Mei-Shun is so happy to see her favorite tea shop open. They have a few green tea newly picked on 八十八夜 left behind reservation, let her purchase one in vacuum packaging. She also found the last bag of green tea candy, taste great and Shin’s favorite. He loves Japanese-style candy like this, while restarted severe weight control. All right, it would be kept safely in the refrigerator until he can enjoy it soon.
Golden Week, our serial holidays in this month is also a chance to see temporary farmers plant young rice on watered paddy. Mei-Shun also heard a love song by an uguisu or Japanese nightingale boy. Well done, you must have practiced hard to give such a dulcet voice. She cannot treat you to this, yet please just see a box of sweets — popular chocolate collaborated by a patisserie, sister company of たねや.
1st of this month was 八十八夜=hachi-ju-hachi-ya, 88th day from 立春. It is said to be the best timing to pick up young leaves of green tea. Mei-Shun is therefore looking forward to purchase some, yet things are a bit different this year. Her favorite shop seems to suspend sending a pamphlet for order by post. She would wait until they return to normal business.
Great to see you again, little cherry tree.
Here Mei-Shun’s one of favorite months has come. May was full of young green in her childhood, yet such time seems to have got advanced for a few weeks these days. Well, everything changes, why doesn’t she enjoy it? And another reason follows, 柏餅=kashiwa-mochi and 粽=chimaki to celebrate coming Children’s Day on 5th. Thanks a lot, generous たねや for bonus leaf pies added to free delivery.
Yes, this is Showa Day, changed from Green Day in our previous Heisei era. Since it was birthday of Emperor Showa, Mei-Shun thought December 23rd, on which Emperor Emeritus Akihito was born, would be a holiday from 2020. However, it has become a weekday after 30 years, while February 23rd a holiday as Birthday of current Emperor Naruhito.
Mom-in-law’s お赤飯=o-seki-han, red-bean rice to celebrate today
Mei-Shun loves cherry; not only those fruits lovely and tasty, but also flowers in various shape and shade attract her so much. Their leaves and flowers are often used for spring cooking, especially in sweets. Following is her best hit of 2020, cookie sticks coated with white chocolate of cherry flavor. Approximately 100kcal per serving, gives satisfaction with a pinch of salt.
In a pretty box as well.
Tasty, but also friendly toward your tongue. Mei-Shun means candy made by 榮太婁総本舗. She recently recognized how highly qualified the ones are, sold at department stores. More reasonable ones are available at supermarkets, yet they sometimes hurt her in the mouth by edges. Such technique to remove any bubbles from each tiny triangular pyramid is really commendable.
Below left might bite U.
So recent お彼岸=o-higan passed by, lunar calendar reached solar one. Mei-Shun visited her mother who kindly waited with handmade ohagi of course. It was one of favorite sweets of beloved father, has smooth surface these days stroked with wet cotton cloth. “When we were young, it was a bigger ball like a full moon covered with a lot of little horns,” she always says with a smile.
Queen Mom, mother of Momo-chan
White Day saw sleet fall around Shin and Mei-Shun’s place. They drove to Mt. Tsukuba on Sunday, surprised by the view like a ski slope. So it was romantic enough for the wife to receive cookies, chocolate-coated anko balls, plum jelly, baumkuchen, etc. She currently gets along with weight control, felt free to enjoy them on tea, coffee and green tea. Only one day, after a good record on bathroom scale.
Mei-Shun finds 羅臼昆布, kelp from the city in Hokkaido, the best for her. Not so sticky when soaked in water as 利尻昆布, crispier than 日高昆布 after cooked. Any of them give good umami, while the most above grown in the sea around the world natural heritage 知床 Peninsula nicely works both as a kind of herb and as dish ingredient. If you kind followers throw it away after taking dashi, please once try.
meishunkikunoe 