January 2022

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[Cherry Bark Tea Canister]

Many Japanese tea drinkers would like to have a tea canister made of cherry tree bark. Fujiki Denshiro Shoten has been making high-quality birch work in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture, since its establishment in 1851 in the Edo period.

The word "kaba-zaiku" is said to have originated in a long poem in the Manyoshu (collection of ancient Japanese poetry), in which mountain cherry blossoms were described as "kaniha", which was later transformed into "kaba."

The texture of cherry bark is used as it is in "shimofurikawa," and you can enjoy the natural texture of the mountain cherry bark itself. Shimofurikawa is a more precious material as only those with a good expression are used. Then, when the surface of the rawhide is scraped, a reddish-brown layer is revealed. It is called "mujikawa" if it has been polished to make it shiny, and you can enjoy the unique color and luster of cherry bark.

"Kaba-hagi (birch-stripping)" is done during August and September. At this time of year, the mountain cherry trees are so moist that when the mountaineers cut into the bark, the bark peels cleanly away from the trunk. Only about one-third of the total bark is stripped from standing trees. In this way, the cherry trees do not die, and the bark regrows on the peeled areas, which are then used as "second bark." Kaba-zaiku is a craft that is friendly to both wood and the environment.

The amount of cherry bark collected is decreasing overall due to the decrease in the number of mountaineers and the unsettled climate, and its scarcity is increasing more and more.

The cherry bark tea canister gains luster and shine from daily contact with the hand, and the more it is used, the more it changes to a calm color. Not only the outer casing, but also the inside and the back of the lid are covered with precious cherry bark, making it a gem of quality. You can also use it to store coffee beans, so please consider it as a gift for tea and coffee lovers.

Fujiki Denshiro Shoten's Sokawa Tea Canister
https://www.shokunin.com/en/denshiro/ 

Reference
http://denshiro.jp/

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[Kabura-Zushi, a Local Hokuriku Dish]

Kabura-zushi is a local delicacy eaten in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures. It is a pickled dish made by sandwiching salted kabura (turnip) with slices of yellowtail or mackerel, also salted, and fermenting them. It is classified as "izushi," a type of "nare-zushi," in which fish is marinated with salt and rice and fermented with lactic acid, and is characterized by the addition of koji to the fish, vegetables and rice. In Ishikawa Prefecture, yellowtail is used as a fish between the kabura, and in Toyama Prefecture, mackerel is often used along with yellowtail. This is a standard New Year's dish, and is pickled in many places from November to December.

There are records that kabura-zushi was already being made in Kanazawa in the early Edo period. There are several theories about the origin of this dish. One theory says that it started as a New Year's ritual food prepared by fishermen in Kanazawa's Kanaishi to pray for great catches and fishing safety. There is a theory that it originated as a New Year's ritual food prepared by fishermen in Kanazawa's Kanaishi to pray for great catches and fishing safety, and another theory that it spread when the Maeda clan, the lords of the Kaga domain, ate it during a hot spring cure at Fukaya Onsen.

In the Edo period, freshly caught yellowtail was a very expensive food, and it was said that "one yellowtail equals one bale of rice." As it was customary for yellowtail to be presented to the feudal lord before being sold in the castle, the common people, who were forced to be frugal and conservative, rarely had a chance to eat it. It is said to have originated from the time when people wanted to eat the yellowtail somehow, so they hid it among the turnips and ate it. Since there are many days in winter when fishing is not allowed and heavy snowfall makes it difficult to grow crops, combining yellowtail, a valuable source of protein, with locally grown turnips to create a fermented food that can be preserved for a long time is a wisdom of life created by the local climate.

In the first half of December, we tried to make kabura-zushi for the first time using turnips and salted mackerel that we got at a local supermarket. The pickled turnips are sandwiched between vinegared salted mackerel, and then layered with rice, hardened sweet sake made by fermenting malted rice, shredded carrots and yuzu peels, and marinated for about 10 days. The subtle sourness and sweetness produced by the lactic acid fermentation and the flavor of the mackerel are in perfect harmony, making kabura-zushi very tasty and a great snack to accompany sake. Another attractive feature of fermented foods is that they gradually change in flavor as they mature. Kabura-zushi, with its pure white turnips and beautiful colors of carrot and yuzu peel, served in Kohachiro Odera Shoten in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, will make the New Year's dish that represents the Hokuriku region look even more delicious.

Otera Kohachiro Shoten's Kanamari M
https://www.shokunin.com/en/otera/kanamari.html 
Noda Horo's Rectangle Deep LL with a Lid
https://www.shokunin.com/en/noda/ 
Sori Yanagi's Stainless Steel Bowl 23cm
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yanagisori/bowl.html 
Appi Urushi Studio's Flat Bowl
https://www.shokunin.com/en/appi/bowl.html 

References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%8B%E3%81%B6%E3%82%89%E5%AF%BF%E5%8F%B8
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/k_ryouri/search_menu/menu/kaburazushi_ishikawa.html
http://kyoudo-ryouri.com/food/2515.html
https://kyoudo.kankoujp.com/?p=180

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[Natto Soup in the Edo Period]

Until the Edo period, natto soup was more frequently served on the dining table than natto rice. In the mornings, natto sellers would sell "tataki natto," a set of smashed natto, greens, and tofu, which they would dissolve in soup stock and miso, and pour hot water over it.

Natto soup is a local dish in the Tohoku region, but the finished product differs depending on the region. The natto to be used can be either ground natto, or natto that has been mashed in a mortar leaving the grains intact, or natto that has been ground into a paste. In some areas, you can buy the ingredients for natto soup at supermarkets, and it is an event food eaten on New Year's Eve during the New Year's Eve celebrations.

Natto soup, which was made in the Edo period, is a miso soup of green vegetables and tofu, with about a third of the natto crushed and added, and finally the peel of a yuzu citron. The local cuisine of the Tohoku region is full of wild vegetables, taro and other root vegetables, mushrooms and parsley. You can also try adding grated natto to your regular miso soup.

We are pleased to announce that the Yamatada Katoen's Natto Bowl is back in stock. Why don't you try making nutritious and warming natto soup?

Yamatada Katoen's Natto Bowl
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamatada/natto.html 
Azmaya's Wooden Pestle
https://www.shokunin.com/en/azmaya/surikogi.html 
Appi Urushi Studio's Owan #3.8
https://www.shokunin.com/en/appi/wan.html 

References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B4%8D%E8%B1%86%E6%B1%81
https://www.jidaigeki.com/original/201302_ryouri/recipe/No03_01.html