(Preface note: My apology for the delay in posting this. My schedule has recently changed. Also, yesterday I was unable to access Facebook for a long time, and when it did open, posting would stop and the page crashed many times.) Tuesday January 27, 2015 If you recently have been shopping in local grocery stores (and perhaps at farmers markets) you may have noticed some special displays of products. These are for two celebrations (holidays): -- MUCHI Day -- SETSUBUN MUCHI Day ムーチーの日 (Pronounced: moo-chee no he) Moo? But not cow-related. This is celebrated on December 8 each year according to the Lunar/Chinese Calendar. That is TODAY! January 27, 2015. One unique aspect of this holiday is that it is primarily observed only in Okinawa. This is a special mochi which is prepared, cooked and eaten with symbolic meaning. Muchi is a traditional Okinawan treat of rice flour mixed with sugar and then a flavoring added such as beni-imo (purple sweet potato), brown sugar, yomogi (herb) and sometimes ninjin (carrot), or kabocha (pumpkin) or ukon (turmeric). These also provide a unique color to each flavor. This sticky concoction is then placed on leaves cut from a common plant called Gettou in Japanese (Shell Ginger). The leaves are folded tightly to seal in the mixture, with string tied around the folded leaves and then whole muchi thing gets steamed. Muchi is eaten directly from the Gettou leaf. It is commonly believed that by eating Muchi a person can have good luck and keep in good health, especially children. Families eat this as a wish for the safety, well-being, and prosperity of the entire family. There are specific and traditional aspects of this food: colors of the muchi, preparation, folding of the protective leaves, tying of the string, etc. You can purchase all the ingredients and items needed to make this muchi, take them home and attempt to prepare it. Or you can just buy some ready-made muchi, which is easily seen on display in grocery stores and perhaps some farmers markets today and likely for a few more days. It is best eaten fresh (there is an expiration date on packages); and it can be heated up slightly in a microwave. It is very sticky and gooey, and the Gettou leaves wrapped around the muchi impart a unique and characteristic smell and taste. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& SETSUBUN 節分の日 (~set-zoo-boon) Celebrated annually on February 3 (regular /Julian Calendar), which is next Tuesday this year. To many people who grew up in western cultures Setsubun is a weird but fun celebration (another quirky thing that makes Japan cool). More on this bean and boo event will be coming later in another post. In the meantime, try doing Google searches for both of these holidays/celebrations. Setsubun is observed throughout Japan, so finding websites, images and even videos online should be very easy. However, a search for MUCHI will likely result in only a few online resources that are in English, or you will get auto-corrected to the word MOCHI. It is best to use this in search: Okinawa muchi Or to see many more websites, images, and YouTube videos, in Japanese, use this for search: 沖縄 ムーチー And also, as you go shopping at farmers markets and stores look for the displays of foods and related items for these two celebrations. Muchi will be gone in a few days (though it reappears briefly for a few other Okinawa holidays during the year). Some of my neighborhood elderly friends have talked about making Muchi when the were younger. Nearly every household prepared it as a yearly important family tradition. However, modern times have resulted in busy schedules and supermarket conveniences. Many people now just buy the ready-made variety Muchi at stores; though it is mass-produced and usually not as tasty or comforting as ones made at home. Perhaps some of the farmers markets have Muchi available, and it will have a taste closer to home made than the grocery store ones. If you see it please post a photo and market name/location. If you never eaten Okinawa Muchi then I recommend you try it today or tomorrow for another unique and traditional taste of Okinawa. :-)
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:53:00 +0000
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