Japanese Sweets in May No. 2 - Sweetfish-Shaped Mochi Sweet 求肥入り鮎スイーツ

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Summer sweetfish (natsu ayu)

Sweetfish is an early summer Kyoto delicacy, but this sweetfish-shaped mochi (a rice cake made from rice powder) sweet I bought at a convenient store last week is yummy, too! It's called by several names, e.g., natsu ayu (summer sweetfish) or chofu ayu (crepe sweetfish), but they are the same: Mochi and/or red bean paste wrapped in a thin pancake (castella cake).

Regionally, there is a slight difference, though. Ones sold in the western Japan, such as Kyoto, usually contain only mochi, while ones sold in Tokyo often contain mochi and red bean paste. So, if you are considering staying in both Tokyo and Kyoto in May or June, don't miss the opportunity to compare this subtle taste and texture difference. If you had to choose one, I would recommend the Tokyo one. You can enjoy the taste of traditional Japanese anko (i.e., red bean paste) and the unique texture of mochi at the same time!

去年も買いました。そして今年も買いました。しかも今年はコンビニで！夏鮎、若鮎、調布鮎｡｡｡ 名前は違えどカステラ生地に包まれた求肥と餡、そして可愛い見た目。

関西だと求肥だけ、東京だと求肥と餡子の両方が入っていることが多いとのこと。初夏到来です！

Flowers in May - Foxgloves and Hot Lips ジギタリス＆チェリーセージ

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Someone named "rieo" wrote a comment on a post about flowers whose names I don't know published last week and I learned the names of two flowers.

The flowers in the picture below are foxgloves or digitalis purpurea. I hadn't heard of foxgloves, but had heard of digitalis. They were used to kill someone in Agatha Christie's stories, a favorite author of mine, if I remember correctly... They are so beautiful, but poisonous like some women......

Digitalis

The flowers on the right in the picture below (i.e., red and white ones) are cherry sage or hot lips. They are also beautiful, lovely and cute, aren't they! Unfortunately, the pink and purple flowers on the left couldn't be identified.

Still unidentified & hot lips

先日お花について書いたら、コメントをいただき、花の名前を教えていただきました。

上の写真の花はジギタリスだとのこと。確か、クリスティーの小説で毒殺に使われていたのでびっくり。こんなにきれいな花だったんですね。

下の写真の右の花（赤と白の花）はチェリーセージまたはホットリップス。可愛いですよね。

rieoさん、ありがとうございました。一つ賢くなりました！

Flowers in May 名もなき花ですが｡｡｡

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Recently flowers have drawn my attention more than ever. I realized their beauty and liveliness first at Kyoto botanical garden and again in my neighborhood while walking. 

I found these flowers on the street. These flowers, whose names I don't know, were so beautiful that I just stopped and stared at them for a while. 

5月ってこんなに植物がきれいだったんですね。京都府立植物園で初めてそのことに気づき、そして先週東京でも｡｡。名前分かりませんが思わず立ち止まって見入ってしまいました。

Japanese Sweets for May - Kashiwa Mochi 柏餅！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Kashiwa mochi before eating

Inside kashiwa (oak) leaf

Cross section of kashiwa mochi

Are you looking for Japanese sweets? If you're in Japan in May, you should try kashiwa mochi!

Kashiwa mochi is a traditional Japanese rice cake sweet with usually red bean paste filling wrapped in a kashiwa (oak) leaf. It's for Children's Day (May 5) to celebrate their growth, but eaten throughout May. Some use white bean paste mixed with miso (fermented soybeans) instead of red beans paste.

You can find this mochi sweet at not only special Japanese confectionery stores, but also supermarkets or even convenient stores. I bought these two, a white one and a green yomogi (mugwort) one, at a neighborhood supermarket.

I wanted to get miso kashiwa, too, but it sold out! So, if you find a miso one, don't miss it!!

Last, but not least, be careful not to eat the oak leaf! It's inedible unlike the edible cherry leaf of sakura mochi.

柏餅を買いに近くのスーパーに。でもみそ餡が売り切れ！白いのとよもぎを買って帰りました。今日、みそ餡、買いに行きます！

Kyoto Coffee Shop Matsu 京都の喫茶店 松

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I went to Otoyo Shrine in Kyoto a week ago. The shrine is located along the Philosopher's Walk (Tetsugaku no michi).

After enjoying its serenity and very cute matchmaking mice welcoming me, I walked along the street toward Nanzenji Temple to go back to the central Kyoto and found a coffee shop "Matsu."

"喫茶 松 (Kissa [i.e., coffee shop] Matsu [meaning pine])" is small and quiet with background classical and jazz music. It also has a splendid view of the Higashiyama Mountain and maple trees. When I was there, all leaves were green. Needless to say that coffee was good, making usually talkative me quiet.

哲学の道から南禅寺に行った後、ちょっとお茶したくなり、偶然入ったのが「喫茶 松」です。ホームページはないようですが、コーヒー、眺め、マスター、雰囲気、全てが静かでゆったり過ごすことが出来ました。お勧めです！

Nara - Byakugouji Temple 白毫寺

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Byakugoji temple
Nara prefecture

This is Byakugoji Temple (白毫寺) in Nara. I had first planned to go to Shin Yakushiji Temple (新薬師寺), but found this temple on a map and changed the plan and that was a success!

It's located on a small mountain or hill, so you have to walk first to arrive at the entrance and then climb to the top of the hill to enjoy a view of the entire Nara city, but it's worth it.

The temple is famous for five-color Japanese camellias (goshiki tsubaki), but their season was over and instead I enjoyed fringed irises or butterfly flowers. 

Iris japonica, fringed irises, butterfly flowers or shaga

Nara city from Byakugoji temple

新薬師寺に行くつもりが、地図で白毫寺を見つけたので予定変更。でも行った甲斐はありました。

高い所にあるので眺めが最高。かつ、このシャガというお花もきれい。冬は「五色椿」 で有名ですが、シャガもとっても可憐でした。

奈良に行ったら東大寺とか春日大社だけでなく、白毫寺にもぜひ立ち寄ってみてください！

Kyoto Botanical Garden 京都府立植物園

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Fuchsia Lonora

Fuchsia My Fair Lady

Fuchsia Looks

Fuchsia Golden Dawn

Fuchsia Winzewrin

Fuchsia Looks

Fuchsia Jack Shahan

Fuchsia Angels Earrings

Fuchsia Lena

Fuchsia Happy

Fuchsia Mrs. Minnie Pugh

Fuchsia Display

Fuchsia Harbour Bridge

I went to Kyoto Botanical Garden a few days ago. The garden held a special exhibition of fuchsia flowers. I'm not interested in plants, just wanting to kill time, but found these! How beautiful and lively these two-tone-color fuchsia flowers are! Please enjoy these Fuchsias "Lonora," "My Fair Lady," "Winzewrin," "Golden Dawn," "Looks," "Jack Shahan," "Angels Earrings," "Lena," "Happy," "Mrs. Minnie Pugh," "Display," and "Harbour Bridge"!

京都府立植物園に行きました。 何の期待もせずに行ったのですが Wow! フクシアという花を初めて知りました。