kuwa

Today's dinner: French beans siro-ae, chicken kuwayaki, miso soup and white rice.

'Kuwayaki' has a similar origin as 'sukiyaki'. 'Sukiyaki' might just remind you of the song but it is also the name for Japanese popular meal which we associate with westernisation or special occasions. The both 'kuwayaki' and 'sukiyaki' cooking methods used to require agricultural implements: kuwa and suki.

I heard from my father that before opening of our country we didn't eat meat (with a few exceptions such as rabbit, birds) because of Buddhism philosophy. But if a cow who used to help agriculture dies, farmers would eat it. But as they couldn't use the same pan or pots they cook for other meals, these are things farmers would find still usefull for cooking. Of course now we don't use such tools but it is quite interesting to know how we tried to appreciate things that were available to us without feeling guilty of wasting things and ruining discipline.

今日の夜ご飯は、いんげん豆の白和えと鶏肉のくわ焼きです。

日本だったら、柿の白和えが食べられる季節ですね。柿だけにとどまらず秋刀魚、自然薯、きのこの類、銀杏、巨峰、桃、、、こちらでは食べられない秋の味覚が恋しいです。