August 2022

151118-965

[Cheese Grilled Onigiri]

Rikucho Ogasawara's Onigiri Iron Plate, which was very popular and sold out of stock, is now back in stock. The photo shows grilled onigiris made by mixing a little leftover elote (Mexican grilled corn) with rice with ancient rice.

The corn, removed from the core, is sprinkled with powdered cheese, chopped coriander, a little lime, and mixed with rice, and for a secret ingredient, a little "Kurose's Spice" from Kashiwaya Kurose, a chicken specialty restaurant in Kitakyushu City, recommended by the staff at the Wakamatsu Showroom. The spicy flavor gives the dish a more intense taste. When both sides are thoroughly grilled, sprinkle the spice over the surface one last time and top with cheddar cheese. The result is a different grilled onigiri with a snack-like feel. Please move them to the table while still hot and enjoy the crunchy char and fluffy texture.

Rikucho Ogasawara is a brand of Nambu ironware designed by Mitsuyoshi Ogasawara, who was the representative of Ogasawara Foundry in Mizusawa, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture. Onigiri Iron Plate excel in practical beauty and are considered one of the masterpieces among Mr. Ogasawara's works, which are rooted in daily life.

Rikucho Ogasawara's Onigiri Iron Plate
https://www.shokunin.com/en/rikucho/onigiri.html
Honma Kazuo Shoten's Straw Pot Stand M
https://www.shokunin.com/en/honma/nabeshiki.html
Mexican Street Corn "Elote"
https://jp.shokunin.com/archives/52013773.html

1

2

3

4

[Getto (Shell Ginger)]

Getto is a very familiar plant in Okinawa, Japan. Often seen on roadsides and in vacant lots. It produces pretty, round flowers from May to June, and the flowers have just finished blooming. Its lovely light pink color seems to be the origin of its name.

Getto, which belongs to the ginger family, has a refreshing herbal aroma and, like ginger, improves blood circulation and warms the body. It has also been used in Chinese medicine since ancient times for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and insect repelling effects.

In Okinawa, on December 8 of the lunar calendar, there is a traditional event in which rice cake flour kneaded with brown sugar, purple sweet potato, wheat, or sweet potato is wrapped in getto leaves and steamed, and eaten according to the number of years of the year. The rice cake is called "moochi," and there is an old story about moochi (demon mochi) that is used to exterminate demons that eat children, and the boiled juice from the steaming process is also used to ward off evil spirits to prevent them from entering the house.

It is also said that the rice cake wrapped in getto leaves will not get moldy even if it is hung under the eaves of the roof for more than a month. moochi is made in winter, around the time of Setsubun in the Kanto region. It is around the time of Setsubun in the Kanto region, so it is not under the eaves in mid-summer, but the fact that it can last for more than a month is an amazing antimicrobial effect. It is said that there is a custom to spread the boiled juice from steaming the moochi around the house to ward off evil spirits so that demons will not enter the house.

The leaves are also used as daily necessities. After harvesting the leaves of the 1.5 to 2 meter-high, the inside of the leaves is scraped off with a spatula and broken into small pieces, which are then dried in the sun for about two weeks. After all this preparation, the weaving process can finally begin. Of course, each piece is handmade, and each is a once-in-a-lifetime event. When used as a coaster, the water droplets that fall from the cup will give off a subtle scent of getto.

Okinawa Mingu's Getto Coaster
https://www.shokunin.com/en/okinawa/enza.html

References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B2%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%82%A6
https://www.city.okinawa.okinawa.jp/k063/sportsbunka/hakubutsukan/kyoudohakubutsukan/134/1610/1617.html
https://noa195.net/flower/1934