Niigata prefecture

[SheenaGreena]

so I went to the chinese grocery store yesterday to look for some asian pears. I found about 4 varieties from japan and korea. I found my delicious, large, korean pear but they were a little soft to the touch. I like them almost rock hard and plus they were over $3 a piece. what a rip off

Hiroyuki, what is mint oil used for? Do you use it in cooking or does it have medicinal values?

[JasonTrue]

They're running about $1/lb in Seattle this year... it's been a bit of a surprise. Though these are local ones. Imported ones, or ones from California or similar, tend to be more expensive... and this year the local ones aren't netted.

so I went to the chinese grocery store yesterday to look for some asian pears.  I found about 4 varieties from japan and korea.  I found my delicious, large, korean pear but they were a little soft to the touch.  I like them almost rock hard and plus they were over $3 a piece.  what a rip off

Hiroyuki, what is mint oil used for?  Do you use it in cooking or does it have medicinal values?

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[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki, what is mint oil used for?  Do you use it in cooking or does it have medicinal values?

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Pure mint oil, which is transparent, has a variety of uses, as you may know, such as putting a few drops in the bath tub for relaxation purposes, making mint tea, and deodorizing shoes.

Those small bottles that I posted upthread, which contain unrefined, black mint oil, are "display" purposes only. In the past, hakka tou (Japanese mint candy) was made by using locally produced mint oil. The former president of the sweet shop brought the bottles from somewhere and showed them to me. I was impressed, of course! It is a dream of that sweet shop to make hakka tou using locally produced mint oil some day.

[Hiroyuki]

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These are Shinkou (新興 in Kanji) pears.  I bought them today for 198 yen a piece.  They were about 9.5 cm in diameter, a little bit smaller than Niitaka.

I had long assumed that this variety was a relative of Niitaka (新高), but I was wrong!

また、“新興”は昭和初期に新潟県園芸試験場で二十世紀の偶発実生から得られた品種で、既に７０年以上経過していますが、品質や食味が優れ、また長持ちする大変優良な品種です。

from here.

It is a mutant of Nijjuseiki!

Edited to add: We had one of them after supper and found it wasn't sweet at all!! I must make a complaint to the producer.

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I got a reply from JA Shirone, which says that mine were probably shipped by an individual farmer. At JA, pears are measured for sugar content one by one before shipment.

[Hiroyuki]

Do you know this sake:

Funaguchi Kikusui Ichiban Shibori of Kikusui Shuzo

Luckily, there is an English version of their website.

This sake is "nama genshu" (pure, raw sake), with an alcohol content of 19%. That is, it's not heat-sterilized or watered down. It's Japan's first pure sake in an aluminum can, released in 1972.

[Hiroyuki]

Got a PM from a member asking if I was OK after the large earthquake that took place in Niigata yesterday. I'm OK, as well as all my family members. No damage to my house.

But I feel sorry for all the victims in Kashiwazaki and other cities in Niigata and Nagano prefectures. Nine people have died due to the earthquake as of this morning.

[shinju]

Got a PM from a member asking if I was OK after the large earthquake that took place in Niigata yesterday.  I'm OK, as well as all my family members.  No damage to my house.

But I feel sorry for all the victims in Kashiwazaki and other cities in Niigata and Nagano prefectures.  Nine people have died due to the earthquake as of this morning.

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Hiroyuki - I'm really glad to hear you and your family are doing ok after the earthquake. Stay well!

[Nikkeijin]

Hi folks,

I'm new here, but I feel it's impossible to talk about Niigata specialities w/out mentioning "sasa-dango"! I just love the smell and taste of that snack. It always brings back childhood memories...

And speaking of pears, there's a pear I tasted a few winters ago in Niigata that was so good and sweet, but I don't know what variety it was. It was yellow, shaped more like a European pear, and individually wrapped in clear cellophane. Sorry, I can't find a picture of it.

Hiroyuki, I'm glad to hear you and your family is okay. I'm really impressed w/ your knowledge of food and your English!

[Hiroyuki]

Hi folks,

I'm new here, but I feel it's impossible to talk about Niigata specialities w/out mentioning "sasa-dango"! I just love the smell and taste of that snack. It always brings back childhood memories...

And speaking of pears, there's a pear I tasted a few winters ago in Niigata that was so good and sweet, but I don't know what variety it was. It was yellow, shaped more like a European pear, and individually wrapped in clear cellophane. Sorry, I can't find a picture of it.

Hiroyuki, I'm glad to hear you and your family is okay. I'm really impressed w/ your knowledge of food and your English!

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Le Lectier?

Here are some pics here

http://www.nature-farm.com/fruit_lectier.html

In Niigata, two Western varieties are grown, La France and Le Lectier.

Thanks for the compliment. I like sasa dango, too, expecially the flavor of those bamboo leaves.

Just out of curiosity, Nikkeijin is 日経人?

[Nikkeijin]

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Le Lectier?

Here are some pics here

http://www.nature-farm.com/fruit_lectier.html

In Niigata, two Western varieties are grown, La France and Le Lectier.

Thanks for the compliment. I like sasa dango, too, expecially the flavor of those bamboo leaves.

Just out of curiosity, Nikkeijin is 日経人?

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[Hiroyuki]

Sadly, although I was born in Niigata City, my Japanese is horrible...I can't even read the kanji you've typed there. (Lived in Hawaii since I was an infant).

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The kanji 日経人, I wrote upthread, mean someone working for, or related to, Nikkei (Nihon Keizai Shimbun), the leading financial newspaper company in Japan. From this post of yours, I can see Nikkeijin simply means 日系人 (Japanese descent).

[Hiroyuki]

Got these from an acquaintance:

Product names are (top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right):

Mochi Pea (commonly known as Pea Sen)

Edo Age

Oogaki (bigger than Kaki no Tane)

Musenbetu Arare (Un-sorted arare)

Niigata is well known for its senbei.

[Hiroyuki]

I bought a bag of very expensive salt yesterday.

Sasakawa nagare no shio

This 350-g bag costs 630 yen.

Sasakawa nagare is a very beautiful coast in the northernmost part of Niigata prefecture.

The salt is much milder than the table salt manufactured by JT, but is also very expensive, 16 times more expensive than JT's table salt.

I made shio musubi (rice balls with salt on their surface), as recommended by the manufacturer. The manufacturer's official website is here (Japanese only).

[helenjp]

Milder? My hairdresser gave me some "coral salt" (sango-shio) which apparently contains only about 3/4 of the sodium salt content of regular salts, but much more potassium and some calcium and magnesium. Is your Sasakawa salt also milder because of the high non-sodium content, do you think?

I wonder if the high non-sodium content is one reason why old pickle recipes use such a high percentage of salt.

What about the texture? Is it a flakey dry "yaki-shio", or a wet salt in small or large crystals?

[Hiroyuki]

Milder? My hairdresser gave me some "coral salt" (sango-shio) which apparently contains only about 3/4 of the sodium salt content of regular salts, but much more potassium and some calcium and magnesium. Is your Sasakawa salt also milder because of the high non-sodium content, do you think?

I wonder if the high non-sodium content is one reason why old pickle recipes use such a high percentage of salt.

What about the texture? Is it a flakey dry "yaki-shio", or a wet salt in small or large crystals?

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I compared the salt with the two salts that I had in my kitchen. I found that JT's table salt (sodium chloride content of 99% or greater) had a very acute saltiness (as you can easily imagine) and this one was much less acute and left some aftertaste on my tongue, and I think yes, it's probably because of the non-sodium content. The one containing some nigari (which I forgot the brand of, maybe akou no shio) was more similar to JT's.

I don't make much pickle, but I often rub cabbage, daikon, and other vegetables with salt (shio momi) to make salad. From my experience, I can say that I need about one and a half to twice as much nigari-containing salt as regular JT table salt to get the same effect.

It's not so dry as yaki-shio, but it's not so wet as other expensive nigari-containing salts, either, and I'd say it's in medium-size crystals.

Here is an interesting video of Sasakawa nagare. Enjoy!

[melonpan]

Here is an interesting video of Sasakawa nagare.  Enjoy!

sure is gorgeous out there.

even with the dinosaurs!

[Hiroyuki]

I bought this today:

Another product of the manufacturer of Sasanagare no shio, shown upthread. It contains hondawara (a type of seaweed). The manufacturer says its good for tempura, fish shio-yaki (grilled with salt), and onigiri. I will report back when I use it.

Price: 1,050 yen (350 g)!

[Hiroyuki]

March 12 used to be, and is still is, a very special day for the people of Shiozawa and surrounding areas because this is the day when a festival called Nougu Ichi (Farm Tool Market) is held at Ichinomiya Jinja (Shrine). This festival is known to herald the coming of spring in this snowy region. There used to be a line of people from the shrine to the nearest station, Shiozawa Station, on Joetsu Line (so says my father-in-law).

Today, I went to that festival. It's only about 1 km from my house, but because I was a little tired, I decided to go there by car.

Man selling just before the entrance of the shrine:

Millet:

Lanterns hanging on the torii (gate of the shrine):

On the premises of the shrine:

They are hand-made and are rather expensive.

Ichinomiya Jinja (Shrine):

On the road to the shrine:

Torii manufacturer showing torii samples:

Korean women selling chijimi (sp?), among others:

They spoke Japanese in Korean accent.

Dried fruits:

I sampled most of them. They were all very good. I especially liked the Puchi-puchi tomatoes (orange ones at the center of the photo), but I didn't buy any.

My daughter bought one of the toys hanging on the rope at another festival last year, from the same man.

Beautiful bonsai and flowers:

More bonsai and flowers:

Kinkan plants:

Jumbo abura-age, a specialty of Tochio city, Niigata:

Sanjo cutlery:

Sanjo city, Niigata, is called a town of cutlery.

Shichimi tougarashi vendor:

He blends the seven ingredients according to your preferences.

Yaki imo 'baked sweet potatoes):

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki:

I bought three of them.

Vegetables and fruit:

I bought one bowl of strawberries (shown on the left) for 500 yen.

Osaka yaki:

It's okonomiyaki in oban-yaki form. Interestingly, you can't find Osaka yaki in Osaka.

Sunny day!

Snow on the ground:

I had one okonomiyaki for lunch:

Phew, I'm tired again.

Edited March 12, 2008 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Touna (lit. winter green) とうな or 冬菜 is very popular in Niigata. Today, I got a large bag of touna from a brother-in-law.

I posted some photos here.

[MoGa]

You wouldn't happen to know anything about a sake from your area called 底ぬけ (Sokonuke - bottomless)

I loved it, but know nothing about it, so I don't even know how to ask for anything similar.

[Hiroyuki]

You wouldn't happen to know anything about a sake from your area called 底ぬけ (Sokonuke - bottomless)

I loved it, but know nothing about it, so I don't even know how to ask for anything similar.

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I found it. It's made by Kawachu Shuzo, 河忠酒造, located in Nagaoka city, Niigata prefecture.

Official website of the sake brewery:

http://www.soutenbou.jp/

Apparently, this brand, Sokonuke, is distributed to restaurants only.

The following webpage says so:

http://www.freeist.jp/blog/sake/archives/2...2/14/index.html

Sokonuke is cho karakuchi 超辛口 (super dry).

As I mentioned somewhere, most sake iin Niigata are described as tanrei karakuchi (light and dry).

[Hiroyuki]

Today (April 29), my children and I went to Yuzawa Flower Festival. There I found this banner:

It says

Doburoku (unrefined sake)

Awayuki (name of the sake)

Yuzawa Onsen Doburoku Tokku (Special Zone)

As I mentioned somewhere else, in a doburoku tokku, farmers, inn owners, restaurant owners, and so on can make doburoku if they are granted a license.

I posted other photos here.

[BarbaraY]

Hiroyuki, it looks like a lot of fun and the trees blooming next to the water are beautiful.

[Hiroyuki]

Before leaving for Tokyo, I bought some snacks at a kiosk in Yuzawa Station, which include:

Niigata Chips.

400 yen(! )

I thought they were potato chips. I was wrong. They were rice chips (flavored with soy sauce.)

Closeup of one chip:

Not bad, but not good, either.

Sasa dango (bamboo leaf dumpling) caramel:

136 yen.

Closeup:

I was disappointed because I had assumed that there were bits of anko in it or a big anko at the center.

[Hiroyuki]

The Yamato area (former Yamato town) of Minami Uonuma city is famous for its watermelon: Yairo Suika.

In the area, there is a field called Yairo Hara (8-Color Field), which is ideal for watermelon cultivation.

My wife had craved for watermelons for days, but the local supermarket that I frequent had already stopped selling them. Today, I asked the sushi chef and his wife where I could get watermelons (their sushi shop is in the Yamato area). The chef said that farmers stopped shipping them on August 18, and his wife told me of the supermarket that carried three of them the day before yesterday. I went to that supermarket, and luckily, I found seven or eight of them sold there. I bought one big one for 780 yen and two small ones for 480 yen.

Correction: My wife said the correct pronunciation of the place name is Yairo Ppara, not Yairo Hara.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Hiroyuki (log)