Today's Picture: 026 (February 20, 2009)
Feb. 21st, 2009 03:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akujunkanYesterday's picture (posted today because of a late night) is of:
yatsuhashi.
Some background on why this is significant. There exists in Japan a tradition called "omiyage;" the characters for that word literally mean "honorable land product," where "land" is used in its sense of "location." Omiyage are essentially souveniers one is socially obligated to bring back for family, friends, classmates, teachers, and coworkers whenever one goes on a trip. One does this regardless of whether the trip is a month or a day in duration, for business or pleasure, and regardless of one's personal feeligns of good- or ill will toward the recipients.
What one gives as omiyage is largely predetermined by the location visited, not only within Japan but within foreign countries Japanese frequently visit as well; they're literally known as the region's "meibutsu" or "famous product." I have tried bringing back typical regional foods that are not meibutsu. I have tried putting lots of thought into my omiyage-giving, tailoring it to specific individuals. This almost never goes down well. If you go to Hong Kong, bring back Hong Kong beef jerky. If you go to Korea, bring back flavored Korean seaweed. Such is the tyranny of the omiyage tradition.
If you go to Kyoto, bring back yatsuhashi. In fact, yatsuhashi were the first omiyage I ever bought anywhere in Japan. They're basically soft squares of dough with some sort of filling--usually red bean paste--inside. The dough always tastes faintly of cinnamon, but it can also be flavored with white or black sesame, green tea, chocolate, strawberry, or similar.
The yatsuhashi in this picture are salt-flavored dough filled with white and red bean paste.
That will be all.
yatsuhashi.
Some background on why this is significant. There exists in Japan a tradition called "omiyage;" the characters for that word literally mean "honorable land product," where "land" is used in its sense of "location." Omiyage are essentially souveniers one is socially obligated to bring back for family, friends, classmates, teachers, and coworkers whenever one goes on a trip. One does this regardless of whether the trip is a month or a day in duration, for business or pleasure, and regardless of one's personal feeligns of good- or ill will toward the recipients.
What one gives as omiyage is largely predetermined by the location visited, not only within Japan but within foreign countries Japanese frequently visit as well; they're literally known as the region's "meibutsu" or "famous product." I have tried bringing back typical regional foods that are not meibutsu. I have tried putting lots of thought into my omiyage-giving, tailoring it to specific individuals. This almost never goes down well. If you go to Hong Kong, bring back Hong Kong beef jerky. If you go to Korea, bring back flavored Korean seaweed. Such is the tyranny of the omiyage tradition.
If you go to Kyoto, bring back yatsuhashi. In fact, yatsuhashi were the first omiyage I ever bought anywhere in Japan. They're basically soft squares of dough with some sort of filling--usually red bean paste--inside. The dough always tastes faintly of cinnamon, but it can also be flavored with white or black sesame, green tea, chocolate, strawberry, or similar.
The yatsuhashi in this picture are salt-flavored dough filled with white and red bean paste.
That will be all.
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no subject
on 2009-02-21 10:16 am (UTC)I hate it when the omiyage is heavy. I always need to buy like a pack of 40, so I have enough for all the teachers in the middle school.
no subject
on 2009-02-21 02:06 pm (UTC)And amen on the heavy omiyage, and the bulky ones too.
no subject
on 2009-02-24 07:16 pm (UTC)