When discussing traditional Japanese soba noodles, there is a cold type of soba that when it’s eaten is dipped into TSUYU source. Among these cold noodles, the one covered with NORI (laver) is called “ZARU soba,” and the one without NORI is called “MORI “soba. The way to eat these noodles is, pour some TSUYU source into a small cup (OCHOKO) and put the condiments (NEGI, law leek, and WASABI, Japanese horseradish) on top of the noodles little by little according to your preference. Then, pick-up the NEGI, WASABI, NORI and noodles all together with your chopsticks.

You should pick-up just enough so that you can eat the noodles all in one go. Dipping one third of the noodles into TSUYU and slurping them up all at once. It is not recommended that you eat large amounts of noodles all at one time. Avoid shoving them into your mouth or cutting them with your teeth before slurping. Don’t dip all of the noodles into TSUYO and there is no need to stir them in the cup. However, soba noodle slurping is no problem. When you have eaten all the noodles, if there is some TSUYU left, then, pour “SOBA-YU, the hot water that is used for soba noodle boiling” into a cup and drink it. You can also add NEGI and WASABI as you like, but please be careful not to use too much Japanese WASABI as it is very strong and spicy even in small amounts.

Before worshipping in a shrine, people need to purify themselves with a water board called Temizuya / Chozuya. The manner of the purification is as follows. First of all, hold a ladle with your right hand and wash the left hand, then change hands and wash the other one. Then change the holding hand again, and pour water on left hand palm to wash the mouth out lightly. It is important that the mouth should not touch the ladle directly, and gently spit-out the rinsed water from your mouth. Lastly, pour water on the left hand, and if there is some water left, pour the water onto the shaft of the ladle, then replace the ladle to its original place.

Manner of visiting shrine―worship

After purify the body in Temizuya / Chozuya, go to the hall of worship through the approach.　When arriving at the alter, bow lightly at first, then throw some coins into the Saisen –bako (wooden box). There is no rule for how much money, it is common that people just offer some coins to express appreciation to the God, ring the bell if there is one. Make deep bows twice to the alter, face up and strongly clap your hands (Kashiwade) twice, then put your hands together to pray. After the prayer make a deep bow again, during the last bow slowly leave alter. This is the common manner of worship, but the most important thing is a wholehearted prayer to God.

Japanese sake has been said as “Sake is the chief of all medicine” from ancient times. Properly warmed sake becomes much tastier and can also be quickly absorbed into the body. The proper temperature is about 35-48 degree, called “Hitohada kan (body temperature)” “Nuru kan (warm)” and “Jyo kan (warm to hot). How to heat sake , first pour some sake into the sake bottle, put the bottle into a pan/pot of boiling water. In order not to increase the temperature of sake too much, it is key that the once the water is boiled the fire is turned off. Once the sake is bubbling and the liquid level increases to the top of the sake bottle, then it is reaching the proper temperature.

“As people become more health conscious, Japanese food gets attention from people all over the world. And one of the reasons may be that Japanese food uses a lot of fermented ingredients and seasonings. In Western countries, cheeses and wines are typical fermented foods. In the case of Japan, a nation with sea and mountains, our fermented foods are created in the nature of Japan and they change with the four seasons. “Every ingredient is deeply connected with its birth place and people” said Ms. Kyoko Shiokawa, head of Shoku-no-gakko (School of food). For example, Miso soup, which the Japanese drink almost everyday, has different tastes depending on the region. And each family uses different kinds of miso such as aka-miso and shiro-miso, and a variety of fillings. Ms. Shiokawa also said” it used to be common that each family made their own Miso at home” it used to be hand-made by each family.”

How to make Miso

Put soybeans into water for about 8-hours, and boil them slowly for about 5-6hours.Then mash the boiled soybeans while they are still warm. Pour the liquor into another vessel, and put malt , salt and the liquor into the soybeans and make them into fine paste. Throw the paste into a reserve barrel, cover it with gauze and a drop lid and keep it for one year. (The gauze will be damp in about 10 days)

＊ Photo shooting cooperation Dremia Club http://dreamiaclub.jp/

Profile:Ms.Kyoko Shiokawa

Head of Shoku-no-gakko (School of Food). She was the person in charge of the “Food and Living” section of a women’s magazine, while working at a publishing company. During motherhood, she participated in the establishment of a collaborative purchase group under the theme of “Foods that cultivate healthy life” as her child was in poor health. In 1996, she founded “Shoku-no-gakko” aiming at bridging the gap between food producers, distributors and consumers to deliver “tasty and safe food” to people. Born in Aomori pref. http://shokunogakkou.com/