Ichigo, Ichie

Two things inspired me for today's post:

1. I met up with an old crush the other day (which was what reminded me of this phrase).
2. I remembered why I am a tea only person.

My biggest facination with the country of Japan is their cooking style (ahem... you are reading the blog of a foodie), particularly that of cha-kaiseki. This is the meal that accompanies a longer tea ceremony and it highlights the current season and the tea that follows. Asthetics are valued over taste (although taste is exremely important as well) and the presentation of the food tells a story.

Matcha served with spring sakura dango.

If, no excuse me, when I stay in Japan, I hope to study this art form. (Actually, aside from governmental work, it is the whole reason I want to be in Japan.) But that's enough on that, I need to finish my story.

The boy I met with is a precious friend, and he could have been more than that. During our lunch meal I realized that any chance of a deeper relationship had fallen. A year ago, even at the beginning of the meeting that day, I would have considered him as a possible life mate. (Unlike most students, I do not think of relationships as a trivial matter. They are to be taken with the utmost sincerity ~ playing with hearts is not my style.) However, at the end, my mind had captured a phrase and would not release it: "Ichigo, Ichie."

"Ichigo, Ichie" translates to "One encounter, one chance."

The tea ceremony is a spiritual meeting. The participants as well as the tea master realize that, "ichigo, ichie," there will never be another encounter like this one. The zen philosophy calls to memory that every moment is a precious thing, and not to be wasted. (The kaiseki also follows this principle. Everything is consumned, including the rice burnt on the bottom of the pan ~ don't worry. It's served in a miso broth.)

Even for Christians, "ichigo, ichie" is an excellent philosophy. Each moment is precious; there will never be another like it. Life life to its fullest. Don't let the little things ruin your attitude. If we each savored every second, what would our outlook be like?

As for why I am a tea person? Coffee makes me dizzy and nauseated (even when watered down). My morning's aren't considered morning without my standard tea. While this varies daily, my current favorite being an herbal peppermint, in honor of the tea ceremony I will talk about green tea.

Matcha (ground green tea leaves) is served at all ceremonies, but the type varies: thin (usu-cha), and less common thick (koi-cha). Oddly, usucha is more bitter than its counterpart and is less expensive. If you have had any experience with green tea ice cream, than you have had a [super] sweetend form.

As matcha is supurbly expensive, I'll focus a little more on avaliable green teas. Essentially green tea is the same as black. They both come from the plant camillia sinensis. The most common is sen-cha (the typical grocery stores carry a lesser version of this form called ban-cha), and it is rolled and steamed when picked. The next type is matcha *points to previous paragraph*. Then you have blends. The two blends that are considered "true" green tea are genmai-cha and jasmine. Jasmine is a blend of green teas and, of course, jasmine flowers. Genmai-cha is sen-cha blended with toasted brown rice. Out of all the green teas, this one is my favorite as it has an earthy toasted flavor.

How to prepare a cup of green tea

Suprisingly, many do not know the difference in preparing a green vs. black tea. Believe me, it does make a notable difference.

2 tsp. - 1 1/3 tbsp of your favorite green tea (depending on how strong you want it to be)

1 c. of boiling water

1. Boil the water in a kettle, or in a microwavable cup.
2. Place the tea bag or strainer into the cup. Allow to soak for thirty seconds to a minute.
3. As you enjoy your tea, contemplate the meaning of "Ichigo, Ichie." :)

If you would like more information on the tea ceremony, I suggest checking out Untangeling My Chopsticks by Victoria Abbott Riccardi. She is an American who moved to Japan (with no language experience) to learn the art of cha-kaiseki.

Calligraphy of "Ichigo, Ichie."

A Simple Stock for a Tasty Soup

I got out of bed this morning intent on making something today (as well as knocking out two classes worth of work). Well, at least I was able to accomplish one thing.

Soup is one of the simplest foods to make. If you can boil water, noodles, and a meat source (or if your vegan, veggies) you can make it. I first made this recipe two month ago, and to my surprise, my entire family loved it.

Snap Pea, Daikon, and Egg Soup

Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. First I need to introduce the necessary soup stock.

Dashi

Memorize this recipe. It is the Japanese cooking equivalent of a white sauce - you'll use it for nearly every recipe. Note: it spoils within three days of cooking, so if you won't be using it often, freeze the remainder.

Ingredients
1 4x4 in. piece of kombu (this is a broad leaf seaweed)
2-4 c. katsuobushi (bonito flakes) I use two cups for my dad's sake. It gives it a hint of fish, but you might want more.
4 c. water

Directions
1. Place the kombu in a deep pan (Do not rub off the whitish film as it contains healthy nutrients.) and fill with with four cups of cool water.
2. Bring the mixture almost to the boiling point, lower the heat, and fish out the kombu. (Leaving the kombu in any longer will result in a bitter tasting broth.)
3. Place the kasuobushi in and let it simmer until the flakes touch the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 minutes.
4. Using a cheesecloth, pour the broth into a separate container taking care not to press the flakes. Store in the fridge until needed.

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I you are like me, and do not own a cheesecloth (something I hope to remedy soon), use a colander or fine sieve. I normally have to drain it two time until it become clear.

Note: if you want a vegetarian stock, just use the kombu (or dried shiitake mushrooms). Concerning the kombu, I have seen dashi recipes that do not require it, so it is up to your discretion.

Okay, so now for the
Snap Pea, Daikon, and Egg Soup

This soup is made in a wok, which adds a nice earthy tinge to the soup. If there is not one on hand (which was the case the first time I made this) substitute a large frying pan and a soup kettle. It will still turn out wonderfully.

Ingredients
4 lg. eggs
2 scallions (1 cut into 1/2 in. batons, and the other finely diced)
3 tsp. rice oil (canola is fine)
2/3 c. yellow onion, finely diced
2/3 c. daikon, finely diced
1-2 shiitake mushroom, sliced
5 c. dashi
1 tsp. sake (or substitute a dry sherry)
1 tsp. ground sea salt
Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
20 snap peas, cut diagonally into thirds
1 tsp. shoyu (soy sauce)

Directions
1. Break eggs into a medium bowl and whisk until mixed.
2. Place a wok over high heat. Add 2 tbsp. of oil and coat. When it begins to simmer, lover to a medium high heat and add the eggs. Fry the disc until the center portion is no longer runny. Flip and cook one more minute. Transfer the fried egg disc to a plate, and tear it into bite sized pieces once it is cool enough to do so.
4. Place the remaining oil into the wok and add the daikon, onion, and mushroom. Stir fry for 3 minutes, then add the dashi, salt, sake, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam and reduce heat; simmer until the liquid is translucent.
5. Add all the ingredients (egg disc, broth, and snap peas) together and cook for 1-3 minutes. The peas should be crisp tender when the soup is ready.
6. いただきます Itadakimasu*! Enjoy with some green tea!

Prep Time: 45 min.
Serves: 6

Recipe found in Why Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat.

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This soup is wonderful as a quick morning pick-me-up (yep! It's great for breakfast.) A normal Japanese meal centers around the rice, so this can be a side dish along with other things - but I find it simpler (and easier on myself) to serve it alone.

* いただきます is a phrase mentioned before any meal. It translates as, "I will (humbly) receive," or in a layman sense, "Let's eat."

That's all for today, but I post more when I can. :)

Begin the Feast

First post! Those are always fun.

Introductions

To begin, I'll introduce myself. I have several nicknames, but here I'll go by Lady. Before entering college, I had to decided my career field... well, not in so many ways. I did have to decide what I wanted to do, but it went deeper than that. For my major, I married the two things I love - culture and politics. AH! I haven't even told you what I'm majoring in. Forgive me. It's International Politics and Policy (IR for short).

I'm getting off topic. Welcome to Eating Cultures, my foodie/culture blog. This came about after waiting (agonizingly) for my college acceptance letter. So, I began reading cookbooks and trying to make international foods. Anyway, continuing on... as I began to cook these new foods, I wanted to learn more about the countries behind the foods. So the idea of a food blog was born.

So why food? Food is the doorway into any culture. The spices, the ingredients, the preparation all say a little of the region where the recipe was born. Plus, my Irish twin is headed off to culinary arts school soon and I thought it would be a neat way to create a closer bond.

Now for a conundrum: what country do we pick first? There are so many amazing areas and cuisines to explore! So many places to eat! Where to?

Recently I was listening to NPR (yes, I am a major junkie) and hear a bit on the new Japanese government. For the first time in nearly half a century, the Democrat party won the prime ministerialship. One of his objectives is to pursue a more equal relationship with Washington D.C. Bravo to them! (As long as it doesn't turn Japan into a country of xenophobes.) In case you haven't figured it out, the first country I will be profiling is Japan. *hoorah*

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What to Expect

Now it's the fun part. What will I be highlighting?

1. Food - durh. You're probably rolling your eyes at this one. This is just to clarify in case you missed it earlier. Here's is something you need to know, and remember: I live in a rural area so it's difficult to get every exact ingredient. I will try to get as close as I can, and I will list what I replace and what I replaced it with. (I will be using alcohol substitutes. My family does not drink nor do I. Plus I am not old enough to even buy it to cook with.)
2. Language - I hope to introduce key words and phrases. Greetings, courtesy expressions, and random tidbits will all be included. If I am learning it, I will give some tips or key delineations. Baby steps.
3. Fashion - I am a girl and I do love fashion. Join in an share you opinions! Not everyone dresses the same way, and it's fun to see the way others dress. I will try to post examples and sites that sell the fashion (if I can find them ^_~)
4. Politics, Government & National News - If government is the heartbeat, politics is it's lifeblood. For my interest, I will be posting links or short excerpt of current issues. I will do my best to find accurate, nonpartisan news (or at least find the same story from each side).
5. Random and Wacky Tidbits - Each nation has it's oddities, that what helps make them fascinating. From the weird to the humorous, all will be covered.
6. Religion - The coup de grace of any culture study.
7. Anything I've forgotten? - I'm sure there will be things that will come to my mind: random links, pertinent blogs, etc.

I believe that's all for my first post! I am in college so I will post when I am able (meaning the post will be erratic). I can't wait to start!

Let the feast begin!