Showing posts with label Edo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edo. Show all posts

4/19/2009

Soba buckwheat

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. soba 蕎麦 Legends about buckwheat .
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Buckwheat noodles (soba)

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


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Explanation


Daruma eating buckwheat noodles


Fagopyrum esculentum

Buckwheat flowers (soba no hana)
kigo for early autumn


Shin soba 新蕎麦 (しんそば)
new buckwheat noodles

WASHOKU : Autumn Food  
kigo for autumn


sobayu, soba-yu そばゆ【蕎麦湯】
cooking water from buckwheat noodles
kigo for all winter
It is served for drinking after rinsing the bowl of noodles with it.



toshikoshi soba 年越し蕎麦 / 年越しそば 
eaten on December 31 to pass into the new year

misoka soba 晦日蕎麦 (みそかそば) soba on the last day of the year
..... tsugomori soba つごもり蕎麦(つごもりそば)
toshitori soba としとりそば【歳取り蕎麦】soba to get one year older

unki soba 運気蕎麦(うんきそば) "soba for your good fortune"
..... un soba うんそば【運蕎麦】
fukusoba ふくそば【福蕎麦】auspicious soba
kigo for mid-winter
Silvester-Buchweizennudeln

In the Kamakura period at the temple Jootenji 承天寺 in Hakata they served soba to the poor who could not affort do make it themselves. They were called "Soba for a good government" yonaoshi soba 世直しそば. All the poor who ate these soba had good luck in the coming year, so they were called "Soba for your good fortune" from that time on.

Soba for the New Year were sometimes mixed with gold powder for extra auspicious meaning. See also below, sobakiri.

Soba are auspicious because they are hosonagai 細長い promising a long life, and they are eaten with the sound "slurp slurp, bite bite"
tsuru truru kame kame つるつる かめかめ

. tsurukame 鶴亀 crane and turtle and long life .


. The Twelfth Lunar Month 十二月 juunigatsu - in Edo - .

Many regions of Japan have their own "Soba bunka 蕎麦文化", buckwheat culture.

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quote
Soba (そば or 蕎麦)
is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. It is served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup. Moreover, it is common in Japan to refer to any thin noodle as soba in contrast to udon which are thick noodles made from wheat. It takes three months for buckwheat to be ready for harvest, so people can harvest it four times in a year; it is harvested mainly in spring, summer, and autumn. In Japan, buckwheat is produced mainly in Hokkaido. People call soba that is made with buckwheat that has just been harvested "shin-soba". It has more flavor, sweetness and taste than soba.

In Japan, soba noodles are served in a variety of situations. They are a popular inexpensive fast food at train stations throughout Japan and are served by exclusive and expensive specialty restaurants. Markets sell dried noodles and men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy.

Some establishments, especially cheaper and more casual ones, may serve both soba and udon (thick wheat noodles) as they are often served in a similar manner. However, soba is more popular in Japan. This tradition originates from the Tokugawa period when the population of Edo (Tokyo), being considerably wealthier than the rural poor, were more susceptible to beri beri due to their high consumption of white rice, which is low in thiamine. It is theorized that they made up for this deficiency by regularly eating thiamine-rich soba. In the Tokugawa era, every neighborhood had one or two soba establishments, many also serving sake, which functioned much like modern cafes where locals would casually drop by for an informal bite to eat.

By location
Shinshu soba 信州蕎麦 – named after the old name of Nagano Prefecture. Also known as Shinano soba. (Shinano=Shinshu)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Etanbetsu soba – named after the central region of Hokkaidō (Asahikawacity)
Izumo soba – named after Izumo in Shimane
Izushi soba – named after Izushi in Hyōgo

Common Dishes
Cold Chilled soba is often served on a sieve-like bamboo tray called a zaru, sometimes garnished with bits of dried nori seaweed, with a dipping sauce known as soba tsuyu on the side. The tsuyu is made of a strong mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce (also called "kaeshi") and mirin. Using chopsticks, the diner picks up a small amount of soba from the tray and swirls it in the cold tsuyu before eating it. Wasabi, scallions are often mixed into the tsuyu. It's said that the best way to experience the unique texture of hand-made soba noodles is to eat them cold, since letting them soak in hot broth changes their consistency. After the noodles are eaten, many people enjoy drinking the water in which the noodles were cooked (sobayu), mixed with the leftover tsuyu.

Mori soba 盛り蕎麦 – Basic chilled soba noodles served on a flat basket or a plate.
Zaru soba 笊蕎麦 – Mori soba topped with shredded nori seaweed.
Hiyasi soba– Cold soba served with various toppings sprinkled on top, after which the broth is poured on by the diner. It may include:
tororo – puree of yamaimo (a Japanese yam with a slimy texture)
oroshi – grated daikon radish
natto – sticky fermented soybeans
okra – fresh sliced okra
Soba maki – Cold soba wrapped in nori and prepared as makizushi.
Soba salad: Outside of Japan, some people eat this type of salad. Cold soba mixed in sesame dressing with vegetables. It is more of a modern and fusion cold soba dish.

Hot Soba is also often served as a noodle soup in a bowl of hot tsuyu. The hot tsuyu in this instance is thinner than that used as a dipping sauce for chilled soba. Popular garnishes are sliced scallion and shichimi togarashi (mixed chilli powder).
Kake soba 掛け蕎麦 – Hot soba in broth topped with thinly sliced scallion, and perhaps a slice of kamaboko (fish cake).
Kitsune soba (in Kantō) or Tanuki soba (in Kansai) – Topped with abura age (deep-fried tofu).
Tanuki soba (in Kantō) or Haikara soba (in Kansai) – Topped with tenkasu (bits of deep-fried tempura batter).
Tempura soba 天麩羅蕎麦 – Topped with tempura, usually a large shrimp.
Tsukimi soba ("moon-viewing soba") – Topped with raw egg, which poaches in the hot soup.
Tororo soba – Topped with tororo, the puree of yamaimo (a potato-like vegetable with a slimy texture).
Wakame soba – Topped with wakame seaweed
Soba-yu – This is warm water that boiled soba, much like broth. People drink dipping sauce mixed with soba-yu to enjoy the flavor of soba. But there is little or no nutritional value.

Sarashina soba 更科蕎麦(さらしなそば) – thin, light-colored soba, made with refined buckwheat
Inaka soba 田舎蕎麦(いなかそば)– "country soba", thick soba made with whole buckwheat

Soba is traditionally eaten on New Years Eve in most areas of Japan, a tradition that survives to this day: Toshikoshi soba. In the Tokyo area, there is also a tradition of giving out soba to new neighbours after a house move (Hikkoshi soba), although this practice is now rare.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !




source : yumzk

soba delivery 出前の蕎麦屋さん


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. WASHOKU
harako soba はらこそば【腹子蕎麦】
 
with a load of ikura fish roe.
From Miyako Town, Iwate



insutanto men インスタント麺, insutanto soba インスタントそば
Instant noodle soups, usually in a plastic cup.


kanmen 乾麺(かんめん)kansoba 乾そば . dried soba
after making them they are dried

kisoba 生蕎麦(きそば)

namamen 生麺(なまめん)namasoba 生そば(なまそば)
fresh soba, after making they are put in a plastic bag and sold.

reitoo soba 冷凍麺・冷凍そば
deep frozen soba, packed to be refrigerated for a long time

yudesoba ゆで麺 (ゆでそば ) boiled soba
they are first made and boiled and then packed for selling.

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harako soba はらこそば【腹子蕎麦】hot buckwheat noodle soup (kakesoba) with a load of ikura fish roe.
ikura soba イクラそば 
While eating the noodles and soup, the fish roe slided down to the bottom and is half-boiled by the time the other things are eaten. Now with a soup spoon they are ladled out of the broth.
Houswifes prepare the ikura by cutting a whole salmon open.
Speciality from Iwate prefecture, Miyako town.



hegisoba, hegi soba へぎそば buckwheat noodles like hegi shindles
WASHOKU : Niigata


nihachi soba 二八蕎麦 "2 and 8 soba"
20 percent wheat flour, 80 percent buckwheat flour
The most famous soba mix in Edo.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
„Zwei zu Acht Buchweizennudeln“ 20% Weizenmehl, 80% Buchweizenmehl
juuwari ... aus 100% Buchweizenmehl



soba doojoo 蕎麦道場 place to learn making soba by hand
"Soba-Trainingshalle"


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sobakiri 蕎麦切り(そばきり)cut soba
... kirisoba 切り蕎麦、切りそば
They can be pulled to quite a lenght by hand, and are thus an auspicious food for people to get old and live long.
Also called jumyoo soba 寿命そば. or nobisoba のびそば。

Since on the other hand these soba can break easily, they are also auspicious to
"cut the connection to a person" enkiri soba 縁切りそば or at the New Year to cut the bad luck of old, toshikiri soba 年切りそば.
To be cut off from old debt, they are called
shakusen kiri 借銭切り or kanjoo soba 勘定そば.
In some regions they were called "fortune noodles", undon 運どん.
It was important that you had to eat the full portion of these kirisoba and not leave a bit.

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sobayu 蕎麦湯 そばゆ hot water after cooking soba noodles
It contains the vitamins and nutritients and is therefore eaten as well.
First to drink it was a poor man who could not affort to buy a bowl of noodles and asked only for the boiling water ! It is often served in a big laquered container.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


teuchi soba, te-uchi soba 手打ちそば handmade soba
handgemachte Buchweizennudeln


. Togakushi soba  戸隠蕎麦 .
from Nagano

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Soba ryoori そば料理 dishes with soba

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Aooni soba, ao-oni soba 青おにそば "Blue Demon Soba"
and DARUMA eating buckwheat soba at Moriyama


bukkake ぶっかけ系の冷たい蕎麦 cold soba
with tanuki, kitsune, tororo, oroshi, natto, nameko.


chasoba 茶蕎麦
buckwheat noodles with green tea
CLICK for more photos
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Izumo Soba, Shimane 出雲そば Wariko Soba 割子そば(わりごそば)


Izushi Sara Soba 出石皿そば
Buckwheat noodles on white plates. Tajima area.


nihon soba 日本蕎麦 日本そば Japanese buckwheat noodles
from Kitakata
„japanische Buchweizennudeln“


Saiko soba 西湖そば Soba from the Western Lake
with a lot of grated radish in the soup
西湖 いやしの里 Iyashi no Sato, Nenba, featuring local history, culture, and nature.
The facilities near Mount Fuji have a small museum with tools to make noodles.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
. . . Reference



sennin soba 仙人そば buckwheat noodle soup "for mountain hermits"
with many local vegetables
Speciality of Shikoku, Manno-Village
香川県まんのう町
Also from Chichibu 秩父仙人そば, where they are a kind of tsukemen to dip into sauce.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


shippoku soba しっぽく蕎麦 , しっぽくそば
cooked with vegetables, in Kyoto and Kagawa
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


soba no kurumidare そばの胡桃だれ くるみだれ
soba with walnut sauce


soba with yamabokuchi やまぼくち (山火口)
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the plant !
In some mountain villages in Shinshu, Nagano prefecture, the leaves of yamabokuchi, o-yamabokuchi, a kind of wild chrysanthemum, are used together with buckwheat flour to make strong and long buckwheat noodles, eaten at festivals and celebrations. The noodles are served on special zen tables and all dishes are of black and red laquer for celebrations.

The plants are planted in the slopes of the buckwheat fields in the mountains, to prevent the soil from sliding downhill during a strong rain. The leaves are first hammered and pounded until they are quite small, then they are cooked for two days to get the bitterness out. Next they have to be watered many times in fresh brook water until the rinsewater is not black any more. The remaining fibers of the leaves are then dried and the dried fibers are then mixed with buckwheat flour. In the process of mixing they completely dissolve, leaving the dough with a strong consistency.
The noodles are especially long for celebrations, sue-nagaku means to be happily together for a long time, for example when served at a wedding party.
from 山の内村 village, Nagano

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sobabooro, soba booro そばぼうろ soba cookies
simple cookies made from soba flour, water, egg and sugar.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
They can also be served with icecream.


sobamochi, soba mochi そば餅 buckwheat mochi
Buckwheat seeds are pounded together with the mochigome rice.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Buchweizen-Mochi


sobagaki そばがき soba dumplings
soba flour is mixed with water and the dumplings are dropped into a broth with vegetables.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



wankosoba わんこそば、椀子そば from Morioka, to eat fast  
Buchweizennudeln in kleinen Schalen serviert, zum Schnellessen.


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Worldwide use

Buchweizen, Buchweizennudeln
sobagaki . Buchweizenpüree


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU



信州の寒さを思う蕎麦湯かな 
Shinshuu no samusa o omou sobayu kana

I think of the cold
there is Shinshu -
cooking water of buckwheat noodles



Masaoka Shiki 子規
He wrote this as a thank you note for a friend who had sent him some buckwheat flour from Shinshu province.

http://www.sinanoya.com/etcetra/others1/index.html


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Related words


***** mizo soba, mizosoba 溝蕎麦 (みぞそば)
Polygonum thunbergii
"buckwheat in the ditch"

It is useful to remove heavy metal from soil and water and was planted along the fields.
Its small pinkish flowers remind of buckwheat flowers.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Dishes from Nagano

Traditional Folk Toys : making buckwheat noodles


WASHOKU
Menrui, Noodles of all kinds
 

. soba 蕎麦 Legends about buckwheat .

***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

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4/05/2009

Edo Yasai

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Edo-Vegetables (Edo yasai)

The special vegetables grown in Edo (and still now in Tokyo) to feed the shoogun and the inhabitants of Edo castle and the whole town.
Edo dentoo yasai 江戸伝統野菜
Traditional vegetables of Edo

Edo Tokyo Yasai 江戸東京野菜


CLICK for original LINK



. Edo no takenoko 江戸の筍 bamboo shoots in Edo .

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CLICK for original and more photos

Kameido daikon 亀戸大根 large radish from Kameido
it grows about 30 long, a small daikon. It is very white and was loved for its color, an early spring harbinger.

.... Nerima daikon 練馬大根 from Nerima
has been introduced by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, 5th shogun, to help feed the growing population of Edo. It is usually prepared as takuan pickles.
The radish is scrabbed with the skin of shark fish (dry skin is soaked in water to make it softer), then pickled in rice bran. Thus the vitamiens of the rice bran would soak easily into the radish.
For the poor people of Edo this was a cheap way to prevent beri-beri disease, which was caused by the polished white rice.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


quote
The most famous of the daikons of Edo is the Nerima daikon. High in fiber, it is perfect for making takuan pickles. The crispy takuan made with Nerima daikon was a favorite of the Edoites and helped artisans and laborers supplement the salt that they had sweat away.

The Kameido daikon, first cultivated in the Kameido area during the Bunkyu era (1861-64), is another famous daikon of Edo. It was favored by Edoites as an early spring vegetable for its dense flesh and the suitability of both root and leaves for pickling.

The Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture has also been a center of Japanese radish production for ages, as evidenced by documents dating as far back as 1841. The Miura daikon, which would later become a big name in the vegetable world, is a natural hybrid between the Nerima daikon and locally grown varieties, such as the Koenbo and Nakabukura.

The Nerima, Kameido, and Miura daikons were all popularly cultivated until the middle or latter half of the Showa era (1926-1989) and formed the cornerstones of a rich food culture. But their production would soon plummet. Diseases and natural disasters, the urbanization of former farmland, the hassle of harvesting, changes in consumer diets, and the expansion of nuclear families all undermined the production of these local varieties.
source : www.tokyofoundation.org / Daikon


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CLICK for enlargement


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Edogawa ward
komatsuna こまつな (小松菜) leafy vegetabel, like spinach
Brassica campestris
from Edogawa 江戸川区小松川 Edogawa Komatsugawa
Has been grown there since Shogun Yoshimune ordered it.

Komatsuna, or spinach mustard,
is commonly eaten during the New Year. In season from November through March, nearly 10,000 tons of spinach mustard is produced yearly in Edogawa Ward. Komatsuna gets its name from the Komatsugawa district, which includes Edogawa, Katsushika and Adachi wards. Tokyo was the second-largest regional producer of komatsuna in 2004.
The hardy green vegetable tastes best in winter, when its leaves become rich in flavor. Komatsuna is served blanched or in zoni boiled rice cake soup. Demand for komatsuna peaks around this time of the year.
source : www.metro.tokyo.jp / with PHOTO


. Komatsugawa district 小松川 "river Komatsu" .
Edogawa ward


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Koganei 小金井
They grow some kinds of old vegetables.
Most is grown in hothouses near the homes of the farmers and now used for bringing life back into the community (machiokoshi, machi okoshi).

nagakabu 長カブ long turnips
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

noraboona のらぼう菜 leafy vegetable
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

ookura daikon 大蔵大根(おおくらだいこん)extra large radish
It grows up to 50 cm lenght and is very compact. Good for boiling, since it does not change its form.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

shintorina しんとりな / しんとり菜 leafy stem vegetable
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


. Koganei 小金井 Koganei district .


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Kanamachi kokabu 金町こかぶ / 金町小かぶ
small turnips from Kanamachi
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Magome 馬込 from Magome
Magome sansui ninjin 馬込三寸人参(まごめさんすんにんじん)
Magome hanjiro kyuuri 馬込半白胡瓜(まごめはんじろきゅうり
. Magome - photos of vegetables .



Naitoo kabocha ないとうかぼちゃ / 内藤(ないとう)かぼちゃ
pumpkin from Naito
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Senjuunegi, Senjuu negi 千住葱 leek from Senju, Senjunegi 千寿葱
They are best when simply grilled over charcoal.




Shinagawa kabu 品川カブ turnips from Shinagawa
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Takinogawa ninjin 滝野川人参(たきのがわにんじん)
carrots from Takinogawa



Terashima nasu 寺島なす eggplants from Terashima



udo, Tokyo udo 東京うど udo from Tokyo
Aralia cordata Thunb
yama udo 山独活 Mountain spikenard
"mountain asparagus". A mountain vegetable which produces fat, white, edible stalks.
Its tender stalks are similar to asparagus, their flavor is a light fennel. It is also one of the "Kyoto Vegetables".
Peel the outer layer of the stem, cut in oblong pieces, soak in vinegar-water and dry. Eat with vinegared dressings or vinegar miso. The very top of the plant can be used for tempura.

CLICK for more photos It is grown deep under the earth about 4 meters deep in long tunnels (udo muro "独活室”) in Tachikawa 立川.
Very crunchy to the taste (shakishaki, knusprig).
Locally it is served as udo ramen soup 独活ラーメン or in a dressing with salmon like a western asparagus salad (Spargelsalat).
Other specialities from Tachikawa 立川ウド are
udo arare
Kichijoji Udo 吉祥寺ウド is also known.

udo senbei
udo yookan
udo dorayaki
udo pai
. . . CLICK here for Tachikawa Udo Photos !

moyashi udo もやしうど white udo sprouts
A whole group of local farmers continue with the growing of this udo and develop new dishes with it.

udo ae, udo-ae 独活和 (うどあえ) spikenard in dressing
kigo for late spring

udo no kinpira うどのきんぴら boiled in soy sauce and sugar

. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Western asparagus is called "seiyoo udo" 西洋独活.


nanka udo なんかウド/ 軟化独活 soft white udo
grown in Tochigi in special trenches in the dark and harvested three times a year.
They made it to a local speciality, with udo gyooza 独活餃子 at the local chinese restaurant.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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Waseda myooga 早稲田茗荷 Myoga from Waseda


Yanaka shooga 谷中生姜 ginger from Yanaka



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Tokyo Pigs

Tokyo X buta 東京X豚 Tokyo X pork from special pigs
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Tokyo-X is a new Japanese breed, bred for high quality pork production. It is unusual for its marbled meat, seldom seen in pork.
Breeding Tokyo-X started in 1990 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Livestock Experiment Station. They combined bloodlines from the Duroc (USA), Berkshire (UK) and a Beijing Black (China) breeds. After five generations of breeding and selection, the first meat was marketed in 1997.
Often processed into a Tokyo Curry.


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Related words

CLICK for more photos
Edo Tokyo Yasai 江戸東京野菜



***** WASHOKU : Kyooyasai 京野菜 Vegetables from Kyoto

***** . 100 Favorite Dishes of Edo - 江戸料理百選

***** . Tokyo - Local Dishes

***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

WASHOKU : General Information

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. Edo 青物町 Aomonocho "vegetable" district .
Edo no Aomono Ichiba 江戸の青物市場 Vegetable Markets in Edo
In the "three vegetable district" 青物三ケ町 Aomono Sangamachi in Kanda
Tachō, 多町 Tacho - 連雀町 Renjakucho - 永富町 Eifukucho
- - - aomono uri 青物売り vegetable vendor

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3/07/2009

Mottainai food waste

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Do not waste food ! (mottainai)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

mottainai もったいない モッタイナイ

the avoidance of what is wasteful
”What a waste! "
It is not good to waste something.

CLICK For more photos

Mottainai!
Farmers grow rice with great effort and a lot of sweat!
Eat each grain of rice with greatfulness!


A plastic shopping bag is very mottainai,
because it is used only once.


setsuyaku 節約 saving
setsuyaku no kufuu 節約の工夫
.... creative saving is IN!

ketchi けち、ケチ stingy


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quote
Mottainai (もったいない, 勿体無い)
is a Japanese term meaning "a sense of regret concerning waste when the intrinsic value of an object or resource is not properly utilized."The expression "Mottainai!" can be uttered alone as an exclamation when something useful, such as food or time, is wasted. In addition to its primary sense of "wasteful," the word is also used to mean "impious; irreverent" or "more than one deserves."

In ancient Japanese, "mottainai" had various meanings, including a sense of gratitude mixed with shame for receiving greater favor from a superior than is properly merited by one's station in life.

Although the word mottainai is written in Chinese characters, it was created in Japan and is based on Buddhist philosophy. One of the earliest appearances of the word "mottainai" is in the book Genpei Jōsuiki (A Record of the Genpei War, ca. 1247).

Mottainai is a compound word, mottai+nai. Mottai (勿体) refers to the intrinsic dignity or sacredness of a material entity, while Nai (無い) indicates an absence or lack. (Mottai further consists of "mochi (勿)," meaning "inevitable; unnecessary to discuss," and "tai (体)," or "entity; body.")

"Mottai" was originally used in the construction "mottai-ga-aru" (勿体+が+有る), literally "having mottai," which referred to a dignified entity. Today, "mottai" is also used in the construction "mottai-buru (勿体振る)," meaning "pretentious" or "giving oneself airs" by assuming more dignity than one truly possesses.

Buddhists traditionally used the term "mottainai" to indicate regret at the waste or misuse of something sacred or highly respected, such as religious objects or teaching. Today, the word is widely used in everyday life to indicate the waste of any material object, time, or other resource.

According to the Japan Times website (1/3/09), Japan`s agricultural ministry estimated that in 2007, 23 million tonnes of food was wasted, costing 2 trillion yen.
MORE in the wikipedia !



CLICK For more reference

Mottainai Baasan もったいない ばあさん
Mottainai Grandma

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ベルさんの もったいないプロジェクト
 ベルさんブランド 元気食品 .. Genki Food


ベルナルド デクハウス
Bernard Diekhaus

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. WASHOKU
Food wasted in 2009 - Statistics

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Here we will discuss the meaning and the spirit of three terms:
"Mottainai", "Wabi-Sabi" and "Imperfect".

The thought of finding essential values in things
It is important for us to find the value in all things. It is vital that we treasure and respect our unique natural environment and to value all its resources. These ideas are expressed in the term "Mottainai" which Ms. Wangari Maathai, Deputy Environment Minister of Kenya, was trying to popularize in the world.
This Japanese word means reduce, recycle, repair and reuse. This term was originated in the 18th century, the Edo era, by Tokyoites. At that time Tokyo was the most heavily populated city in the world. Tokyoites felt to live in peace and in prosperity, so they tried to utilize the limited natural resources and cooperated with each otherin doing so.
 source : www.yoho.jp/camj


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HAIKU


収穫祭 モッタイナイはかけことば
shuukakusai mottainai wa kakekotoba

harvest festival -
the motto of the day
"do not be wasteful!"


Gabi Greve, Japan, October 2006


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Santoka

よいおみのりのさやさやお月さま 
yoi o-minori no sayasaya o-tsuki-sama

A great harvest,
sighs, the moon content.



のんびり尿する草の芽だらけ
nonbiri shito suru kusa no me darake

Roadside, taking a piss,
soaking the scrub-grass.


A wandering beggar must heed the call of nature in the most humble of places. Santôka renders this daily obligation into an unpretentious contribution to an ecological cycle, humorously demonstrating the concept of mottainai, of waste not/want not.
Much as the selected poem above introduced an agricultural portrait of fruitfulness and fecundity, of the elements of nature co-participating in the production of food for living beings, this poem comically shows Santôka paying back the favour by contributing to the cycle, with his own urine, a devotional scatology.

source : simply haiku 2007


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Related words

***** WKD Reference

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1/13/2009

Seta shijimi and fireflies

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corbicula from Seta (Seta shijimi)

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


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Explanation

Seta shijimi 瀬田蜆(せたしじみ / セタシジミ)
corbicula from Seta
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Shijimi 蜆 (しじみ) corbicula
Corbicula japonica

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Shijimi was very popular during the Edo period. Children would get them and sell them in the early morning hours for the shijimi miso soup and thus make a little pocket money.

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Matsuo Basho, Seta poems and the Big Bridge at Seta
Seta no Oohashi 瀬田の大橋 at the Lake Biwako
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


五月雨に隠れぬものや瀬田の橋
samidare ni kakurenu mono ya Seta no hashi

in the endless rain of June
this one is not hidden -
the great bridge of Seta

samidare ... during the rainy season, now in June.


There is a stone with this haiku in Otsu.
大津市瀬田唐橋公園

One of the eight sights of Omi. Seta is the only river that flows out of the lake Biwa. The bridge structure is influenced by Chinese architecture. It was also used in the performance of the bamboo Tamasudare
Nanjing Tamasudare たますだれ (玉簾/珠簾)

CLICK for original

Seta no Karahashi 近江八景の一つ、瀬田の唐橋


. . . CLICK here for Photos of woodblock prints!


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橋桁の忍は月の名残り哉 
hashigeta no shinobu wa tsuki no nagori kana

most probably also about the Bridge of Seta
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .



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There is also a wafer filled with sweet bean paste of the same form, inpressed with
SETA.

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和菓子司 角安本舗
大津市瀬田2-3-11


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



WASHOKU
Shiga Prefecture - Regional Dishes from Omi and Seta



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HAIKU


Fireflies from Seta

目に残る吉野を瀬田の蛍哉
me ni nokoru yoshino o seta no hotaru kana

held in my eye:
with Yoshino's blooms
Seta's fireflies

Matsuo Basho
Basho recalls spring blossoms at Yoshino as he sees summer's fireflies at Seta.
Tr. and comment : Barnhill


"my eyes recall Yoshino's sakura in Seta's fireflies"

held in my eye:
with Yoshino's blooms
Seta's fireflies

source : Dennis Kawaharada


still before my eyes
cherry blossoms of Yoshino
fireflies of Seta

Tr. Reichhold



It seems to me that Basho must have seen a LOT of fireflies at Seta to make such a comparison: a 'cloud' of fireflies as it were, to match the 'clouds' of cherry blossoms.

Interestingly, Blyth does not translate this haiku, perhaps because he obviously couldn't translate everything, but also perhaps because Blyth felt it didn't fit his criteria for what makes a good haiku.

I, however, like haiku about places, or that mention places. For one thing, the reference to or mere mention of a place automatically makes a haiku 'larger'.

Since the mere mention of "Yoshino" in Basho's haiku suggests "cherry blossoms," he didn't have to say "sakura" in the haiku. But he did have to mention fireflies in relation to Seta, so I'm assuming that there is no tradition in Japanese poetry linking "fireflies" and "Seta."

But Seta, in the mid-1600s, was well-known for its fireflies, especially on the Seta River (and Lake Biwa too?) I have read online that
"When the light show was at its peak in early summer, hotaru-bune boats would take people on eating and drinking excursions to the best places to see them."
This would make firefly-viewing in some ways similar to cherry-blossom viewing.

So although 'fireflies of Seta' may not have been an 'utamakura' (poetic place), perhaps Basho was trying to make it one? Or at least he was making it into a 'haimakura' (haikai place).
. Compiled by Larry Bole



hotarubune 蛍船 ship for viewing fireflies


蛍見や船頭酔うておぼつかな
hotarumi ya sendoo yoote obotsukana

watching fireflies -
the boatsman is drunk
and we worry


Matsuo Basho in 1690

Basho was in Omi and enjoyed the fireflies around lake Biwa. Boats were located near the Bridge and people could drink sake while watching the fireflies. It was most enjoyable to see the fireflies reflected in the water.
Even the boatsman was drunk and the boat must have shaken quite a bit. This haiku reflects the happy mood when watching fireflies.


闇の夜や子供泣き出す蛍舟
yami no yo ya kodomo nakidasu hotarubune

pitchdark night -
the children start crying
on the firefly boat


Boncho 凡兆 (in Sarumino)

While the grown-ups enjoy a drink and make merry, the kids are full of fear in the dark.

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Compiled by Larry Bole, Translating Haiku Forum

A couple of more translations:

hotarumi ya sentoo yoote obotsukana (Basho)

Firefly viewing at Seta

firefly viewing--
the boatman is drunk,
the boat unsteady

Tr. Barnhill


Firefly viewing--
The steersman is drunk
And how unsteady the boat!

Tr. Ueda



firefly viewing
when the boatman is drunk
unsteady

Tr. Reichhold


Viewing fireflies and
the pilot is drunk
how unsettling...

Tr. Liza Dalby,
from her book, "east wind melts the ice: a memoir through the seasons," U. of California Press, 2007 (she is best-known for her book, "Geisha")


And here is Dalby's translation of Boncho's haiku:

yami no yo ya kodomo nakidasu hotarubune

A dark night
crying children
on a firefly boat


Dalby's comment on both haiku:
Neither Basho nor Boncho seems to have been entirely at ease with the raucous scene of drunken adults and crying children on this excursion. At the same time, their poems avoid the stereotypical fireflies-over-the-water-isn't-it-lovely sentimentality of the usual firefly haiku. Two hundred years later, novelist Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) wrote a more typical nostalgic haiku recalling a scene from his boyhood as he and his older sister hurried home over dark mountain paths on a summer night:

katamaru ya chiru ya hotaru no kawa no ue

Clumping and
scattering, fireflies
over the river


--Natsume Soseki (1897)
Tr. Dalby


Now gathering,
Now scattering,
Fireflies over the river.

Tr. Sooiku Shigematsu


Dalby goes on to discuss the tradition of children catching fireflies.

I find it particularly interesting when Dalby writes about the commercial aspect of firefly 'consumerism':

Even long-urbanized Tokyo was still threaded with streams and rivers until the nineteenth century. One didn't have to travel far to find a damp source for fireflies. In fact, one didn't need to travel at all, because vendors would sell you bulk fireflies to light up your garden.
In the 1920s, Moriyama City in Shiga Prefecture alone supported four large firefly wholesalers who, together, sold three million wild insects to city folk every June and July. The Moriyama suppliers prided themselves on their 'genji-botaru', "Genji fireflies"---at three-quarters of an inch by far the largest of Japan's firefly species.

Both Japanese and American firefly populations began dwindling in the mid-twentieth century due to pollution and loss of habitat. In 1951, the Japanese began to study firefly breeding requirements in order to build artificial hatcheries. Fireflies are still sold today, but they are now farmed. The state of the environment has been at the forefront of Japanese political concerns for several decades now, and as a result wild fireflies have made a resurgence in many of their old habitats. The tourist bureaus of several prefectures will happily supply a list of favorite places for firefly viewing.
[end of comment]

And there is an interesting anecdote about another almost-by-Boncho firefly haiku, in "Kyorai's Conversations with Basho," translated by Donald Keene (excerpted in Robert Hass's "The Essential Haiku"):

田の畝の豆つたひ行螢かな
ta no heri no mame tsutai yuku hotaru kana

Along the border of the fields
Following the bean plants
Go the fireflies.

Banko 伊賀万乎(まんこ)Iga Manko
[Tr. Donald Keene]

Kyorai writes:
This verse was originally one by Boncho that the Master [Basho] had corrected. When we were compiling 'The Monkey's Cloak', Boncho remarked, "This verse has nothing special to recommend it. Let's leave it out." Kyorai answered, "The lights of the fireflies following the bean plants at the edge of a field splendidly evoke a dark night."
But Boncho was not convinced by these words. The Master said, "If Boncho throws it away, I'll pick it up. It fortunately happens that one of the Iga poets has a similar verse that I can modify into this one." Thus, it finally appeared as Banko's poem.
[end of excerpt]

Hass's note:
Iga was Basho's home district, and he took a special interest in its poets.
[end of note]

. . . . .

. WKD : Fireflies (hotaru)


. sendoo sendō 船頭 boatsman, ferryman, chief fisherman .

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. yuku toshi no Seta o mawaru ya kane hikyaku .
Yosa Buson and the Hikyaku fast money messengers

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source : blog.livedoor.jp/nara_suimeishi
宮戸川 Miyatogawa
歌川国芳 Utagawa Kuniyoshi  - 名酒揃 (1846) (1846)

Miyatogawa was part of the river Sumidagawa, and also famous for fishing Edo mae unagi 江戸前うなぎ eel.

The lady in the print has blackened teeth, so she was not yet married. She was probably a servant at a Sake shop and maybe on her way home with a catch of local 業平しじみ Narahira Shijimi.


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Related words

***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets


***** WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

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9/21/2008

Unagi eel

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unagi うなぎ / 鰻 と伝説 Legends about the eel
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Eel (unagi うなぎ 鰻) - Aal

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


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Explanation

eel, unagi, 鰻、うなぎ, Aal
Anguilla japonica
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳

pike conger eel, hamo 鱧
..... Hamo sashimi, a speciality of the Kyoto area in Summer. It is hacked very finely because of the many small bones and takes an experienced cook to prepare it properly.
Hamo 鱧 pike conger eel History and Food

both are kigo for all summer

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Doyo eel, doyoo unagi 土用鰻 (どよううなぎ)
day of the eal, unagi no hi 鰻の日(うなぎのひ)
kigo for late summer
and doctor Hiraga Gennai 平賀源内

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ochiunagi, ochi unagi 落鰻 (おちうなぎ)
eel coming downriver
kudari unagi 下り鰻(くだりうなぎ)
kigo for late autumn


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Yatsume unagi 八目鰻 (やつめうなぎ, 八つ目鰻) lamprey (eel)
Lampetra japonica
Despite its name, this in not a member of the eel family.
kigo for all winter


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- - - - - The following are NOT kigo.

aounagi, ao-unagi アオウナギ, アオ鰻、青鰻
blue eel

a speciality of the Bizen Kojima Bay, Okayama prefecture
It has been eaten in Osaka since olden times. This eel can be caught all year round, but it is hard nowadays to feed them properly. The fish likes the mix of seawater and river water that he has in the wetlands of the bay. Fishermen go out to catch small prawns during the ebb tide and put it back into the water to feed the eels, but this is very hard work.
(I was lucky to meet Mr. Shimizu who is a famous fisherman and catches them.)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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mizore-ae みぞれあえ (霙和え) with grated radish
The fish is blanched. A dressing is of vinegar and soy sauce. Decorated with grated rasish and cucumbers.
Mizore-ae is also used for other ingredients like chicken meat.



CLICK for more photos

unagidon, unagi don, unagi donburi うなぎどんぶり ( 鰻丼/ うなぎ丼) grilled eel on rice
One of the most famous eel dishes. Here the sauce is poored directly over the eel and the rice.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
gegrillter Aal auf einer Schüssel mit Reis.



unagimeshi, unagi meshi うなぎめし(鰻飯) eel with rice
manmeshi 鰻飯(まんめし)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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kabayaki in Edo

unagi no kabayaki うなぎのかばやき ( 鰻の蒲焼き/ うなぎの蒲焼)
skewered grilled eel with a soy and mirin sauce, charcoal-broiled eel
Sometimes the eel is served in a separate laquer box and the rice, soup and pickles come in separate dishes.
Kabayaki was already prepared in the Muromachi period. First the whole fish was put on a pole and grilled (Ujimaru kabayaki 宇治丸, uchimaru うちまる), but that did not go well so it was cut open and put on skewers.
Sometimes it was also grilled with salt only (shioyaki 塩焼) or (shirayaki 白焼, white grilling).
or
covered with miso, a kind of fish dengaku
uo dengaku 魚田楽(うおでんがく)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Grillaal, gegrillter Aal
more :  japanesefood.about.com: Japanese Eel Recipes



Preparing kabayaki in Edo

This dealer, kabayaki uri 蒲焼売 could carry his "shop" on a pole over the shoulders.
He could set up shop at any place. Other dealers grilled the fish at home and sold only the pieces.

In Edo, eel was cut open from the backside, whereas in Osaka (Kamigata) and Kyoto it was sliced open from the stomach.
In Edo there lived many Samurai and "harakiri", cutting the stomach, was notfavored.
In Edo the bones are taken out, then the fish is cut in three pieces, which are put on skewers and grilled separately. They are served with the skewers.
In Kamigata / Osaka fish is cut from the stomach, the bones are taken out, the whole fish is put on skewers from head to tail, and after grilling the skewers are taken out and the pieces placed on a broad dish.

In Tokyo it is first simmered, then grilled.
In Osaka it is not simmered.

Unagi was often featured in Ukiyo-e prints of Edo.


CLICK for more photos !


猫の当て字 うなぎ - cats forming the letters for u na gi うなぎ
Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳


. Food vendors in Edo .

The fishing ground for Unagi in Edo was in the river around Asakusa, at that time called
Miyatogawa 宮戸川, now Sumidagawa. Eel was taken out with poles.
This river fish was called Edomae Unagi 江戸前うなぎ, here meaning "The best Unagi of Edo"。


source : kabuki-za.com/syoku/2
歌川国芳 Utagawa Kuniyoshi

In a book published in 1697, the author already praized the eel from Miyatogawa in Edo 江都(えど)as the best in all Japan.
『本朝食鑑』(1697 年刊)

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unagi manjuu うなぎ饅頭 bun with eel filling
from Mishima, Shizuoka.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



unagisuupu, unagi suupu うなぎスープ 鰻スープ eel soup
unagijiru ウナギ汁, kimo sui 肝吸い
Often with red miso. Or a clear broth with some eel liver.
. . . CLICK here for kimosui clear broth Photos !
Aalsuppe


unagi no tare うなぎのたれ (鰻のたれ)
sauce for eel
Many restaurants have a sauce which is the strict secret of the generations.
Ready-made sauces are also available in the stores.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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unagiya うなぎ屋 (鰻屋) eel restaurant



There were quite a few in Edo where women prepared the fish, from cutting it to grilling it.
The Ukiyo-E prints were often in the format of a summer hand-fan, to be used to feel cool, spread the delicious smell of grilled fish and attract customers.


source : blog.goo.ne.jp/yousan02/e
by 近藤清春 - Unagiya in Edo - around 1720

The characters on their kanban shop signs are usually very typical.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Aalrestaurant

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unajuu うな重 (うなじゅう)
grilled eel on rice in a square box, grilled eel on a rice bed
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
gegrillter Aal auf Reis in einer Lackschachtel
gegrillter Aal auf Reis in viereckigem Kasten



Uzaku うざく(鰻ざく) Uzaku eel with vinegar dressing
CLICK for more photos A dish from the Kansai area.
Similar to mizore-ae, but the fish has been broiled. The sauce is quite sweet. Sanbaizu vinegar is used.




Yahata-maki. Yawatamaki やはたまき (八幡巻き) anago roll
The fish is rolled around pieces of goboo burdock.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
yahata maki can also be made with other ingredients like pork meat or dojoo loach.
Fresh burdock from the area of Iwashimizu Hachimangu 石清水八幡宮 is usually used. A speciality of Yahata town, Kyoto.
In the beginning it was the other way around, on days when fish was not to be eaten for religious regions during the Hojo-e ritual of releasing fish into the river. cooks prepared small river fish and wrapped it in stripes of burdock to hide it. The river where the fish were released often clogged and was cleaned. The mud was taken to the nearby fields as compost for the burdock.
The preparation of Yawata maki dates back to the area of the warring states, maybe invented by the merchant Yodoya Joan (Yodoya Jooan)
淀屋常安 (よどやじょうあん).



Many eel dishes are flavored with
Sansho, Sanshoo, Japanese pepper, "Mountain pepper"


Lake Hamanako 浜名 near Hamamatsu, Shizuoka is famous for its eel farming. Many shirasu elvers are raised here.

shirasu no kama-age しらすの釜揚げ boiled shirasu.
they are boiled in salt water, which can be heated a bit higher than 100 degrees centigrade. After skimming off the foam various times they are put on nets to dry.
CLICK here for PHOTOS !

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unagi kaidoo うなぎ街道 Unagi Kaido Highway

From Izumo, 安来港 Yasugi port over the mountains to 勝山町 Katsuyama (Okayama).
From Katsuyama by boat downriver to Okayama, from there to Osaka.



The porters had to be very strong to carry about 30 kg of eel in two baskets on shoulder poles, stopping every 4 km to water the fish, running day and night for four days.
Along the road were houses with Unagi ponds especially for this transport.
The most difficult part was the pass 四十曲峠 Shijumagaritoge with 40 bending curves.
The runners were under the special protection of 聖護院宮 Shogoin no Miya, a temple in Kyoto and ferry boats had to come back from the river to give them a first go.
うなぎ街道 - 悪路の中国山地越え
- reference source : sanin-chuo.co.jp... -


. Kaido: The Ancient Highways 日本の街道 .


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Worldwide use

It seems eel is not eaten much in America.

The American eel, Anguilla rostrata, is a catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. It has a snake-like body with a small sharp pointed head. It is brown on top and a tan-yellow color on the bottom. It has sharp pointed teeth but no pelvic fins. It is very similar to the European eel, but the two species differ in number of chromosomes and vertebrae.

In 2010, Greenpeace International has added the american eel to its seafood red list. "
The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Aal in Deutschland
Aal auf Stroh - eel on straw
Hamburger Aalsuppe - eel soup
Kräuteraal - eel in herb sauce
... Grüner Aal in Kräutersauce
Räucheraal - smoked eel
source : www.chefkoch.de


Spickaal (smoked eel)
Schillerlocke (strip of smoked rock salmon)
Räucheraal, smoked eel, was especially popular during the Christmas holidays.
kigo for all winter


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Things found on the way



. Eel catch problems .
February 2012


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HAIKU





なぎやのうの字 鰻のように書き 
unagiya no u no ji man no yoo ni kaki

the letter U
of the unagi restaurant
written just like the fish


Kaboo 佳宝



鰻屋のうの字 三尺余り伸び   
unagiya no u no ji sanshaku amari nobi

the letter U
of the unagi restaurant ...
almost one meter long    
 

Tennan 天南


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サービスの肝吸い肝が見当たらず  
saabisu no kimosui kimo ga miatarazu

this free liver soup
does not have one bit
of eel liver ! 
   

Ganjiroo 頑治郎


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Related words

***** Donburi丼 Bowl of rice with topping

***** hamo 鱧 (はも) pike conger pike, pike eel
Muraenesox cinereus. dragontooth


***** WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

unagi うなぎ / 鰻 と伝説 Legends about the eel

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- #unagi #eelunagi -
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9/08/2008

Hamaguri clam

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
. Famous Places of Edo .
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Clamshell (hamaguri)

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


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Explanation

clamshell, hard clam, hamaguri 蛤 (はまぐり)
Meretrix lusoria. Venus clam, clam shell
Common orient clam

hodgepodge with clamshells, hamaguri nabe 蛤鍋(はまなべ)
steamed hamaguri, mushi hamaguri 蒸蛤(むしはまぐり)
hamaguri broth, hamatsuyu 蛤つゆ(はまつゆ)
grilled hamaguri, yaki hamaguri 焼蛤(やきはまぐり)
suhamaguri 洲蛤(すはまぐり)
hamaguri with vinegar, su hamaguri 酢蛤(すはまぐり)

CLICK for more photos



Heat shimmers (kageroo), also called
"shell tower" kai yagura 貝櫓, kairoo 貝楼
People of old believed that a clam shell (hamaguri) would cough up air and produce a tower in the air. Other stories say it was a huge frog who belched.
Heat shimmers, KIGO


yakihamaguri, grilled right by the seaside, are a favorite with the Japanese. I remmeber the many stalls at Enoshima near Kamakura.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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other types are

choosen hamaguri チョウセンハマグリ Meretrix lamarcki
"Korean clam"
shina hamaguri シナハマグリ Meretrix petechialis
"Chinese clam"

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Some dishes with this clam

sakamushi ハマグリのさかむし, ハマグリの酒蒸し
simmered in ricewine
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Speciality of Hyogo, Kinosaki Onsen 城崎温泉(きのさきおんせん)


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時雨はまぐり, 時雨蛤 shigure hamaguri,
clamshells in sweet syrup

speciality of Mie prefecture
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
This refers back to the famous battle of Sekigahara (1600), near Ogaki castle, where the fishermen of Kuwana gave some clams to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The clams are harvested out of the sand and then left for a while in a bucket of plain water to spit out the sand they still have in their body. They are then boiled in this water with shredded ginger roots and then cooled. Next they are simmered in special soy sauce from Ise (tamari shooyu たまり醤油) and flavored with sweet mizuame syrup.
see the haiku below !

. Sekigahara 関ヶ原 .


yakihamaguri 焼蛤 grilled Hamaguri, baked clams

The clams of Kuwana have quite a soft texture and a rich flavor. Until our day they are served in many restaurants in the city.


桑名 四日市へ三里八丁 - 3 ri and 8 cho to Yokkaichi
(about 12.7 km from Kuwana to Yokkaichi)
葛飾北斎 Katsushika Hokusai

Before starting the walk, people enjoyed some Hamaguri.
They were grilled in a fire with pine cones to add flavor, but it also produced a lot of ashes.
On the image you can see one lady fanning the fire, turning her face the other side to avoid the smoke.



歌川広重 Hiroshige - Kuwana
Detail of grilling the Hamaguri in a roadside stall.

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sushi looking like hamaguri, hamagurizushi
はまぐり寿司

CLICK for more photos

Served for the Doll Festival (hina matsuri) Peach Festival, Girl's Festival

A thin omelette is folded like a clam and filled with sushi rice and some other ingredients.
http://www.justhungry.com/shell-shaped-sushi-hamaguri-zushi-girls-festival



wanko hamaguri わんこハマグリ venus clamshells to eat in fast competition
wankosoba, eating buckwheat in this way, is famous in Morioka. But this way of eating hamaguri is a speciality of the restaurant Kuwana 桑名 on Ishigaki Island 石垣島.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Worldwide use

Venusmuschel

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Things found on the way


CLICK for original LINK ... Durga
Painting by Hakuin

Hamaguri Kannon 蛤観音, 蛤蜊
One of the 33 incarnations of Kannon Bosatsu.

The incarnation Nr. 25 is called Hamaguri. When emperor Bunso of China in the year 831 wanted to eat a clamshell, it transfigured itself into a Kannon Bosatsu.

25. In einer Venusmuschel. (Koori, Hamaguri)
Als der chinesische Kaiser Bunsoo im Jahre 831 eine Venusmuschel (hamaguri) essen wollte, verwandelte sich diese in eine Kannon.

Kannon with Fish Basket, Gyoran Kannon
魚籃観音(ぎょらんかんのん)


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Dajare, play of words of the Edo period

sono te wa kuwana no yaki-hamaguri
その手は桑名の焼きはまぐり >
「その手は桑名い」 > 「その手は食わない」

Puns, dajare 駄洒落 ダジャレ, だじゃれ Daruma Museum

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. Famous Places of Edo .

Hamagurichoo 蛤町 Hamaguri Cho district



former 深川蛤町 一・二丁目 Fukagawa Hamaguri cho first and second district until 1911
now 江東区永代二丁目、門前仲町一・二丁目 Koto ward, Eitai second district, Monzennaka cho first and second district.
This district used to be on the shore and many fishermen lived here, looking for Hamaguri and fish. Eventually the Edo government reclaimed the land around 1600 and the third Shogun Iemitsu, when visiting the area, gave the name Hamaguri to the place.
Many fish dealers soon came to live here too and the sound of vendors could be heard.


Hamaguribori 蛤堀 Hamaguri moat



The famous explorer Mamiya Rinzō 間宮林蔵 Mamiya Rinzo (1775 - 1844) spent his last years in Hamaguri.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Kai-awase game with Daruma San


Kai-Awase clam shell game / More Photos
貝合; 貝合わせ; 貝合せ, かいあわせ

a game popular since the Heian period.


CLICK for original LINK
with poems of the Heian period and their poets


kigo for all spring

kaiawase, kai-awase 貝合 (かいあわせ) clam shell game
Spiel mit Muscheln
..... kai ooi 貝覆(かいおおい)container for the clam shell game
..... kaioke, kai oke 貝桶(かいおけ)container
Most were beautifully decorated.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

- quote -
kaiawase 貝合
Also called kaiooi 貝覆. A shell-matching game played originally by nobles in the Heian period. A half clam shell was decorated and placed outer side-up. The matching half of the design was painted on other half shells and they were turned over one by one by players competing to match pairs. A poem or miniature painting was added inside each shell in order to facilitate matching, with the first part of a 32-syllable poem written on one half and the latter part written on its mate, while both halves were detailed with an identical motif.
The most popular subjects are flowers and episodes from GENJI MONOGATARI 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji). The Hayashibara 林原 Museum's (Okayama prefecture) set of 180 pairs of illustrations from the GENJI MONOGATARI is a beautiful example from the Edo period.
Sets of kaiawase were often part of a bridal trousseau and this one is recorded as being brought by the bride of Ikeda Mitsumasa 池田光政 in 1628. The minute paintings are in the traditional *yamato-e やまと絵 style characterized by lavish gilt backgrounds. Hexagonal boxes *kaioke 貝桶 used for storing pairs of shells especially in the Edo period, were often decorated in the *makie 蒔絵 lacquer technique using much gold or silver.
- source : JAANUS -

. The Heian Period 平安時代 Heian jidai (794 - 1185) .
- Introduction -



. kai zaiku 貝細工 sea shell craft .

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Original from Nakashoten.jp

Kai-ooi, Kai-Oi, Kaioi 貝おほひ Seashell Game
Book by Matsuo Basho, 1672

The Shell Game,
collected poems by Basho and 32 poets, edited by Basho, and dedicated to Ueno Tenjingu shrine 上野天神宮 in Iga.

This book is about a haiku contest in thirty rounds (sanjuuban ku awase). Pairs of two haiku, each one by a different poet, are matched and Basho discusses them. He also contributed two haiku, see below. His critical comments and the way he refereed the matches are most interesting. He seems to be a man of brilliant wit and colorful imagination, who had a great knowledge of popular songs, fashionable expressions, and the new ways of the world in the Edo period. This book was written in the light spirit of HAI kai.

Two haiku by Basho from this book:

きてもみよ甚兵が羽織花衣
kite mo miyo jinbe ga haori hanagoromo

(kite mo miyo : This is a double play with words, come and see, or come and wear this jinbei when looking for cherry blossoms.)

come and look!
put on a Jinbei robe
and admire the blossoms

Tr. Makoto Ueda



女男鹿や毛に毛がそろうて毛むつかし
meoto jika ya ke ni ke ga soroute ke muzukashi

husband and wife deer -
their hair is all the same
but sometimes it's different


寛文12年, Basho at 29 years

(This is a pun with ke muzukashi、to be hard to get along with.)


. light summer suit with short legs 甚兵衛 jinbei .


. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


quote
The Seashell Game (貝おほひ, Kai Ōi? is a 1672 anthology compiled by Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō, in which each haiku is followed by critical commentary he made as referee for a haiku contest.It is Bashō's earliest known book, and the only book he published in his own name. The work contains 60 haiku by 36 poets, including two by Bashō himself.

The format is based on a children's game where two seashells were placed side by side and compared. Bashō compares pairs of haiku by different authors in the same manner in the book. According to scholar Sam Hamill, The Seashell Game shows Bashō "to be witty, deeply knowledgeable, and rather light-hearted."

Bashō compares the following pair of verses on the topic of colourful autumn leaves:

How like it is to
A midwife's right hand–
Crimson maple leaf!

—Sanboku

"I haven't crimsoned.
Come and look!" So says the dew
On an oak branch

—Dasoku

In his commentary, Bashō declares that the first poem "ranks thousands of leagues" above the second.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Clam Go Stones from Hyuga Town 日向はまぐり碁石
Hyuga hamaguri Go-ishi
CLICK for more photos

Hyuga City in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, is recognized as one of the most important clam shell Go stone producers in the World. Until the early 1900's clams from the Hitachi, Mikawa, and Kuwana areas of Japan were thought of as being the best for the production of high quality clam shell Go stones. However, around this time, a travelling salesman from Toyama Prefecture passed through Hyuga and took note of the quality of Hyuga "hamaguri" clam shells. The Hyuga clams had shells even thicker and denser than those coming from the other areas. The Hyuga clams were taken to Osaka and Hyuga very quickly gained a reputation as being the source of material for first class stones.

Nearly a century has passed since then, and those three areas, once known as leaders in the Go stone industry, have disappeared. Only Hyuga remains; constantly striving to maintain, and improve upon, traditional techniques. Hyuga takes pride in being the best and only home of clam shell Go stones.

However, even Okuragahama in Hyuga, the home of the famous Hyuga hamaguri clams, is suffering a scarcity of clam shells. So much so that Go stones made in Hyuga from real Hyuga hamaguri shells have reached near legendary status. While stones produced in Hyuga are crafted using time-honored traditional techniques, most of the shells themselves are now imported from Mexico. Despite the shells' immigrant status, the stones so produced proudly bear the name "Hyuga Tokusei Goishi," "Hyuga-Crafted Clam Go Stones," and are loved and sought after by Go fans the World over.
source :  www.kurokigoishi.co.jp


Go game, Igo 囲碁 topic for haiku


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The rebellion at the Hamaguri Gate
(蛤御門の変 Hamaguri gomon no Hen) of the Imperial Palace in Kyōto took place on August 20, 1864 and reflected the discontent of pro-imperial and anti-alien groups. During the bloody crushing of the rebellion, the leading Chōshū clan was held responsible for it.
During the incident, the Aizu and Satsuma domains led the defense of the Imperial palace.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !



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Umugaihime 蛤貝比売命(うむがいひめ)
Umugaihime is a personification of the
cherry-stone clam (hamaguri),
. WASHOKU
Umugaihime and Kisagaihime / akagai ark-shell clams
 


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HAIKU


At the end of his journey,
. Oku no Hosomichi 奥の細道 .
Basho wrote this haiku in Ogaki town:


蛤のふたみにわかれ行く秋ぞ
hamaguri no futami ni wakare yuku aki zo

the clamshell
divides in two and leaves
this autumn . . .


(like) a clamshell
divided in two we depart now
into this autumn . . .


The kakenotoba word with a double meaning here is

futami 二身 - 蓋身 two bodies

This expression can be interpreted in many ways.

Here Basho thinks of his physical separation from Sora, who has been his faithful companion on the road for so many weeks.

Basho also thinks of the body of his elder brother Matsuo Hanzaemon 松尾半左衛門, who had been home keeping the Basho family estate ever since Basho left him, more than 24 years ago.
His brother loved hamaguri clamshells.


There are also translations which interpret
FUTAMI as a place name in Ise 伊勢の二見.

Dividing like clam
and shell, I leave for Futami -
Autumn

. Futami Okitama Jinja 二見興玉神社 - Ise .
and meoto iwa (“husband and wife rocks,” or “wedded rocks”)

- English Reference -





. Matsuo Basho - Family Ties .
His Wife ? Jutei-Ni 寿貞尼
His Son ? Jirobei 二郎兵衛
His nephew Tooin 桃印 Toin

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Kobayashi Issa in Kamakura

蛤や在鎌倉の雁鴎
hamaguri ya zai-kamakura no kari kamome

O clams
meet the geese and gulls
of Greater Kamakura!

Tr. David Lanoue

Kamakura and Haiku

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More by Kobayashi Issa

はまぐりの芥(あくた)を吐かす月夜かな 
hamaguri no akuta o hakasu tsukiyo kana
蛤の芥を吐する月夜かな
hamaguri no gomi o hakasuru tsuki yo kana


the clam vomits
mud...
a moonlit night

Tr. David Lanoue 


clams in the bucket
left to spit out the mud
in the moonlit night

Tr. Makoto Ueda  


moonlit night - -
clams left to spit out
the mud 

paraverse by Gabi Greve  


It was customary to have a bowl of clam soup on the night of the full moon.

Here are two haiku by Yanagidaru:


はまぐりは月見と聞いて死ぬ覚悟 
hamaguri wa tsukimi to kiite shinu kakugo

when the clams
hear about the full moon night
they get ready to die



はまぐりのしぐれ焼き場へ籠で来る
hamaguri no shigureyakiba e kago de kuru

to the place
where they grill clams in sweet syrup
they come in palanquins


Haifuu Yanagidaru 誹風柳多留 (Edo period haiku poet) 


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Related words

***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

***** WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD

WASHOKU : Shells, mussels and their cuisine

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