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Chapter 5
After kyokusui-no-en, or an outdoor poem-composing party, by the pond ends, a
small sake cup lies on the grass, probably left behind by someone
In ancient times, the Chinese purified themselves to wash their sins away on March
third by the lunar calendar.
The custom later developed into kyokusui-no-en, which is also called gokusui-no-en. In
the outdoor party, people played a poem-composing game, in which participants
sitting along a meandering stream (kyokusui) let sake cups to flow, and each wrote a
poem before the cup passed him or her. If they failed to write a poem in time, they had
to drink sake as penance. It is said that the game was became popular after Chinese
prominent poets played it in the garden called Shoko-no-rantei in 353. Since then,
kyokusui-no-en has been passed down through generations.
In Japan, the party was also popular among the nobility during the Heian period (Late
8th century to late 12th century). It's said that the residence of Regent Fujiwara-no-
Michinaga had a man-made stream, along which the elegant game was played on March third. |
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March is also called Yayoi after the way plants grow
energetically (iya-oi sodatsu). Insects also come out of
hibernation in the ground at this time of year. Longer
daylight hours stimulate the pituitary gland of any living
creature to actively secrete growth hormones.
March has many other names such as Kokuu-
Haruoshimi-zuki, or the “month when people misses the
spring fading in the rain that helps to crops to grow,”
and Kahi, or “the month of cherry blossoms”, all indicating
seasonal images. Weather this month is changeable
as low pressure systems move periodically. Clear skies in
the morning can often turn cloudy in the afternoon,
and temperatures suddenly drop about sunset. Still,
everything on the ground is gradually tinged with spring
colors. |
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Shirozake White Sake
Shirozake, or white sake, is now indispensable for Doll’s
Festival (Girls’ Festival) on March 3rd. But in ancient
times, it was often drunk by travelers. It was in early
modern times that white sake began to be consumed
to celebrate the Doll’s Festival.
Shirozake is made when a fermenting mixture of
steamed rice, koji (malted rice) and shochu (distillated
liquor), which has been left to mature for about a
month, is crushed. Containing about 9 % of alcohol and
45 % of rice extract, the pulpy sweet sake may be
something you want to eat than to drink.
During the Edo period (1603-1867), shirozake of Toshimaya
brewery at Kanda Kamakuragashi in Tokyo was
extremely popular, as shown in a tourist guide book
called Edo Meisho Zue. A record shows that the brewer
suspended sales of other sake to concentrate on the
white sake after the end of February, and sold as much
as 180,000 liters each year. (Toshimaya is the predecessor
of the present Toshimaya Shuzo in Higashi
Murayama City in Tokyo, whose famous brands include
“Kinkon Masamune.”)
Men can enjoy clear sake to celebrate the Doll’s
Festival, together with women having their white
sake.Aromatic sake with a petal of a peach blossom
floating on it would be perfect for the occasion.
Namazake Unpasteurized Sake
Itﾕs the season for freshly squeezed namazake, or
unpasteurized sake. Namazake is made when the
moromi mash is squeezed to separate the clear liquid
from the white lees. It is yet to be heated for pasteurization.
Tasting the fresh sake carefully would help you to
predict how the quality of this yearﾕs sake will be.
Unpasteurized sake is normally called namazake, but in
the industry, it is called namashu. The Chinese characters
for the term can also be pronounced as kizake. But
be careful. Kizake means undiluted sake of junmaishu,
or sake brewed with only rice, water and koji. |
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Snacks or simple dishes are often served with sake. But
kaiseki meal, a Japanese traditional course meal, is
also for drinking parties.
Japanese cuisine has various styles such as honzen,
created based on the manners of the samurai society,
and fukusa, a simpler version of honzen. A type of meal
served at the tea ceremony is also among them. They
are all served with rice, but kaiseki was created to go
with sake during the Edo period. In kaiseki, dishes are
set on the table one by one so that diners can enjoy
the combination of sake and each dish. The word
kon-date, or menu, is said to have been originated
from this style of offering food one by one, or ikkon,
ikkon in old Japanese.
When you sit down, you may find an appetizer called
sakizuke is already on the table along with chopsticks
and a sake cup. Similarly at casual bars, sakizuke
comes first when you order sake.
Sakizuke, also known as tsukidashi in western Japan,
and otohshi in eastern Japan, is supposed to contain
three kinds of seasonal ingredients from the sea, mountain,
and river.
Since sakizuke is the very first dish the cook offers to
diners, it is often very elaborately made, though the
amount is small. So, do not regard sakizuke as a simple
dish to fill up the time before the main food is served.
Savor it well.
As mentioned last time, be careful not to slide plates or
bowls on the table, when you move them. You should
lift them. This is to protect the surface of the table from
being scratched by the bottom of the tableware.
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Sea urchin
When hearing the term uni, or sea urchin, many people
may think of the shucked flesh on sushi, rather than its
spiny shell. They may also think that the sea urchin is
available throughout the year. But in fact, it has its
season, and the season is about to come.
The green sea urchin releases eggs from March to April;
the hard-spined sea urchin, in June; and the red sea
urchin from summer through autumn. They taste best
just before the periods. While itﾕs fresh, sea urchin is firm
and full, but it gradually becomes soft and loses shape.
So, try to choose fresh sea urchin. Usually, sea urchin is
served with soy sauce with wasabi, but it is also good
with citrus juice. |
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Surf clam
Surf clam, an expensive sushi topping, is widely known
as mirugai, but its real name is mirukui. The surf clam
inhabits shallow waters, and has a long and big siphon,
which is good to eat. Surf clam is favored by many for
its texture. But it is now very expensive as the haul is
falling. Instead, a growing number of sushi bars use
similarly-looking piddock, calling it white surf clam.
Piddocks are increasingly common also at fresh fish
stores. |
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Cockles
Torigai, or cockles, are found in shallow waters along
the coast from northeastern to southeastern Japan.
The main catching grounds include Ise Bay, central
Japan, and the Inland Sea in western Japan.
Some say torigai, or “bird shellfish” is named after the
shape of its flesh, or others say it comes from its
chicken-like taste. Cockles in this season have thick
flesh with crisp texture, which goes well with sake. The
shellfish is now available throughout the year, but
cockles served off the season are often frozen ones,
which are thin, chewy, and unpalatable.
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Translated by Yoko Shinano |
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