Mochi (Rice Cakes)

For those who loves mochi/Japanese rice cakes may like to know the many different types of mochi and how to prepare them (with a little twist):

ankoro-mochi = mochi with sweet red beans

abekawa-mochi = mochi with sweet soy powder (soy powder called kinako + sugar)

goma-mochi = mochi with sweet sesame powder (black/white sesame powder + sugar)

karami-mochi = mochi with grinded daikon radish and soy sauce

isobemaki-mochi = mochi dipped in soy sauce then wrapped in nori (dried seaweed)

su-mochi = mochi with grinded daikon radish and vinegar sauce or yuzu juice

kane-mochi = rich/having lots of money -> work smart and spend wisely

ebi-mochi = mochi with dried shrimp toppings

natto-mochi = mochi with natto toppings

chikara-mochi = physically strong -> regular exercise with protein supplement

About Green Tea

In Japan people believe that green tea is good for health. A study shows that green tea contains amino acid, vitamin A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin, Fluorine, polyphenol (antioxidant), flabonoid and other important minerals.

For comparison, here are 3 types of green tea popular in the market (per 100gram, data ref. from the Ministry of Science, Basic Nutritional Analysis on Japanese Food):

Macha 29,000 μg of vit A, 60 mg of C, 28.1 mg of E, 0.63 mg of B1 and 1.35 mg of B2

Gyokuro 21,000 μg of vit A, 110 mg of C, 16.6 mg of E, 0.30 mg of B1 and 1.16 mg of B2

Sencha 13,000 μg of vit A, 260 mg of C, 68.1 mg of E, 0.36 mg of B1 and 1.43 mg of B2

As for caffeine level, i used to think that drinking coffee makes me awake, but i never think so for green tea. Well, I was wrong because they contain just as much caffeine : Arabica 2.5%, Robusta varies from 2.5-4%, Macha 3.2%, Gyokuro 3.5%, Sencha 2.3%

Perhaps it is good to consider not only the nutrition but also the effect of not being able to sleep well after drinking strong coffee or green tea.　Like other caffeine drinks, it is best to drink them moderately. Having said that, to maintain taste and quality of green tea at its best, a bag of tea opened in summer time is best consumed within half a month, while in winter within a month. So what do we do with the left over tea which is obviously too old to drink?

* In winter, you can use old green tea for "green tea" bath --> yes, for a nice warm bath

* Wrap it nicely then you can use it as deodorizer for the refrigerator, for shoes, etc. as it helps to get rid of smell.

* As it contains fluorine, you can also use it for mouth rinse.

Another study suggests that it is better to drink tea before having a big meal, because tannin in green tea actually slow down the process of digestion. It is also another reason why green tea is believed to have some effect on diet/weight lost.

Other information on green tea in English:

http://greentealovers.com/green-tea-weight-loss.htm

http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110002676959

Yaki-mochi (Grilled Rice Cake)

In 1962 a data showed that annual consumption of rice for each Japanese is about 120kg. However now, it is only 60 kg. It seems that nowadays the Japanese consume less rice , instead maybe more alternative food, like bread, noodles and others.

In the past when the art of making rice was not developed, it is difficult to make good rice in the winter time, especially in Tohoku area. Many people did not eat rice in winter. Thus, traditionally mochi (rice cake) was a common alternative. Rice cake is made from mochi-rice, where it is dried to preserve better.

Mochi/rice cake was also a symbol of thanksgiving to God, for the harvest of rice during the year. It is also a symbol of long life, as you can see from the texture of mochi when you cook them, they stretch sideways and become longer.

Do you know that the word "yaki-mochi" 焼き餅 which literally means rice cake in Japanese, also has a different meaning (if written in Hiragana characters), やきもち"jealous". It reminds me of a common joke in new year's eve: yaki-mochi suru nara mochi-yaite (if you are jealous, grill a mochi).

Yummy! i like my grill mochi cooked with ham/sausage, topped with nori (dried seaweed) and a tip of soy sauce.

Seven Greens Porridge

Photo: copied from Yomiuri Online, "Children of Iidabashi Town Eating The 7 Greens Porridge"

On the seventh of January, Japanese people have a custom of eating the seven green porridge ("nana-kusa-gayu"). The porridge is like any other porridge you will find in a Chinese restaurant, except that you put seven types of herbs/green vegetables in it. The practice of eating this porridge on the 7th of January came from a belief that the seven green vegetables will give you strength and immunity for the year.

The custom of eating seven types of greens began long time ago in China and the practice was brought to Japan during Heian era (800). Here, during new year, people celebrate by drinking lots of sake, eating lots of meat, fish or other protein type of food. Very few vegetables are served at the new year feast. About a week after new year, on the seventh of January, naturally people crave for light food, such as porridge with some vegetables in it.

I think the practice of eating enough vegetables in your daily diet gives us a better immunity system. It is probably not easy to consume 7 types of vegetables every day, however it is the effort of eating more vegetables that makes a different. So why not check, how many vegetables/fruits have you consumed today?

For those who likes healthy organic vegetables, here are some menu to check:

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/g732200/menu.htm

O-Sechi The Japanese New Year Feast

Happy New Year! The new year calls for celebration to people around the world. In Japan people celebrate New Year by preparing o-sechi, a typical new year feast, whereby family members usually gather and enjoy this traditional Japanese food. O-sechi feast symbolizes the beginning of a new year, happiness, gratitude and hope.

In the past o-sechi meals were prepared by family members, however nowadays more and more people look for convenience. Prepared o-sechi meals are available at local supermarket. Made to order o-sechi has also become an attractive business, where you can order o-sechi meals directly from your favorite restaurant and have a Chinese style, Italian, French, or traditional Japanese o-sechi meals for your new year feast.

This year we ordered our o-sechi feast from Le Temps (called Ru-Tan in Japanese), a Japanese restaurant with French influence. Le Temps is one of our favorite restaurants, located near our home; http://bit.atline.jp/letamps/

The word sechi, from o-"sechi" was taken from the word "season", meaning it is a celebration for a new season, the food used in the preparation also symbolizes the beginning of season and collected during that season. Such a celebration began a long time ago, since the Edo era. The practice continues to today. The most enjoyable part of o-sechi feast is not only the delicious taste of seasonal food, but also the gathering of family members, cheerfully talking, drinking and dining around a big table.