August 2024

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[Tetsubin in Summer]

There are about 10 countries in the world, including Japan, where tap water can be drunk directly from the tap. Austria, Iceland, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, Montenegro, etc., and only Japan in Asia. Japan is one of the few countries where you can drink tap water directly from the tap due to the high quality of the water supply.

Japan is experiencing a daily heat wave, and although tap water is drinkable as it is, is it like hot water? The reason is that in addition to the rising temperature of the rivers that are the source of the water, household water pipes are often buried shallow from the ground, making them more susceptible to the effects of geothermal heat. And in summer, water sources are more susceptible than in other seasons to moldy odors released by algae and other phytoplankton, and to chalky odors caused by disinfection to remove bacteria. However, there are ways to reduce the odor of tap water at home by boiling it or using activated carbon.

When boiling tap water, it seems a good idea to use a tetsubin (iron kettle) because it provides iron, which is good for summer fatigue. Summer is a time when iron, which is responsible for delivering oxygen to the body along with large amounts of sweat, is easily leaked out of the body. If iron is deficient, the amount of oxygen carried to the body is reduced, causing fatigue and a feeling of listlessness. How about supplementing iron not only in your diet, but also by using a tetsubin, iron pot, or iron frying pan?

We tend to think of tetsubin as a winter tool, but we encourage you to use them in summer as well. The best way to care for your tetsubin is to use it regularly, preferably daily. Little by little, hot water stains on the tetsubin, resulting in milder white water. There are many crafts of nurturing tools, and the tetsubin is one of them. We would like to make good use of it.

Chobundo's Tetsubin
https://www.shokunin.com/en/chobundo/
Rikucho Ogasawara's Tetsubin
https://www.shokunin.com/en/rikucho/tetsubin.html
Tsuchiya Orimonosho's Pot Holder
https://www.shokunin.com/en/tsuchiya/

References
https://10mtv.jp/pc/column/article.php?column_article_id=3190
https://www.mlit.go.jp/mizukokudo/mizsei/mizukokudo_mizsei_fr2_000050.html
https://www.maplelink.co.jp/blog/tap_water_water_temperature/
https://www.mizsei.co.jp/mizu-niou/
https://www.nhk.or.jp/shutoken/ohayo/20200915c.html
https://chobundo-onlineshop.com/blog/2624/

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[Udon Noodles in Kyoto]

Soft udon noodles boiled until so crumbly that they can be easily torn off when lifted with chopsticks. Kyoto's udon has long been called "koshinuke udon," meaning "noodles with no firmness." If you are used to eating udon with a firm texture, you may be surprised at its softness. Still, the best part of Kyoto udon is the "dashi" (soup stock), which has a rich aroma of kombu and bonito that has developed along with Kyoto cuisine. The softness of the udon may be essential to enjoy the broth itself, as the broth is entangled in the soft udon and the flavors soak into the udon.

Kyoto's udon is "kitsune," a type of udon topped with fried bean curd (abura-age). The menu also includes "tanuki" with chopped abura-age and ankake, "kinugasa" with sweet abura-age and egg, "keiran" with egg, ankake, and ginger, and "shippoku" and "noppei," which are unfamiliar words on the menu. In this issue, we will introduce some of them. In this article, we focus on Kyoto's "kitsune."

Kitsune udon is said to have first been served around 1893 at a restaurant called Matsubaya (now Usamitei Matsubaya) in Semba, Osaka, which served sweetened abura-age used for inari sushi as a garnish, which customers then ate on top of plain udon. In the Kansai region, the fox (kitsune) is considered to be a messenger of the Fushimi Inari Shrine, and udon with abura-age, a favorite food of the fox, on top is considered a food of good luck. There are two types of kitsune udon in Kyoto. One is "ama-kitsune (sweet kitsune)" with sweet and salty cooked abura-age on top. The other type is called "chopped kitsune" and is made with abura-age that has been chopped into short strips. The chopped kitsune is said to have become a popular menu item when the abura-age was chopped into small, thin pieces to make it easier for maiko (apprentice geisha) to eat. This kitsune udon has a story unique to Kyoto.

The term "お揚げさん (oage-san)," used in Kyoto to refer to abura-age, seems to reflect a special affection toward this ingredient. In Japanese, when we want to express something politely, we often add "お (o)" before or "さん (san)" after the word. While many words have "o" in front of them, such as お茶 (ocha/tea), お豆腐 (otofu/tofu), and おうどん (oudon/udon), there are fewer words that have "san" at the end. Examples include お豆さん (omame-san/beans), お粥さん (okayu-san/porridge), お天道さん (otento-san/sun), お月さん (otsuki-san/moon), and お揚げさん (oage-san). Oage-san may be a particularly cherished ingredient that has been an integral part of Kyoto life for a long time.

A 20-minute walk from the Imadegawa Showroom, in Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest geisha district, is Kamishichiken Futaba, an udon and soba restaurant established in 1929, where you can enjoy various types of udon unique to Kyoto. This time, we ordered "Kitsune" and "Keiran." The udon noodles, which literally "tear off when lifted with chopsticks," are soft and well mixed with broth, and have a gentle taste that will help your body in summer when it tends to get chilled in the air conditioner. Kitsune udon with juicy abura-age and crunchy Kujo leeks has been a staple of the menu for a long time, and some people come from far away to try it. When you visit Kyoto, please enjoy the udon menu unique to the area.

Kamishichiken Futaba
http://www.futaba-kami7ken.com/
Imadegawa Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/imadegawa.html

References
https://wazuka.fujiya-taiken.com/about-kyoudon/
https://www.mbs.jp/kyoto-chishin/trip/tripblog/tsubuno/74643.shtml
https://souda-kyoto.jp/guide/theme/kyoto-udon/index.html
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/k_ryouri/search_menu/menu/39_17_osaka.html
https://nanzenjitofu.jp/columns/%E3%81%8A%E6%8F%9A%E3%81%92%E6%84%9B/

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[Cold Matcha in Summer]

The "Essays in Idleness" is a collection of essays by Yoshida Kenko, completed in the late Kamakura period (1185-1333), about 700 years ago. One of the famous passages in the book is, "The construction of a house should prioritize summer."

This phrase indicates that even 700 years ago, houses were built with summer heat in mind in humid Japan. Kyoto, where Yoshida Kenko lived, was a basin surrounded by mountains on three sides, so summers were sweltering and damp. As the capital with an emperor, the population was concentrated, and inevitably, houses were densely built in Kyoto. The mountains block the wind, and the high humidity makes the summers hot and humid, and the sun shines brightly, reminding one of a tropical climate. It is referred to as "Kyoto's oil-like scorching heat."

In Kyoto, the idea of how to keep cool in summer has been considered and practiced for a long time. In summer, fusuma (sliding doors) and shoji (paper sliding doors) are replaced with summer fixtures, sudare (bamboo screens) are hung to prevent direct sunlight from entering, and wind chimes are hung at the eaves to feel cool from the sound. Also, by sprinkling water in the garden or front of the house, you can feel cooler by using the heat of vaporization to create a cool breeze, which will make you feel cooler. In addition to the physical sensation of coolness, people also tried to stay comfortable by sensing coolness through their eyes and ears.

Today, 700 years after the publication of "Essays in Idleness," Kyoto still experiences hot and humid summers, and recently the heat has become even hotter. In such a situation, one of the ways we have been trying to keep cool in our daily lives in our machiya houses is to make cold matcha.

We put a little more matcha than usual (about 1.5 times the usual amount) into Susumuya's Matcha Katakuchi, add water equivalent to about 1 cup of the lid of a PET bottle, and knead well with a tea whisk. Add 50 ml of hot water, a little less than for regular matcha, and whisk with a tea whisk. Add a couple of ice cubes to it, and when the ice is half melted and the matcha is cold, pour it slowly into the Matcha Guinomi with one ice cube.

The bright green color of the matcha, the slow melting of the ice, and the light sound of the ice in the bowl. Watching and listening to these sounds, you feel relaxed, as if you are in nature, and you can feel the comfortable space you have created for yourself in the flowing time. In this way, I am pleasantly enjoying my summer matcha time while watching the wind blow past my house from my small garden, which I have sprinkled with water.

Susumuya's Matcha Katakuchi is very convenient for pouring matcha into your favorite cup of matcha. You can enjoy cold matcha tea that is cool to the eyes. In the hot summer months, why not create your own cool space in your home and your mind by pouring cold matcha tea?

Susumuya's Matcha Katakuchi
https://www.shokunin.com/en/susumuya/matcha.html
SyuRo's Marukan SS Tinplate *It contains 50g of matcha.
https://www.shokunin.com/en/syuro/marukan.html
Touch Classic's Wind Bell
https://www.shokunin.com/en/touchclassic/furin.html

References
https://www.hachise.jp/kyomachiya/life/life1.html
https://www.kashifuji.co.jp/kyoto/season/
https://shop.fukujuen.com/n/12885/