もうすぐ立春とはいえ、まだ寒い。大きな大根を頂いたので、おでんにした。知人の辛子屋さんから頂いた粉がらしをといて、ツーンと辛みが立って、鼻にくる、目にくる。子供のころ、今日は「かんと炊き」(関西ではおでんと言わず、関東だきいう)というと、母が、粉がらしをといていたことを思い出す。
からしには、洋からしと和からしがあって、辛味成分がちょっと違うらしい。今やからしと言えばチューブ練りがらしだが、なんとも、ときたての和がらしの潔さには、まったく叶わない。わさびもそうだけど、便利になった分、失われたものもたくさんある。スローフード礼賛者ではないけど、子供には、知っておいてほしい。
~ After all, Japanese KARASHI ! ~ The spring is coming on the 4 th Feb. this year. (Risshun, by the old calender) However, we have still a cold weather, so I cook Oden for lunch because
I had a big Japanese radish given. Whenever we have Oden, we flavor mustard for it. We usually use mustard in tube, but today I prepare it from Japanese mustard (WA-KARASHI)
powder which is hotter and fierier than Western one, let tubed musatard alone. WA-KARASHI has particular fiery flavor that stimulating my nose and eyes, and at the same time it makes me remind my mother who prepared WA-KARASHI for Oden in my childhood.
Mustard has major two types, Japanese and Western one. They are a liitle different by their ingredient for fiery taste. Now, we are accostomed to tubed mustard, but it won't be superior to WA-KARASHI.
We have acquired convenience like tube. Instead of it, we have lost something. I am not a slow-food admirer, but I want to hand down something to my son.