Daily Nihongo (2003 - 2004)

[torakris]

word for 8/19:

かぶ

kabu

turnip

The most common turnip in Japan is what is referred to as the Tokyo turnip, it is quite small only about 2 inches in diameter. There is also the Kyoto turnip (shougoin kabu) that is rather large and is used for the famous senmaizuke pickles, this translates literally as thousand sheet pickles and that is exactly what they look like.

Turnips are used most commonly in simmered dishes, stirfries and pickles and te another Kyoto speciality kaburamushi in which the turnips are grated, mixed with egg whites and steamed and used as a topping for other dishes. The greens are used in simmered dishes, stirfries and pickles.

Tokyo kabu:

http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/images/ve...ure/kabu.h1.jpg

senmaizuke:

http://bird.zero.ad.jp/iseya/senmaizuke.htm

[torakris]

word for 8/20:

I really need to organize myself better , let'S go back to the daikon for a minute....

青首大根

aokubidaikon

lets break this word down

ao = blue (meaning our green)

kubi = neck

daikon = well, daikon

so this is a blue (or green to us Westerners) necked daikon

This kind of daikon is much sweeter and has a higher water content then the all white counterpart. This first started coming onto the market in the 1980's and is now become the standard daikon found in the stores.

picture:

http://www.norin.co.jp/catalog/radish/1326-ij.htm

[torakris]

word for 8/21:

アスパラガス

asuparagasu (ah-sue-pah-rah-gah-sue)

asparagus

The Japanese, who have a fear of long words , often shorten this to asupara (pronounced more like as-para). Though not native to Japan it is very popular here and can be found in many forms, the basic green, white, even purple and mini. It is often blanched and used in salads or stirfires and deep fried.

It is rarely used as a dish of its own (they don't just eat a side of asparagus) rather it is combined with other ingredients and this is why Japanese stores sell it in bunches of 3 to 5.

[torakris]

word for 8/22:

アボカド

abokado (ah-bow-kah-doe)

avocado

This is quite new to Japan, 15 years ago very few people had ever seen one. The most common way to eat it in Japanese homes is as avocado sashimi, thinly sliced and topped with wasabi and soy, and thanks to the American creation of the california roll it has become a popular addition to sushi rolls. Most commonly what is referred to in Japan as the salad roll, usually lettuce, some type of seafood, avocado, maybe egg, and lots of mayo.

[torakris]

word for 8/23:

うど

udo (oo-doe)

I have seen this occasionally referred to as spikenard (which means nothing to me and most others I am sure) and even as Japanese asparagus, which it faintly resembles in taste.

Native to Japan it is a member of the ginseng family and it available both cultivated and wild, the wild ones are referred to as yama (mountain) udo and have a much stronger taste. It is white with green tops and a slight pinkish tinge and can grow up to 4 feet in length, it is shaped somewhat similar to an asaparagus but much thicker.

It can be eaten raw in salads and it is also boiled and added to dressed dishes or simmered ones, though the skin can be eaten it is quite tough and thus it is always peeled before eating, occasionally the skins are made into a dish on their own.

picture:

http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/images/ve...ure/udo.ht6.jpg

[torakris]

word for 8/24:

白瓜

shiro uri (she-roe-oo-ree)

This translates literally as white melon, but is sometimes referred to as white cucumber or cucumber melon, is Japanese it is sometimes referred to as tsuke-uri (from tsukemono pickles) because it is used almost exclusively for pickles. Though it can be salted and added to sunomono, it is the most famous of Nara-zuke, which are the sake kasu pickles made with the lees or letover solids from sake making. It looks like a big, fat light green cucumber,

picture:

http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/eizo/vol003/en/t...i/images/03.gif

[torakris]

word for 8/25:

枝豆

edamame

Though most are familiar with this Japanese name they are also referred to in English as vegetable soybean, green soybean, fresh soybean, Japanese soybean and just plain old soybean. In Japan they are heavily salted and eaten straight form the pod as a snack or a tsumami to go with alcohol (usually beer). they are available frozen and fresh and while the frozen are quite good, if you can get your hands on some fresh one you will be amazed at how REALLY good they are. The outer pod, while edible, it not eaten and just discarded, don't make the same mistake I did when I ate them for the first and popped the whole thing into my mouth. I was chewing for a good 10 minutes before it finally went down.

Though they are normall eaten straight, they can be added to rice dishes, simmered foods, stirfries, turned into soups, tofu, etc.

picture:

http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/images/ve...ure/edamam1.jpg

[torakris]

word for 8/26:

茶豆

chamame (chah-mah-may)

These are a type of soybean, often referred to as the as the King of Soybean, that jumped in popularity in the Japanese markets in the past year. They have more protein and fiber then the average soybean and their name "cha" is from the Jaapnese word for tea, which they taste subtley of. I would also describe their taste as a little "meatier" then regular soybeans. They are eaten the same way as edamame.

http://wnn1.niigata.isp.ntt-east.co.jp/eng...mame/tya01.html

[torakris]

word for 8/27:

そら豆

soramame (sew-rah-mah-may)

These are similar to broad bean/ fava bean and occasionally are referred to a horse bean.

They are a sign of spring in Japan and are eaten much the same way as edamame, boiled and salted, sometimes they maybe simmered in a soy based sauce with just their inner skins and then popped out before eating.

They are also good in salads, soups, etc

http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/eizo/vol003/en/5...ki/syoka/02.htm

[torakris]

word for 8/28:

えんど豆

endomame (en-doe-mah-may)

Now it is going to get confusing!

endomame refers to peas from a pod, green peas being one type. Green peas however are sometimes just referred to as endomame and sometimes are called グリーンピース　(green peas). peas are often eaten in their dried forms and their is no word to differentiate these from their fresh counterparts. There are three main types green, red and white, the green is used mostly in savory dishes (soups, simmered dishes, salads, etc) in both the fresh and dried form. The red one is most commonly seen in sweets mostly in mame daifuku and mame mochi, the whhite ones, though seldomly seen, are mostly used for sweets as well.

pictures of the peas:

http://naha.cool.ne.jp/abusunbul/bg6-010.htm

green peas are the third one down

red peas are the 5th one down

(the rest are beans)

[torakris]

word for 8/29:

さやえんどう

sayaendou (sah-yah-en-doe)

these are the peas that are eaten pod and all, saya being the Japanese word for pod, there are a couple varieties in Japan to choose from.

絹さやkinusaya, these are snow peas and are the most popular

さとうざや satouzaya, these are sugar peas, satou meaning sugar

スナップえんどう　　スナックえんどう sunappu endou or sunakku endou (snap peas or snack peas), these sugar snap peas are a recent entry into the Japanese market and are sold under both names

Occasionally you might see a recipe that just calls for sayaendou and it is ususally referring to the snow peas (kinusaya) as they are often sold jsut under this generic term as well. Snow peas in particular rarely play a main role in Japanese cuisine, there are usually jsut a couple pieces diagonally sliced for garnish. You will see them and the other sayaendo also used in dressed salads, soups, stirfries as well as garnishes.

pictures:

http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/veg-fru/endou.htm

in the same order I placed them above, the 4th one is green peas.

[torakris]

word for 8/30:

いんげん

ingen (een-ghen)

green bean

this is also referred to as sayaingen and in the kansai and Tokai areas it is called sandomame 三度豆 which means three time bean because it can be grown a couple times in one year. There are a couple varieties available in Japan and recently one called morocco-ingen (a long flat bean) is becoming popular. Green beans are popular as ingredients in dressed salads, simmered dishes, sautees, and tempura, they are often seen as a garnish adding a nice green color to a dish.

[torakris]

word for 8/31:

おかひじき

okahijiki (oh-kah-hee-jee-key)

This is referred to land seaweed in English becasue it grows on the land (oka) and resembles hijiki a type of seaweed. It has a nice crunch and is used mostly in dressed salads after a quick parboiling.

We have already had a thread just on this topic, look there for some great pictures and more information.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...T&f=19&t=24979&

[torakris]

word for 9/2:

オクラ

okura (oh-koo-rah)

okra

The Japanese love okra and they love it because of it sliminess, see the word sliminess has such a bad connotation to it, the Japanese refer to it as neba-neba which actually has a nice ring to it and makes it sound like a good thing! The Jaapnese often to prepare so as to maximize the neba-neba quality sometimes even going so far as to mix it with other neba-neba foods such as natto and yamaimo or nagaimo (mountain yams) to have a complete neba-neba experience.

Always blanched before being eaten it is a regular addition to salad bars and in homes is popular in salads, dressed dishes, soups, stews, fried dishes and is often sliced and used as a garnish.

[torakris]

word for 8/3:

かぼちゃ

kabocha (kah-boe-cha)

Most people are familiar with this word that describes a hard squash that is very popular in Japan. Though occasionally you might see it written in kanji 南瓜meaning southern squash, it is most often seen with the hiragana only and the name kabocha was given to it in the 16th century when it came into Japan with the Portuguese from Central America via Cambodia, the name is a shorten version of the Japanese pronunciation of Cambodia. There are a couple popular varieties in Japan and the skin can vary from black to orange and the insides can vary from a pale yellow to a deep orange, the size can vary from palm-size to the size of a head.

As it is not easily grown all year round, imports of kabocha are very common, mostly from Mexico and New Zealand.

It is used in simmered dishes, soups, stews, deep-fried foods and grilled.

Kabocha in Japan are normally sold cut, either in halves or quarters.

Edited January 9, 2005 by torakris (log)

[torakris]

word for 9/4:

カリフラワー

karifurawa (kah-ree-foo-rah-waah)

cauliflower

Still relatively new to Japan, it hasn't gone completely mainstream yet and its use is pretty much limited here to dressed salads and milk/cream simmered dishes, occasionally popping up in gratins or stews.

[torakris]

word for 9/5:

木耳

kikurage (key-koo-rah-gay)

These go a couple different names in English but are generally known as wood ear or cloud ear. Chinese in origin they are found mostly in the dried form in Japan and used mostly in Chinese style dishes but have made their way into some Japanese style dressed salads. They are sold in both the white and brown variety.

picture of the brown and the white bottomed brown ones:

http://material.miyazaki-c.ed.jp/cec/syoku...nsou/c1knk3.jpg

forgot to mention we had a thread dedicated entirely to kikurage already:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=19&t=22840&

Edited January 9, 2005 by torakris (log)

[torakris]

word for 9/6:

きのこ

Kinoko (key-noh-koh)

This is the general word for mushrooms, think something along the line of the word greens, it doesn't refer to any one specific type. This is the word you will see on the menu when there is more then one type of mushroom in a dish, for example kinoko gohan (rice with mushrooms) or kinoko soup.

[torakris]

word for 9/7:

しいたけ　椎茸

Shiitake (shee-tah-kay)

This is probabaly the most common mushroom in Japan and the one most people are familiar with outside of Japan. The name shiitake comes from the name of the tree it grows under, the shii tree (though it can also grow on the kashi tree) and take being the general word for mushroom. There are many varieties, but the most sought after are the ones that are quite small (less then 2 inches in diameter) and with very thick "meat" and white gills. They can be used in almost every preparation from soups, rice dishes, "dressed salads, stir fries, grilled foods, nabes, deep fried, etc, etc

the shiitake:

http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/images/ve...ure/shiita2.jpg

[torakris]

word for 9/8:

えのきたけ

enokitake (eh-noh-key-tah-kay)

Also sometimes just referred to as enoki, these thin white mushrooms are quite well known outside of Japan. The white ones we are most familiar with are cultivated with out light to give them their white color while those grown in the wild are are actually a brownish-orange. The name comes from the enoki tree's stumps that they grow wild on. Most popular in nabes, they also show up in soups, stirfries and are a common vegetable to be made into "rolls". Though it is popular to do so in the West, they are rarely eaten raw.

enokitake:

http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/images/ve...ure/enokit1.jpg

[torakris]

word for 9/9

まいたけ

maitake (my-tah-kay)

Known as hen of the woods in English, the maitake (or "dancing" mushroom) has been cultivated in Northern Japan for at least a thousand years, though it wasn't until the 1970's that it burst onto the market in the rest of Japan. Very mild flavored it grows in bunches that are almost fluffy or feather like. The colors range through all the shades of brown often with a gray tinge and there is also the shiro-maitake that is completely white.

It is most popular in stirfries, tempura, nabes and rice dishes.

Edited February 16, 2004 by torakris (log)

[torakris]

word for 9/10:

シメジ　しめじ

shimeji (shee-may-jee)

These are another very popular mushroom in Japan, sometimes referred to as beech mushroom in English there seem to be quite a few different varieties. The most common types in the stores are labeled as hon-shimeji and buna-shimeji and nowadays almost all are cultivated are cultivated. True hon-shimeji are difficult to find and are quite expensive and buna shimeji are actually a type of oyster mushroom (hiratake) there is a lot of mislabeling out there. They are a fairly mild tasting mushroom that grow in clusters with thick white stems and small smooth caps varying in color from white to dark brown.

They are popular in sautees, soups, nabes, dressed dishes, and also deep fried and in rice dishes.

what will be labeled as shimeji in the store:

http://material.miyazaki-c.ed.jp/cec/syoku...isen/c1msh4.jpg

[torakris]

word for 9/11:

we are going to take a break from the mushrooms because today is a special day in Japan!

月見

tsukimi (tsu-key-mee)

From the word "tsuki" meaning moon and the "mi" form the verb to watch or to view, tis is often referred to in English as moon viewing. Today is十五夜(juu-go-ya) or 15th night and this refers to the 15th night of the 8th lunar month which is traditionally one of the most beautiful times to view the moon. Originally it was a celebration for the end of harvest and for sending thanks, nowadays it seems to be celebrated more by trekking down to McDonald's for the tsukimi burger! That is a hamburger with a fried egg on top.

Offerings were often made to the moon of things that were round in shape, mostly tsukimi dango and satoimo (taro) and today the word tsukimi is often added to dish names such as tsukimi udon and the tsukimi burger.

to learn a little bit more about tsukimi (and the rabbits on the moon ) look here:

http://japan.chez.tiscali.fr/Th-Index/E-Th-Tsukimi.htm

[torakris]

word for 9/12:

平茸　ひらたけ

hiratake (hee-rah-tah-kay)

These are oyster mushrooms and there are a couple varieties available in Japan, most of them are darker then what most people associate with oyster muchrooms. They tend toward dark brown or a blue-grey and have a flavor stronger then the average lighter colored oyster. In Japan are are used mostly in sautees as they hold their shape quite well.

pictures of two types:

http://homepage2.nifty.com/~fwkk1523/hiratake.htm

[torakris]

word for 9/13:

エリンギ

eringi (eh-rin-ghee)

Known as eryngii or king oyster mushroom, this member of the oyster family first hit Japan in 1993, by ｔｈe end of the '90s it burst into store nationwide and today is one of the most popular mushrooms. The Japanese particularly love it, particularly sauteed or deep fried.

Edited January 9, 2004 by torakris (log)