Feeding the muse
Categories: food, Japan, writing processPosted on March 7th, 2007 | 2 Comments | RSS feed
I have a backlog of topics I’d like to post about, but I’ve been trying to focus on finishing my current novel, which is due next week (I’ve already asked my editor for two deadline extensions, so this is it!).
Immersion in writing about Japan has got me, not only wishing I could go back for another visit, but also craving a different Japanese food each week. Last week it was yam sushi, this week it’s Kakinotane peanuts, a few weeks ago it was yuzu (a kind of citrus fruit) tea, before that it was Gaba chocolates, vegetable tempura, and so on…..
So, for now I’ll leave you with three images to taste: a delicious cup of yuzu tea and chocolate cake (which I had at a tiny cafe in Nara after ducking in out of the rain), Gaba chocolates, and cherry blossom KitKat (apparently only available in Japan and only during cherry blossom season, and especially popular with students taking exams — as a kind of edible good luck charm).
March 7th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
OOhh yummy! Do you know if the yuzu tea is available at Fujiya? And that Cherry Blossom Kit Kat is making my mouth water!
March 9th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Yuzu is a a small, yellow citrus fruit that is usually available fresh January-March. The taste, and especially the aroma, are wonderful. It is used for sweets or a sliver of the peel can be added to clear soups or in salads. Also make a great sorbet. It’s even good in a bathtub. Great scent while you’re soaking away the day’s stress.
It is native to Japan and Korea and I think yuzu tea is originally Korean. So you might have luck finding it at Korean stores. However, there is a Korean name for yuzu and I’ve forgotten it. Sorry. The tea comes in a jar and looks sort of like marmalade. Add a large spoonful of it to hot water and stir. That’s it.