Spinach
Senfspinat


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HAIKU and SENRYU


初鰹 銭と辛子で二度涙
hatsugatsuo zeni to karashi de nido namida

first bonito of the season ...
for the prize and for the pungency
we have to cry twice

The "Children of Edo" liked the first expensive bonito of the season, cut in sashimi and with a dip of Japanese mustard.


There was an old way to prepare the mustard seeds by grinding them fine, then put a piece of paper on top of them and add hot water. Now a redhot piece of charcoal is added to the pot and the whole stays over night. The charcoal takes on the pungency of the mustard, and a fine fragrance remains.


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からし菜に直ぐ積りけり春の雪
karashina ni massugu tsumorikeri haru no yuki

on the mustard plant field
it piles up in straight rows -
snow of spring


Maeda Shura 前田普羅 (1888 - 1954)


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からし菜の湯を通したる緑かな
karashina o yu o tooshitaru midori kana

this special green
of mustard leaves blanched
in hot water


Nakamura Seijichiro 中村青一路


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Related words

***** . Mustard greens, Senfkraut (takana 高菜) .


SPRING vegetables


***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS


***** WASHOKU :
YASAI . Vegetable SAIJIKI



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11/09/2009

Akagai (ark clam)

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Ark clam , "red clam" (akagai)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Spring
***** Category: Animal


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Explanation




akagai あかがい【赤貝】 lit. "red clam"
ark shell, bloody clam, bloody shell
..... kisa 蚶(きさ)
"blood shell", chigai 血貝(ちがい)
Anadara broughtoni
Scapharca broughtonii

It lives on the muddy bottom of shallow inlays. Its liquid is bright red like blood.
Its edible parts are the "tongue" and the "thread" (akahimo 赤紐), also the liver.

From Yuriage 閖上(ゆりあげ) near Sendai, this is the best from Japan.

The fishermen in Yuriage port only take out big ones and make sure not to overfish. Caught in the morning for four hours during the season in April and May, they are shipped and sold at Tsukiji market in Tokyo next morning.
Later in the year, akagai come from Ehime.
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This mussle is also called "butterfly mussle", because for sashimi or sushi it is cut to look like a butterfly. 蝶貝

Th black liver is especially taken out and prepared raw, boiled or fried.

During the Edo period, when rich folk and samurai started to eat white rice, this akagai was their only source of vitamin B.
Edo wazurai, see below.



Kubota Mantaro, the Haiku Poet died on 6 May 1963 at the age of 73, of food poisoning, after eating an akagai clam at a party held by Ryuzaburo Umehara.




Kanman-ji 虫甘満寺 / 蚶満寺 the Temple Kanman
The first Kanji character ‘虫甘’ means ‘赤貝(akagai), ark shells”. . . lit.虫甘 "insect that tasts sweet", an old Chinese character for the ark shell.

akagai from Kisakata, Temple Kanman-Ji
Matsuo Basho


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In the "Records of Ancient Matters" (Kojiki 古事記) we read this:


Umugaihime and Kisagaihime
蛤貝比売命(うむがいひめ) / 蚶貝比売命(きさがいひめ)


CLICK for original LINK ... genbu.net
source : genbu.net.data/toutoumi/kisa_title.htm


According to the Kojiki account, the two deities dispatched by Kaminusuhi to resurrect Ōnamuchi after his eighty brothers had killed him with a heated rock. Kisagaihime gathered shavings from seashell and Umugaihime mixed them with the juice from a clam, applying them "as mother's milk" to the burns and thus reviving Ōnamuchi.

Umugaihime is a personification of the
cherry-stone clam (hamaguri), while
Kisagaihime personifies the ark-shell (akagai).

As a result, this story appears to involve the mythic iteration of an ancient folk remedy, in which grindings from the ark-shell were mixed with the juice from the cherry-stone clam to produce a treatment for burns.
source : Yumiyama Tatsuya, 2005
Kokugakuin University


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Dishes with the "red clam" 赤貝料理

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


In Japan it is often sold in cans. The type saruboogai サルボウガイ is used.


akagai don 赤貝丼 served in a bowl on cooked rice


akagai himo 赤貝ひも / 赤貝紐 thread of the ark clam
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


akagai kamaboko 赤貝かまぼこ fish paste with venus mussels
prepared in Sendai.


akagia kimo 赤貝肝 liver of the arc clam
often fried or put in soup
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


akagai marine 赤貝のマリネ marinated ark clams


akagai nuta 赤貝ぬた seasoned with miso and vinegar


akagai shabushabu 赤貝しゃぶしゃぶ
in water of only 65 degrees, eaten with ponzu, sesame and chives sauce


akagai no su no mono 赤貝の酢の物 marinated with vinegar


akagai sushi 赤貝 寿司 sushi with ark-shell
The red meat is cut slightly (kazari boochoo) to make the meat better chewable.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Together with white ika squid it gives an "auspicious meal" for festivities.

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aji okowa 味おこわ tasty rice gruel with red beans
Prepared for festivals and celebrations. In the mountains prepared with mountain vegetables, along the coast with red ark shells (akagai).
Dishes from Tottori


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Worldwide use

Rote Venusmuschel, Archenmuschel.


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Things found on the way



Edo wazurai えどわずらい
【江戸煩ひ/江戸煩い/江戸患い】
"the Illness of Edo", Edo disease

beriberi; vitamin B deficiency
. . . . . kakke 脚気(かっけ)

Toward the 18th century, this mysterious disease started as an affliction of the rich and wealthy, who could afford to eat polished rice, which let to vitamin B deficiency.
Poor townspeople in Edo, who ate brown rice, did not get it, also the poor in the countryside.
Even the 8th Shogun Yoshimune suffered from it for a while, until his cooks gave him a sidedish with the ark clam in miso-vinegar. The ark clam contains a lot of vitamin B.

quote
Once the Tokugawa Shogun established the government in Edo (the former name for Tokyo,) the city attracted people and merchants, drawn to the new capital. Edo is thought to have been the largest city in the world at that time. There was a saying at the time that “Fires and brawls are the flowers of Edo.” Vast numbers of people migrated into the city as workers.
The new arrivals were poor but healthy while Edokko or people who had lived in the town for several generations were suffering from “Edo Wazurai,” or beriberi. Soba turned out to be the prevention and cure, the secret that had protected the newcomers.

Beriberi is caused by a deficiency in Vitamin B. Rich people could afford polished rice; the poor ate whole rice or soba cheaper but much more nourishing. So Edo Wazurai became a condition among the rich. The actual cause of beriberi was unknown until the mid-20th century. Japanese Imperial Army doctors who studied in Germany believed it was the result of bacteria, while Navy doctors studying in England believed the cause was a dietary deficiency and proposed equipping the entire Imperial fleet with baking ovens. This did not, in the end, go forward because of budget constraints.
source : Tetsuya Iizuka (Soba Canada Inc.)


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. . . CLICK here for Kagurazaka restaurant Photos !


Kagurazaka 神楽坂
is a trendy neighbourhood in Tokyo, near Iidabashi Station.

It is also widely regarded as an important center of Japanese cuisine within the Kanto region. Several old and famous "ryotei 料亭" are to be found in the winding back streets, often accessible only by foot.
These ryotei provide expensive "kaiseki" cuisine, which is generally regarded as the pinnacle of Japanese food. Ryotei also allow diners to invite geisha to provide entertainment during the course of the evening.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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HAIKU and SENRYU



ひやひやと赤貝のぬた春の雪
hiyahiya to akagai no nuta haru no yuki

so cold, rather cold
the ark clam with miso sauce -
snow in spring


Hasegawa Kai 長谷川櫂





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赤貝の紐を噛むなり神楽坂
akagai no himo o kamu nari Kagurazaka

I chew a lot
on the thread of the ark clam -
Kagurazaka


Sagawa Akiyoshi 佐川昭吉



場違ひの赤貝貧し雪催 鈴木真砂女 夕螢
数の帆は赤貝とりや揚雲雀 野村喜舟 小石川

赤貝と一声今日は上客にて 鳴島ナミ
赤貝のからや乗初(のりぞめ)餓鬼大将 濯資 選集「板東太郎」
赤貝のひもに終りし夜の鮓 森澄雄
赤貝の剥かれて赤さ増しにけり 鈴木久美子
赤貝の割れし殻もて進みをる 山田真砂年
赤貝の大根おろしの霙かな 久米正雄 返り花
赤貝の身内に溜めて薄き泥 小澤實
赤貝は毛ものでありし笊に笹 山田尚良
赤貝をめんこのやうに打ちつける 小口たかし
赤貝をよく噛みのちのつれづれや 津森延世
source : HAIKUreikuDB



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Related words

***** WKD Kigo Index

WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

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11/07/2009

Kokerazushi Sushi

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Kokera Sushi (kokerazushi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Summer
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation


kokerazushi 柿鮓 / こけら寿司 / 柿寿司 / こけら鮨
"wood shingled sushi", layered sushi



kokera 柿 shingle for a roof, mostly from cedar wood. They give beautiful curves to the roof of a temple
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

kokera (uroko) 鱗 scales of a fish or snake


It is a kind of boxed sushi that was so large, it had to be parted with layers of bamboo leaves.

Fish and vegetables are sliced thinly and placed on a square piece of sushi rice.

When a roof of a new house was finished, this food was given to all who had participated in the making.

Eaten for auspicious occasions and festivals.



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Kokerazushi from Muroto, Tosa


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岡山 蒜山 の こけらずし Okayama

CLICK for original link and more ... maff.go.jp

In Okayama prefecture, it is eaten for the autumn festival.

In former times, fish from the port of Uno 宇野 in Tottori was pickled in salt and carried over the mountains via Tsuyama to Okayama town.
The fish was mostly saba mackerels, iwashi sardines and shiira, dolphin fish (Coryphaena hippurus).



When the carrier women came with their loads in two baskets dangling from bamboo poles, they stopped by every home, sold some fish and talked about their adventures back home and on the way ... like a delicious news delivery.

Now many families in the area of Hiruzen in Okayama prefecture still preserve the tradition of eating shiira fish on sushi, especially for the autumn festival season.
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shiira dolphin fish Goldmakrele, Dorade, mahimahi
(not to mix with the mammal "dolphin" iruka)


The fish is about 1 meter long and for a sushi half of the fish is used. That is enough for 120 pieces of sushi.

Preparations start five days before the festival, to make sure the fish is "well done". It is marinated in sweetened vinegar (amazu) for two days, and then the sushi is prepared and let to mature for another two days. The sushi rice contains more vinegar that for a normal sushi.
Recipes are handed down from housewife to daughter in law.

This sushi is also prepared for wedding ceremonies and other auspicious days, since the fish can now be bought at the supermarket at any time.


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU and SENRYU



kokerazushi -
our whole family gathers for
the autumn festival

Nakayama Hanako, Okayama 2002


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Related words

***** WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

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11/04/2009

Maguro tunafish

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Thunafish, tuna (maguro)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Animal


skipjack katsuo bonito see below

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Explanation


kigo for all winter

Tuna, maguro 鮪 (まぐろ)
shibi しび tuna
(shibi is also the name of a temple roof decoration, see German below.)


"black tuna", bluefin tuna, kuromaguro 黒鮪(くろまぐろ)
... Thunnus thynnus
"real tuna", hon maguro 本鮪(ほんまぐろ)Atlantic bluefin

binnaga maguro 鬢長, ビンナガマグロ Thunnus alalunga, "White tuna"
kihada キハダマグロ Thunnus albacares. Gelbflossen-Thunfisch
koshinaga コシナガ / 腰長 Thunnus tonggol. Longtail tuna
mebachi めばち / 眼撥 Thunna obesus. big-eyed tuna. großäugiger Thunfisch
minami maguro ミナミマグロ Thunnus maccoyii
taiseiyoo maguro タイセイヨウマグロ Thunnus atlanticus


boat for fishing for tuna, magurobune 鮪船(まぐろぶね)
fishing for tuna, maguro tsuri 鮪釣(まぐろつり)
net for tuna, maguro ami 鮪網(まぐろあみ)



maguronabe 鮪鍋(まぐろなべ)hodgepodge with tunafish
often leek (negi) is added to make a
negima nabe 葱鮪鍋(ねぎまなべ)
This was a speciality of Edo. the MA in the name refers to the MAguro fish.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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kigo for all spring

meji めじ small tuna, young tuna
komeji 小めじ(こめじ), meji maguro めじまぐろ . めじ鮪

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

junger Thunfisch

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Tuna
are ocean-dwelling carnivorous fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers—they have been clocked at 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph)—and include several warm-blooded species. Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, tuna flesh is pink to dark red, which could explain their odd nick-name, "rose of the sea." The red coloring comes from tuna muscle tissue's greater quantities of myoglobin, an oxygen-binding molecule. Some of the larger species, such as the bluefin tuna, can raise their blood temperature riri above water temperature through muscular activity. This ability enables them to live in cooler waters and to survive in a wide range of ocean environments.
A remarkable aspect of Thunnus physiology is its ability to maintain body temperature above than that of the ambient seawater.

The Thunnus genus includes 8 species:
Albacore, Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788). binchoo maguro
Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788). kihada
Blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus (Lesson, 1831).
Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau, 1872).
Bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839). mebachi
Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844).
Northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758).
Longtail tuna, Thunnus tonggol (Bleeker, 1851).

Canned tuna was first produced in 1903, quickly becoming popular. Tuna is canned in a variety of edible oils or in brine.

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


The names for the small fish, too small to take out

albacore - tonbo, tombo
bluefin - meji
big eye - daruma
yellowfin - kimeji, ki meji

. . . CLICK here for Photos !: mebachi daruma
ちいさいめばちは「だるま」


. WASHOKU
Fish called DARUMA



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The most important harbors for maguro are in Ooma 大間, Aomori, and in Misaki 三崎, Kanagawa 三崎まぐろ.

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Ooma maguro 大間まぐろ Maguro from Oma harbour
often fished with one line in the rough sea toward Hokkaido



Tuna auctions at Tsukiji Market in Tokyo
Tsukiji, the big fish market in Tokyo 築地市場, Tsukiji shijoo



Oroshi hocho, oroshiboochoo
( おろし包丁, "wholesale knife") and
hancho hocho (半丁包丁, "half-tool knife")
are extremely long, highly specialized knives used in Japan to fillet tuna and other large fish.
The hancho hocho is also sometimes called a maguro kiri ( マグロ切, "tuna-cutter").
. WASHOKU
Japanese knives




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Dishes with Maguro 鮪料理
maguro ryoori


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tsuna ツナ tuna
shiichikin シーチキン "sea chicken" white tuna
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



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akami 赤身 top loin of Bluefin tuna


maguro chazuke マグロ茶漬け tuna on rice with green tea
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Thunfisch-Stücke auf Reis mit grünem Tee übergossen


magurodon, maguro-don まぐろ丼 cooked rice with tuna on top
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Schüssel Reis mit Thunfisch



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maguro kabuto マグロかぶと / マグロ兜 head of a tuna
speciality in harbour restaurants



maguro no oroshiae まぐろのおろしあえ
mit geriebenem Rettich angemachter Thunfisch
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



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maguro sashimi まぐろ刺身 Sashimi with tuna meat



maguro sushi まぐろ 寿司
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



maguro suteeki まぐろステーキ Maguro-Steak
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



negima 葱鮪 dishes with leek and maguro
maguro negima まぐろねぎま 
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



negitoro, negi-toro 葱とろ (ねぎとろ) Bluefin tuna belly and chopped green onion
served at the sushi bar
negitoro don ねぎとろ丼 served on rice
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


shiro maguro (白鮪) Binnaga orBincho (鬢長) "white tuna"
on sushi rice



toro とろ meat for sashimi
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ootoro (大とろ) Otoro: fattiest portion of Bluefin tuna belly
toro (とろ) fatty Bluefin tuna belly
chuutoro (中とろ) chutoro : medium-fat Bluefin Tuna belly



yamakake 山掛け tuna on rice with grated yam
..... yamakake maguro 山掛けまぐろ
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Thunfisch-Stücke auf Reis mit geriebener Jamswurzel



yokowa maguro ヨコワまぐろ meat from the ribs of very young bluefin tuna, not more than 3 kg of body weight. baby tuna, young tuna.
Served as sashimi in Fukuoka.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



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Worldwide use

Germany

Thun, Thunfisch

CLICK for more information Ein alter Name für Maguro ist in Japan SHIBI 鴟尾; 鵄尾; 蚩尾, er stammt aus dem Chinesischen. Diese Bezeichnung hat sich übertragen auf die fischschwanzförmige Verzierung der Endziegel auf dem Dachfirst eineswichtigen Gebäudes, zum Beispiel Schloss oder Tempel. Dieser „Fischschwanz“ soll als Repräsentant der Gottheit des Wassers das Schloss oder den Tempel vor Brandgefahr schützen. Daraus hat sich dann auch der shachihoko しゃちほこ Ziegel entwickelt, ev. auch allgemein der "Demon tile" onigawara 鬼瓦.


Thunnus alalunga: der Weiße Thun
Thunnus albacares: der Gelbflossen-Thun
Thunnus maccoyii: der Südliche Blauflossen-Thun
Thunnus obesus: der Großaugen-Thun
Thunnus orientalis: der Nordpazifische Blauflossen-Thun
Thunnus thynnus: der Rote Thun
Thunnus tonggol: der Langschwanz-Thun
Mehr in der WIKIPEDIA !


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. Yellowfin tuna (thamad)  
Yemen


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Things found on the way



だるまマグロ Daruma Maguro
Lately sold at Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo for rather cheap.
メバチマグロの幼魚です. supposed to be the baby of a mebachi maguro.
Good for sashimi
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



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HAIKU and SENRYU



居酒屋に靄たちこむる葱鮪かな
izakaya ni kiri tachikomuru negima kana

at the local pub
mist is gathering -
tuna with leek


Inoue Aa 井上唖々 (1878 - 1923)




四代を生きて傘寿や葱鮪鍋
yondai o ikite sanju ya negima nabe

on my 80th birthday
I look back at four generations -
tuna hodgepodge


Machida Shigeki 町田しげき



CLICK for more photos
tuna hodgepodge



葱鮪鍋下町に闇にはかなり
negima nabe shitamachi ni yami ni hakanari

tuna hodgepodge -
downtown is slowly
getting dark


Itoo Kango 伊藤完吾 Ito Kango (1972 - )



あたたかき葱鮪の湯気やぶしやうひげ
日野草城

たれかれの話となりし葱鮪かな
斎藤優二郎

一族の影の濃くなる葱鮪鍋
八木荘一


葱鮪鍋つつく合縁奇縁かな
清水基吉

葱鮪鍋もも引渡世難きかな
秋山夏樹

source : HAIKUreikuDB


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Related words


***** kajiki maguro 梶木鮪 (かじきまぐろ, 旗魚鮪) marlin
..... kajiki 旗魚 swordfish
Makaira mitsukurii
fishing for marlin, kajiki tsuri かじき釣り(かじきつり)
kigo for all winter


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***** katsuo 鰹 bonito
skipjack tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis
katsu uo 勝つ魚 "fish to win" - its name was an auspicious one, therefore it was well loved in Edo.

. . . Katsuo and related kigo
kigo for all summer

Dried bonito pieces (katsuobushi 鰹節)

Sawachi food from Tosa 皿鉢料理 sawachi ryoori with bonito katsuo tataki

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first bonito, hatsu gatsuo, hatsugatsuo 初鰹 (はつがつお)
kigo for early summer




十二月の内 卯月初時鳥 - Toyokuni 豊国

The first catch of the season.
First things were much loved in Edo and people payed high prices to get them, some were even first offered at a shrine before consumption.
. WKD : First Things .

目に青葉 山ほととぎす初かつお
me ni aoba yama hototogisu hatsu katsuo

green leaves to look at
hototogisu in the mountains
first Katsuo skipjack


Yamaguchi Sodoo 山口素堂 Sodo
(1642 - 1716)
He was a disciple of Matsuo Basho.

- and a senryu in Edo - reflecting on this one

目と耳はいいが口は銭がいる
me to mimi wa ii ga kuchi wa zeni ga iru

for the eyes
and ears it is fine but
the mouth needs money


We can enjoy a lot for free in spring, but the first katsu fish is just sooo expensive.

- quote -
Thirty-six Views of the Pride of Edo -
The first bonito pick at Nihonbashi (Edo Jiman Sanjūrokkyō Nihonbashi Hatsu-gatsuo)
Painted by Utagawa Toyokuni III and Utagawa Hiroshige II 1864 (Genji 1)

This is a picture that truly shows the "pride of Edo", together with Nihonbashi, a symbol of the city of Edo, hatsugatsuo, the first bonito of the season much adored by the residents of Edo and their admiration was such that a senryū was composed,

Hatsugatsuo
to pawn one's wife for this
is a worthwhile exchange




Among the choicest of the hatsumono (first products of the season), bonito was loved the most by people in Edo. Especially from the Meiwa and Anei (1764-1781) to Bunka and Bunsei (1804-1830) when there was a bonito boom which drove up the price of tuna to startling levels.
According to the recordings of representative writer of the Edo period Nanpo Ota (pen name Shokusanjin), in the third month of 1812 (9th year of Bunka), 6 out of 17 of the bonito brought to the Nihonbashi fish market were delivered to the shogun household, 3 to a famous restaurant Yaozen for the price of 2 ryo and 8 were handed to fishmongers and of these, one was bought by kabuki actor Utaemon Nakamura for the price of 3 ryo.
- source : library.metro.tokyo.jp -

. yaozen 八百善 Yaozen restaurant .

. senryuu, senryū 川柳 Senryu in Edo .

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bonito in autumn, akigatsuo, aki gatsuo 秋鰹 (あきがつお)

soodagatsuo 宗太鰹 (そうだがつお ) frigate mackerel
marudooda 丸宗太(まるそうだ)"round Soda"
hiresooda 平宗太(ひらそうだ) "flat Soda"
kigo for all autumn
Soda katsuo, Auxis thazard


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. hatsugatsuo no shinku 初鰹神供 (はつがつおのしんく)
offering first bonito .

at shrine Hachimangu, Kamakura
with a hokku by Matsuo Basho about the hatsugatsuo from Kamakura

observance kigo for the New Year

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hatsugatsuo uri 初鰹売り  first Katsuo vendor in Edo

The vendors started to come around in the fourth lunar month.


昼までの勝負と歩く初鰹
hiru made no shoobu to aruku hatsugatsuo

walking around till lunchtime
for victory or defeat -
first bonito


They took a risk like any street vendor, but their risk (shoobu) was rather small, since most Edoites would pay any sum to get this fish.


初鰹かついだままで見せている
hatsugatsuo katsuida mama de misete iru

the first bonito
shown while still carrying
the tubs on the shoulders


The vendors were so busy, they did not take the time to put their shoulder poles down and place the tubs on the ground.


あての有るようにかけ出す鰹売り
ate no aru yoo ni kakedasu katsuo uri

the bonito vendor
begins to run as if he knew
where he is heading


Still, they made their best business while just walking around, calling out their merchandise.

. senryu, senryū 川柳 Senryu in Edo .


source : www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~mitta/town


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- - - - - Matsuo Basho


鰹売いかなる人を酔すらん 
katsuo uri ikanaru hito o yowasuran 

A bonito monger -
What people does he charm
With his pitch?

Tr. Takafumi Saito



又越む佐夜の中山はつ松魚  
mata koemu Sayo no Nakayama hatsugatsuo

I want to cross it again
this mountain pass of Sayo -
first katsuo skipjack

Tr. Gabi Greve

He had eaten skipjack before crossing this dangerous pass and now remembers this meal fondly.

koeru 超える to cross over a pass


MORE - hokku about Sayo no Nakayama by
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .



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source : www.kabuki-za.com


Utagawa Toyokuni 歌川豊国

長屋の住人が共同で買った鰹を魚屋が切り分けている図
A fish peddler cuts a katsuo for the ladies.

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Utagawa Toyokuni 歌川豊国 3rd.

伊勢参りと女魚売り A man on the Ise pilgrimage and a female fish peddler.
She carries a bandai 盤台 barrel with 鰹 Katsuo and awabi 鮑 abalones.

二代目坂東簑助の伊勢参り - He is Bando Minosuke
二代目岩井粂三郎の女魚売 - She is Iwai Kumesaburo

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First tuna fish was the IKI 粋 of Edo!
There was even a kimono pattern in its honor.
katsuojima 鰹縞 Katsuo stripes


CLICK for more photos !

. - - - Welcome to Edo 江戸 ! - - - .

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***** WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

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