Kazari Decoration

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Kazarimono, Table Decoration,
Tischdekoration

Decoration is a big part of Japanese food, not only the room and the table, but also the food itself.

Eating with the eyes too, a very important aspect of Japanese cuisine. Everything is cut in bite-sized pieces to pick up with the chopsticks.


Moritsuke, 盛り付け decorating food
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

There are some types like

hiramori, ひらもり(平盛り）flat arrangement, in a ricebowl just up to the side or for fish on a plate

sugimori,　すぎもり (杉盛り) slanted or standing like a cedar tree (sugi)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

takamori, たかもり　（隆盛り) "high like a mountain"

yamamori, やまもり (山盛り）)heaped like a mountain
preferred by young people to get an extra size for less money. Also used to heap food for some temple rituals (oomori　大盛り).
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

yosemori、よせもり　（寄盛り）　gathered arrangements

ayamori, woven arrangements is sometimes mentioned, but no details are found on Japanese pages.
but we have
tazunagiri たづな切り（手綱切り) "cut like a horse bridle", braid cutting
often done with konnyaku pieces
WASHOKU : Cutting food


Fish is placed with the head on the left side of the long plate.


LINK moritsuke for sashimi
http://otokosakanaryouri.web.fc2.com/morituke_sashimi.html



Arranging plates on a tray is another kind of moritsuke.
. . . front row
Left bowl for rice, right bowl for soup
tip of the chopsticks pointing left
. . . second row
left : plate with fried fish or meat
right : plate with vegetables
middle : small plates with tsukemono pickles



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Hana inari 花いなり flower-like decorations


Utsuwa, tableware　うつわ、器
dishes, cups, plates ...


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Japanese maple leaves and other leaves are used for decoration in some Japanese dishes.

"Leaf Business"

Many ferns with their regular shaped, evergreen leaves are auspicious for bringing good luck to the New Year. The leaves are used to decorate the festive table and are especially necessary for the expensive restaurants. So some villages have started to grow beautiful fern especially for food decoration purposes and the old people can earn quite a bit on the side on this new "leaves business, leaf business" happa bijinesu　葉っぱビジネス”. The people also collect red leaves of autumn for food decoration purposes, especially maple and persimmon leaves.
The village of Kamikatsu in Shikoku has made special effort with this export of leaves.




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Genau wie die Chinesen mögen die Japaner eine schlichte Tischdekoration.
Den Mittelpunkt des eher schlicht gehaltenen Tisches kann ein Gesteck aus Farn- Pflanzen (oder ähnliches) bilden, welches gleichzeitig als Kerzenständer dienen kann.
Die Farben sind eher schlicht, zarte Töne lenken nicht vom Essen ab und regen gleichzeitig den Appetit an. Wie die Dekoration sollten auch die Teller einfach, am besten in weiß, gehalten sein. Rechts vom Essenden werden die Messer platziert, die Gabeln links, wer will kann auch versuchen das Essen mit Stäbchen zu sich zu nehmen, allerdings bedarf es dafür viel Übung.

Die restliche Tischdekoration sowie die Servietten sollten in den Farben schwarz und weiß sein, da diese Kombination von Farben am meisten an Japan erinnert. Wer Geschirr in diesen Farben hat kann es natürlich auch verwenden. Auch schön zur Ausschmückung des Tisches sind Kerzen in dieser Farbfolge.

Künstlerisch begabte oder sehr kreative Dekorateure können auch japanische Schriftzeichen auf Pappe kopieren und diese ausschneiden. Sie eignen sich hervorragend als Platzdecken. Wem das nicht gelingen will kann auch einfache Bambusplatzdecken benutzen, auch sie sie eignen sich um den japanischen Flair in das eigene Haus zu bringen.

Kleine Blumengestecke lockern den Tisch etwas auf, sie sollten aber nicht im Mittelpunkt sondern am Kopf des Tisches stehen, denn der Mittelpunkt wird im Japan stets vom Essen gebildet oder von größeren Blumengestecken. Kleine Kerzen bzw. Teelichter muntern die Stimmung auf und sind für ein schönes Ambiente unverzichtbar. Auch Soßen wie zum Beispiel die Sojasoße kann als dekoratives Element mit auf den Tisch gestellt werden.

source : www.rezepte-nachkochen.de

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EXTERNAL LINK

The Fine Art of Japanese Food Arrangement
By Yoshio Tsuchiya,

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


kazari, carving food in decorative ways

carrots or radish can be carved to look like blossoms or plants.
The combination of shoochikubai 松竹梅 Pine, Bamboo and Plum is very popular.

. "Three friends of Winter", Pine, Bamboo and Plum
Shoo-chiku-bai 松竹梅 　

kazarikiri, kazari kiri 飾り切り cutting into decorative pieces


ume ninjin 梅人参（うめにんじん）"plum carrot"


MORE
. kazaribocho, kazari boochoo 飾り包丁
decorative cutting and slashing 　


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source :　facebook


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Related words


***** Zen, Tray, Dinner tray, box tray (hako zen) ...


***** WASHOKU : General Information

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Eco and Slow Food

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Ecotarian Food エコタリアン and Slow Food

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

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Explanation

Ecotarian is a term that refers to the process of selecting food with consideration for all of the various ecological factors plus energy used to produce the food. The goal is to eat in a sustainable way. Sustainability itself is a tricky concept, as there is no end goal to focus on, but rather it is an aim to reduce our environmental impact, our ecological footprint.

"Ecotarian" means a diet that is based on "eating your environment," just as "vegetarian" refers to "eating vegetables."
Ecotarian embraces the idea of reducing the distance between where food is produced, and where food is consumed (food miles). There are several key aspects for "eating local".

Origin
The term ecotarian has been developed and used independently by different groups and individuals across Britain and the rest of the world and there is yet no agreed origin. Some people use it synonymously with ethicatarian and locavores.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Global warming 地球温暖化

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Just Enough:
Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan
Azby Brown

quote
He said people in the Edo Period overcame many of the same problems confronting present-day society — issues of energy, water, materials, food and population — in unique ways.

For example, trading in human waste was big business, with farmers going to great lengths to secure contracts to collect and transport night soil from cities for use in their fields, at a time when in Europe such waste was being dumped in rivers, polluting the water supply and leading to outbreaks of cholera, Brown said.

He cited "oshinko" pickles as examples of food that can be preserved and eaten without the need for cooking, thereby saving fuel.
"We can probably save a lot of energy if we eat more foods that don't require cooking," he said.
by Yoichi Kosukegawa
source : Japan Times, Feb. 17, 2010



. WASHOKU
Pickles (tsukemono　漬物)oshinko おしんこ【御新香】


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Slow Food from Japan


click for more English Information


quote from July, 2008
The Ark of Taste in Japan
aji no hakobune 味の箱舟




The Ark of Taste is a project created by the Slow Food Association in 1996. It is a metaphorical vessel traveling around the world, helping small-scale products of high gastronomic value threatened by industrial agriculture, environmental degradation and standardization.

The Ark seeks out, catalogs and nominates flavors that are endangered and need protection, but are still alive and have real potential. With the help of monitoring carried out by Slow Food Convivia around the world, the Scientific Ark Commission evaluates cured meats, cheeses, cereals, vegetables and local breeds using specific selection criteria: gastronomic excellence, a connection with the local area, artisan production, a sustainable approach by producers, and products at risk of extinction.

Japan is a country where the Ark project has been welcomed with particular enthusiasm. The Japanese Ark was formed in 2005, when the commission selected the first nine products: the tankaku cattle breed, etari in brine (anchovies macerated and fermented in brine using traditional artisan methods), the roasted and smoked goby yakihaze from Nagatsura Bay, two local types of turnip (hanazukuri daikon and akkajidaikon), yukina (a leaf vegetable grown in the area of Yonezawa), Amarume Welsh onion, hachiretsu corn and Unzen kobu takana (an ecotype of takana, distinctive for the ‘knots’ on its leaves).

There are now 20 Ark products and over time the project has strengthened the links between Japanese Ark producers and the Slow Food network, which is actively involved in presenting and promoting them.
source : www.slowfood.com/


短角牛 Tankaku beef たんかく牛 Iwate

etari えたりの塩辛 from Nagasaki
えたり（かたくちいわし）

yakihaze 焼はぜ / 焼きハゼ from Nagatsura

yuukoo ゆうこう　citrus fruit from Nagasaki

花作（はなづくり）大根」Hanazukuri Daikon

Kisoo akakabu 木曾赤かぶ red turnips from Kiso

Kosena daikon　小瀬菜大根 radish from Miyagi


あっかじだいこん akkajidaikon akkaji daikon

amarume 余目 (あまるめ) twisted leek from Miyagi
..... Sendai magari negi 仙台曲 twisted leek from Sendai

Noguchi sai 野口菜 leafy vegetables from Noguchi, Nikko

akanegi 赤ネギ red onions from Ibaragi

Yatabe negi 谷田部ねぎ onions from Yatabe, Fukui


yukina ゆきな / 雪菜 "snow leaves"
Maibara yukina


八列とうもろこし (はちれつ) hachiretsu corn


雲仙こぶ高菜 Unzen kobu takana


takana 高菜 takana leaves
Brassica juncea var. integlifolia



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Resistance in Japan
Article from October 2010
Modernity has wreaked havoc on the ancient identity of the Japanese people. This was already understood by the Japanese intellectuals who gathered in Kyoto in 1942 to draw up a strategy to stop the phenomenon of Westernization. They believed that the glorious Japanese traditions were at serious risk, and with them national identity (for more on this see Occidentalism by Ian Buruma and Avishai Margalit).

Slow Food can play a very important role in this country, and in fact it is surprising that the movement has not yet developed here as much as it could. In no other place is there such great harmony with the philosophy of those locals who believe in the survival of traditions and are fighting for recognition of their value, without giving in to the abusive power of the food industry.
Visiting the Unzen Takana Vegetable Presidium in the prefecture of Nagasaki, followed by a meeting of the local Slow Food convivium, was extremely encouraging and showed us just how aware people here are of the issue of food biodiversity.

The recently formed Slow Food Nagasaki Convivium has already firmly oriented itself towards promoting this specificity. It is not by chance that the first and only Japanese Presidium, for the Unzen Takana Vegetable, was established here.

More is here
source : Piero Sardo / www.slowfood.com


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quote from Japan Times, Feb. 2008
Slow-food movement creeps to Japan
By YOKO HANI

Enjoying good food is a fundamental pleasure. But the slow-food movement asks whether "good food" can mean more than simply the flavor and presentation of a meal.

"When we talk about quality food, we mean something that is good to taste but also good in terms of its background,' " said Giacomo Mojoli, former vice president of Slow Food International, an NPO founded in 1989 in Italy, and the current spokesman for Slow Food Italy. Mojoli was in Tokyo recently to attend a symposium titled "Food Culture in the Global Age" organized by another NPO, the Tokyo Foundation.

"Slow food has been interpreted as being about 'eco-gastronomy,' in which we appreciate not only food itself but also things 'outside the plate,' such as the method of farming, the producers and the food's history," Mojoli said.

MORE
source : Japan Times


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Slow Food Japan

Slow Food Japan was founded in June 2004, the sixth national branch of Slow Food to be established. The national headquarters are situated at the Tohoku Fukushi University in the city of Sendai. There are over 1,800 members and 40 convivia in Japan. Important Japanese producers now participate in international events such as Salone del Gusto, Slow Fish and Cheese.
The first national event was held in December 2005 in Tokyo to launch the Ark project in Japan and was followed by the Yokohama Fair in April 2006, which showcased presidia products from around the world.

Office: Slow Food Japan
Tohoku Fukushi University Station Campus 1F
1-19-1 Kunimi, Aoba-ku, Sendai
981-8523





スローフードジャパン （SlowFoodJapan）
http://www.slowfoodjapan.net/

スローフードジャパン事務局
〒981-8523 宮城県仙台市青葉区
国見1丁目19-1 東北福祉大学

Slow Food International
http://www.slowfoodjapan.net/sibu/


Slow Fod Nara
http://slowfoodnara.com/

Slow Food Okinawa
http://www.slow-food.jp/

Slow Food Suginami / Tokyo
http://www.slowfood-suginami.com/forum/foods/2010/05/538/

Slow Food Yamagata
http://www.slowfood-suginami.com/forum/foods/2010/05/538/



Bewegungen wie Slow Food und Eco-Food breiten sich langsam aus, das verstärkte Umweltbewußtsein beziet sich auch wieder auf Lebensmittel und Lebensmittelsicherheit, nachdem zahlreiche Skandale in der Lebensmittelbranche die Bürger aufgeschreckt haben.



Meeting in Nara in 2010


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quote
I am a Canadian who is living in the countryside of north-eastern Japan.
Nigel Fogden Shibata

Slow Food from Japan
http://slowfoodfromjapan.blogspot.com/



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Slow food
More about : スローフード !


Slow-Food-Bewegung
"Ohne Gentechnik"
ohne gentechnische Zusätze
source : 　Slow Food Deutschland
Terra Madre 2008, ein Treffen von Köchen aus aller Welt


Münchener Messe "Food&Life"



Slow Food Deutschland e.V.
http://www.slowfood.de/projekte_und_aktionen/

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Agroforestry
especially in the Amazon, to grow various trees of different hight
. . . Reference



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HAIKU

slow life
slow food
slow haiku






葉っぱは自然に散る
人間は自然に生きる
......... そして死ぬ


Gabi Greve 2005
【do LOHAS】ロハスを



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Related words

***** . Cheap local food
B-kyuu gurume Ｂ級グルメ Second Class Gourmet


***** スローライフ　ネットワーク岡山
Slow Life Network Okayama

***** . Takana 高菜 mustard greens .


***** WASHOKU : General Information

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Asagohan breakfast

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Breakfast (asagohan)

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

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Explanation

Breakfast, an important meal to start the day.

asameshi, asagohan あさめし (朝飯) breakfast

asameshi mae, before breakfast, means an easy taks than can be done with no special effort.


The most basic ingedients are rice, miso soup, natto, a piece of fish and some tsukemono pickles, usually umeboshi salty plums. Some nori seaweed is added in a special longish plate, to dip in soy sauce and wrap the boiled rice in.
Green tea goes best with a traditional breakfast.

There are many regional differences, even in the traditional Japanese breakfast.
In Osaka, for example, they serve Oden in winter to keep warm.

Now there are electric rice cookers you can fill with rice and water, set the time for breakfast and go to bed. Next morning, the cooked rice is ready on the spot.

There are also some break-making maschines of this type now for your Western-style breakfast.


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asagohan 朝ごはん


Traditional Japanese Breakfast

The traditional Japanese breakfast differs fundamentally from the Western style one. A traditional Japanese breakfast consists basically of rice and miso soup. As many aspects of Japanese life style, also the breakfast culture has been Westernized heavily over the last 150 years.

... As for beverages, most popular choices are milk (35%), coffee (32%), green tea (31%) and English tea (21%). The percentage of coffee drinkers is with 44% much higher among company workers.

... In another question we asked the survey participants how much time they invest in their daily breakfast. Again, around 12% indicated not to eat breakfast at all. 29% eat their breakfast in less than 10 minutes, 35% in between 10 to 15 minutes and the remaining 24% in over 15 minutes.

... an overwhelming majority of 72% watches television while eating breakfast. 27% read the newspaper, 23% have a conversation with somebody and 12% listens to the radio.
source : 　www.japan-guide.com

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Asagayu, 朝粥 あさがゆ O-Kayu, okayu, rice gruel
Morning rice porridge, breakfast porridge meal

It can be a simple bowl of sofly cooked rice with just one umeboshi pickled plum or some elaborate side-dishes to go with it.
for example
uzuragayu うずらがゆ rice gruel with quail eggs
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Rice gruel (kayu) Japan. Porridge, congee in many kigo.

. . . CLICK here for morning porridge Photos !


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Other types of breakfast

Western style
includes toast, eggs, sausages or ham, jam and a bowl of salad or fruit.
Poeple with little time in the morning often just have a slice of toast and a cup of coffee.
Children drink milk, grown-ups coffee, black tea or green tea.

There are made special efforts lately to make sure children have a proper breakfast before going to school, to imporve their learning abilities.



Baikingu バイキング "viking" style all you can eat, mostly in hotels.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



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Worldwide use

Frühstück
Japanisches Frühstück

asameshi mae
einfache Sache; etw., was man vor dem Frühstück erledigen kann


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Things found on the way


Natto, nattoo 納豆
Natto is made by fermenting soybeans with the bacillus natto bacterium and is characterized by its strong smell and sticky and stringy consistency. This is a must-eat breakfast dish for many Japanese people and a number of hotels serve it for breakfast. Having said that, there are a lot of Japanese people who do not like it and people do not eat it very often in the Kansai region. Generally, people pour soy sauce onto natto, but they also add mustard, leeks, eggs and such if they like.
source : 　www.welcome.city.sapporo.jp


. . . CLICK here for Photos !


kurome nattoo 黒目納豆 made from soy beans with "black eyes"
kurome daizu 黒目大豆
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. DARUMA and Natto Fermented Bean Brands


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HAIKU

Kobayashi Issa

朝飯を髪にそよそよ猫の恋
asameshi o kami ni soyo-soyo neko no koi

breakfast rice
stuck in his whiskers...
lover cat in a rush



朝飯の鐘をしりてや雀の子
asameshi no kane o shirite ya suzume no ko

he knows the meaning
of the breakfast bell...
baby sparrow



大磯や早朝飯で鴫の立
ôiso ya haya asameshi de shigi no tatsu

on a large beach
early risers for breakfast...
snipe

. .Tr. David Lanoue


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Breakfast in Kenya, December 2009


morning sun --
a child billowing smoke from
a tinsel tea cup

~ yamame



sugarless tea
my brother keeps off --
a cold morning

~ Antony Njoroge


Kenya Saijiki Forum


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winter morning -
the mouse nibbles my
breakfast bread




Gabi Greve, January 2007


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Related words

***** WASHOKU : General Information

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Sweets from Tohoku

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Sweets from Tohoku, Northern Japan

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

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Explanation


Sendai .. .. .. .. .. Dagashi 駄菓子　
Traditional Cheap Sweets

会津若松市本家長門屋さんの｢だるま飴｣
Daruma-Ame sweets
Aizu Wakamatsu, Nagatoya


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ame yobare, ameyobare 飴よばれ

There is nothing better on a cold winter day than to sit with your neighbours, taste some sweet ame and some tsukemono vegetables and chat. Especially in the Aizu area, this is a common treat in winter.

Made only with mochigome rice and sprouts from wheat this AME has a natural malt sugar sweetness 麦芽糖. It takes the housewife two or three days to simmer the ingredients slowly to a thick sweet broth and neighbours take pride in showing their skill at making it. So it is also a socializing event. Because it takes time to stir and simmer, the housewifes can not make it during the busy summer months.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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gomasuri dango ごますりだんご / ごま摺り団子
dumplings with black sesame paste
From Iwate.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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komugi manjuu 小麦まんじゅう manjuu cakes from wheat flour
a typical steamed manju. They are full of red bean paste.
From Fukushima.



They originate from the hot spring 高湯温泉名物 Takayu Onsen and are sold one a piece.
- source : blogs.yahoo.co.jp/fukushima_iizakajuraku

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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koorimochi 凍もち frozen mochi
The leaves of mountain goboo and sometimes other leaves are used after the first night when they have frozen. They are mixed with mochigome rice. They are formed and hung outside in the cold to freeze further and dry. They are full of minerals and quite healthy. They have a green color.
They has been prepared first during the great famine of Tenmei in 1782, when farmers were starving.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



kujira mochi くじら餅 "whale mochi cakes"
named so because they look like whale meat. Made from mochigome and uruchimai rice, sugar and some soy sauce. They are made from a different mixture in every family and people are proud to share their taste. They keep long 久しく良く持つ, and these characters can be read 久持良 KU JI RA, like the name of the whale fish.
Prepared for the Boy's Festival, May 5.
From Yamagata prefecture in the Mogami area.
© PHOTO :　xxx



kurikomochi 栗粉餅 mochi with sweet chestnut powder
Fukushima prefecture.
The mixture is carefully pressed and strained.
The sweetness is all natural.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




matsukawa mochi 松皮餅（まつかわもち）"mochi from pine bark"
Speciality from Akita, Chookai and Yajima regions.
秋田県由利本荘市鳥海、矢島地域
The cork part of the bark of akamatsu pines is peeled off and cooked until soft. This mass is then mixed with mochigome.
Made with a wish for long life like the pine, prepared for festivals and celebrations.
One of the three colored mochi for the Doll Festival in this area:
三色の菱餅（白餅、蓬餅、松皮餅)
This has been prepared first during the great famine of Tenmei in 1782, when farmers were starving.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




Monzen Kuroame 門前黒飴 Black sweets
From Tome town.
a hand made black sugar candy. The recipe has been handed down from generation to generation, and reminds us of what our grandmothers used to make.
Miyagi prefecture




Nanbu senbei, Nambu senbei, Nambu Sembei
南部せんべい
waffles from Morioka




ocha mochi お茶もち "tea mochi" rice dumplings
made from rice flour, round dumplings are flattened and put on skewers. They used to be called uchiwa mochi (handfan mochi), the pronounciation changed then to ujamochi うじゃもち ... ocha mochi.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
and
uchiwamochi, uchiwa mochi うちわもち (うちわ餅)
dumplings made of buckwheat flour, shaped like an uchiwa handfan, put on skewers,
see ocha mochi
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



sasadango 笹団子 "Bamboo-grass dumpling"
Dumplings from mochigome and yomogi mugwort, with a lot of sweet bean paste
From Niigata and Fukushima. They are wrapped in the leaves of sasa bamboo grass.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




shitogi mochi しとぎもち
from Aomori, in the Tsugaru peninsula they where prepared for festivals with the wish for a bountiful harvest. They were offered to the gods on the god shelf (kamidana) and after this taken down and fried in the pan.
Prepared from mochigome, water and anko sweet bean paste.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




Shirakami Man, Shirakami Manju 白神まん, 白神まんじゅう
sweet buns from the Shirakami Mountain area
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




Taihaku Ame 太白飴 "big white sweet"
Taihaku Ame is a traditional local candy made from wheat and glutinous rice. No artificial sweeteners are added . It is very nutritious.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Tsuruko manjuu 鶴子まんじゅう "baby crane manju"
from Hachinohe town. Named after a dream about a crane to bring good luck.
A shop on the way to the important shrine Kushibiki Hachimangu 櫛引八幡宮 (founded in 1191) to venerate the protector deities of the Nanbu domaine.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Yubeshi 柚辺志（ゆべし）sweet cake
Yubeshi is a traditional Japanese sweet cake, from rice flour and walnuts.It is not too sweet and typically served with green tea. Toyosato speciality, Miyagi prefecture.
.. . . CLICK here for Photos !




zundamochi, zunda mochi ずんだ餅 rice cakes with edamame beans
jindamochi じんだ餅
10 different kind of mochi from the local Miyagi rice are used for various dishes.

.. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Yamagata is also famous for these "zundanmochi　ずんだん餅".




Food from Tohoku, click here:



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Worldwide use

Süßigkeiten aus Tohoku

Die Winter in Tohoku sind kalt und schneereich, aber dadurch haben die Hausfrauen endlich Zeit für etwas Süße. Mehr als drei Tage dauert es, bis der Mochi-Klebreis zusammen mit den selbst gezogenen Weizenkeimsprossen ständig gerührt und zusammengesimmert ist. Nun ist es soweit, die Nachbarinnen kommen zum Probieren, denn diese „Einladung zum gemeinsamen Essen von Malzzucker-Sirup“ (ame yobare 飴呼ばれ) ist ein soziales Ereignis. Der Sirup wird in Reisschalen gegossen, mit etwas Puderzucker bestreut und als Kontrastgeschmack kommt noch etwas eingelegtes Gemüse auf den Tisch – das ist alles, der Rest ist das Gespräch, Plaudern unter Freundinnen, Klatsch aus dem Dorf als scharfe Würze.

Wenn der Schnee nicht rechzeitig schmolz, kam es oft im Frühjahr zu Nahrungsmittelknappheit, wenn die Vorräte aufgezehrt waren (shunkyuu　春窮 ). Not macht erfinderisch, besonders die Hungersnot, und so gehen einige Zubereitungsarten zurück auf die Große Hungersnot von Tenmei im Jahre 1782.

Für die „Kiefernrinde-Reiskuchen“ (matsukawa mochi) wurde in einigen Regionen Akitas die Korkschicht unter der Rinde der japanischen Rotkiefer mühsam abgekratzt und einige Tage weich gekocht. Diese Masse diente zur Verlängerung des gestampften Klebreises für die Reiskuchen. Die Rotkiefer, ein Symbol des langen Lebens, war ein glückverheißender Baum und so wurden diese Reiskuchen auch bei Festen gereicht, zum neuen Jahr und besonders beim Puppenfest am dritten März, wo sie ein Bestandteil der „dreifarbigen Fest-Reiskuchen“ (hishimochi) dieser Gegend sind.

Nach dem ersten Frost wurden die Blätter vieler Bäume gesammelt und mit Blättern von Gemüse, z. B. Gobo fein zerrieben. Der Brei wird wiederum dem Klebreis beigemischt und daraus Reiskuchen geformt. Diese mineralhaltigen haltbaren Nahrungsmittel hingen bis zum Frühjahr unter den Hausgiebeln, dem natürlichen Kühlschrank der Bergregionen.
Auch Esskastanien werden zu Puder gestampft und dem Klebreis für Reiskuchen untergemischt (kurikomochi).

Beifuß wächst überall wie Unkraut. Die Blätter werden getrocknet, kleingestampft und dem Klebreis untergemischt. Von Hand läßt sich diese Masse einfach in kleine Kugeln formen, die mit Blättern von Bambusgras (sasa 笹) umwickelt werden. Schon sind die „Bambusgras-Bällchen“ (sasa dango　笹団子) fertig. Sie sind in Niigata und Fukushima besonders beliebt.

„Zunda“ sind gekochte, geriebene grüne Edamame-Bohnen. Die Masse wird auf weiße Mochi-Reiskuchen geschmiert und als ein farbenprächtiger Imbiss gereicht.

Billiges Konfekt aus Sendai (Sendai dagashi)
Hervorgegangen aus dem einfachen Malzzucker-Sirup der Hausfrauen ohne weitere Süßstoffe begannen in der Edo-Zeit die Zuckerbäcker von Sendai, auf dieser Basis allerlei billiges Konfekt herzustellen. Bald hatten sie mehr als 100 verschiedene Süßigkeiten zusammengestellt, von einfachen runden Bonbons bis zu Mini-Zöpfchen, Zuckerhasen und Plätzchen aus Reisresten. Ihre besten Kunden waren die Kinder der Nachbarschaft, aber der Name „Dagashi“ verbindet sich heute mit vielen Kleinigkeiten, Süßigkeiten und Spielzeug, das die Kinder von ihrem kargen Taschengeld kaufen können; die Erwachsenen verbinden damit nostalgische Erinnerungen an die eigene Jugend. Oft gewinnen die Kinder auch noch mit einem Extra-Los eine weiter Kleinigkeit, alles bunt eingewickelt und appetitanregend. Der Dagashiya-Laden war der wichtigste Versammlungsort nach der Schule.

„Kranich-Manju“ (ｔsuruko manju) aus der Stadt Hachinohe sind eng verbunden mit dem großen Schrein Kushibiki Hachimangu aus dem 11.Jhd. Der erste Laden, der diese Manju herstellte, war Maneido an der hinteren Zugangsstraße zum Schrein. Der Ladenbesitzer machte sich Sorgen wegen seiner ungünstige Lage am Hinterausgang und bat den Gott im Schrein um seine Hilfe. Im Traum wurde er alsbald einem Kranich gewahr und schon war der Gedanke zu einem weißen Manju geboren. Brauner Rohrzucker und Reis aus der Gegend geben diesem Manju seinen unverwechselbaren Geschmack. Die Füllung besteht aus getrocknetem süßen Bohnenmus, daher ist der Manju recht hart zum Beißen, aber auf Wunsch der Kunden stellt Maneido auch Versionen mit weichem Bohnenmus her.

Klößchen mit Sesampaste (gomasuri dango) aus Iwate sind kontrastreich, außen schneeweiß, innen kohlschwarz. Die geriebene Paste aus schwarzen Sesamkörnern wird noch angesüßt und bildet auch einen geschmacklichen Kontrast zu dem neutralen Klebreis-Klößchen. „Gomasuri“, das kann aber auch „Schmeichelei“ bedeuten!


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU



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Related words

shunkyuu 春窮 (しゅんきゅう)
food scarcity in spring (kigo)
Famine 飢饉 kikin



WASHOKU : Regional Japanese Dishes


***** WAGASHI ... Sweets SAIJIKI


March 11, 2011
. Japan - after the BIG earthquake - 　　

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TSUKEMONO . . . Spring

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
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Tsukemono 漬物　漬け物 Japanese Pickles

quote
'God of pickles'
Aichi shrine blesses veggies soaked in brine

Pickles of all kinds were recently gathered from different parts of Japan and brought to Aichi Prefecture, where the "god of pickles" is enshrined.

Kayatsu Shrine 萱津神社 in the city of Ama is known as the "birthplace of pickles". According to priest Tomoharu Aoki, 43, pickles were born by accident when vegetables offered to the shrine fermented with salt that was also being offered.
Facing the ocean, Aichi has always harvested salt and was a stopping point where merchants from both east and west brought goods for sale.

Legend has it that Prince Yamatotakeru, a mythical hero, had been touched by pickles offered to him by locals as he was making his way to a battlefield.

Aug. 21 is Pickles Day, where those in the businesses bring their wares to the shrine and pray for prosperity.

"I'm not sure how this day came to be regarded as such, but maybe it coincides with the harvesting season for vegetables," Aoki said.

One of the highlights of the celebration is the ritual for making pickles. Based on traditional procedure, vegetables are put into a pot of salt and enshrined in the altar. When autumn arrives, the pickles will be ready and presented to Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, where Prince Yamatotakeru is enshrined.
source : Japan Times, August 28, 2010



Kayatsu Shrine Festival
漬け物の神様

Kayanu hime no kami 鹿屋野比売神（かやぬひめのかみ）
「漬物の祖神」
Deity of Pickled Vegetables





Aug. 21 is Pickles Day, where those in the business bring their wares to the shrine and pray for prosperity.
- source : pamandjapan.tumblr.com

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* * * TSUKEMONO of other seasons

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SPRING Pickles

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Spring
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation


oshinko おしんこ【御新香】 pickled vegetables

The Japanese word TSUKE in connection is often pronouced ... ZUKE, and can be spelled with or without a hyphen in English.
Dressings and miso paste preparations are also presented here.


In Alphabetical order of the Japanese.
Use your browser to find a word, please !



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Tsukemono (漬物) ("pickled things") are Japanese pickles. They are served with rice, and sometimes with beverages as an otsumami snack.

The most common kinds are pickled in salt or brine. Soy sauce, miso, vinegar, rice bran (nuka), and sake lees (sake kasu)or miso are also useful for pickling.

Takuan (daikon), umeboshi (ume plum), turnip, cucumber, and Chinese cabbage are among the favorites to be eaten with rice as an accompaniment to a meal. Beni shoga (red ginger) is used as a garnish on okonomiyaki, takoyaki and yakisoba. Gari (sushi ginger) is used between dishes of sushi to cleanse the palate. Rakkyoozuke (a type of shallot onion) is often served with Japanese curry.

Traditionally, the Japanese prepared tsukemono themselves with a tsukemonoki. Pickling was one of the fundamental ways to preserve food. Nowadays, tsukemono can be bought readily in the supermarket, but many Japanese still make their own. Typically, all that's needed to make pickles is a container with the food to be pickled, salt, and pressure on top of the pickles.

A tsukemonoki (漬物器, literally: vessel for pickled things) is a Japanese pickle press. The pressure was generated using heavy stones called tsukemonoishi (漬物石, literally: stone for pickled things) with a weight of 1 to 2 kilograms, sometimes more. This type is still in use, with the container being plastics, wood, glass or ceramics. Before tsukemonoishi came into use, the pressure was applied by driving a wedge between a handle of the vessel and its cover.

The weights are either stone or metal, with a convenient handle on top and often covered with a layer of food-neutral plastic. Another modern type of pickle press is usually made from plastic, and the necessary pressure is generated by turning a screw and clamping down onto the pickles.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Japanisches, eingelegtes Gemüse ... DE wikipedia


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Aonuta 青饅 (あおぬた) pickled mustard leaves
The mustard plant leaves are pickled with sake lees, miso and vinegar. To this, fish or vegetables can be added to make NUTA dressings.
asatsuki is also used for NUTA dressings.


Asatsuki namasu 胡葱膾 (あさつきなます)
Japanese chives namasu dressing
CLICK here for asatsuki Photos !
. . . MORE ABOUT Namasu dressing


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Buna namasu 鮒膾 (ふななます)
crucian carp in namasu dressing, often with roe
buna no ko mabushi 鮒の子まぶし（ふなのこまぶし）
yamabuki namasu 山吹膾（やまぶきなます)
tataki namasu 叩き膾（たたきなます）
komori namasu 子守膾（こもりなます）, komochi namasu 子持膾（こもちなます）
CLICK here for Photos !
. . . MORE ABOUT Namasu dressing


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Dengaku 田楽 (でんがく) simmered miso paste on food
konome dengaku, on tree buds 木の芽田楽（きのめでんがく）
dengaku yaki, 田楽焼（でんがくやき）、
dengaku doofu, on tofu 田楽豆腐（でんがくどうふ）
stick for dengaku, dengaku zashi 田楽刺（でんがくざし）
mid-spring

The preparation of simmering miso paste with a bit of sugar for dengaku is very old. This paste is coated on various types of skewered food and then grilled again for a few minutes.

Dengaku, a food and a dance

Miso paste and soup


田楽も　かたき豆腐に　かたき味噌
dengaku mo kataki toofu ni kataki miso

put dengaku
on hard tofu
with hard miso
　　　　　　　　
Takaham Kyoshi 高浜虚子



田楽に　舌焼く宵の　シュトラウス　　
dengaku ni shita yaku yoi no Shutorausu

I burn my tongue tonight
on the grilled dengaku ...
music of Strauss

Ishida Hakyo 石田波郷
Tr. Gabi Greve


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Fuki miso 蕗味噌 (ふきみそ) butterburr in miso
fuki no too miso 蕗の薹味噌（ふきのとうみそ）
early spring
CLICK here for Photos !
Butterbur sprouts (fuki no too, fuki no tou)


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Konomizuke, tree buds preserved
in sake lees or pickled,
ki no mi zuke 木の芽漬 (きのみづけ)
.... moezuke 萌え漬（もえづけ）
akebi no mezuke あけびの芽漬（あけびのめづけ）
boiled tree buds, kinomedaki 木の芽煮（きのめだき）

During the first few weeks of spring, many people come to our mountains to pick tree buds for tempura, deep fried in batter. It is one of these delicacies that make people aware of the change of season, thus one of the typical dishes with a spring flavor!
As pickles, they can be enjoyed for a longer time during the year.

ki no mi miso 木の芽味噌 (きのめみそ) tree buds in miso
sanshoo miso 山椒味噌（さんしょうみそ）mountain pepper in miso

kinomi ae 木の芽和 (きのめあえ) tree buds in dressing
sanshoo ae 山椒和（さんしょうあえ） mountain pepper in dressing

Japanese pepper, "Mountain pepper"


akebi あけび【通草／木通】acebia, akebia Akebia quinata


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Nahana zuke, rape flower pickles
花菜漬 (はななづけ)
na no hana zuke, nanohanazuke 菜の花漬（なのはなづけ）
picking rape flowers, hana natsumi 花菜摘（はななつみ）
late spring
Rapeseed blossoms (na no hana) Japan

nanohana tempura 菜の花天ぷら can also be put in onigiri rice balls.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Chiba prefecture is famous for its early rape blossoms.

MORE
Rape blossom dishes (nanohana, na no hana)


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Sakurazuke , cherry blossom salt pickles 桜漬 (さくらづけ)
hanazuke 花漬（はなづけ）
hot water with pickled cherry blossoms, sakura yu 桜湯（さくらゆ）

salted cherry blossoms, shiozakura 塩桜（しおざくら）

late spring

This is considered quite a delicacy. I often see the farmer's wifes in our area out there picking the blossoms carefully and later enjoying a cup of hot salted water (that is what it tastes to me) while rambling about the beautiful cherry blossom season.
They are also put into onigiri rice balls and sold at stations.


MORE
Food kigo for the Cherry Blossom Time


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Tanishi ae 田螺和 (たにしあえ) mud snail in dressing
tsubu ae つぶ和（つぶあえ）
Mud snails are a delicacy in this season, being boiled or added with different flavors. They where a source of protein for the poor farmers of the Edo period.
Mud snails and paddy kigo


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Udo ae 独活和 (うどあえ) spikenard in dressing
late spring
Aralia cordata, Japanese Spikenard
Its tender stalks are similar to asparagus, their flavor is a light fennel. Udo cen be used raw in salads or slightly cooked in soups and other dishes.
CLICK here for Photos !


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Wakame ae 若布和 (わかめあえ)
wakame seewead in dressing
Seaweed (kaisoo)

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Wasabizuke, wasabi-zuke, wasabi preserved in sake lees
山葵漬 (わさびづけ)
early spring
Wasabi, Japanese horseradish

This is a kind of hot side dish with many types of fish. It is said to prevent stomach upset in the summer season. The easiest preparation is with sugar and vinegar, but there are regional recipies for the mix, mostly with sake lees.
It is a favorite regional souvenier.

. Wasabizuke and other wasabi dishes . 　　



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

モナリザの不思議な笑い山葵漬
Monarisa no fushigi na hohoemi wasabizuke

the wonderous smile
of Mona Lisa ...
wasabi pickles

source : 　俳句の累積
Tr. Gabi Greve


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Pickled Sorrow

I slice my sorrow,
pickle the cutlets,
and closet them in a jar.

When hungry,
I'll have a slice
with pinot noir.

Chen-ou Liu, Canada
August 2010


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Related words

***** SPRING FOOD ... SAIJIKI

HOW TO prepare tsukemono


Eco food in the Edo period by Azby Brown
Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan


MORE ABOUT
**************** TSUKEMONO of other seasons


Gourds and cucumber pickles of SUMMER


.SAIJIKI ... HUMANITY
Kigo for Spring 　

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AUTUMN FOOD

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]

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The Japanese Food Saijiki

和食歳時記　　

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Autumn Food

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Autumn
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

The Haiku Autumn begins on August 8, according to the Asian lunar calendar.

There are many food specialities for Autumn in Japan.
In Alphabetical order of the Japanese.
Use your browser to find a word, please !

If the name of a vegetable is mentioned, it represents the cooked form as it is served with rice.


shokuyoku no aki　食欲の秋　　Autumn Eating, Autumn Appetite
the season of hearty appetites
the season for strong appetites
feeling strong appetite in autumn




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Early Autumn


Sakubei 索餅（さくべい） Sakubei-noodles


Sasagemeshi 豇豆飯 ささげめし
cooked rice with soybeen milk



Shin doofu 新豆腐 (しんどうふ)
new soybean curd, new tofu
Tofu (toofu), bean curd Japan


toogajiru 冬瓜汁（とうがじる）soup with wax gourd tooganjiru


Yakigome 焼米 (やきごめ) roasted rice
yaigome やいごめ、hiragome ひらごめ、irigome いりごめ、
torinokuchi とりのくち
yakigome uri 焼米売（やきごめうり） seller of roasted rice



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Mid-Autumn

Botamochi "Ricecakes in difficult times" Gonan no mochi
御難の餅 (ごなんのもち) in memory of saint Nichiren



Hararago 鮞 (はららご) fish roe, hard roe
harako はらこ、roe of salmon
sujiko 筋子（すじこ） salted salmon roe 、suzuko すずこ、甘子（あまこ）

harara jiru 鮞汁（はららじる） soup with hard salmon roe
hararago meshi 鮞飯（はららごめし）
cooked rice with hard salmon roe



Hassaku no iwai 八朔の祝 Hassaku Harvest Festival
hassaku gama　八朔釜. Rice Gruel, O-bana no kayu　尾花の粥



Hishikozuke 鯷漬 (ひしこづけ)
pickles hishiko sardines
hishiko hosu 鯷干す（ひしこほす） drying hishiko sardines
hishiko are also called katakuchi iwashi.
CLICK here for Photos !
***** Iwashi 鰯 (いわし) sardines and hishiko KIGO List and FOOD



Hizu namasu 氷頭膾 (ひずなます)
vinegared fish head namasu
A speciality of the Northern provinces of Japan. The head cartilage parts are especially chopped up for this.
CLICK here for Photos !
. . . MORE ABOUT Namasu dressing


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Kinukatsugi 衣被 (きぬかつぎ)
cooked satoimo taro potatoes

A court food of the Heian period aristocracy. A special kind of potato (satoimo 里芋) is cooked with the peel, then the peel is take off and the mash slightly salted.
CLICK here for Photos !



Kurimeshi 栗飯 (くりめし)
cooked rice with sweet chestnuts
栗強飯（くりおこわ） kuri okowa
Chestnut, sweet chestnut (kuri) Japan. Castanea sativa


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Matsutakemeshi 松茸飯 (まつたけめし)
cooked rice with matsutake mushrooms
kinokomeshi 茸飯（きのこめし）cooked rice with mushrooms
Mushrooms (kinoko, Japan ki no ko, take



とんぶり, tonburi seeds
from the summer cypress Kochia scoparia

CLICK here for Photos !


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Late Autumn


Asazuke daikon 浅漬大根 (あさづけだいこん)
lightly pickled big raddish
Radish (daikon) Japan. Pickled radish, takuan.

HOW TO prepare tsukemono

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Hachi no ko 蜂の仔（はちのこ, 蜂の子）
bee and wasp larvae
roasted bee larvae, jibachi yaki 地蜂焼（じばちやき）
rice with bee larvae, hachi no ko meshi 蜂の子飯（はちのこめし）




Hoshigaki 干柿 (ほしがき, 干し柿)
dried persimmons

The sight of persimmons lined up to dry from the eaves of a farm house is a special treat of AUTUMN in Japan.
hanging persimmons, tsurushigaki 吊し柿（つるしがき）、tsurigaki 釣柿（つりがき）kushigaki 串柿（くしがき）persimmons on sticks
amaboshi 甘干（あまぼし）、shirogaki 白柿（しろがき）
drying persimmons, 柿干す（かきほす）kaki hosu
kaki tsurusu 柿吊す（かきつるす）hanging persimmons
korogaki ころ柿（ころがき）, korogaki 枯露柿（ころがき）
kaki sudare 柿すだれ（かきすだれ）"persimmon curtain"
and
kaki yookan 柿羊羹 (かきようかん) sween persimmon jelly
Persimmon (kaki, hoshigaki) Japan


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Kachiguri tsukuru 搗栗作る (かちぐりつくる)
preparing dried chestnuts
uchiguri tsukuru 打栗作る（うちぐりつくる）
preparing chestnuts by hitting them


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Karasumi (からすみ) dried mullet roe
CLICK here for Photos !

Chinmi, special delicasies


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Kiku namasu 菊膾 (きくなます)
vinegar pickles of chrysanthemum blossoms

The Chrysanthemum is one of the typical flowers of Autumn in Japan.
Chrysanthemum kiku, chiyomigusa (Japan)
Chrysanthemum Festival kiku matsuri (Japan)
. . . MORE ABOUT Namasu dressing



Kiritanpo きりたんぽ skewers of mashed rice
tanpomochi たんぽ餅（たんぽもち）, yamamochi やま餅（やまもち）
A speciality of the Akita region. Freshly cooked rice is pounded and mashed, then formed into a cylindrical saussage form around cryptomeria skewer. It is then roasted over an open hearth. It is served with sweet miso or used cut as dumplings in soups and stews.
tanpo is a word for a special spear with a top rounded by cloth, used for practise. The form is similar to this food. Because the food stick is cut (kiri) the name developed.
WASHOKU : Kiritanpo (kiritampo) きりたんぽ skewers of mashed rice


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Kuri no ko mochi 栗の子餅 (くりのこもち)
mochi rice cakes from sweet chestnuts
kurikomochi 栗子餅（くりこもち）、kuri no ko mochi 栗の粉餅（くりのこもち）


Kuri yookan 栗羊羹 (くりようかん)
jelly from sweet chestnuts
kurimushi yookan 栗蒸羊羹（くりむしようかん）
CLICK here for Photos !
Chestnut, sweet chestnut (kuri) Castanea sativa


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Mukago meshi 零余子飯 (むかごめし)
cooked rice with propagule from wild yam potatoes
nukago meshi ぬかご飯（ぬかごめし）、nukago jiru ぬかご汁（ぬかごじる） soup of mukago
imogo meshi 薯子飯（いもごめし） cooked rice with wild yam potatoes
CLICK here for Photos !

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Sanma .. 秋刀魚 (さんま).. pacific saury fish

aburi-sanma boozushi 炙りさんま棒寿司 pressed sushi with seared saury
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

boozushi ぼうずし【棒鮨】 (bozushi) is a kind of pressed sushi.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Shin kooji 新麹 (しんこうじ) new malted rice
rice yeast, Hefe


Shin mai 新米 (しんまい) New rice
kotoshi mai 今年米（ことしまい）rice of this year
wase no meshi 早稲の飯（わせのめし）
komai 古米（こまい）old rice (of last year)
koko mai 古古米（ここまい）old rice of two years ago
shin mochi 新糯（しんもち）, shin nuka 新糠（しんぬか）
..... Rice plants (ine) New rice (shinmai)




Shinshu 新酒 (しんしゅ) ... new ricewine
Rice wine (ricewine) sake, Japan Reiswein



Shin soba 新蕎麦 (しんそば)
new buckwheat noodles
aki soba, autumn buckwheat 秋蕎麦（あきそば）、hashiri soba 走り蕎麦（はしりそば）
hatsu soba 初蕎麦（はつそば） first buckwheat, ara soba 新蕎麦（あらそば）
Buckwheat (soba), Buckwheat flowers Japan


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Tochimochi 橡餅 (とちもち)
ricecakes with horse chestnuts
tochimen 橡麺（とちめん）、tochidango 橡団子（とちだんご）
rice gruel with horse chestnuts, tochi gayu 橡粥（とちがゆ）
It takes a lot of effort to get the bitterness out of the chestnuts. But the poor farmers of old did not have much choice but use any kind of nuts from the autumn forrest as food to survive the harsh winter.
..... Horse Chestnut (tochi) Aesculus hippocastanum


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Uruka (うるか) salted entrails and roe of ayu trout fish
kouruka （こうるか）, wata uruka 臓うるか（わたうるか）
niga uruka, bitter entrails, 苦うるか（にがうるか）
CLICK here for Photos !


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Yubeshi 柚餅子 (ゆべし) Yuzu rice cakes
yubishio 柚醤（ゆびしお）

Yuzu citrons are cut out in the middle and filled with a paste of mochigome rice, miso, sugar and soy sauce. They are simmered about 20 minutes. The paste comes out of the top, has to be stuffed in back, then the yuzu is dried in the cold air. This is repeated until the inside is completely dry. Many of my neighbours still prepare this and hand it to their neighbours as an autumn present.
CLICK here for Photos !


Yumiso 柚味噌 (ゆみそ) miso with yuzu citron
yuzu miso 柚子味噌（ゆずみそ）, yugama 柚釜（ゆがま）, yumisogama 柚味噌釜（ゆみそがま）
Yuzu (Japan) a ctiron fruit



yudebishi 茹菱（ゆでびし） boiled water chestnuts
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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All Autumn

Edamame 枝豆 (えだまめ) green soybeans snack, twig beans
tsukimi mame 月見豆（つきみまめ） beans for moon viewing

The green soy beans are cooked for a short while. When they are cold, they are salted and peeled as you eat them.
They are a favorite snack in autumn evenings with a cool beer !

WKD : Edamame and Haiku

TSUKIMI, moonviewing food and haiku


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inago 蝗, 稲子 ( いなご) 螽 grasshopper
catching grashoppers, inago tori 蝗捕り（いなごとり）
grashoppers on sticks, inagogushi 蝗串（いなごぐし）
inago no tsukudani




. kohadazushi 小鰭鮨（こはだずし） Kohada sushi 　
from spotted shad, Clupanodon punctatus



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Saki namasu 裂膾 (さきなます, 裂き膾)
"torn" vinegared sardins
. . . MORE ABOUT Namasu dressing



Suzuki namasu 鱸膾 (すずきなます)
vinegared sea bass
. . . MORE ABOUT Namasu dressing


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Tororo jiru とろろ汁 (とろろじる)
grated yam with miso bean paste soup
yam paste, yam gruel
tororojiru 薯蕷汁（とろろじる）、tororo とろろ
yam soup, imojiru 薯汁（いもじる）
yam rice gruel, imogayu 薯粥（いもがゆ）
grated yam with wheat, mugitoro 麦とろ（むぎとろ）
buckwheat noodles with grated yam, sobatoro 蕎麦とろ（そばとろ）
tororo yam, tororo imo 薯蕷芋 (とろろいも) a kind of "long yam", naga-imo
Tororo preparations are especailly common in the mountainous areas, where the yam potatoes still grow, even if rice is scarce. They turn into a rather sticky mass when grated.
CLICK here for Photos !

Tororojiru at the Tokaido Hanga and Food
'Mariko no Tororojiru'

tororomeshi, tororo meshi とろろめし rice with ground yam
a specialtiy in many mountainous areas.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. Yam (Dioscorea japonica), kigo and food 　


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Yashoku 夜食 (やしょく) Night meal, midnight snack
taking a night meal, yashoku toru 夜食とる（やしょくとる）
eating a midnight snack, yashoku kuu 夜食喰う（やしょくくう）
time for a night meal, yashokudoki 夜食どき（やしょくどき）
rice gruel for a night meal, yashokugayu 夜食粥（やしょくがゆ）
In autumn farmers are especially busy until it gets dark to bring in the harvest. The meal was often taken late an night. Now also students who prepare for an examination take a late meal.

The normal evening meal, supper or dinner is called yuushoku 夕食 and is a topic for haiku.


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

“Edamame”
across the Pacific
in their lexicon

Kiyoshi Fukuzawa, Asahi Shinbun, August 2008


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すりこ木で蠅を追けりとろろ汁
surikogi de hae o oi keri tororo-jiru

chasing off flies
with a pestle...
grated yam soup

Kobayashi Issa
Tr. David Lanoue


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Related words

NEXT
*********** WINTER FOOD

BACK TO
*********** SUMMER FOOD




***** The Asian Lunar Calendar. Reference


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