Lala's Japanology

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Japanese Summer Festivals: Tanabata

Summer is such a fun exciting time in Japan filled with all sorts of summer festivals. One of my favorites is "Tanabata" which is loosely based on a Chinese folk story about the star princess and prince Orihime(Vega) and Hikoboshi(Altair).
Orihime is a weaver who lives with her father Emperor Tentei and Hikoboshi is a herder. The two live on opposite sides of the milkyway. The two meet and fall in love but then spend so much time together that they fall behind on their weaving and herding. The Emperor Tentei becomes very angry at this and separates the two lovers so that they can only meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year. The Japanese celebrate the union of the lovers by putting a bamboo tree in their garden and hang papers with their own wishes on them in hopes they will come true.

There are often "matsuri" which are festivals in which everyone dresses up in their summer kimonos, or yukatas, and have bon dances. Many times this includes food and games stands.

I've always enjoyed this festival because it is such a romantic story that a whole country celebrates and is not turned into a hallmark type hoopla like Valentine's Day.

Happy Tanabata!

Words for today:

Summer Kimono - Yukata(you-kah-tah)
Star- Hoshi(hoe-shee)
Bamboo - Take(tah-keh)
Festival - Matsuri(mah-tzuri)

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Favorite Summer Foods

One of the most popular foods during the summertime in Japan is "Hiyashi Chuka", which is cold ramen noodles with toppings and sauce. With the heat and humidity in the hottest months of Japan, the last thing you want to eat is something hot. The sauce is usually soy sauce and vinegar based. Sometimes it can be more of a creamy sesame seed sauce. The most common toppings are cucumber, fried egg, and ham. This is the most typical style of "hiyashi chuka"; however, anything really goes with the toppings.

In the Aichi area where I grew up, a dollop of mayonaise is mixed in with the noodles. Most regions will usually have hot mustard on the side instead. In the Hokkaido area, the toppings are more salad like. It is usually a limited summer time only menu at restaurants and is not available during the other seasons. It is a great refreshing summer dish that leaves you completely satisfied without feeling sluggish.

The cucumber, ham, and egg is typically julienned and arranged on top of the noodles like so...

Barley tea is also a favorite drink during the summertime. Green tea or barley tea is rarely sweetened in Japan. Open up any Japanese person's fridge during the summer and there is usually a pitcher of barley tea ready to be served.

Words for today:
summer - Natsu(na-tzu)
Cold ramen noodles - Hiyashi chuka(Hee-yah-shee Chew-kah)
Barley tea - Mugi cha(Moo-geeh chah)
sauce- tare(tah-leh)

Monday, June 7, 2010

Foodology...Natto

Natto...the wonderfully slimey, smelly, good for you food of Japan. It is soybeans that have been fermented and is often eaten for breakfast. Natto, which is pronounced (oddly enough) "not-toe" is definitely an acquired taste, even for people who grew up in Japan. If it were to be sold here in America I would name it "I can't believe it's Not Toes!" Yes, the smell is quite unique to say the least. There are no toes in it, but does smell a bit like that.

It tastes like soy beans, but with a bit of tangy cheesiness. Most natto comes with a little packet of sauce and mustard to mix in. Depending on the region, some people may add an egg or some scallions to give it a little more flavor.

Natto is well know for it's health benefits and is good source of protein. A lot of women in Japan love to eat it for skincare benefits. Some health benefits include: reduction of blood clotting, prevention of certain cancers, preventing osteoporosis, lowering cholesterol, and improvement of digestion.

How To Eat Natto!

The sauce and mustard come inside the package

Remove the sauce and mustard packet from the package

Remove the plastic covering off of the beans

Remove the lid by tearing it by the perforation

Squeeze the sauce and mustard on the beans

Use the lid as a place to put all your trash

Mix the beans, sauce, and mustard all together...make sure it gets slimey

Separate the yolk from an egg

Drop the yolk on to the beans (A lot of you might be pretty grossed out by now)

Again, put your trash on the lid

Stir again until the yolk is completely mixed with the beans

Pour natto over steaming hot rice, throw lid on top and throw away immediately. (It stinks)

Enjoy with a side of miso soup

Itadakimasu!

Gochisou-sama!

Words for today:

Itadakimsasu!- (eeh-tah-dah-key-mah-s)...what you say before you eat a meal.

Gochisousama!- (go-chee-sew-sah-ma)...what you say at the end of a meal.

Rice- gohan(go-hahn)

Egg- Tamago (tah-mah-go)

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Summers in Japan...Cicadas.

One of the first things that come to mind when I think about summers in Japan is the drowning sounds of the cicadas. These sounds are a reminder that summer has officially come. They live underground for most of their lives, then emerge when they are ready to mate. The "singing" that you hear are what would be mating calls.

They are harmless creatures that hang out on the barks of trees and as a child I would try and catch them with nets. Some people find the sound of them annoying, but I find it very nostalgic and almost an essential part of summer in Japan. I also find them quite melodious and knowing how short their lives are after they emerge, quite frankly, I would be singing that loud too. They are the perfect lullaby to falling asleep after eating some cold noodles, laying in front of a fan with a towel as a blanket, the sound of Japanese windchimes in the distance...

Words for today:

Natsu (nah-tsu)- Summer

Semi(Seh-me)-Cicada