Washoku gets UNESCO heritage status!!!

"Washoku" has been determined to be registered with intangible cultural heritage United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)!

Basic of Wahoku is of rice, soup, side dishes, pickles. It is called "one soup three greens, Ichiju Sansai". Japanese people say "Itadakimasu" before they eat. This word is expressive of gratitude to the farmer and blessings of nature. And also, It represents the spirituality that the food culture in harmony with nature. But people in Japan head out for a meal now. It's a kind of hard to take over and make Washoku at home. 

The leaders to protect and inherit Washoku is all people in Japan. I hope people can teach how to make Washoku to kids. 

"We love Washoku!"

Thank you so much!

Japanese noodle, Soba is like a mirror of the mind

I watched a Japanese documentary TV show, "Professional" yesterday. It was a very interesting program. A soba chef, Kunihiro Takahashi was a great chef of soba (そば or 蕎麦). He is 68 years old. People call him "A God of Soba". 

Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour and it can refer to any thin noodle in Japan (unlike thick wheat noodles, known as udon). Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.  

In his case, he just served chilled soba with a dipping sauce. Because he said, "It is very simple menu so it shows my mind. Soba is like a mirror of the mind." 

He lives in the countryside of Hiroshima in Japan. His Soba restaurant is open only weekends and holidays. He teaches how to make Soba for his pupils for the weekdays. 

He mixes 9 different of buckwheat. He rolls out the dough using a rolling pin. "If the dough's height is 1.2 mm, it is the best", he said.  It will be great "Nodogoshi（のどごし）". 

"Nodogoshi" is a word that is represented the comfort to go through the throat smoothly while feeling the coldness because of appropriate boiling and swing of noodles.

An intangible cultural heritage, "Washoku" is Japanese home food.

Japanese home food, Washoku
Rice, Miso soup, grilled fish, one cooked dish and Japanese pickle
["一汁三菜、Ichiju Sannsai" (One soup and three dishes)]

A registration to the world intangible cultural heritage of the Japanese home food or Japanese cuisine, "Washoku" was recommended in pre-screening the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is formally determined in December.

Onsen Tamago (Boiled egg), Japanese pickle and Natto

Japanese use various seafood and food from a mountain to make Washoku. It is superior in nutritional balance and taste. To present a sense of the season and the beauty of nature, a person who make Washoku gets a little creative with the tableware and food layout. It is also closely-linked to the annual events such as the harvest festival and New Year in Japan.