An Old Recipe for Yuzu Jam from the Foot of Mt. Tsukuba
Yuzu Jam made according to my neighbor`s old family recipe
By Avi Landau
In the old town of Hojo, where I live, you have to always remember to stay properly dressed, even when you are inside your own home. This is because the neighbors do not knock before entering- they just open your front-door and come in ! ( when I first moved in, I was frequently caught with my pants off before I learned this lesson!). When they do come in, however, ( and this is surprisingly often), they almost always bear with them some sort of gift- freshly picked home-grown fruits or vegetables, or some other home-made treats.
The other day, my next-door neighbor opened our door in the early morning ( and actually caught me offguard in my underpants once again!) and handed me a little dish wrapped in cellophane- freshly made Yuzu Jam. She said it was her family recipe, handed down from generation to generation. It was made using fruit which grows in her garden ( just about every garden on my block has such trees).
This was in fact perfect timing as I was just about to fix breakfast. When I was ready to eat, I spread a little jam on a slice of toast and took a bite expecting something harshly sour. Chewing cautiously, I quickly realized that this jam was mild and deeply flavorful. I spooned out some more on the toast and ate with gusto. I ended up nearly finishing the whole bowl in one sitting.
After breakfast I walked over next-door to say thank you and to ask for the recipe.
I`d like to share it with you. It is remarkably simple, but does require a little patience.
Peel your yuzu and break them up into segments.
Remove all the white strands from around the segments.
Squeeze out most of the pulp from each segment
Wash the remaining PACKETS ( I mean the segments with the pulp squeezed out) in water in a bowl.
Rinse away most of the water.
Heat the packets ( with no extra water but wet from the rinsing) in a sauce pan over low heat.
Keep stirring to prevent burning.
Add sugar to taste
and that`s it!
A yuzu tree bearing fruit in Hojo, Tsukuba ( December 22nd, 2011)
Though I have read that they originally come from the upper-reaches of the Yangtze River in China, Yuzu trees can now be found all over Japan ( south of Aomori Prefecture). As I have already said, they grow in Tsukuba and its vicinity in abundance. Varying in color ( from lemon-like yellow to mikan-like orange) and in size ( from tangerine-size to that of a grapefruit), I sometimes have trouble differentiating them from Tsukuba`s other winter citrus fruit.
Since each yuzu tree bears many fruit, there are always more than one can actually use ( even though the Japanese have so many ways of using them). That is why it is perfectly normal to receive gifts of yuzu from people with these trees. I have been getting them for the past two weeks ( by the bagfull) and have been using them in various ways- for example today, on the winter solistice, I put some in my bath- it was a tingly experience!
Here is something else to do with the yuzu that you have probably recieved- make a traditional skin lotion:
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And Still More Food For Autumn Foraging In Tsukuba: MUKAGO (or NUKAGO)
I was on my way to a little adventure in the woods surrounding the ruins of Konda Castle, near Sakura Junior High School. As I turned off the road and headed onto a little dirt trail, I noticed a neighbor of mine busily doing something by a bush of some sort. I called out a greeting so as not to startle her (Have you noticed that when Japanese are doing work outside, they never seem to glance up or around? I always attribute this to a deep focus on what they are doing, which is probably true, though some have told me that it's just a way of avoiding having to say hello!), and then I asked her what she was doing. "I'm picking NUKAGO," she said, "why dont you join me?" I thought, "Well, why not?!"
Nukago is the archaic name (still often used by native Ibarakians) for MUKAGO (零余子), which look like tiny potatoes (they are actually tiny yams) clinging delicately to vines which grow out of the stems of the yama imo ( Japanese yams). I say delicately, because to be picked, they merely have to be touched and they come right off. I helped my neighbor gather up a small bag-full. She said she was going to cook them up with the rice in her rice cooker (some people also add ginkgo nuts and some kombu stock). Some Ibarakians also fry, roast, or boil them with salt, sake, soy sauce, etc. I found some original recipes online as well.
Mukago can actually be found on sale at some supermarkets for about 500 yen a fistful (as you can see in the blog linked above), but buying them could never match the fun of finding and picking them yourself. Kids, especially, always enjoy cooking up what they have foraged.
Many of your Japanese friends might not have ever tasted or even heard of mukago (also remember that in Ibaraki it is often called nukago), and those who HAVE might not rave about their taste. Still, having mukago at least once in autumn is considered a MUST by many, since it is a rustic symbol of the season and a welcome change of pace from just plain ol' rice.
Mukago can be found in this area throughout autumn. In English they are called wild yam propagules (or bulbils) as they are how the yam plants propagate (by dropping these little babies to the ground). You can find them in wild fields, by the side of the road, and even in some parks.
Happy hunting!
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Autumn mackerel (fresh, juicy and tasty!)
Autumn mackerel is divine - juicy, fresh, and easy to prepare! Every family has its own recipe for "miso mackerel"...here is a recipe I have come up with after some experimentation. I like mine strong-tasting but if you don't, please adjust this recipe accordingly. Takes only about 15 minutes!
SABA NO MISONI (serves four)
Mackerel - 4 pieces
1-2tbsp strained miso paste (I use 2)
1-2tbsp sugar (I use 2)
1tbsp mirin
dash to 1 tbsp soy sauce (I use 1tbsp)
1c sake (or 1/2c sake, 1/2water)
1-2 knobs of ginger, sliced (I use 2)
- Cut ginger into thin slices. (to make the fish tastier, lightly grill the mackerel in the fish burner)
- Pour 1 cup sake into pan and boil for 1-3 minutes. Add mackerel and ginger and boil 2-3 minutes. Lower heat slightly.
- Add sugar, mirin and miso (I like mine unstrained), cover and simmer for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Optional: I like to add chunks of white konnyaku (lightly blanched beforehand) to the dish after the fish has been cooked. This dish tastes better the next day, after it has soaked up the rich miso flavor!
I am not sure about the authenticity of my Japanese dish but if there are any Japanese cooks out there who might comment on the recipe or add some helpful tips, do not hesitate to do just that!
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Daikon Radish Rolls- a traditional New Year`s Treat from the foot of Mt. Tsukuba
Slices of daikon radish drying in the sun ( Hojo, Tsukuba 2011)
By Avi Landau
On winter mornings, the first thing I do when I build up the resolve to jump out from under my warm and snuggly covers and into the frosty air of my unheated house, is rush down the stairs- shivering all way- and lug open the big old heavy wooden gate at the entrance-way, letting sunlight flood through the glass doors.
Standing in this warmth, I then gaze at the scene outdoors ( as I thaw out), something which is often as (heart)warming as the sun itself- large gray herons, dazzlingly blue kingfishers, elegant egrets and the occassional bird of prey- all taking advantage of the small creatures which live in the little river ( actually an old irrigation canal) which runs in front of the house.
On one such morning in mid-December, I noticed something ELSE as I stood by the front door- at the edge of the neighbors` property three baskets full of something which was apparently left to dry in the sun. It was in fact quite dazzling with sun reflecting softly off them.
Without hesitation I slid open the glass doors and headed towards the baskets for a closer look- they were thin slices of daikon radish!
My neighbors, who always seem to be busy from the crack of dawn- doing garden work, washing the car, burning refuse- were right where they usually were- around the house. So I could quickly find out what they were making.
It was the first step in the process of making a special dish for New Year`s- onr that has been handed down for generations by my neighbor`s family ( from the wife`s side).
My neighbor told me she was making a special New Year`s dish- dried out radish seasoned with YUZU
Born and raised in the next village ( a little closer to Mt. Tsukuba)- KANGORI 、Mrs. Shirai has been making this dish ( one for which she does not know the name!) every December since her coming over to Hojo after her marriage nearly fifty years ago.
Here is how she does it.
Slice daikon radish into thin circles the sun for 5-7 days ( dont leave out on cloudy days).
When sufficiently sunned, soak in water for a few hours and thoroughly rinse out.
Sprinkle a little sugar and vinegar on the radish slices .
Dice a little pickled ginger, and mix with a few slivers of yuzu rind.
Wrap the ginger and yuzu in a slice or two of radish
Cool in the fridge.
You`ll be surprised by how juicy and ZESTY these radish rolls are- made with the most commonly available of the traditional winter products of this area- radish, yuzu, and ginger.
The radish slices were out every sunny day for about a week
The slices are then wrapped around a bit of pickled ginger and yuzu rind
Unrolling it to reveal its contents
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Encountering Home-Made Mie (Prefecture)-Style Oden, Right Here in Tsukuba
Oden- in the style of Mie Prefecture
Life in Tsukuba can be full of surprises. Most of them pleasant. Some of them VERY pleasant. Take yesterday, for example- which also happened to be a glorious mid-November day. Instead of having our class at the Oho Community Center as we usually do, we were going to meet at the home of one of our members. I was looking forward to having a look at the new kitchen and sophisticated solar heating system which I heard had been installed. But I would never have imagined what else was in store- a veritable feast- with a very special highlight, which I will write about today: Oden , done in the fashion of one of my students` home region- Mie Prefecture.
M-San ( she does not want her true identity revealed!), an indefatiguable traveller, has become somewhat of a walking encyclopedia of Japanese culture ( not to mention her knowledge of other world cultures), and her enthusiastic and detailed descriptions of the places she has visited would fill anyone with the desire to hit the road. I always tell her that I think she should write a book someday- or at least a blog! If she does`nt soon, I will start putting her stories on line for her!
More than any other places she describes, it is her home region which she evokes most lovingly ( I guess that is not surprising) and of course in most vivid detail. Since we had a brand new state-of-the-art kitchen available that day, she pulled out all the stops to show off one of her home-town`s characteristic dishes- using a special touch- HACHO MISO- a rarer and more expensive type of miso which is famous for its deep flavor. She had bought this gourmet bean paste at the factory in which it was made in Okazaki- the hometown of the founder of the Tokugawa Dynasty- Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The ingredients: shiitake mushrooms, chikuwa (fish rolls), daikon radish,tofu ,konnyaku (devil`s tongue), hard-boiled eggs, and shungiku, are simmered in a kelp stock based broth
Before I tell you what Mie Style oden is like, I had better explain, to those who dont already know, what ODEN is in the first place.
Books in English on Japanese food culture refer to ODEN as HODGEPODGE! I cant imagine that this expression would be of much help to anyone who had never seen ODEN before, so let me try to explain what it is in my own way. Oden consists of various ingredients which are simmered in a special ODEN broth. These ingredients are certain set vegetables ( most promimently daikon radish), or other pre- prepared hand-sized tibits. When heated, these do not do blend together in any way. They are eaten seperately, usually served in their broth ( which can be drunk) with a dab of hot mustard ( karashi) on the side of the dish. The standard tidbits which can be found in a simmering pot of oden are daikon radish, kelp,fried tofu, konnyaku ( a kind of rubbery gel made for a tuber), and kamaboko ( a fish-paste stick).
Oden is a typical winter dish in Japan, and can probably most easilly be seen ( and SMELLED) at 7-11 `s and other convenience stores which start selling it ( you have to order each tidbit individually) from mid-autumn through late spring.
For many foreigners the unusually aroma which fills Japanese convenience store during this period, created by the daikon radish, can be quite off-putting ( because we have nothing like that smell in the west), but anyone who samples this hearty and healthy food, especially on a cold winter night with some sake, cannot help but grow addicted.
After being payed out on dishes, each tidbit is covered with a dab of home-made NERI-MISO
What surprised all of us the other day when we sat down for Mie Prefecture style oden ( which looks the same as the oden around here when it is cooking in the pot) was that instead of being served in the broth, with a bot of hot mustard on the side, we were served a set of oden tidbits arranged on a dish. with heaping splotches of miso on top of each one. Some of them were also garnished with yuzu(citron) rind shavings or a dash of chilli pepper.
We stood with mouths agape as M-San arranged the servings with the precision of a professional on the dishes she had brought from home for the occassion- rustically elegant TOKONAME-WARE ( once typical everyday household ware, but now quite expensive!).
She arranged shiitake mushroom,daikon radish, kamaboko, tofu, konnyaku, hard-boiled egg, and shungiku ( which looked and tasted like a bit of boiled spinach) on each plate, in the same order.
Then each separate food got its gob of NERI-MISO, which M-San made from hatcho-miso ( which contains only fermented soy beans and salt), sugar, sake and mirin ( sweet sake for cooking).
The resulting taste experience was delightful. Each ingredient distinctive in taste and texture, though linked thematically by the deeply flavored sauce.
M-San said that back home they ate this dish about once a month. I t was especially good for days after heavy meals or parties, as it is light and cleansing ( the konnyaku is good for cleaning out your insides!)
We were all surpised again when we heard that while this dish, as we were served it on that day was called ODEN in Mie, while what we would get at 7-11 here in Tsukuba ( or the rest of the Kanto Region was referred to as KANTO-NI in Mie ( maybe the rest of Western Japan.
Voila! Beautifully prepared Mie Prefecture-Style ODEN layed out on TOKONAME-WARE dishes
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