Daily Nihongo (2005 - )

[torakris]

6/26:

sayori makes for a beautiful as well as delicious sushi

sayori sushi

[Worldly]

Kuma, I was watching the Iron Chef sushi battle and they explained that opening the fish from the back was a throwback to a samurai aversion to opening from the belly - which I took to be a reference to seppuku. Perhaps I made too much of this?

[Kuma]

It certainly sounds plausible. I've picked up so many hints from that program !!

[Hiroyuki]

Whether to employ "hara biraki" (cutting from the belly) or "se biraki" (cutting from the back) depends on the fish to be cut and the region.

For eels, "hara biraki" is popular in Kansai (region including Osaka) and "se biraki" in Kanto (region including Tokyo). The reason is often said to be that Osaka was a town of merchants and people there liked to have a heart to heart talk (talk by "hara wo watte" (splitting the belly)) and Edo (former Tokyo) was a town of bushi (= samurai) and they disliked "hara biraki" because its resemblance to seppuku. Well, the reason may sound plausible, but the problem is that no one can tell whether this is true!

[Worldly]

Thanks very much - I agree - no way to be sure, unless someone like yourself who knows far more about this than I can offer it.

I mentioned it to my chef instructor on my sushi course, and he had no comment. Just that it was interesting. While I thought it would be more interesting if he knew the facts of the matter, I left well enough alone!

[Hiroyuki]

word for 3/7:

インドマグロ　or　南マグロ　(ミナミマグロ）

indo-maguro  or minami-maguro

This is the Southern blue fin tuna pulled out of the Indian ocean, at one time they were caught just off the coast of India but now they are brought to Japan from as far away as Tasmania and Cape Town.

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Japan's catch quota on minami maguro has been decided to be halved.

This decision is by this Commission.

I recently had very tasty minami maguro.

For more photos, click here.

[Hiroyuki]

word for 2/17:

新高　　にいたか

niitaka  (knee-tah-kah)

Though this nashi has been around for about 100 years , it rise in popularity is very recent. These are large nashi weighing in at between 1 and 2 lbs each. the season for them is long, running from the end of September into november, these can also be kept in good condition for up to 2 months if stored in a cool place.

niitaka:

http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/veg-fru/i...ii/niitaka2.jpg

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Does anyone know how this nashi got its name? Because it's a cross between one variety from Nii-gata (新潟) and another from Ko-chi (高知). Nii + Ko = 新高, thus niitaka.

[larrylee]

Japan's catch quota on minami maguro has been decided to be halved.

This decision is by this Commission.

Better to conserve now than to lose all bluefin forever, no?

[Hiroyuki]

Japan's catch quota on minami maguro has been decided to be halved.

This decision is by this Commission.

Better to conserve now than to lose all bluefin forever, no?

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What I fear is that this can turn into a highly political matter rather than being discussed based on scientific evidence, as in the case of whales.

[Kaitenzushi]

Even though this excellent thread by Torakris is no longer active, I think that it maybe deserves to be pinned ?

I had forgotten the thread name and it did not come up when I searched the Japan forum on "vocabulary".

But maybe it will now. Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary.

Test search: Yes it does !!!

Edited June 18, 2007 by Kaitenzushi (log)

[Hiroyuki]

word for 10/31:

‚Æ‚ñ‚Ô‚è

tonburi (tone-boo-ree)

Sometimes referred to in Japanese as ”¨‚̃LƒƒƒrƒA@ihatake no kyabia) or caviar of the fields. These are seeds of the broom cypress, also known as goosefoot grass) a branch of wild spinach. They have a look and mouth feel similar to caviar and are often referred to as land caviar in English.

more information (including medicinal properties) and picture:

http://www.media-akita.or.jp/akita-shoku/tonburiE.html

for a bigger and better picture click in the link in the last paragraph

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Recently, I bought a pack of tonburi to use it in my Japanese-style cold spaghetti.

The texture may be similar to that of caviar, but it lacks in flavor.

Wikipedia page on tonburi

[Hiroyuki]

Someone (a fan of Kritin, actually) told me that she was sad that this thread had been terminated. But I'm not sure if this thread is really terminated...