Domyoji
Chomeiji
Sakuramochi is rice cake with bean paste wrapped in a preserved cherry leaf. Sakuramochi is divided into the two styles. One is called Domyoji and another is called Chomeiji. Domyoji is eaten in Kansai area which includes Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and etc. Chomeiji is eaten around Tokyo. Domyoji is made from rice flour which is born at the temple of Domyoji in the south east of Osaka. Chomeiji is originally sold at the temple of Chomeiji in Tokyo about three hundred years ago. The difference of the cooking method between Domyoji and Chomeiji is the following.
Domyoji is made from the rice flour called Domyoji flour and the bean paste wrapped in the rice cake. Chomeiji is made from the general rice flour and the wheat flour and the bean paste is rolled in the rice cake. Both are finally wrapped by a cherry leaf have preserved in salt since the previous spring.
Date-maki, or Egg rroll is taken frequently at the beginning of the year in Japan. Date-maki is made from egg, sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Mirin is a kind of sweet sake. Mirrin is also made by Koji, or malted rice such as sake.
The above ingredients are stirred in the bowl. Then they are poured into the frying pan. When it is baked, it is moved on the sudare. The sudare is the bamboo mat which is also used for rolling sushi. The similar to the pancake is rolled by the sudare. Finally the rolled pancake is cut by around one inch.
The above is how to make the Date-maki. The foods taken at the beginning o the year are almost salty, but the Date-maki is a bit sweet.
Miso is familiar to the main ingredient of Miso
soup. Do you know what Miso is made from and how Miso is made? Miso is made
from soybeans which are fermented by koji, or malted rice. Koji is also used to
make sake, or Japanese alcoholic drink and soy source. Koji is the most
important ingredient of Miso, sake and soy source. Although Koji is used by a
lot of makers of Miso, sake and soy source, Koji is made by the limited factors.
These limited factors have cultured the each origin of Koji for hundreds of
years. This each origin of Koji is called an Aspergillus oryzae.
February 3rd is the day that is called "Setsubun in Japan. February 4th is the day when spring comes in the lunar calendar. So "Setsubun" divide the season between winter and spring. Japanese people have believed that the demon appears from the split of the season for centuries. In order to avoid the trouble caused by the demon, Japanese people make some kinds of events on "Setsubun". Taking Futo-maki is one of them. Japanese people stand looking into the special direction and bite into a Futo-maki, or Sushi roll in silence. The special direction is changed every year. This year's direction is west-southwest. Futo-maki is called as Eho-maki on "Setsubun".
Kuri-kinton is one of Osechi which are special dishes at the beginning of the yaer in Japan. Osechi include more than ten dishes. Japanese people find the reason why we have each dish of Osechi. Regarding Kuri-kinton, the reason is that we wish to live without money trouble. Kuri-kinton is made from chestnuts with sugar or Mirin which is something similar to sugar soup in Japan. The color of Kuri-kinton is golden color and “kinton” means food similar to gold nugget. So we find that the reason to take Kuri-kinton is to have enough money to live happily.
Japanese people have the Nanakusa-gayu in the morning on January 7th. Nanakusa-gayu means rice porridge with seven different kinds of spring herbs. It is very healthy and low in calories. Since the people take a lot of special food and drink which include Osechi, Ozohni, Sake and etc. at the beginning of the year in Japan, the people take a rest for their stomach to have the Nanakusa-gayu.
The following shows the seven herbs of spring.
1. Seri, or Japanese parsley
2. Nazuna, or Shepherd's Purse
3. Gogyo, or Cudweed
4. Hakobera, or Chickweed
5. Hotokenoza, or Nipplewort
6. Suzuna, or Turnip
7. Suzushiro, or Radish
Unfortunately I did not take the Nanakusa-gayu this year.
Japanese people have an Ozohni at the beginning of the year. The Ozohni is the soup with rice cakes, taros, sliced pieces of carrot, spinach and etc. The Ozohni is similar to the miso soup. The difference between the Ozohni and the miso soup is the soup stock. The soup stock of Ozohni is the white soup or the soy soup. The white soup is took by people in Kansai area where Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe are located. The soy soup is took by people in Kanto area where Tokyo, Yokohama and Chiba are located. The shape of rice cake is the difference between in Kansai and in Kanto. Kansai people pour round rice cakes into the soup. Kanto people pour square rice cakes into the soup.
