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May 5

torakris

By torakris
in Japan: Cooking & Baking

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torakris

torakris

Posted
Posted

May 5th (5/5) is called kodomo no hi (or Children's day) in Japan.

Those with boys in their household normally hang out koinobori (carp shaped flags) and the traditional foods eaten are kashiwa mochi and chimaki. For pictures click here:

http://nedo4.cc.gakushuin.ac.jp/kisetu/tango/food.htm

for more information about the day itself and a picture of the koinobori click on the kodomo no hi link at the bottom of the page.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

From that link:

"Japanese celebrate `Kodomo-no-hi' on May 5th.

It is an event to desire good health of a child(boy)."

Girls aren't celebrated on that day, it would seem? And is there any other day when they are?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

torakris

torakris

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
From that link:

"Japanese celebrate `Kodomo-no-hi' on May 5th.

It is an event to desire good health of a child(boy)."

Girls aren't celebrated on that day, it would seem? And is there any other day when they are?

Girl's have their own day on March 3rd (3/3) it is called hinamatsuri.

It does seem a little odd to call it children's day when you are only celebrating the boys..... :wacko:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

Yep.

Are there traditional sweets for March 3, too?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

torakris

torakris

Posted
  • Topic Starter
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yes there are!

the traditional foods eaten include:

chirashi-zushi-- a sort of "scattered" rice sushi with egg and various vegetables

clam soup

hishi-mochi-- pressed rice cake in the shape of a diamond

hina-arare-- puffed sweetened rice normally with the addition of sweetened beans

a little more information is here:

http://www.ajinomoto.com/traditions/spring_02.html

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted
yes there  are!

the traditional foods eaten include:

chirashi-zushi-- a sort of "scattered" rice sushi with egg and various vegetables

So attractive on the website you linked to!

Just FYI, the word for MSG in Malay is Aji-no-moto, and the Malays use it often. Or at least they did in the mid-70s.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

torakris

torakris

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Aji no moto is the Japanese word for both MSG and the name of the company that makes it.

aji= flavor

no= 's or of ( so flavor's)

moto= base or beginning

this discussion coincides perfectly with today's Japanese word "umami" as it is MSG that help's foods "jump" to life. :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

I didn't realize Aji-no-moto was more than a company name. Aji-no-moto brand MSG was ubiquitous in Malaysia, available at every little Malay sundries store in every village on the east coast of the peninsula.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

  • 11 months later...
torakris

torakris

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Well tomorrow is kodomo no hi.....

Wish we had some nicer weather, it looks like a typhoon is blowing through (though it isn't) with lots of rain and really strong winds, looks like it may continue tomorrow as well... :sad:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Hiroyuki

Hiroyuki

Posted
Posted
It does seem a little odd to call it children's day when you are only celebrating the boys..... :wacko:

It's a simple matter. There was a day for boys and another for girls, and the day for boys was selected as the national holiday for children, that's all. :wink:

Since my family live in a condo, we can never put up carp streamers, but we bought kashiwa mochi yeasterday, and my wife made inari zushi today.

My blog
helenjp

helenjp

Posted
Posted

Well, we have a battered helmet from the youth group in the coal town where the boys' great grandfather lived - they presented it to him for many years of service when he retired, blinded by coal dust, to live out his last years in an old peoples' home way down in Tokyo.

When I put that helmet up for Childrens' Day, I think very hard about families...

Our sons, on the other hand, think about nothing but the food associated with the festival.

As we trekked all the way out to Narita to the Aeronautical Sciences Museum today, I am not looking forward to cooking tomorrow, but it's going to be salad-style sushi for sure. Some years it gets shaped like a carp streamer and decorated with cucumber and hardboiled egg slice "scales"...but some years...not.

Helenjp

* Pickles foodblog

* New Year foodblog

therese

therese

Posted
Posted

helenjp's enthusiasm for the obligatory food prep aspect of Japanese holidays prompts me to point out that my very favorite holiday in the U.S. is Martin Luther King Jr. Day: no presents to buy and wrap, no decorating of the house, no special clothing, no parties to arrange, no special meal to prepare, no cards to send. :biggrin:

Can you pee in the ocean?

Hiroyuki

Hiroyuki

Posted
Posted
Those chimaki are so cool! Are they generally storebought, or do you make them at home?

Happy Children's Day! (and Cinco de Mayo!)

Squeat

I guess most people buy them at supermarkets. Some families, especially those in rural areas, make them at home. I also guess that the grandmother is the main maker of chimaki at every home.

My blog
torakris

torakris

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I have to admit, I don't really do anything for kodomo no hi, didn't even pull out the helmet this year, have no carp streamers, make no traditional foods....

I do go all out on girl's day though :blink:

Maybe I haven't gotten used to having a boy or maybe it is because I am a girl myself... :wink:

In my area I think most people buy all the stuff from the supermarket.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

helenjp

helenjp

Posted
Posted
Maybe I haven't gotten used to having a boy

...that sounds about right! We have no daughters, no nieces, no Aunties, and no Grandmas...so Childrens' Day aka Boys' Day is BIG here!

We used to gather herbs for the bath locally (except for the Iris) but recent pork-barrel roading projects seem to have eliminated the very last of the wild yomogi.

I think the chimaki are more of a Kyoto thing, and the oakleaf dumplings more of a Tokyo thing, but recently supermarkets stock both. I like the faintly grassy taste of chimaki, but it's hard to find nice ones.

This year was too cold for the usual chirashi-zushi, so we had a warm "steamed sushi" with unagi. I usually put slices of thick baked egg (atsuyaki tamago) on it as well, but thanks to the sudden change of plan, I forgot :unsure: ).

Helenjp

* Pickles foodblog

* New Year foodblog

torakris

torakris

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
How is Hide taking it? :laugh:

He has no idea..... :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

JustKay

JustKay

Posted
Posted
I didn't realize Aji-no-moto was more than a company name. Aji-no-moto brand MSG was ubiquitous in Malaysia, available at every little Malay sundries store in every village on the east coast of the peninsula.

Not only on the east coat of peninsula Malaysia, but everywhere!

There was a time when it was rumored that MSG is made from animal bones and AjiNoMoto had to take out adertisement to dispell this - that it is really made from tapioca. (Most Malaysians are Muslims hence the HALAL issue)

Nowadays, this flavor enhancer is not too poular because it is thought to make one's hair fall off. :raz::biggrin:

Btw, AjiNoMoto do make other products such as dashi stock, etc.

Hiroyuki

Hiroyuki

Posted
Posted

Chimaki are made from mochi gome (glutinous rice), and are eaten with a mixture of soy flour (kinako) and sugar.

To my surprise, my wife bought some (actually, ten) chimachi yesterday. (Oh, please don't!) She served them for supper. (It's the same old scene.) She doesn't mind serving sweet things for a meal. (I do.) My son ate three of them. (I ate none, natually.) My daughter didn't care for chimaki and ate inari zushi (leaftovers from last night's supper).

Thus ends the story of my family's supper on Children's Day.

***

My son told us that chimaki were served at school lunch today (May 6).

My blog
  • 11 months later...
torakris

torakris

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Happy Children's Day to everyone!! :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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