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[Steamed Food and Intestinal Activity]

Steaming in a seiro is a cooking method that has become popular mainly in Asian countries such as Japan, China, and Thailand. Especially in China, among steamed dishes, you can eat various steamed dishes such as baozi and boiled dumplings. Steaming is ideal for lightly seasoning chicken, seafood, and vegetables.

Steaming is a heating method that uses steam. The moment the steam comes in contact with the food, the temperature drops and returns to a drop of water. At that time heat is released at once, and the power of the released heat is said to be 2 to 5 times greater than that of boiling. Therefore, it can cook faster than boiling. The boiling point of water is 100°C, which makes it easy to maintain the temperature, bring out the flavor of the ingredients, and make them fluffy.

The following are some of the benefits of eating steamed vegetables: raising body temperature, improving constipation, improving swelling, and reducing elevated blood sugar levels. For improving constipation, dietary fiber from vegetables becomes food for good bacteria such as bifidobacteria when it reaches the intestines, helping to regulate the intestinal environment.

In addition, steamed vegetables suppress the intake of sugar and fat, which feed the bad bacteria, so the intestinal environment becomes more conducive to good bacteria. Potassium, which is effective in reducing swelling, can also be efficiently ingested. Since potassium is water soluble, steaming is better than boiling. It facilitates the elimination of excess salt from the body, and thanks to the dietary fiber, blood sugar rises more slowly and blood pressure is less likely to rise. It has been recently discovered that steaming cruciferous vegetables increases the number of polyphenols in them. In the case of broccoli, the amount of polyphenols increases 1.6 times. It is nice to see an increase in antioxidant polyphenols.

So I am wondering, is there a difference between steaming in a seiro and in a microwave oven? As it turns out, there is a difference. While a steamer uses high-temperature steam to slowly and evenly cook food, causing minimal damage to nutrients, a microwave oven uses electromagnetic waves to vibrate and generate heat by directing them at the water molecules in the food. While the heating time is overwhelmingly short, the temperature rises from the inside of the food to the outside, so a sudden temperature rise can damage the nutritional ingredients. There is also a disadvantage that the temperature tends to be uneven depending on where the food is placed.

The process of steaming in a seiro may seem a bit time-consuming, but it is easy to control the heat, and the excessive fat and oil are removed, resulting in a juicier and sweeter dish. And if you eat it with a sauce based on fermented seasonings such as miso, amazake (sweet sake), or shoyu koji (soy sauce malt), it will also help to stimulate intestinal activity. The steaming cooking method is worth the time and effort. Why not try incorporating it along with traditional Japanese malt seasonings?

Yamaichi's Chinese Seiro
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamaichi/seiro.html
Nakamura Douki's Seiro Pot
https://www.shokunin.com/en/nakamuradouki/seiro.html
Adachi Shigehisa Shoten's Wappa Seiro
https://www.shokunin.com/en/adachi/seiro.html
Ichiyougama's Plate
https://www.shokunin.com/en/ichiyou/plate.html

References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%92%B8%E3%81%97%E7%89%A9
https://oggi.jp/6751431

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[The Urban Development of Kyoto by Toyotomi Hideyoshi]

The city of Kyoto, which was the capital 1200 years ago, was formed in a grid pattern and retains many of the features of the Heian-kyo period. However, most of the city was destroyed by fire during the Onin War. Toyotomi Hideyoshi rebuilt Kyoto and undertook extensive urban remodeling. Much of the current city of Kyoto was built by Hideyoshi.

How did Hideyoshi change Kyoto? The major projects include (1) the construction of Jurakudai, (2) the construction of Odoi, (3) the formation of Teramachi and Teranouchi, and (4) the land allotment system in the Tensho era.

(1) Construction of Juraku-dai
After Oda Nobunaga fell to rebellion at Honnoji Temple, the real power of the shogunate passed to Hideyoshi. First, Hideyoshi constructed "Juraku-dai" on the site of the former Dai-dairi (place of the Imperial Palace and government offices) in Heian-kyo to serve as his residence and political center. The castle was gorgeous and luxurious, with a wide moat around it, and was surrounded by samurai and court noble residences, giving it the appearance of a castle town. When Hideyoshi handed over the position of chief advisor to his nephew Hidetsugu, Hidetsugu moved to Juraku-dai, but was later banished by Hideyoshi to Koyasan (Mt. Koya). At that time, Jurakudai was thoroughly demolished in order to impress Hidetsugu as a rebel. It existed for only eight years between its completion and demolition, and its full extent remains a mystery to this day.

(2) Construction of Odoi
The most large-scale of Hideyoshi's remodeling policies was the construction of an earthen mound called "Odoi." They were built along Takagamine in the north, Kujo in the south, the Kamo River in the east, and the Kamiya River in the west. Odoi united Kyoto, which at the time had been devastated and divided into two separate cities, Kami-Gyo and Shimo-Gyo. Tens of thousands of people were mobilized for the construction, which was completed in a short period of about four months. The inner part of Odoi was called Rakuchu and the outer part Rakugai, and seven entrances and exits called "Kuchi" were built. Even today, place names such as Kuramaguchi, Tambaguchi, Awataguchi, and Kojinguchi remain.

(3) Formation of Teramachi and Teranouchi
Around the time of the construction of the Odoi, "Teramachi" was formed on the east side of the Odoi and "Teranouchi" on the north side of the Jurakudai, where temples scattered throughout the city were relocated. The purpose of the relocation is said to have been the defense of Kyoto and the efficient collection of taxes. Both of these streets remain today as Teramachi Dori and Teranouchi Dori. At that time, there were more than 80 temples on Teramachi Dori, stretching from Kurama Temple in the north to Gojo Dori in the south. It was during this period that Honnoji Temple and Seiganji Temple moved to their current locations.

(4) Tensho land division
Streets in Heian-kyo were spaced approximately 120 m apart and were divided into squares, but Hideyoshi established a street in the middle of the square and newly divided the land. During the Heian period, this area was lined with the residences of aristocrats, but as commerce gradually developed and merchants' stores and houses began to line the street, the number of buildings with frontage facing the street increased. Meanwhile, the central part of the square, which did not border the street, became vacant and underutilized. Since a street was built there, after the Tensho land division, the area was rearranged from a square to a rectangular plot, and the width of the street was also reduced. Hideyoshi built 12 new streets, including Gokomachi Dori, Tominokoji Dori, and Sakai-machi Dori, which are still important streets that support the urban area today.

In addition to the above projects, Hideyoshi's reform can be seen in various other places, such as the Sanjo and Gojo Ohashi bridges, and the renovation and maintenance of the Imperial Palace (Dairi). Hideyoshi brought a new urban development to Kyoto, both militarily and commercially, in accordance with the transition from the medieval to the early modern period, while retaining the vestiges of Heian-kyo.

Sanjo Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/sanjo.html
Imadegawa Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/imadegawa.html

References
https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kamigyo/page/0000012443.html
https://www.kyoto-arc.or.jp/news/leaflet/400.pdf
https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/bunshi/page/0000005643.html
https://www.okeihan.net/navi/kyoto_tsu/tsu201611.php
https://www.kyoto-teramachi.or.jp/history/
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/聚楽第
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/御土居
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/天正の地割
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/寺町通

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[Kurikyu's Magewappa Lunch Box (Unpainted)]

This is a lunch box with no paint on the entire surface, which we have specially requested to be produced by our store.

Before refrigerators and electric rice cookers were invented, magewappa was a tool for daily life filled with the wisdom of our ancestors, created with the idea of how to keep rice tasty and for as long as possible. It removes rough heat and excess moisture from freshly cooked rice and side dishes, making them taste even better. The sterilizing effect of the Akita Cedar also keeps the food from spoiling and keeps it tasty even after it cools down.

Odate Magewappa is said to have originated when a kikori (a woodcutter) made magewappa using cedar with parallel grains. The abundant forest resources of the Odate area enriched the finances of the feudal domain during the feudal era, and Odate Magewappa was also recommended as a domestic occupation for samurai warriors. These were transported to Sakata in Yamagata, Niigata, and then to Kanto region, where craftsmen passed down their techniques from the end of the Edo period to the present day.

Shunji Kurimori, the sixth generation of Kurikyu, has won the Good Design Award 17 times. From an interview with Mr. Kurimori, one can sense his strong respect for his father's predecessor, whom he refers to as "perfect." Inheriting the teachings of his father, he has been making magewappa with the aim of further evolving while preserving tradition.

Magewappa Lunch Boxes are made of plain wood inside and out, so they will change over time with age. Also, just like a Magewappa Ohitsu, you can enjoy delicious rice that has had the rough heat and excess moisture removed, and smells of Akita cedar. Our stock is limited, so you should act now before it is too late!

Kurikyu's Magewappa Lunch Box (Unpainted)
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kurikyu/mutosou.html

Reference
https://odate-magewappa.com/history/