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[Hot Kasujiru on a Winter's Day]

When the wind is cold and the temperature is low, don't you suddenly feel like eating kasujiru?

Kasujiru is a soup made by simmering plenty of sake lees in a soup stock. It is a winter tradition with lots of ingredients such as daikon, carrots, konnyaku, fried tofu, and bamboo rings to warm up the body. Depending on the restaurant or family, pork or salmon is used, and there are many variations on how to make it.

Matsuyama Tokojo's Yukihira Pot #5 is a good size for making kasujiru for two people. The warm, pale yellow color of the pot goes well with the white of kasujiru. The red carrots that peek out from time to time are a lovely complement to the whitish ingredients of kasujiru. The smell of sake lees in the kitchen reminds us that winter has come again and that the seasons are always changing.

Matsuyama Tokojo's Yukihira Pot #5
https://www.shokunin.com/en/matsuyama/
Appi Urushi Studio's Owan #3.8
https://www.shokunin.com/en/appi/wan.html

Kasujiru's Recipe
https://maru-take-ebisu.jp/kasujiru/

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Oktoberfest is a festival held in Munich, Germany, which is famous for its beer, but its history goes back more than 200 years, and Oktoberfest is now held in cities all over the world.

A German festival with a longer history than Oktoberfest is the Zwiebelmarkt, held in Weimar. Translated as the "Onion Market," the festival, which began in 1653, attracts 360,000 visitors from all over Germany, filling the normally quiet city of Weimar with people and stalls. Another highlight of the festival is that you can buy a lot of onion goods that you don't usually see, such as decorations with onions and garlic woven into them, onion headband, and even dolls.

The specialty dish served here is Zwiebelkuchen. It looks like a quiche with a large amount of onions, and is famous locally as a dish to be eaten with Federweisser, a grape foam before it becomes wine.

Rikucho Ogasawara's Mini Pan can be used over an open flame, in the oven, or in a toaster oven due to their small size, and are recommended for small quiches. If you have a large number of people, you can try baking with Noda Horo's Rectangle Shallow. Zwiebelkuchen has an appealing sweetness from slow-cooked onions. Please enjoy it with a glass of wine.

Rikucho Ogasawara's Mini Pan
https://www.shokunin.com/en/rikucho/minipan.html 
Noda Horo's Rectangle Shallow
https://www.shokunin.com/en/noda/ 

References
https://tokuhain.arukikata.co.jp/weimar/2018/09/post_15.html
https://chefgohan.gnavi.co.jp/detail/5015/ (Recipe)

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[Kigumi]

"Kigumi (wooden framework)" is the process of combining wood and wood without gaps using the properties of wood. Kigumi began in ancient times with the tying of logs with ropes and strings, and later developed into a technique of notching and combining wood.

Blessed with abundant forests, Japanese people have been familiar with wood for a long time, and have been using its techniques for a variety of purposes, from small objects used in daily life to furniture and even houses.

Stone arch structures are often seen, but the Kintaikyo Bridge (Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture), which replaces them with wood, is rare in the world. This is also a kigumi.

Why don't you visit various wooden buildings in Japan and feel the profound appeal of kigumi by witnessing the wisdom, ingenuity, and advanced techniques of kigumi craftsmen? If you do, please visit our showrooms, which are located in attractive architectural settings as well.

Sanjo Showroom (Open all year round, 12:00-18:00, except for New Year's Eve）
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/sanjo.html
Ginza Showroom (Open from 9:00-18:00 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday)
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/ginza.html
Kintaikyo Bridge
https://goo.gl/maps/UJTLPFahCmDQEFW88