Food Folks
We always love introducing you to the unique products of Japanese cuisine, especially seasonal ones. We do this so you can enjoy a more pleasant experience when you go to a local restaurant or to a banquet in a fancy stay. Japanese people, as is well known, love connecting food with their lifestyle events. This time, I’ll introduce the custom of Tsukimi or “Moon Viewing.”
How to be A Part? 1. Eating Tsukimi Dango is one way. It’s a traditional Japanese pastry that is believed to grant good health and happiness. Tsukimi Dango has a round, dumpling-like shape and is made from rice flour. Decoration and placement of the dango goes along with eating. How you present Tsukimi Dango to the Gods is crucial. 2. Other foods that would accompany Tsukimi Dango are sweet potatoes, edamame, pumpkin, chestnut, other Autumn products, and Susuki, or pampas grass, which is thought to protect the surrounding area from evil. 3. Tsukimi has also taken on a different meaning because of the visual similarity between the round moon and egg yolk.Many restaurants enjoy creating seasonal meals in the autumn, like Tsukimi hamburgers, soba, curry, and much more. Next time you see one of these items on a menu, you’ll have a little background on Tsukimi! 4. In the two following recipes you will be able to use sweet potatoes, one of the autumn products also mentioned in the offering for Tsukimi.
Tsukimi Moon Viewing This special custom came from China to Japan around the Nara Period (AD 710-794), when aristocrats started enjoying moon viewing parties. This high-end pastime was transferred to the common people in the Edo Period (AD 16031868). People gave the gods offerings of freshly harvested products, such as rice, fruits, and vegetables.
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Autumn 2020
When is Tsukimi? It differs by the year, since it’s based on the old Japanese calendar, where it lies on the fifteenth of the eight month. This day is called Jyugoya and is considered the best day of the year to enjoy gazing at the moon. This year was the first of October. If you look close enough, you might be able to see a rabbit pounding mochi rice cake with a mallet, which is a local folklore held by the people of Japan.
