Celebrating Soba ! Making Noodles, Dumplings and Cakes- all out of Ibaraki`s famed buckwheat!
Shiina-San all set to go!
I had heard it said, more than once, that in Japan, THE BEST soba (buckwheat) noodles were to be had NOT at famous restaurants, but at the homes ( or at the hands) of experienced, soba-loving AMATEUR noodle-makers.
This is good news for those of us who live in Tsukuba City, since our Prefecture, Ibaraki, is SOBA COUNTRY, where a delicious variety of buckwheat ( Hitachi no Aki Soba) is abundantly produced, and where it is very common for THE MEN of the family (soba making requires a lot of muscle!) to be skilled soba noodle makers, who love to share the fruits of their labor with neighbors and friends.
Of course, some of these soba-makers are more serious than others. That is why my eyes lit up ( and my mouth began to water) when my friend Mr. Shiina suggested that he show me how the noodles were made. I knew that these noodles would be something special. Shiina-San is a real buckwheat afficionado, whose sister actually grows the grain up on a farm in Hitachi Ohta ( in central Ibaraki), and who is a member of a soba making circle which meets regularly for making soba noodles from scratch. I probably dont have to mention, that without hesitation I said -” Good idea ! !”
Though I knew at that moment that I was going to have a great soba experience, I could not imagine what was actually in store. Not only the best buckwheat noodles Ive ever had, made from freshly milled flour, but the additional treat of soba prepared in the MUCH more ancient way- as dumplings ( soba-gaki), and also in a novel form- as a tasty cake made of soba flour and sweet azuki beans ( anko). Even the dipping sauce for the noodles was home-made, and all the vegetables from the participants gardens.
I would like to share the experience ( and the recipes) with you, as I think that you might be able to learn a few things about Japanese culture from the story ( I certainly learned alot!)
Blending the flours In Japan, people take their hobbies seriously and as a rule prepare all the besｔ equipment they will need even before they get underway in their lessons. This often involves great expense. That is why you will more often than not find Japanese skiiers, scuba-divers, fishermen, bird-watchers etc., enthusiasts in any activity really, decked out in the best appropriate wear and with the best equipment and gear.
That is why I was not surprised to find that Mr. Shiina, and the other soba makers who gathered at the Oho Community Center`s kitchen, had brought with them an array of special tools, and proceeded to wrap towels around their brows giving them that authentic soba-maker look.
Kneading the dough Another important feature of Japanese culture which was in evidence during this event was the UNIQUE INTENSITY OF FOCUS and ENERGY which I have so often encountered here.The first time I noticed this phenomenon, was at my first tea ceremony, years ago. The woman who was preparing my tea was going through the ritual, which on paper should have been quite boring ( all the fuss for a little tea). However, her deep concentration and focus somehow filled the atmosphere with electricity. A shiver actually ran up my spine as she slowly wiped the tea container with her cloth. Since then I have often found that same special GAZE and focus , even in the most unlikely places and situations- cherry blossom viewing time, funerals or pubs ( Japanese bartenders pouring beers!) I have often even found the old farmers hired to tend the bushes and weeds to sometimes be so deep in focus that they dont notice you walk by( thought some would say they just dont want to have to say hello!)
Flattening the dough Mr. Shiina showed the same focus and intensity, as he little by little, slowly slowly, blended the buckwheat flour and wheat flour ( we were having NI HACHI SOBA- which literally means 2-8 soba. 20 percent wheat flour and 80 percent buckwheat). He continued in the same way to blend in the water, even so slowly and carefully, to form the dough ( the water would end up comprising about 40 percent this). Kneading a large ball required plenty of effort and it was at this time that I realized why the towel was so important- to keep the sweat from dripping into the bowl!
When he was satisfied with the condition of the dough, Shiina-San started to roll it out .
Rolling out the dough When the proper thinness was achieved, slicing was begun.
Cutting out noodles It was then we got the pots boiling. After dumping a lump of soba ( one servinging) into the bubbling water, it was boiled for 20 seconds after it rose up to the top.
Soba noodles ready to be boiled At the same time we started to make soba-gaki ( buckwheat dumplings). This was extremely simple, great fun and rewarding to the tastebuds.
We merely had to mix in hot water, again little by little, into a pot of plain buckwheat flour and stirred. We did this till we got the right consistency.
To eat we just spooned out the paste and molded out dumplings with our hands. we dipped this in soy sauce and wasabi. Rustically delicious!
e VOILA As I have already, said the resulting meal included the BEST soba I had ever had- BY FAR! Not only because of the fresh ingredients and skillful preparation. Not only because our appetities had grown strong after all the hard work and long wait before eating. What made it so very extra special was something which is another key characteristic of Japanese culture and life in Japan in general- everyone loves FOOD, and EATING is always a joyous occassion, especially when everyone helps out in the preparation.
It was truly a SOBA CELEBRATION!
Hot water and buckwheat flour for soba dumplings ( sobagaki) 
Sobagaki I have written more on soba as a food and plant:
RECIPE FOR SOBA DIPPING SAUCE ( tsuyu)
Ingredients:
100 cc sweet rice wine ( mirin)
100 cc soy sauce
500 cc water
200 grams dried bonito flakes ( katsuo bushi)
3 grams brown rock sugar
Process
Boil the mirin to remove the alcohol ( 1-2 minutes)
Add water and soy sauce and continue boiling for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the bonito flakes and the sugar
strain
This keeps in the fridge for up to ten days. You can also freeze it and defrost it whenever needed.
RECIPE FOR SOBA AND SWEET BEAN CAKE
Ingredients:
Half a cup of buckwheat
One 200 gram can of azuki beans
Process:
Mix together
Spread on sheet of plastic wrap
Roll ( like a sushi roll)
microwave at 600 watts for 2 minutes
A soba dumpling ( soba gaki) served at a restaurant in Tsukuba
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More Tree Fellings In Tsukuba Leave Local Activists and Forest STUMPED
Freshly Cut Tree Stumps In Tsukuba`s Nakane Konda-dai
For most of January 2010, local residents who have long loved the Nakane Kondadai Woods in Tsukuba City had to turn away their eyes, cover up their ears, and most importantly- HARDEN THEIR HEARTS, as each day, from very early in the morning till dusk, the rumble of heavy machinery, the roar of chain-saws, and the brutal sound of snapping tree trunks, announced that the work crews had finally come and the disaster we had been trying to avert- the loss of a precious natural area- had finally begun to unfold. Besides leaving town, the only way to emotionally shield oneself from the what was going on was to TUNE OUT. Night-time gave no solace, as local dogs barked incessantly into the wee hours, excited by all the small mammals, now homeless, who were frantically scouring the neighborhood, seeking somewhere to set up new lairs, burrows and dens.
When the month was over and the dust finally cleared, the damage had to be assessed. When I finally built up the strength to actually have a look at the affected areas, places where I had often hiked and enjoyed the wildlife, I felt myself go numb all over, not only from the frosty winds which whipped my face, but from the desolate, ravaged, scenery, and the feeling that our efforts to stop an old and now pointless constructon project had not been completely successful.
Still we thought that the cutting was over. The company which is most deeply involved in the project and which is responsible for most of the dirty work , UR 都市再生機構 (UR Toshi Saisei Kiko), had distributed a map indicating the areas which would be cut. The work had been completed.
It was shocking then, to find that after the the major deforestion work had ended, another area, not indicated as having been under the axe on UR`s map, was reduced to stubble.
Checking the land registry we found that this plot was owned by UR itself. In fact, we have found that over the years, this company has bought up large portions of the Nakane Kondadai area, including land on which documented and mapped historical ruins lay. Maybe it is because they are a company with government affilliations ( run by former bureaucrats) that they were asked to push through development on lan on which which no private company could have gotten the go ahead.
Just why this additional bit of woods outside the designated cutting area has been destroyed, I have yet to find out. Maybe the company was concerned that local activists would have tried to save it. and that would not make them very happy since their raison-d`etre seems to be- cut down Japan`s trees, and spread the concrete.
For more read:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/06/fighting-to-protect-tsukubas-remaining-wilds/
and
http://metropolis.co.jp/features/global-village/forest-conservation-in-tsukuba/
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Tsukuba Farmers Still No.1 at Growing Grass ! A closer look at our turf-lawn heritage ( revisited)
Harversting grass in Onogawa , Tsukuba
Compared to other places in this mountainous and densely populated archipelago, Tsukuba offers plenty of open space. One feature which I found surprising when I first arrived was the abundance of open fields of grass, lawns not fenced off, which tempted me to take off my shoes and run, play fetch with my dog, have a picnic or take an afternoon nap.
If you have or have given into the same urges you might want to think twice before indulging or re-indulging. This is because these enticing plots of green (or gold in winter) are not meant for your recreation. They are actually agricultural fields belonging to local farmers and the grass is an important cash crop (Tsukuba City is the number 1 grass producer in the country). Thus, by walking or running on the turf you might be damaging the goods and subsequently cutting into the farmers earnings (unlike the US, however, nobody will threaten you with a shotgun).
Even if you don’t give a hoot about the farmers, you might want to know that these fields are chock-full of powerful chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Many Japanese families with such fields around their houses don’t drink water from their wells and I’ve also heard it said that dogs have been sickened by daily walks on these lawns.
Turf lawn growing has a long history in Tsukuba. Before and during the war, farmers grew the grass which was used for airstrips and runways. In post-war Japan, turf has been used for river embankments, parks, and sport fields. The business really took off with the boom in golf-course construction in the 1980s.
The golden days of the golf clubs has long passed, but there is still a demand (though quite reduced) for lawns put into private homes, sport facilities and parks. Tsukuba City still produces 50 percent of the national crop and remains the number one producer. The Union of Turf Grass Growers in Tsukuba has announced that it has developed 3 new varieties of turf-grass: Tsukuba-Hime, Tsukuba-Kagayaki and Tsukuba-Taro, all which have been designed for resistance to disease and hardiness to cold and other climatic problems which have made life in Japan for other species difficult. You can see farmers seeding grass fields in March and April, and maintenance being carried out throughout the year. Harvesting happens whenever grass is needed somewhere. So, next time you pass by an enticing open field, even if there is no sign posted, you might want to KEEP OFF THE GRASS!
Harvesting turf-lawn in Saiki, Tsukuba- 2010
Turf-grass harvest in Tsukuba
http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/01/making-a-mountain-of-tsukubas-mole-hills-mogura-zuka/
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The Tiger in Japanese History and Culture ( a brief look)
An Ema votive tablet with tiger ( from my collection)
On the evening of Saturday February the 13th 2010, just after the sun went down, you might very well have heard the sound of fireworks or fire-crackers. I did. Walking out in the fields of rural Ibaraki Prefecture with my dog and a steady snow fall, muted explosions coming from far off in the distance and seemingly every direction broke the solemn hush. What the ......? Then I remembered- The Chinese New Year!
The Chinese residents of Tsukuba and the surrounding area ( and anywhere in the world that Chinese people might be living) were ushering in the new year- The Year of the Tiger, in the traditional way, according to the lunar calendar.
Until 1872,when they switched over to the Western calendar, the Japanese also celebrated New Year`s on the same day as the Chinese, which usually falls somewhere in late January or early February on the Gregorian Calendar. And, like the Chinese still do, they would greet the New Year at sun down instead of midnight as they do now.
I have been surprised to find that many Japanese are NOT conscious of the Chinese roots of their most important festival- O Shogatsu ( New Year`s), because despite the superficial changes of time and date, the way the Japanese celebrate the New Year is still strikingly similar to how it is celebrated by the Chinese- returning to ones hometown, praying to ones ancestors, abstaining from cooking and cleaning, inviting good luck into the home with auspicious symbols,visiting a temple, etc.
Another key Chinese element which has remained an essential part of the Japanese New Year celebration , calendar, and culture in general, is the Chinese zodiac, which consists of twelve animals- The mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig ( in that order). Before 1872, the Japanese used these twelve signs not only to represent a cycle of 12 years, but also the months, days and hours ( in fact the Japanese words for am and pm- 午前( gozen) and午後 (gogo) literally mean before and after the Hour of the Horse, respectively). Many calendars still provide day to day zodiac related information, and there are still quite a few living traditions in Japan which are based on this day to day zodiac system.
The Japanese DID make one small change in the zodiac that they adopted. Instead of the Pig, they substituted the Wild Boar. This is not strange, however, since the domestic pig was not very familiar to the Japanese while the wild boar was common throughout its main islands and respected for its courage and strength.
What IS interesting, however, is that the Japanese did not substitute any other animal for the tiger, which lived in the wilds of Korea and China, but was never present in Japan!
( Well, I guess you could say that there were never any dragons either!)
This being the Year of the Tiger, I`d like to talk a little about this majestic cat`s place in Japanese culture and history.
Lucky tiger decoration for the Year of The Tiger at a store in Tsukuba
The Tiger in Japan
Though they have never lived in the wild anywhere within the Japanese archipelago, the Japanese have long known about the tiger, so highly esteemed, and feared, on the continent , from pictures, stories AND skins, which were brought over by emissaries, monks, traders and soldiers.
The Japanese word for tiger, tora, is believed to be of southern Chinese origin, deriving from the word taira.
The first appearance of the tiger in ( extant) Japanese texts is in the Nihon Shoki ( 720, the second oldest Japanese text after the Kojiki). There, we can find the account of Kashiwade no Omihasui, who in the 6th year of the reign of the Emperor Kinmei ( 欽明天皇)-545 AD, was sent to the Kingdom of Paekche ( Kudara in Japanese), on the Korean Peninsula, as an ambassador. According to the story, Kashiwade took his wife and child with him. When they arrived on the shores of the peninsula, the sun had set, and in the darkness the child disappeared, grabbed by a tiger. The Japanese ambassador pursued the animal, and eventually slew it with his sword. He later brought the skin back with him to Japan.
The tiger also appears in the earliest collection of Japanese poems- the Manyoshu ( 8th Century), where one poet refers to the tiger as The Korean God called the Tiger ( 韓国の虎という神). This reflects the feeling of respect, fear, and AWE towards tiger, which was carried over to Japan from the continent.
The tiger as something to be feared ( even though there were none in Japan) is a feature of many old Japanese stories for children. One, still commonly told today, introduced the phrase- FURUYA NO MORU WA TORA O-KAMI YORI MO OSOROSHII ( 古屋の漏るは虎狼よりも恐ろしい)- which means A leaky roof is more terrible than tigers or wolves, and shows that tigers were a standard for scariness !
The first recorded instance of a live, captive tiger being brought to Japan was in the year 840 AD, during the reign of The Emperor Uta ( 宇多天皇). This unfortunate animal was painted by the artist Kose no Kaneoka.
It was during this time ( the Heian Period 794-1185), that tiger bone medicine, specially imported from China, helped cure the Emperor during an epidemic. This occurence is still commemorated each November in Osaka during the Shinno Festival, at which papier-mache tigers are given out for free in the hope that they will keep disease away. Unfortunately,this belief ( also imported from China) in the medicinal properties of various parts of the tiger`s body, still exists in some quarters, keeping alive the trade in this now HIGHLY ENDANGERED SPECIES
During Japan`s Period of Civil Wars ( Mid 15th to early 17th Century), there are records of an abundance of tiger skins having been imported from Ming China.
When Japanese armies under the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded the Korean Peninsula ( 1592-94), besides all the atrocities committed against the local populations and properties, plenty of leisure time and energy were spent on catching and killing tigers.
In fact, Hideyoshi brought a live tiger back to Japan to exhibit to the Emperor in Kyoto and various generals.
According to the extant text Shinchomonshu- this tiger was kept in captivity and in Osaka Castle and fed live dogs. Watching the tiger killing the dogs must have provided much amusement for Hideyoshi`s men, but the tiger neede lots of dogs and these were procured form villagers by local headmen. The book recounts the story of how finally, one dog battled the tiger to the death ( both died ). Investigating the incident Hideyoshi found that the particular headman who provided this dog had done so against it masters wishes. Hideyoshi believed that it was the great resentment of the dogs owner, channeled into the dog itself, which gave the pooch the strength to defeat the tiger. Subsequently the dogs former master was compensated while the unscrupulous headman was severely punished.
(This story about a tiger at Osaka Castle and the festival celebrating the tiger medicine in Osaka`s old pharmaceutical district are probably two of the reasons why Osaka`s baseball team is called The Tigers!)
During the Edo Period ( 1600-1868) stuffed and mounted tigers were commonly exhibited.but while the general public became more and more aware of the tigers physical appearance, they lost the sense of awe and fear which had so long been associated with the animal. For the citizens of Edo the tiger was just something that looked COOL. It did continue to be a symbol of bravery and dignity and pictures or figures of tigers were believed to invite good fortune.
Because the tiger was thought to be especially protective of its young, these lucky tiger goods were used to pray for the health and safety of ones children. For the same reason, the expression TORA NO KO (a tiger cub) came to be used to refer to any highly prized possession.
It was also said that the tiger runs 1000 RI ( about 4,000 km), and then comes back. That is why he tiger became an important lucky charm for soldiers going off to war. You might also remeber that the signal for GO AHEAD before the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 was TORA,TORA,TORA ( tiger,tiger,tiger) which expresses a special desire to return home safely from the mission.
Tigers are also thought to be effective in keeping away evil and bad energies. At the Kurama Temple in Kyoto, intead of the usual guardian lions, there are guardian tigers!
Leaving some living space for tigers
With rampant habitat destruction and poaching to meet the needs of those ( kooks) who believe its bones or penis have medicinal powers, in REAL LIFE, the tiger is teetering on the brink of extinction in the wild. It would be a shame and a sin against humanity to let this beautiful and majestic creature- the king of the 100 beasts ( hyaku ju- no oh, 百獣の王), completely lose the wilds over which it has so long RULED .
Check out these web-sites if you are interested in helping protect the tiger.
Remebember- this is their year. But lets show are concern for them for years to come. They need some serious help if we are to still have tigers in the wild the next time The Year of the Tiger comes rolling around.
http://www.savethetigerfund.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home1
http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/tiger_wildlife/how_save_tiger/
http://www.wcs.org/saving-wildlife/big-cats/tiger.aspx
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Choco Loco- A Deeper Look at Valentines Day in Japan
It always intrigues me how certain bits of cultural material can TRANSFORM over time, sometimes after having been carried to new environments, borne by the winds and currents of history. These metamorphoses remind me of the game called RENZOKU GEIMU (連続ゲイム) in Japanese (I can’t recall the English name at the moment) in which two or more teams form their own lines and the referee whispers a word or phase to the person at the head of each line. This then has to be passed down to each team-mate by whispering into the next person-in-line’s ear. It is always amusing to hear how the original words have evolved, often unrecognizably, by the time they get conveyed to the last person in the line.
I was thinking about that game after having stepped into Tsukuba’s Seibu department store this morning. I had wanted to do a little shopping and entered the ground level food department without being conscious of what day it was, or rather, what DAY BEFORE it was. I was quickly reminded. It was (Saturday) February the 13th — the day before Valentine’s Day. The ground floor was absolutely packed with determined-faced women, doing their last minute chocolate shopping. For the occasion, various chocolate makers had set up temporary booths. The great concentration of fancy confections was enough to make anyone with a serious sweet-tooth swoon.
Newcomers to Japan would certainly wonder what was going on, and upon hearing an explanation, might shake their head in surprise. You see, in today’s Japan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a unique way. Instead of the exchange of messages and gifts between lovers (and family members) which is now customary in the West, it is the WOMEN ALONE who do the giving — and the gifts mostly consist of chocolate. Moreover, the recipients are not only lovers, fathers or brothers — but sometimes all of one’s male colleagues or associates. This makes for lots of pre-Valentine’s day stress AND for huge business. In fact, the chocolate makers make a large proportion of their sales in Japan during the Valentine’s Day period.
Back to the RENZOKU GEIMU. It is always amazing for me to think of how the EXTREMELY popular ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a 3-day period of purification and prayer for fertility held in mid-February has survived in mutated form, in so many places around the world — including Japan where it has taken on it unique characteristics.
In ancient Rome, Lupercalia was celebrated with animal sacrifices and young men running through the streets with bloody strips of goat-hide, with which they would slap any women they encountered, believing this would make them fertile. During this time, certain couplings of young people were made, by lot, forming temporary MARRIAGES (year-long sexual unions). As you can imagine, the early Christian Church did not approve of these goings on, and Lupercalia was officially banned in the 5th century.
Buying Chocolate for Valentines Day- Tsukuba 2010
Such popular events do not die easily, however, and this ancient celebration of spring and fertility lived on in the consciousness of the people. The aspects which made it reprehensible to the church, especially its overt sexuality, were sublimated, and mid-February came to be a celebration of romantic love. The name Valentine was merely taken from the name of a saint martyred on the same date as the old Lupercalia Festival (and in fact there is more than one St. Valentine). Certain legends also arose to connect this name with LOVE. For example, it is said that Valentine was a priest who continued to perform marriages even at a time when a certain emperor had forbidden doing so (he thought he could draft more soldiers that way). While in prison, the priest sent a letter to his beloved, and as the story goes, he signed it “YOUR VALENTINE”.
To make a long story short (for this blog posting), mid-February celebrations of LOVE survived the centuries and then really took off in the US in the mid-1800s, with the introduction of the Valentine’s Day card. Later, in the 20th century, besides the exchange of love letters, it became popular for lovers to exchange gifts, especially candies, flowers and chocolates. Valentine’s Day was also deemed an appropriate occasion for a romantic dinner or excursion.
Tsukuba 2010
With Japan’s rapid post-war economic growth and Americanization many American customs, especially those which induced shopping (e.g. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, Christmas) were promoted by certain Japanese companies. In 1960, the Morinaga Chocolate Company began its campaign to promote St Valentine’s Day. Just how they hit on the idea of having only the women give chocolates to men is something I have yet to uncover.
If you get a lot of chocolate this year, you can relax for a while and enjoy it. But remember, this is Japan, and gifts also mean OBLIGATION. Next month, that is March 14th, is White Day, the unique Japanese occasion on which you are expected to return the gift, usually with white cookies or chocolate. I will see you guys on the ground floor of Seibu Department Store next month.
The ancient Romans would surely be surprised to know how their beloved festival is celebrated in Japan. It has been a long, strange journey from men slapping women with strips of goat in ancient Rome to women giving men chocolates here in Japan.
Postscript
Valentines Day or White Day- Tsukuba ( as seen from my bedroom) on the morning of Feb. 14th 2010
I woke up on the morning of February 14th to find Tsukuba blanketed in an unusually ( for this area) thick layer of fresh snow. The blurry white scenery and the special kind of hush which rang in my ears made it more appropriate for White Day than Valentines Day (color-wise).
I took advantage of the conditions to take a wintry stroll and toss a few snow balls. I knew I had to act fast, as our snow quickly fades away in Tsukuba. It WAS lucky that I got out early because the snow was all but completely gone by noon.
More on White Day:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/03/men-facing-tough-choices-as-white-day-draws-near/
and songs ( my own) to put you in a more summery frame of mind:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/301460 ( Beach Bossa Nova)
and
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/12853 ( Mio Mine)
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