44 replies to this topic

[torakris]

What are some of your favorite "winter" Japanese foods?

[helenjp]

Hmm...grilled buri (yellowtail) with a stack of finely grated daikon...kinkan (citrons - I actually like eating these whole as a way to wake up a sleepy winter afternoon)...oysters in nabe...dried persimmons...even dried sweet-potatoes occasionally...kids like those "pocket shiruko" that come as powdered bean jam in a wafer cup, break into a bowl and pour hot water over them.

Next?

[smallworld]

I'm making my favourite now- buri daikon (yellowtail simmered with daikon)! Often made with the unwanted parts of the fish like the head, it's not a pleasent dish to prepare, but few dishes are more satisfying.

I'll second Helenjp's kinkan (but I thought kinkan is kumquat?) and dried sweet potato.

And add oden and any kind of nabe.

[helenjp]

kinkan (but I thought kinkan is kumquat?)

Yup. Kumquat = kinkan. Citron = yuzu. Sorry -- fever-addled brain short-circuiting improperly stored McInfo chunks!

We're having a winter-only menu tonight, a kind of hybrid stamina/sickbed selection -- for those in the throes, a congee with grated lotus root and kuko-no-mi berries; for those recovering, yakiniku with fatty pork slices and a heap of Chinese cabbage.

[torakris]

I am a nabe person too!
Let's not forget about our nabe thread:
http://forums.egulle...c=17115&hl=nabe

I also love the vegetables that are associated with nabes, chinese cabbages, daikon, negi (Japanese leeks) and my favorite shungiku (chrysanthemum).

I love buri in almost any form, though I haven't made buri daikon since my big disaster a couple years back, it is a psychological thing and I just can't bring myself to make it again.....

[smallworld]

I love buri in almost any form, though I haven't made buri daikon since my big disaster a couple years back, it is a psychological thing and I just can't bring myself to make it again.....

What happened???

[torakris]

I love buri in almost any form, though I haven't made buri daikon since my big disaster a couple years back, it is a psychological thing and I just can't bring myself to make it again.....

What happened???

I think I told this story somewhere else on this site, but here it goes again.

It was awful just awful....

I love buri daikon, but had never attempted to make it until the winter of '97, I some great buri, a wonderful daikon and the time was right. I followed the recipe to the T and it tasted great, I HAD to taste some before I gave it to the rest of the family. It was perfect. I placed it into my favorite Japanese style serving bowl (one of the few pieces that I had bought with my own money, the rest of my stuff is hand me downs from MIL) and I proceeded to carry it to the table. Our "dining room" is actually our wa-jitsu covered with flooring carpet and thus I have to walk through our living room to get to it. Well, I tripped, on absolutely nothing but my own two feet. The bowl of buri daikon went flying into the air the buri and daikon part landing all over our thick (non-washable. 8-jo size) and the bowl hitting the wooden frame of the shoji doors leading to the "dining room".
The bowl was broken, the carpet ruined and the words "buri daikon" are forbidden from being spoken in our house......

[helenjp]

What a shattering experience...but I'm always a little comforted when I break a favorite dish, by the thought of how angry I would have been if anybody else had broken it!

I've had plenty of examples of this tonight...Christmas dinner...one child waves his fizzy Chanmery around and then puts the full bottle down in midair, entire contents emptied over the kotatsu quilt...second child leaps up to grab a towel, trips, and lands with one hand, splat, in the middle of brother-in-law's serving of creamy Christmas cake...

I'm beginning to understand why so many Japanese festive foods are rather hard and dry...

[tissue]

Sukiyaki.

[Hiroyuki]

Today is the winter solstice, and I forgot to buy some kabocha yesterday!

[Akiko]

Today is the winter solstice, and I forgot to buy some kabocha yesterday!

Hiroyuki, Why do you buy Kabocha before the winter solstice?

And wait a minute. Isn't winter solstice the day that is the shortest in the year? Isn't that actually the 22nd this year?

If I'm right, you can buy some Kabocha today! But not before you explain why!

[melonpan]

dont foget to buy yuzu and throw them in with your bath!

[Hiroyuki]

Today is the winter solstice, and I forgot to buy some kabocha yesterday!

Hiroyuki, Why do you buy Kabocha before the winter solstice?

And wait a minute. Isn't winter solstice the day that is the shortest in the year? Isn't that actually the 22nd this year?

If I'm right, you can buy some Kabocha today! But not before you explain why!

I have just confirmed with the calendar that the winter solstice falls on today, December 21, this year. And, you don't know?? It is quite customary to eat kabocha on the winter solstice and put some yuzu in the bathtub.
And, I don't want to go shopping just to buy some kabocha...

[Hiroyuki]

dont foget to buy yuzu and throw them in with your bath!

Right! You have a good memory!

***

Hoshi imo (dried sweet potatoes)
Do you like hoshi imo? I do. But my father says that he never wants to eat them again because he had too many of them when he was a kid.

***

Today, we have had the first snow of the season here in Shiozawa! It's still snowing!

[Akiko]

You are right, my calendar is wrong. I just consulted the internet and Winter solstice supposedly occurs at 4:42 PST am on the 21st. so for most of the world that is the 21st!

I love hoshi imo. Does anyone know how you could do this yourself? Hoshi Imo is not sold outside of Japan (at least, I haven't found it yet), but sweet potato is. I'd like to try and do it...

[Hiroyuki]

I love hoshi imo.  Does anyone know how you could do this yourself?  Hoshi Imo is not sold outside of Japan (at least, I haven't found it yet), but sweet potato is.  I'd like to try and do it...

How about this one?
http://www.ajiwai.co...ake/hosi_fr.htm
(Japanese only)

[torakris]

I just ate some homemade hoshi imo for the first time ever yesterday.
A friend brought them over, they weren't as chewy as the store bought one, the texture was softer more like a baked potato but they were good.
I had never thought about doing it at home before.

[torakris]

Today, we have had the first snow of the season here in Shiozawa!  It's still snowing!

snow? I am jealous..
It almost never snows in Yokohama.....

[Akiko]

How about this one?
http://www.ajiwai.co...ake/hosi_fr.htm
(Japanese only)

Thank you! I'm going to try this. I'll let you know how well it works.

[Hiroyuki]

The other day, I received 24 natsu (= summer) mikan from my parents, along with other fruits. Today, I made about 1 liter of fresh juice from 12 of them. It's sour, and my kids needed some sugar to drink it.

[Hiroyuki]

I received a pack of strawberries from a sister-in-law yesterday, and another from a relative today!
Greenhouse strawberries are in season, thanks to Christmas!!


***
It's a shame that the annual per-capita fruit consupmtion is Japan, which is 50 kg, is half that in the United States (116 kg) and is even lower than that in North Korea (51 kg).

from here
http://plaza.rakuten...ryold/20020616/

All my family like eating fruit.

Edited by Hiroyuki, 27 December 2004 - 04:05 PM.

[torakris]

It's a shame that the annual per-capita fruit consupmtion is Japan, which is 50 kg, is half that in the United States (116 kg) and is even lower than that in North Korea (51 kg).

from here
http://plaza.rakuten...ryold/20020616/

All my family like eating fruit.

well maybe if fruit was cheaper....

gorgeous strawberries!!
I just can't fathom paying 600 yen ($6) for about 12 strawberries when my kids will devour them in 10 seconds and still be hungry.....

[Hiroyuki]

I learned from a flyer today that tomorrow, Feb. 9, is Fugu Day!
I hope I can get some fugu sashimi (fugu-sashi) and post a photo tomorrow!
Why is Feb. 9 Fugu Day, you might ask. It's a pun. Konnyaku Day (May 29) is another example.

[SheenaGreena]

reminds me of peppero day in korea. something to do with numbers and how they look like peppero sticks.

btw peppero is korea's answer to pocky.

so hiroyuki, how expensive is the fugu? do you have to buy it at a special place because you need a license to slice it? also when you eat it does it make your mouth/face numb?

[torakris]

I learned from a flyer today that tomorrow, Feb. 9, is Fugu Day!
I hope I can get some fugu sashimi (fugu-sashi) and post a photo tomorrow!
Why is Feb. 9 Fugu Day, you might ask.  It's a pun.  Konnyaku Day (May 29) is another example. 

That's funny, one of my supermarket flyers is announcing Feb. 9 as Niku Day (meat day). Ni= 2 Ku=9

[torakris]

so hiroyuki, how expensive is the fugu?  do you have to buy it at a special place because you need a license to slice it?  also when you eat it does it make your mouth/face numb?

Fugu prices vary depending on the type and cut. Fugu can also be purchased at any supermarket, check out the fugu thread.

[Blether]

What are some of your favorite "winter" Japanese foods?

The question may be old, but it's still fresh

I think tarako (cod roe) is a good winter buy - fresh tarako that you can make into taramasalata *without mashed potato in it*. For heaven's sake !!!

[Hiroyuki]

I got one for 980 yen:

Label on the back:


25 g ma-fugu sashimi (14 very, very thin slices)
10 g tora-fugu kawa (skin)
Ponzu
Negi (bannou negi?)
Momiji oroshi (Grated daikon and carrot)
1 or 2 servings

We are a family of four... (sigh)

Edited to add:
The momiji oroshi was actually grated daikon and red pepper. I googled and found that this type of momiji oroshi seems more popular. Anyway, we didn't use the momiji oroshi; it was too hot for us.

Edited by Hiroyuki, 09 February 2007 - 03:59 AM.

[Hiroyuki]

Hmm...grilled buri (yellowtail) with a stack of finely grated daikon...kinkan (citrons - I actually like eating these whole as a way to wake up a sleepy winter afternoon)...oysters in nabe...dried persimmons...even dried sweet-potatoes occasionally...kids like those "pocket shiruko" that come as powdered bean jam in a wafer cup, break into a bowl and pour hot water over them.

Next?

Kan-buri 寒ブリ (yellowtail caught in winter and highly valued for its fattiness)!

I had farmed kan-buri for supper last night.

8 slices for 498 yen.

[smallworld]

Looks great Hiroyuki! I love kan-buri too but only indulge once or twice a year because it's so pricy. Last year I served it as sashimi along with buta shabu and just for fun we tried dipping in the pot-- delicious! Now shabu shabu is my favourite way to eat it.

Yesterday I noticed that whole kan-buri were on sale for about the same price as a small pack of sashimi. I wonder if it would be worth buying it whole and cutting up at home?