SYUN (The best season for foodstuff) in June

In June of Japan except Hokkaido, there are many rainy days Many people feel uncomfortable because of their high humidity. Also, this is not only uncomfortable, but it is easier for things to get moldy. In this season, Japanese chefs use very carefully the ingredients.
It is such an annoying season, but there are many SYUN foodstuff of June, the main foodstuff are as follows.
Sea foods
Flying fish, Japanese silver whiting, Sweet fish, Scallop
Vegetable
Green peas, Watercress, Broad bean, Arugula
Fruit
Cherry, Bitter summer orange, Mango
Others
Ume (Japanese apricot)
The following is a ramen with flying fish soup of the season now

Ramen of the flying fish soup
< Ingredient 2 servings >
☆Soup · · · · · · · · · · · ·          600ml　　　
  Ago-dashi pack  · · · · · ·        1P
  Water · · · · · ·                       3.6 L
Concentrated ramen soup        60ml
Pepper · · · · · · · 　　　    adequate
Garlic · · · · · · · 　　　　  1 piece

Chinese noodle · · · · · · ·    2  servings

☆Topping
Barbecued pork · · · ·          4 pieces
Bamboo shoots · · · · · ·     adequate
Egg   · · · · · · ·         　       1 piece
Green onion  · · ·    　　　adequate

<How to make>
① Put 1 pack of Ago-dashi pack in boiled 3.6 L water. Take it out after boiling for 10 minutes at    medium heat.
② Add Concentrated ramen soup, Ago-dashi soup of ① and crushed garlic in a pot. And then turn  on fire.
③ After warming up, taste is adjusted with pepper.
④ Serve boiled Chinese noodles in the vessel, pour the ③ soup and put the ingredients of your choice.

                                                                       Ago-dashi pack


See you.

Tsuyu（梅雨）

“Tsuyu” is the rainy season in early summer in Japan.

It literally means “Plum Rain” (in Chinese characters).
We call it “Plum Rain” because plums are ripening in this time of the year.

Tsuyu is caused by the collision of cold northerly and warm southerly air masses, which results in a relatively stable bad weather front over the Japanese archipelago for several weeks.
 It doesn’t rain every day during Tsuyu, but we experience various kinds of rain such as sprinkle, heavy rain and sometimes rainstorm.
In most of Japan, the rainy season lasts from the beginning of June to mid July, while it affects the islands of Okinawa about one month earlier. Only Japan's northern most main island of Hokkaido gets barely affected by the rainy season.

Some of the traditional wooden temples and gardens look much more amazing in the rain.

People enjoy seeing beautiful hydrangeas in the rain.

There is a Japanese tradition to hand-make dolls out of white paper or cloth and hang them outside or by your window to keep the rain away and bring sunny weather.These dolls are called てるてる坊主 which literally means “shine shine monk.”

【Ume Plum Soy Sauce】
　The taste of sour plum makes a perfect, refreshing summer dressing.
  ・Ingredients
 　　 1  umeboshi pickled plum (large)
　　  Pinch of Katsuo bushi
 　　 1/4 tsp  rice vinegar
         1 tbsp  soy sauce
         1 pinch of  sugar
  ・Directions
         1. De-seed the umeboshi, mince and pound.
         2. Mix everything together in a small bowl.

Thank you.

SYUN (The best season for foodstuff)

The land of Japan is long in the north and south, the northern part is covered with cold climate and the south part is covered with subtropical climate.It is an island surrounded by the sea, and many rains enrich plants. Therefore, there are many varieties of foodstuff.
It is also famous that there are 4 seasons in Japan. The season's most delicious foodstuff are called 『SYUN』.
Japanese people have felt pleasure from long ago to eat SYUN foodstuff.There are many SYUN foodstuff of May, the main ingrdients are as follows.

Sea foods
Bonito, Spanish mackerel, Horse mackerel, Firefly squid, Wakame seaweed

 Bonito


Vegetable
Asparagus, Cabbage, Potatoes, Garlic, Bamboo shoots

Bamboo shoots



Fruit and Others
Strawberries, Grapefruit, Melon, Japanese tea, Honey

Tea plantation



See you.

Shincha ~the first picked tea of this year~

"Shincha" is charactered by fresh scent, flavor and sweetness. Shincha is a tea that made of the first fresh leaves of the season. The first tea of the season is picked from the end of April to the end of May.

Harvest time starts from mild area like Kagoshima, and move northward like cherry blossom's blooming. "Shincha" and "First crop tea" is basically same tea and just has a different name. "First crop tea" is usually called a name as comparison with "Second crop tea" or "Third crop tea" those picked after "First crop tea".

Also "Shincha" is called as "now in season" that means the first tea of the season. A tea tree stores norishment during the winter, and when the spring comes, fresh leaves that contain a lot of norishment will grow. Those leaves become Shincha(the first tea of the season). The day after 88th days count from the first day of spring(February 4th) is called "Hachijyu-hachi-ya". Risshun is in early February of the solar calendar, so that the 88th day is usually around May 2.

According to a tradition, if you drink tea that be picked in 88th days, you will being healthy for a year. The characteristic of Shincha is "refreshing scent" of new leaves, after all. Shincha has less catechin and caffein than "second crop tea" or "third cop tea" and has more flavor and Amino acid(Theanin) that is a component of sweetness. Farmers usually pick the first crop of tea around the 88th day because the tea at that time is filled with nutrients stored over winter and most delicious.
 
【Noodle soup base mixed with green tea】

 








Recipe  
Ingredients_2 servings
・Noodle soup base　Cup 1/2
・Green tea　 Cup 1/2
・Daikon-oroshi (Japanese term for grated daikon radish)　 Cup 1/2
・Naganegi (Japanese green onion)  as needed
・Katsuobushi (Dried bonito shavings)  as needed
 
How to cook
1. Mix Noodle soup bass with green tea.
2. Make Daikon-oroshi, Either grate it yourself using a grater or put the daikon radish into a food processor.
3. Garnish Daikon-oroshi, Naganegi and Katsuobushi.
 
 
Thank you.